Vehicle memory key

• US 6,741,920 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Otto, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US10/463,492
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/36, 340/5.2, 340/5.3, 340/5.52, 340/5.6, 340/5.65, 340/5.66, 340/5.74, 307/10.3, 307/10.5, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels

Abstract

A vehicle memory key is configured for storing user preferences in a memory such as an encoded magnetic strip. The vehicle memory key is inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle systems. A first insertion orientation of the key relative to the key receptacle is associated with a first set of user preferences and a second insertion orientation is associated with a second set of user preferences.

Claims

1. A vehicle memory key for storing user preferences associated with a vehicle in a memory, the vehicle memory key capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle system, the vehicle memory key comprising:

a first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle, the first insertion orientation associated with a first set of the user preferences stored in a first portion of the memory; and

a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle, the second insertion orientation associated with a second set of the user preferences stored in a second portion of the memory, the second set of user preferences different from the first set of the user preferences.

2. The vehicle memory key of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the memory respectively contain encoded information associated with the first and second set of user preferences, the encoded information capable of being read by a reading device associated with the key receptacle.

3. The vehicle memory key of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system.

4. The vehicle memory key of claim 1, wherein the first set of user preferences is selectively associated with a first more than one user, and the second set of user preferences is selectively associated with a second more than one user different from the first more than one user.

5. A method for determining user preferences associated with one or more vehicle systems of a vehicle using a vehicle memory key, the method comprising the steps of:

storing user preferences associated with the vehicle in a memory associated with the vehicle, the vehicle memory key capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle systems,

associating a first set of the user preferences with a first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing the first set of user preferences in a first portion of the memory, and

associating a second set of the user preferences with a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing, the second set of user preferences in a second portion of the memory, the second set of user preferences different from the first set of the user preferences.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

encoding information associated with the first and second set of user preferences in the first and second portions of the memory respectively, and

reading the encoded information from the first portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the first insertion orientation, and reading the encoded information from the second portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the second insertion orientation.

7. The method of claim 6, further including the step of asserting the user preferences in the one or more vehicle systems, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an,Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of user preferences selectively associated with a first more than one user, and the second set of user preferences is selectively associated with a second more than one user different from the first more than one user.

9. A system for asserting user preferences in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle memory key for storing user preferences associated with one or more vehicle systems of the vehicle in a memory, the vehicle memory key comprising;

a first insertion orientation associated with a first set of the user preferences stored in a first portion of the memory; and

a second insertion orientation associated with a second set of the user preferences stored in a second portion of the memory, the second set of user preferences different from the first set of the user preferences

a key receptacle for receiving the vehicle memory key, the key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle, the key receptacle configured to read the first or the second set of the user preferences when the key is inserted thereinto in the first or second insertion orientation; and

one or more vehicle system control modules coupled to the key receptacle, the one or more vehicle system control modules for receiving the first or second set of user preferences read by the key receptacle.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a reading device associated with the key receptacle, wherein the first and second portions of the memory respectively contain encoded information associated with the first and second set of user preferences, the encoded information capable of being read by reading device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first set of user preferences is selectively associated with a first more than one user, and the second set of user preferences is selectively associated with a second more than one user different from the first more than one user.

13. A method for determining user preferences associated with one or more vehicle systems of a vehicle using a vehicle memory key, the method comprising the steps of:

storing user preferences associated with the vehicle in a memory associated with the vehicle memory key,

associating a first set of the user preferences with a first insertion orientation relative to a key receptacle by storing the first set of user preferences in a first portion of the memory, and

associating a second set of the user preferences with a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing the second set of user preferences in a second portion of the memory, the second set of user preferences different from the first set of the user preferences.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

inserting the vehicle memory key into the key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle systems, and

reading the first set of user preferences from the first portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the first insertion orientation, and reading the second set of user preferences from the second portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the second insertion orientation.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of asserting the user preferences in the one or more vehicle systems, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of user preferences is selectively associated with a first more than one user, and the second set of user preferences is selectively associated with a second more than one user different from the first more than one user.

17. A vehicle memory key for storing user Internet preferences associated with one or more vehicle Internet terminals in a memory, the vehicle memory key capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more Internet related vehicle systems, the vehicle memory key comprising:

a first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle, the first insertion orientation associated with a first set of the user Internet preferences stored in a first portion of the memory; and

a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle, the second insertion orientation associated with a second set of the user Internet preferences stored in a second portion of the memory, the second set of user preferences different from the first set of the user preferences.

18. The vehicle memory key of claim 17, wherein the first and second portions of the memory respectively contain encoded information associated with the first and second set of user Internet preferences, the encoded information capable of being read by a reading device associated with the key receptacle.

19. The vehicle memory key of claim 17, wherein the one or more Internet related vehicle systems include one or more of an Internet based vehicle use tracking system, and an Internet access control system.

20. The vehicle memory key of claim 19, wherein the user Internet preferences include one or more of:

vehicle use tracking system settings, and Internet access control settings.

21. The vehicle memory key of claim 17, wherein the first set of user Internet preferences is selectively associated with a first more than one user, and the second set of user Internet preferences is selectively associated with a second more than one user different from the first more than one user.