System for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data

• US 7,209,816 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Mueller, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/962,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/29, 701/31, 701/32, 701/35, 455/418, 455/423, 455/424, 455/507, 340/426.16, 340/426.13
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data, including a first communication device (25) for bidirectional wireless communications with at least one vehicle communication unit (40), wherein control commands for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiries for retrieving vehicle status data are transmitted via the first communication device (25),and further including a second communication unit (220) for establishing speech communication with a user of the system. According to the invention a computer (20) is provided for translation of speech information received via the second communication unit (220) into control commands and/or inquiries, which are then transmitted by the first communication device (25). Command controls for remote control of vehicle functions are provided and inquiries for requesting vehicle status data are provided. The computer (20) is adapted to translate information regarding the vehicle (10) received via the first communication device (25) into speech information and to transmit this information via the second communication unit (220) in the form of speech.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data, comprising:

a first communication unit (25) for bidirectional wireless communications with at least one vehicle communication unit (40), wherein control commands for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiries for retrieving vehicle status data are transmitted to the vehicle communication unit (40) via the first communication unit (25),

a second communication unit (220) for establishing speech communication with a user of the system who provides speech information regarding remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data,

a computer (20) connected to the second communication unit (220) for translation of the speech information received via the second communication unit (220) into control commands and/or inquiries, which are then transmitted to the vehicle communication unit (40) by the first communication unit (25),

wherein command controls for remote control of vehicle functions are provided and wherein inquiries for requesting vehicle status data are provided, wherein the computer (20) is adapted to translate information regarding the vehicle (10) received via the first communication unit (25) into speech information and to transmit this information via the second communication unit (220) in the form of speech to the user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein in the computer (20), on the basis of authentication data received from the user, an association of the user with a specific vehicle is made.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system further checks whether the user has authorization to remotely control a particular function.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer (20) is connected with at least one further network (210, 230), in particular the internet (210) and/or a mobile internet (230).

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the user can transmit, via the at least one additional network (210, 230), information to the computer (20), which is translated by the computer (20) into commands for remote control of vehicle functions and into inquiries for requesting vehicle stains data, and transmitted via the first communication unit (25).

6. The system according to claim 4 wherein the computer (20) receives information via the first communication unit (25) and transmits this, via the at least one additional network (210, 230), to the associated user.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit (25) further receives a reply message that a control command for remote control of a vehicle function cannot be performed if energy stored in a battery in the vehicle (10) is below a predetermined threshold to carry out the vehicle function.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control commands for remote control of vehicle functions include locking of vehicles doors, sliding root windows, or gas cap lid.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control commands for remote control of vehicle functions include control of heaters, climate control, and seat heaters.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control commands for remote control of vehicle functions include programming of a start time, and end time, a cancellation of a start time, an immediate activation of a function, or an immediate ending of a function.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer (20) is further programmed to recognize key words corresponding to the vehicle functions that are remotely controlled.

12. A method for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data, comprising:

establishing bidirectional wireless communications between a first communication unit (25) and at least one vehicle communication unit (40), wherein control commands for remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiries for retrieving vehicle status data are transmitted to the vehicle communication unit (40) via the first communication unit (25),

establishing speech communication between a user and a second communication unit (220), wherein the user provides speech information regarding remote control of vehicle functions and/or inquiry of vehicle status data,

translating by a computer (20) connected to the second communication unit (220) the speech information received via the second communication unit (220) into control commands and/or inquiries, which are then transmitted to the vehicle communication unit (40) by the first communication unit (25),

translating information regarding the vehicle (10) received via the first communication unit (25) into speech information and to transmitting this information via the second communication unit (220) in the form of speech to the user.