Method and system for program data dissemination

• US 7,769,340 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Grau, Thomas P., Videtich, Matt C., Wang, Mingheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akinyemi; Ajibola
• Application Number:
  US10/940,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060057956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A method and system for providing a user of a mobile vehicle with informational associated with a transmitted satellite radio program. The call center receives a data request for informational data associated with a radio program at a call center from a telematics unit via a wireless network. A determination is made of at least one informational data associated with the data request. The determined informational data is sent to a user communication device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user of a mobile vehicle with program information describing a transmitted satellite radio program, the method comprising:

receiving a request input signal at the vehicle from a user and in response, issuing a query signal to determine whether the user desires to proceed with a data request, and setting a timeout value;

if a user confirmation is received within a period of time allowed by the time out value, sending a data request for data associated with a currently playing radio program to a call center from a telematics unit of the vehicle via a wireless network;

determining program information responsive to the data request and associated with the currently playing radio program at the call center;

retrieving an email address of the user associated with mobile vehicle; and

emailing the determined program information from the call center via the retrieved email address to a personal computer distinct from the telematics unit and remote from the mobile vehicle such that the user may retrieve the transmitted information at a later time via the personal computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the program information from a satellite radio transmission at the call center;

storing the retrieved program information in a call center database; and

retrieving at least a portion of the stored program information from the call center database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data request includes at least one radio program identifier and wherein the program data is determined based on the radio program identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the radio program identifier includes a time stamp and a satellite radio channel number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the radio program identifier includes a unique satellite radio program identifier.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a request input signal from the user at the telematics unit, and retrieving the radio program identifier responsive to the request input signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request input signal at the vehicle from the user further comprises receiving the request input signal responsive to a user input command selected from a group consisting of a mechanical input device generated command and a verbal user command.

8. A system for providing a user of a mobile vehicle with information associated with a transmitted satellite radio program, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request input signal at the vehicle from a user and in response, issuing a query signal to determine whether the user desires to proceed with a data request, and setting a timeout value;

means for sending a data request for data associated with a currently playing radio program to a call center from a telematics unit of the vehicle via a wireless network if a user confirmation is received within a period of time allowed by the time out value; and

means for receiving the data request at the call center and determining at least one informational data associated with the data request and relating to the currently playing song;

means for retrieving an email address associated with a user of the mobile vehicle; and

means for sending the determined informational data to a personal computer associated with the user for later retrieval, wherein the personal computer is distinct from the telematics unit and remote from the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for retrieving the informational data from a satellite radio transmission at the call center;

means for storing the retrieved informational data in a call center database; and

means for retrieving at least one informational data associated with the data request from the call center database.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data request includes at least one radio program identifier and wherein the means for determining at least one informational data comprises means for determining the informational data based on the radio program identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the radio program identifier includes a time stamp and a satellite radio channel number.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the radio program identifier includes a unique satellite radio program identifier.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for retrieving the radio program identifier responsive to the request input signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving a request input signal further includes means for generating the request input signal responsive to a user input command selected from a group consisting of a mechanical input device generated command and a verbal user command.