VEHICLE BROADCASTING SYSTEM

• US 20140220966A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Muetzel, Ronald, Ibele, Sabine, Roesch, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A vehicle may include a vehicle broadcasting system for providing occupant interaction between one or more vehicle occupants. The on-board device may receive communications from occupants in the vehicle or from a different vehicle within a predetermined communication range. Vehicle occupants may send communications to the on-board device through a communication device, e.g., a cell phone, or through a user interface in the vehicle. The vehicle broadcasting system may implement any number of interaction functionalities, such as supporting a conversation between vehicle occupants, interactive video, game, quiz, karaoke, or other occupant interactions.

Claims

1. A vehicle broadcast system comprising:

a user interface in the vehicle; and

an on-board device communicatively linked to the user interface, the on-board device configured to;

receive a first communication from a communication device in the vehicle;

receive a second communication from a source external to the vehicle; and

generate a display output based on the first communication, second communication, or both, for presentation in the vehicle through the user interface.

2. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the first communication comprises a text message.

3. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the first communication comprises an image file.

4. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the first communication comprises media data.

5. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the first communication comprises a video file.

6. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the on-board device is further configured to:

obtain vehicle position data with respect to the vehicle; and

generate the output based on the vehicle position data.

7. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the on-board device is configured to receive the second communication after passing a predetermined geographical boundary.

8. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the display output comprises a conversation between vehicle occupants.

9. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the display output is part of a quizzing game.

10. The vehicle broadcast system of claim 1, where the display output supports vehicle occupant interaction.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a display; and

an on-board device configured to;

obtain a vehicle position;

use the vehicle position to determine whether the vehicle has passed a predetermined geographical boundary;

retrieve position-specific data in response to a determination that the vehicle has passed the predetermined geographical boundary;

generate an output based on the position-specific data; and

send the output to the display for presentation to a vehicle occupant.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, where the on-board device is further configured to receive a communication from a communication device operated by the vehicle occupant responsive to the output presented on the display.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, where the position-specific data comprises a quiz question with respect to a current geographical location of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, where the on-board device is configured to retrieve the position-specific data from an external database.

15. A method for providing vehicle occupant interaction between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:

determining that the second vehicle is within a predetermined communication range;

receiving a first communication from a first communication device in the first vehicle;

receiving a second communication from a second communication device in the second vehicle; and

broadcasting a display output in the first vehicle based on the first communication and the second communication.

16. The method of claim 15, where the first communication device comprises a user interface in the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, where broadcasting the display output comprises sending the display output to the user interface in the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, where the second communication device comprises a second on-board device in the second vehicle.

19. The method of claim 15, where broadcasting the display output comprises broadcasting a conversation between occupants in the first and second vehicles.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining that the second vehicle shares a common route as the first vehicle.