System and method for changing motor vehicle personalization settings

• US 7,139,660 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kortge, James M., Sarkar, Susanta P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/891,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/33, 701/2, 701/49, 701/35, 370/401, 370/469, 370/254, 370/432, 370/345, 370/442, 370/352, 709/203, 340/438, 340/426.36
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions

Abstract

A method and control system enable at least one adjustable setting of an apparatus in a vehicle to be changed in response to a selection made by a user of the vehicle either from the vehicle or from a location remote to the vehicle. The system has a user actuated input device that provides a control signal in response to a setting selection by the user. A server system stores a program for operating the method and system. A vehicle control system is provided onboard the vehicle. A communication network couples the server system to the vehicle control system so that so that the user can control the setting for the apparatus by operating the input device. The computer system records the vehicle settings in a database.

Claims

1. A method for changing adjustable personal preference settings for an apparatus included in a plurality of vehicles through respective control systems located in said vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the current configuration of the plurality of vehicles on corresponding web pages accessible to a user over a network;

allowing personal preference setting selections for said vehicles to be made by the user on an input device coupled to a terminal device at a location remote from said vehicles;

providing a configuration change message in a database for each of said vehicles having a changed configuration as a result of said personal preference setting selections;

accessing, through said input device, a first web page corresponding to a first vehicle;

obtaining the current configuration of said first vehicle from said first web page;

determining whether there is a configuration change message in the database for said first vehicle;

accessing a second web page corresponding to a second vehicle if there is not a configuration change message for said first vehicle;

sending the configuration control message to said first vehicle if there is a configuration change message for said first vehicle;

informing the operator when the next configuration is applied to the corresponding vehicle; and

changing the personal preference setting of the first vehicle'"'"'s apparatus with the control system in response to said configuration control signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method utilizes a server system and further comprises the step of transmitting said configuration control signal through a wireless communication system to the server system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of storing said configuration control signal in a database coupled to the server system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of verifying the registration of said given vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of acknowledging the receipt by the vehicle of said configuration change message.

6. The method of 1 wherein a selection of a setting by an operator is also made through an input device located onboard the vehicle, the method comprising:

providing another configuration control signal to the control system in response to the setting selection by the operator through the input device so that the operator can thereby control the setting for the apparatus by operating the input device;

changing the setting of the apparatus in response to said another configuration control signal thereby providing the ability to the operator to select the setting for the apparatus from onboard the vehicle and from locations remote from the vehicle.