ON BOARD VEHICLE MEDIA CONTROLLER

• US 20130200991A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AutoConnect Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P., Swartz, Douglas W.
• Application Number:
  US13/828,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20130200991A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1464 3D-gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/165 Videos and animations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5894 SIM cards
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5911 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/12 Input devices or input features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1464 3D-gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/165 Videos and animations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/55 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5894 : SIM cards
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5899 : Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5911 : Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/592 : External database involved
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 : Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 : Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 : characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 : Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 : Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 : Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 : Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0796 : Safety measures, i.e. ensuring safe condition in the event of error, e.g. for controlling element
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1428 : with loss of hardware functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 : without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 : with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 : using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 : Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 : Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 : the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable network controller operable to cache media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a signal source.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a microprocessor executable network controller operable to cache media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a media source.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein media is cached in response to the vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached in response to the vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or the media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media is cached for a first input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant receives a multimedia stream and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia channel is cached while the second media channel is provided to the selected input/output system.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors:

whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist.

12. A method, comprising:

a microprocessor executable network controller caching media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a media source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein media is cached in response to the vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached in response to the vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the media is cached for a first input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant receives a multimedia stream and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia channel is cached while the second media channel is provided to the selected input/output system.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors:

whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist.

23. A non-transient, tangible computer readable medium comprising a microprocessor executable network controller on board a selected vehicle that, when executed, caches media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a media source.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein media is cached in response to the vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached in response to the vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media is cached for a first input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant receives a multimedia stream and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia channel is cached while the second media channel is provided to the selected input/output system.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors:

whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist.