OBD BASED IN-VEHICLE DEVICE PROVIDING CONTENT STORAGE AND ACCESS

• US 20140095014A1
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zubie, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zubie, Inc.
• Inventors: Rude, Michael John, Silkey, Ari Abram
• Granted Patent: US 9,142,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to an electronic device comprising a connector configured to connect to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector of a vehicle, a wireless transceiver, one or more processing devices coupled to the connector and to the wireless transceiver, and storage media coupled to the one or more processing devices. The storage media including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to establish communication with a content control device using the wireless transceiver, download content from the content control device, store the content on the storage media, and terminate communication with the content control device. The instructions also cause the one or more processing devices to establish communication with a mobile device, and provide the content to a mobile device via a wireless link.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a connector configured to connect to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector of a vehicle;

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processing devices coupled to the connector and to the wireless transceiver;

storage media coupled to the one or more processing devices, the storage media including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to;

establish communication with a content control device using the wireless transceiver;

download content from the content control device;

store the content on the storage media;

terminate communication with the content control device;

establish communication with a mobile device; and

provide the content to a mobile device via a wireless link.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connector includes a plurality of power conductors that are configured to contact corresponding conductors on the OBD connector to receive power from the OBD connector, wherein the wireless transceiver, one or more processing devices, and storage media are coupled to the plurality of power conductors and are configured to operate based on power from the plurality of power conductors.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

provide authentication information to the content control device, the authentication information used by the content control device to authorize the electronic device to access content from the content control device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

obtain a vehicle ID from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

provide the vehicle ID to the content control device as the authentication information.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

obtain vehicle fingerprint information other than a vehicle ID from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

provide the vehicle fingerprint information to the content control device as the authentication information.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

automatically synchronize content with the content control device when the electronic device is within communication range of the content control device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

establish communication with multiple content control devices, including content control devices controlled by subscribers other than users associated with the electronic device;

download content from such content control devices;

store the content on the storage media; and

provide the content to a mobile device via a wireless link.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein establish communication with the content control device includes establish communication using a wireless connection directly between the electronic device and the content control device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein establish communication with the content control device includes establish communication using a wireless connection between the OBD content device and a wireless router that is communicatively coupled to the content control device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the content control device is a set top box configured to provide content to a monitor coupled to the content control device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

obtain data corresponding to vehicle operation from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

provide the data to a remote server.

12. A method for storing and accessing content in a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining operating power for an on-board diagnostic (OBD) content device from an OBD connector of a vehicle;

establishing communication between the OBD content device and a content control device using a wireless transceiver in the content device;

downloading content from the content control device to the OBD content device;

storing the content on a storage media of the OBD content device;

terminating communication between the OBD content device and the content control device;

establishing communication between the OBD content device and a mobile device; and

sending content from the OBD content device to the mobile device via a wireless link.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

sending authentication information from the OBD content device to the content control device, the authentication information used by the content control device to authorize the OBD content device to access content from the content control device.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising:

obtaining a vehicle ID from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

wherein sending authentication information includes sending the vehicle ID.

15. The method of claim 13 comprising:

obtaining vehicle fingerprint information other than a vehicle ID from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

wherein sending authentication information includes sending the vehicle fingerprint information.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising:

establishing communication between the OBD content device and multiple content control devices, including content control devices controlled by subscribers other than users associated with the OBD content device;

downloading content from such content control devices;

storing the content on the storage media; and

sending the content to a mobile device via a wireless link.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein establishing communication between the OBD content device and a content control device includes establishing communication using a wireless connection directly between the OBD content device and the content control device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein establishing communication between the OBD content device and a content control device includes establishing communication using a wireless connection between the OBD content device and a wireless router that is communicatively coupled to the content control device.

19. The method of claim 12 comprising:

obtaining data corresponding to vehicle operation from the vehicle via the OBD connector; and

sending the data from the OBD content device to a remote server.

20. An electronic device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processing devices coupled to the connector and to the wireless transceiver;

storage media coupled to the one or more processing devices;

a connector configured to connect to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector of a vehicle, the connector including a plurality of power conductors that are configured to contact corresponding conductors on the OBD connector to receive power from the OBD connector, wherein the wireless transceiver, one or more processing devices, and storage media are coupled to the plurality of power conductors and are configured to operate based on power from the plurality of power conductors;

wherein the storage media includes instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to;

establish communication with a content control device using the wireless transceiver;

obtain data corresponding to a vehicle to which the connector is connected from vehicle electronics coupled to the OBD connector;

send the data corresponding to the vehicle to the content control device, wherein the data is used by the content control device to authorize the electronic device to access content from the content control device;

download content from the content control device;

store the content on the storage media;

establish communication with a mobile device;

send the content to a mobile device via a wireless link;

obtain data corresponding to vehicle operation from the vehicle electronics coupled to the OBD connector; and

send the data corresponding to vehicle operation to a remote server.