System, method and device for providing communication between a vehicle and a plurality of wireless devices having different communication standards

• US 7,493,140 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Strazanac, Joseph W., Syfert, Timothy J., Spencer, John D., Michmerhuizen, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hai V
• Application Number:
  US10/543,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 455/507, 455/74, 455/552.1, 455/88, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/569.2, 701/1, 701/29
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A system for providing communication between a vehicle and a plurality of wireless devices includes a receiver configured to receive wireless signals from the wireless devices. The received wireless signals are provided in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards. The system also includes a wireless data transfer module coupled to the receiver and configured to support the plurality of communication standards, process the wireless signals and direct the data of the wireless signals to a corresponding vehicle system. The system may include a transmitter coupled to the wireless data transfer module. The transmitter is configured to transmit wireless signals from the vehicle to the wireless devices. The wireless data transfer module receives data from a vehicle system and provides the data to the transmitter in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive wireless signals from the plurality of wireless devices, wherein the wireless signals are provided in accordance with the plurality of wireless communication standards and comprise first data; and

a wireless data transfer module coupled to the receiver, the wireless data transfer module configured to support the plurality of wireless communication standards, to decode the wireless signals according to their respective wireless communication standards and to direct the first data of the wireless signals to at least one of the vehicle systems.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the wireless data transfer module, the transmitter configured to transmit wireless signals from the vehicle to at least one of the plurality of wireless devices,

wherein the wireless data transfer module receives second data from at least one of the vehicle systems and is further configured to provide the second data in accordance with a wireless communication standard from the plurality of wireless communication standards to the transmitter.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless data transfer module is configured to determine a transmission path for the second data received from the vehicle system.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the wireless data transfer module determines the transmission path for the data received from the vehicle system based on a type associated with the data and an availability status of the plurality of wireless devices.

5. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a memory coupled to the vehicle systems and the wireless data transfer module and configured to store data from the vehicle systems.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication standards for the first and second data are different wireless communication standards.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module comprises a single circuit board.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module directs data to a corresponding vehicle system via a communication bus.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the communication bus is a vehicle bus.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module is further configured to transfer first or second data between vehicle systems.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory device coupled to the wireless data transfer module and configured to store data from the wireless signals.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the memory device is one of a hard drive or flash memory.

13. A wireless data transfer module comprising:

an input configured to receive wireless signals from at least one of a plurality of wireless devices, the plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of wireless communication standards, wherein the wireless signals are provided in accordance with the plurality of wireless communication standards and comprise data;

a control circuit coupled to the input and configured to support the plurality of wireless communication standards, to decode the wireless signals according to their respective wireless communication standards and to direct the data from the wireless signals to a vehicle system of a plurality of vehicle systems based on the data; and

an output coupled to the control circuit and configured to send the data to the vehicle system.

14. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data based on the vehicle systems in the vehicle.

15. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, where the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data based on a request for data provided by at least one vehicle system.

16. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit directs data to a corresponding vehicle system via a communication bus.

17. A wireless data transfer module comprising:

an input configured to receive data from at least one vehicle system;

a control circuit coupled to the input and configured to support a plurality of wireless communication standards, to process the data from the plurality of vehicle systems so as to provide the data in accordance with a wireless communication standard from the plurality of wireless communication standards to at least one wireless device; and

an output coupled to the control circuit and configured to communicate the data to the at least one wireless device in accordance with the wireless communication standard.

18. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 17, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data from the vehicle system based on at least a type associated with the data and the wireless devices in communication with the vehicle.

19. A method for providing wireless communication in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a first wireless signal from a first wireless device, the first wireless signal provided in accordance with a first wireless communication standard and having data;

receiving a second wireless signal from a second wireless device, the second wireless signal provided in accordance with a second wireless communication standard and having data;

decoding the first and second wireless signals based on the first and second wireless communication standards, respectively, using a wireless data transfer module configured to support at least the first and second wireless communication standards; and

distributing the data from the first and second wireless signals to a first and second vehicle systems, respectively.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

processing data from the first and second vehicle systems based on the first and second wireless communication standards using the wireless data transfer module configured to support at least the first and second wireless communication standards; and

transmitting the data to the first and second wireless devices in accordance with the first and second wireless communication standards, respectively.

21. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

storing the decoded data prior to distributing the data to the first and second vehicle systems.