Vehicle control system

• US 7,477,970 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bruelle-Drews, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/206,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 701/30, 701/33, 701/36, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle control system of a vehicle configured to communicate with an external device, such as a portable digital assistant or mobile phone for the purpose of sending and receiving external data regarding a user'"'"'s personal settings for vehicle components. As an example, the user data may correspond to the position of the driver'"'"'s seat. The user data may be retrieved from the external device and transferred to the vehicle control system of a second vehicle to configure the second vehicle to the user'"'"'s personal settings. The user data may be, as and example, transferred using the vCard data format for personal data interchange.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for communicating user data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting of at least one vehicle component, the vehicle control system comprising:

a controller for controlling the at least one vehicle component;

an internal data communication device for communicating the user data; and

an external interface for communicating with an external device;

where the controller is configured to send the user data to the external device via the external interface;

where the controller is configured to receive the user data from the external device via the external interface; and

where the controller is configured to communicate the user data via the internal data communication device to the vehicle component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the user data includes a value of a user-programmable setting.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the user data includes user personal data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the external device and the controller are configured to mutually accept a standardized data format.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the external device and the controller each are configured to accept the user data in a vCard format.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the controller is configured to convert the user data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting of the vehicle component into a model-independent data format.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the controller is configured to utilize user personal data and model-independent data to communicate the user data to the vehicle component.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the controller is configured to convert the model-independent data into vehicle make- and model-dependent data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the external interface is wireless.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle component, comprising:

receiving user data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting of the vehicle component at a controller from the vehicle component via an internal data communication device;

sending the user data from the controller via an external interface to an external device;

receiving the user data at the controller via the external interface from the external device; and

utilizing the user data at the controller to communicate data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting via the internal data communication device to the vehicle component.

11. The method of claim 10, in which receiving the user data includes receiving a value of a user-programmable setting.

12. The method of claim 10, in which receiving the user data includes receiving user personal data.

13. The method of claim 10, including sending and receiving the user data formatted in a standardized data format.

14. The method of claim 13, including sending and receiving the user data formatted in a vCard standardized data format.

15. The method of claim 10, in which receiving the user data from the vehicle component includes converting the user data into a model-independent data format.

16. The method of claim 10, in which communicating the user data to the vehicle component includes utilizing user personal data and model-independent data to communicate the user data to the vehicle component.

17. The method of claim 10, in which sending the user data from the controller via an external interface to an external device includes converting make- and model-dependent data into model-independent data.

18. The method of claim 10, including wirelessly sending the user data from the controller via the external interface to the external device.

19. A computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions for controlling a vehicle component, the plurality of instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions for receiving user data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting of the vehicle component at a controller from the vehicle component via an internal data communication device;

a plurality of instructions for sending the user data from the controller via an external interface to an external device;

a plurality of instructions for receiving the user data at the controller via the external interface from the external device; and

a plurality of instructions for utilizing the user data at the controller to communicate the user data via the internal data communication device to the vehicle component.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for receiving the user data includes a plurality of instructions for receiving a value of a user-programmable setting.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for receiving the user data includes a plurality of instructions for receiving user personal data.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for sending and receiving the user data includes a plurality of instructions for formatting the user data in a standardized data format.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, in which the plurality of instructions for sending and receiving the user data includes a plurality of instructions for formatting the user data in a vCard standardized data format.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for receiving the user data from the vehicle component includes a plurality of instructions for converting the user data into a model-independent data format.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for communicating the user data to the vehicle component includes a plurality of instructions for utilizing user personal data and model-independent data to communicate the user data to the vehicle component.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 19, in which the plurality of instructions for sending the user data from the controller via an external interface to an external device includes a plurality of instructions for converting make- and model-dependent data into model-independent data.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 19, including a plurality of instructions for wirelessly sending the user data from the controller via the external interface to the external device.