Vehicle computer system and its method of receiving message from control center

• US 6,895,233 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Kuo-Rong, Lee, Chun-Chung, Huang, Cheng-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D
• Application Number:
  US10/157,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 455/345, 455/426.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/96, 455/99, 455/152.1, 455/238.1, 455/297, 455/458
• US Class Current: 455/345
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vehicle computer system, and the vehicle computer system'"'"'s method of receiving messages from a control center. The vehicle computer system includes a pager and a mobile telephone. oIn order to save the communication fee between the mobile telephone and the control center, the vehicle computer system uses the pager to receive the pre-message and the mobile telephone to receive the post-message, if the message contains large amounts of data.

Claims

1. A method of using a vehicle computer system in a motor vehicle to receive a message from a control center, said vehicle computer system comprising a host computer having a microprocessor and a memory, a pager, and a mobile telephone, said control center being adapted to transmit a pre-message and then a post-message, the method comprising the steps of:

a) directing said pager to receive said pre-message from said control center, said pre-message including information describing said post-message;

b) evaluating said pre-message to characterize said post-message;

c) judging if to continuously receive said post-message subject to the evaluation of said pre-message, and then proceeding to step d) if yes;

d) judging if to use said mobile telephone to receive said post-message subject to said pre-message information, and initiating said mobile telephone to receive said post-message if yes and under the condition of having a large data amount in said post-message, or directing said pager to receive said post-message if no; and

e) storing said post-message in said memory of said host computer of said vehicle computer system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post-message regards a system information update event, and said pre-message includes the vehicle system model information to be updated, so as to check if said vehicle computer system has the updated system edition or not and then to continuously receive said post-message if no during step c).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post-message regards an advertising message event, and said pre-message includes target vehicle information to which the advertising message is to besent, so as to verify that the motor vehicle model in which said vehicle computer system is installed is in accordance with the target vehicles and then to continuously receive said post-message if yes during step c).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post-message regards a traffic condition information event, so as to check if said vehicle computer system includes a road traffic condition generator or not and then not to receive said post-message if no during step c).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post-message regards a map information event, so as to check if said vehicle computer system includes a GPS (global positioning system) or not and then not receive said post-message if no during step c).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising step f) sending a failure/error message to said control center through said mobile telephone when a problem is encountered during said post-message reception.

7. The vehicle computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post-message regards an advertising message event, and said pre-message includes the target vehicle information to which the advertising message is to be sent, so as to verify that the motor vehicle model in which said vehicle computer system is installed is in accordance with the target vehicles and then to continuously receive said post-message if yes during step c).

8. A vehicle computer system installed in a motor vehicle and adapted for receiving a message from a control center, which transmits the message by broadcasting by means of transmitting a pre-message and then a post-message, said vehicle computer system comprising:

a host computer, said host computer comprising a microprocessor, a memory, and a display;

a pager adapted for receiving said pre-message and said post-message from said control center; and

a mobile telephone adapted for receiving said pre-message and said post-message from said control center; and

said host computer being adapted to achieve the steps of;

a) directing said pager to receive said pre-message from said control center, said pre-message including information describing said post-message;

b) evaluating said pre-message to characterize said post-message;

c) judging if to continuously receive said post-message subject to said pre-message evaluation, and then proceeding to step d) if yes;

d) judging if to use said mobile telephone to receive said post-message subject to said pre-message information, and then initiating said mobile telephone to receive said post-message if yes and when under the condition of having a large data amount in said post-message, or directing said pager to receive said post-message if no; and

e) storing said post-message in said memory of said host computer of said vehicle computer system.

9. The vehicle computer system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said post-message regards a system information update event, and said pre-message includes the vehicle system model information to be updated, so as to check if said vehicle computer system has the updated system edition or not and then to continuously receive said post-message subject if no during step c).

10. The vehicle computer system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a road traffic condition generator, and said post-message regards a road traffic condition information event, so that said road traffic condition generator is capable of fetching the traffic condition information post-message after step e).

11. The vehicle computer system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a GPS (global positioning system), and said post-message regards a map information event, so that said GPS is capable of fetching the map information post-message after step e).

12. The vehicle computer system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said host computer is adapted to further achieve, after step e) the step f) sending a failure/error message to said control center through said mobile telephone when a problem is encountered during the action of receiving said post-message.