CONTROLLING WI-FI SERVICE IN A VEHICLE

• US 20140269466A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Owens, Kevin W., McGarry, Daniel C., Hosey, Eric T., Sine, Joshua M.
• Application Number:
  US13/826,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269466A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of controlling a Wi-Fi service provided by a vehicle includes detecting at the vehicle that an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off; wirelessly receiving at the vehicle a message that controls the operation of the Wi-Fi service while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off; and activating or deactivating the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle in response to the wirelessly-received message while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a Wi-Fi service provided by a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting at the vehicle that an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off;

(b) wirelessly receiving at the vehicle a message that controls the operation of the Wi-Fi service while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off; and

(c) activating or deactivating the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle in response to the wirelessly-received message while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring a battery condition of a vehicle battery while the Wi-Fi service is activated.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of sending a battery condition message to a mobile device when the battery condition rises above or falls below a predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of limiting the amount of time the Wi-Fi service is activated based on the monitored battery condition of the vehicle battery.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the battery condition message instructs a vehicle user to remotely start the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating the message that controls the operation of the Wi-Fi service using a messaging software application stored at a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the messaging software application controls one or more vehicle functions in addition to the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the messaging software application displays a vehicle identifier and a vehicle function associated with the vehicle identifier using a display of the mobile device.

9. A method of controlling a Wi-Fi service provided by a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a wireless message that controls Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle using a software application stored on a mobile device;

(b) wirelessly transmitting the wireless message from the mobile device to the vehicle; and

(c) changing an operating mode of the Wi-Fi service at the vehicle based on the wireless message while an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving a battery condition message at the mobile device when a battery condition of a vehicle battery rises above or falls below a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery condition message instructs a vehicle user to remotely start the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the software application stored on the mobile device further comprises a messaging software application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the messaging software application controls one or more vehicle functions in addition to the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the messaging software application displays a vehicle identifier and a vehicle function associated with the vehicle identifier using a display of the mobile device.

15. A method of controlling a Wi-Fi service provided by a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a wireless message that controls Wi-Fi service using a mobile device;

(b) wirelessly transmitting the wireless message to the vehicle;

(c) changing an operating mode of the Wi-Fi service at the vehicle based on the wireless message while an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off;

(d) monitoring a battery condition of the vehicle providing the Wi-Fi service while the Wi-Fi service is provided using a vehicle telematics unit; and

(e) wirelessly transmitting a battery condition message to the mobile device while the Wi-Fi service is active and the battery condition of the vehicle has fallen below or rises above a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of limiting the amount of time the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle is activated based on the monitored battery condition of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the battery condition message instructs a vehicle user to remotely start the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of generating the wireless message that controls Wi-Fi service using a messaging software application stored at the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the messaging software application controls one or more vehicle functions in addition to the Wi-Fi service provided by the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the messaging software application displays a vehicle identifier and a vehicle function associated with the vehicle identifier using a display of the mobile device.