DEVICE, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE CONFIGURATION OF VEHICLE CONTROLS

• US 20140088793A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Morgan, Dennis M., Ross, Alan D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A device, method, and system for portable configuration of vehicle controls includes a mobile communication device configured to communicate with an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle. The mobile communication device stores user vehicle configuration settings, which are selectively transmitted to the in-vehicle computing system to cause the in-vehicle computing system to adjust vehicle controls based on the user vehicle configuration settings.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device for remotely configuring vehicle configuration settings of a vehicle, the mobile communication device comprising:

a data storage having stored therein a user vehicle configuration settings, the user vehicle configuration settings comprising data usable by an in-vehicle computing system to configure vehicle occupant controls of the vehicle; and

a vehicle configuration management module to retrieve the user vehicle configuration settings from the data storage and transmit the retrieved user vehicle configuration settings to the in-vehicle computing system to configure the vehicle occupant controls.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration management module is to automatically retrieve and transmit the user vehicle configuration settings in response to establishment of a communication connection with the in-vehicle computing system.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration management module is to automatically retrieve and transmit the user vehicle configuration settings in response to receiving a configuration authorization signal from the in-vehicle computing system indicative that a component of the vehicle has been activated.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to determine a vehicle identifier for the vehicle and retrieve the user vehicle configuration settings from the data storage as a function of the vehicle identifier.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to:

display a selection of a plurality of selectable user vehicle configuration settings stored in the data storage on the display;

receive a selection of one of the displayed user vehicle configuration settings corresponding to a seat location of the vehicle; and

retrieve the selected user configuration settings from the data storage.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to:

display a selection of a plurality of selectable user vehicle configuration settings stored in the data storage on the display;

receive a selection of one of the displayed user vehicle configuration settings;

determine a user configuration settings identifier for the selected user vehicle configuration setting; and

transmit the user configuration settings identifier to the in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the user vehicle configuration settings comprises at least one of user configuration settings to adjust an ergonomic control of the vehicle, user configuration settings to adjust an comfort control of the vehicle, user configuration settings to adjust an mechanical control of the vehicle.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to:

request vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system, the vehicle configuration settings identifying current settings of vehicle occupant controls managed by the in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle;

receive the vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system using a communication module; and

store the vehicle configuration settings in the data storage

9. An in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle for managing vehicle configuration settings;

the in-vehicle computing system comprising;

a communication module to receive user vehicle configuration settings from a mobile communication device, the user vehicle configuration settings comprising data usable by the in-vehicle computing system to configure one or more vehicle occupant controls of the vehicle that are managed by the in-vehicle system; and

a vehicle configuration control module to adjust at least one vehicle occupant control of the vehicle as a function of the user vehicle configuration settings.

10. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle configuration control module is to generate a vehicle authorization signal in response to activation of a component of the vehicle and the communication module is to transmit the vehicle authorization signal to the mobile communication device to inform the mobile communication device that the vehicle configuration settings may be adjusted.

11. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 10, wherein the component of the vehicle is one of a door handle, a break, and an ignition switch.

12. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9, further comprising a data storage to store vehicle configuration settings,

wherein the user vehicle configuration settings comprises a user vehicle configuration settings identifier, and

wherein the in-vehicle computing system to retrieve a vehicle configuration settings from the data storage corresponding to the user vehicle configuration settings identifier and adjust the at least one vehicle occupant control as a function of the retrieved vehicle configuration settings.

13. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle configuration control module comprises at least one of an ergonomic control module to adjust at least one ergonomic control of the vehicle as a function of the user vehicle configuration settings, a comfort control module to adjust at least one comfort control of the vehicle as a function of the user vehicle configuration settings, and a mechanical control module to adjust at least one mechanical control of the vehicle as a function of the user vehicle configuration settings.

14. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9, wherein the communication module to receive an additional user vehicle configuration settings from an additional mobile communication device,

the vehicle configuration control module to resolve a priority conflict between the user vehicle configuration settings and the additional user vehicle configuration settings to determine a final user vehicle configuration settings and adjust at least one vehicle occupant control as a function of the final vehicle configuration settings.

15. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle configuration control module is to resolve the priority conflict as a function of a priority identifier received with each user vehicle configuration settings.

16. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9, wherein:

the communication module to receive a request for vehicle configuration settings from the mobile communication device; and

the in-vehicle computing system to determine current vehicle configuration settings of the vehicle in response to the request and transmit, using the communication module, the current vehicle configuration settings to the mobile communication device.

17. One or more machine readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, result in a mobile computing device:

automatically retrieving user vehicle configuration settings from a data storage of the mobile communication device, the user vehicle configuration settings to configure vehicle occupant controls managed by an in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle; and

transmitting the user vehicle configuration settings to the in-vehicle computing system to configure the vehicle occupant controls.

18. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the mobile computing device:

establishing a communication connection with the in-vehicle computing system,

wherein automatically retrieving user vehicle configuration settings comprises automatically retrieving the user vehicle configuration settings in response to establishment of the communication connection.

19. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the mobile computing device:

receiving a configuration authorization signal from the in-vehicle computing system indicative that a component of the vehicle has been activated, and

wherein automatically retrieving user vehicle configuration settings comprises automatically retrieving the user vehicle configuration settings in response to receiving the configuration authorization signal.

20. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 17, wherein transmitting the user vehicle configuration settings comprises transmitting user vehicle configuration settings that adjust at least one of an ergonomic control of the vehicle, a comfort control of the vehicle, and a mechanical control of the vehicle.

21. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 17, further comprising:

requesting vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system, the vehicle configuration settings identifying current settings of vehicle occupant controls managed by the in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle;

receiving, on the mobile communication device, the vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system; and

storing the vehicle configuration settings on the mobile communication device in association with a vehicle identifier that identifies the vehicle and in association with a priority identifier that identifies the priority of the vehicle configuration settings relative to other vehicle configuration settings.

22. One or more machine readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, result in an in-vehicle computing system:

receiving user vehicle configuration settings from a mobile communication device, the user vehicle configuration settings comprising data usable by the in-vehicle computing system to configure one or more vehicle occupant controls managed by the in-vehicle system; and

adjusting, using the in-vehicle computing system, at least one vehicle occupant control of the vehicle as a function of the user vehicle configuration settings.

23. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the in-vehicle computing system generating transmitting a vehicle authorization signal to the mobile communication device in response to activation of a component of the vehicle, the vehicle authorization signal informing the mobile communication device that the vehicle configuration settings may be adjusted.

24. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the component of the vehicle is one of a door handle, a break, and an ignition switch.

25. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, with the in-vehicle computing system, an additional user vehicle configuration settings from another mobile communication device; and

resolving a priority conflict between the user vehicle configuration settings and the additional user vehicle configuration settings to determine a final user vehicle configuration settings,

wherein adjusting the at least one vehicle occupant control comprises adjusting the at least one vehicle occupant control as a function of the final vehicle configuration settings.

26. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, with the in-vehicle computing system, a request for vehicle configuration settings from the mobile communication device;

determining, with the in-vehicle computing system, current vehicle configuration settings of the vehicle in response to the request; and

transmitting the current vehicle configuration settings to the mobile communication device.

27. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 26, wherein determining the current vehicle configuration settings of the vehicle comprises determining at least one of an ergonomic control setting, a comfort control setting, and a mechanical control setting of the vehicle.