Method for providing satellite radio service in a vehicle

• US 7,613,435 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Wadhwa, Sukhwinder, Luk, Francis, Hider, Mounir, Reynolds, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Tan
• Application Number:
  US11/426,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/152.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information

Abstract

An aspect of the invention provides a method for providing satellite radio service in a vehicle. A satellite radio may be activated before a customer purchases the vehicle. The satellite radio may remain active until it receives a deactivation signal.

Claims

1. A method for providing satellite radio service in a vehicle comprising:

installing a satellite radio module in the vehicle, the module being

(i) enabled to play at least a subset of signals the module receives from a satellite broadcast for the vehicle'"'"'s useful life, the subset being defined by activation information, and

(ii) configured to deactivate in the event the module receives a deactivation signal from the satellite broadcast;

collecting transaction information including a transaction date associated with the vehicle;

storing at least a subset of the transaction information in memory; and

transmitting a message including the transaction date to a satellite radio service provider such that a determination can be made regarding a preactivation duration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle identification number, and wherein the transaction information includes the vehicle identification number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the module includes a module identification number, and wherein the transaction information includes the module identification number.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the transaction date is a module installation date.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction date is a shipping date.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a message including information about a sales event associated with the vehicle including a sales date.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the step of installing the module in the vehicle, selling the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction date is a sales date.

9. A method for providing satellite radio service for a satellite radio module in a vehicle comprising:

receiving a message including a transaction date associated with the vehicle, the transaction date used to determine a preactivation duration;

determining whether the preactivation duration exceeds a predetermined period of time;

transmitting a signal containing deactivation information for the module if the preactivation duration exceeds the predetermined period of time; and

disabling the module from playing at least a subset of signals the module receives from a satellite broadcast based on the deactivation information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the preactivation duration begins after the module is installed in the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the message includes a module identification number or a vehicle identification number, and wherein the transaction date indicates the date on which the module was installed in the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the preactivation duration begins after the vehicle is shipped.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the message includes a module identification number or a vehicle identification number, and wherein the transaction date indicates a date on which the vehicle was shipped.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the preactivation duration begins after the vehicle is sold.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the message includes a module identification number or a vehicle identification number, and wherein the transaction date indicates a date on which the vehicle was sold.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the message comes from a vehicle manufacturer.

17. A method for providing satellite radio service for a satellite radio module in a vehicle comprising:

receiving a message including a transaction date associated with the vehicle, the transaction date used to determine a preactivation duration;

determining whether the preactivation duration exceeds a predetermined period of time; and

transmitting a signal containing deactivation information for the module if the preactivation duration exceeds the predetermined period of time to disable the module from playing at least a subset of signals the module receives from a satellite broadcast.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the preactivation duration begins after the vehicle is shipped.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the message includes a module identification number or a vehicle identification number, and wherein the transaction date indicates a date on which the vehicle was shipped.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the preactivation duration begins after the vehicle is sold.