METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING APPLICATION GENERATED INFORMATION FOR PRESENTATION AT AN AUTOMOTIVE HEAD UNIT

• US 20150032800A1
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: HRABAK, ROBERT A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,393,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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

Vehicles, computer-implemented methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for providing application generated information for presentation at an automotive head unit (AHU) of a vehicle. For example, a vehicle is provided that is configured to communicate with an application server. The application server hosts and executes an application to generate information. The application server provides a first part of a MirrorLink server since the application hosted at the application server is normally hosted at and designed to be executed by a consumer electronics device to generate the information, and the information is normally presented at the consumer electronics device. The vehicle includes a network access device (NAD) integrated within the vehicle and an AHU that communicatively coupled to the NAD. The AHU includes a human-machine-interface (HMI). The NAD includes a wireless communication interface that serves as a second part of the MirrorLink server. For example, the wireless communication interface can receive the information over a wireless communication link and provide the information to the HMI where the information can then be presented on the HMI.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

an application server configured to host an application that when executed generates information;

a network coupled to the application server via a first network link;

communication infrastructure that is coupled to the network via a second network link, wherein the information is communicated from the application server over the network to the communication infrastructure;

a vehicle, comprising;

a network access device (NAD) integrated within the vehicle that comprises;

a wireless communication interface configured to receive the information from the communication infrastructure via a wireless communication link; and

an automotive head unit (AHU), communicatively coupled to the NAD, the AHU comprising;

a human-machine-interface (HMI) configured to present the information within the vehicle.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the AHU further comprises:

a first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store a client application; and

a first processor configured to load and execute the client application, wherein the client application is configured to generate an indication that the application has been selected at the AHU; and

wherein the application server is configured to execute the application and generate the information in response to an indication that the application has been selected at the AHU.

3. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the NAD further comprises:

a second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store a protocol adapter module that interfaces with the client application; and

another processor that is configured to load and execute the protocol adapter module to process the information before providing the information to the client application at the AHU over the link that communicatively couples the NAD to the AHU.

4. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the application server provides a first part of a MirrorLink server that is compliant with a MirrorLink 1.0 device specification,

wherein the network access device provides a second part of the MirrorLink server that is compliant with a MirrorLink 1.0 device specification, and

wherein the client application is a MirrorLink client application that is compliant with the MirrorLink 1.0 device specification.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the application server comprises:

computer hardware for implementing a virtual machine that is configured to execute the application to generate the information.

6. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the application hosted at the application server is normally hosted at and designed to be executed by a consumer electronics device to generate the information, wherein the information is normally presented at the consumer electronics device and is capable of being replicated at the HMI of the AHU.

7. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein the consumer electronics device is a smartphone.

8. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises any information generated by the application that is capable of being communicated to the NAD and then presented in the vehicle via the HMI.

9. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of:

text or other messaging information, information from a website, entertainment information, telematics information, alert information, information from location-based services, and navigation data.

10. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication infrastructure is either:

a cellular base station;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point;

or

any other type of access point for the NAD that allows the wireless communication interface to communicate over the wireless communication link with the application server via the network.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing information generated by an application for presentation at a human-machine-interface (HMI) of an automotive head unit (AHU) of a vehicle, the computer-implemented method comprising:

executing, at an application server, an application to generate information;

communicating the information from the application server over a network to communication infrastructure;

communicating the information from the communication infrastructure via a wireless communication link to a wireless communication interface of a network access device (NAD) that is integrated within a vehicle;

communicating the information from the NAD to the AHU of the vehicle; and

presenting the information at the HMI of the AHU.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

loading, at a first processor of the AHU, a client application from a first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;

at the first processor;

executing the client application, and communicating a request to the application server for access to the application by the AHU; and

confirming, at the application server in response to receiving the request, whether the AHU of the vehicle is authorized to access the application;

after confirming that the AHU of the vehicle is authorized to access the application;

communicating an indication from the application server to the AHU that the AHU is authorized to access at least the application;

at the AHU;

selecting the application and communicating an indication to the application server that the application has been selected at the AHU;

wherein the step of executing, at the application server, the application to generate the information, comprises;

in response to receiving the indication at the application server;

executing, at the application server, the application to generate the information that is to be provided to the AHU of the vehicle.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12, further comprising:

before the step of communicating the information from the NAD to the AHU over the link;

loading, at a processor of the NAD from another non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a protocol adapter module that interfaces with the client application; and

executing the protocol adapter module at the processor to process the information.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein the step of communicating the information from the NAD to the AHU over the link, comprises:

communicating the information from the NAD to the client application 329 running at the AHU.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising:

processing the information at the client application 329; and

providing the processed information to the HMI, and

wherein the step of presenting, comprises;

presenting the processed information at the HMI of the AHU.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the application server serves as a first part of a MirrorLink server that is compliant with a MirrorLink 1.0 device specification,

wherein the network access device serves as a second part of the MirrorLink server that is compliant with a MirrorLink 1.0 device specification, and

wherein the client application is a MirrorLink client application that is compliant with the MirrorLink 1.0 device specification.

17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the application hosted at the application server is normally hosted at and designed to be executed by a consumer electronics device to generate the information, wherein the information is normally presented at the consumer electronics device and is capable of being replicated at the HMI of the AHU.

18. A computer-implemented method according to claim 17, wherein the consumer electronics device is a smartphone.

19. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the information comprises at least one of:

text or other messaging information, information from a website, entertainment information, telematics information, alert information, information from location-based services, and navigation data.

20. A vehicle configured to communicate with an application server that serves as a first part of a MirrorLink server, wherein the application server hosts and executes an application to generate information, wherein the application hosted at the application server is normally hosted at and designed to be executed by a consumer electronics device to generate the information, wherein the information is normally presented at the consumer electronics device, the vehicle comprising:

a network access device (NAD) integrated within the vehicle that comprises;

a wireless communication interface that serves as a second part of the MirrorLink server and that is configured to receive the information generated by the application server over a wireless communication link; and

an automotive head unit (AHU), communicatively coupled to the NAD, the AHU comprising;

a human-machine-interface (HMI) configured to present the information generated by the application server.