Vehicle control interface

• US 7,818,097 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Voorhuis PLC LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fein, Gene, Merritt, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/464,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 2, 701/36
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, one or more vehicle system nay be transferred via a control unit and/or an order confirmation may be communicated via the control unit.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a portable control unit positioned within or proximate to a vehicle;

identifying a user profile associated with the portable control unit;

displaying a list of options associated with the user profile;

communicating an order to a store via a first wireless system associated with the vehicle, wherein the order is selected from the list of options, and wherein the order comprises billing information associated with the user profile;

receiving an order confirmation from the store; and

transmitting the order confirmation to the portable control unit to enable the portable control unit to confirm the order through communication with the store via a second wireless system associated with the portable control unit while the portable control unit is located in the store and distant from the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for the store based, at least in part, on a history of prior orders from the store that are associated with the user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting directions to the store.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting one or more available purchase options of the store corresponding to the history of prior orders.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising ranking the one or more available purchase options based, at least in part, on a number of times the one or more available purchase options have previously been ordered.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching for the store based, at least in part, on one or more search criteria;

determining directions to the store; and

presenting one or more available purchase options of the store.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the user profile with the order;

detecting the portable control unit in proximity to a second vehicle; and

communicating a second order from the second vehicle, wherein the second order comprises information associated with the updated user profile.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading the user profile from the portable control unit.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising searching a vehicle database to identify the user profile based on detecting the portable control unit.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein searching the vehicle database comprises searching a history of prior orders associated with the user profile.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the first wireless system to identify user behavior associated with the user profile; and

storing the order on an external server.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a mobile control unit positioned within a vehicle;

means for identifying a user associated with the mobile control unit;

means for determining a user profile associated with the user;

means for displaying a list of options associated with the user profile;

means for communicating an order to a place of business using a communication system associated with the vehicle, wherein the order is selected from the list of options, and wherein the order comprises stored information associated with the user profile;

means for receiving an order confirmation from the place of business; and

means for transmitting the order confirmation to the mobile control unit to enable the mobile control unit to confirm the order while the mobile control unit is in the place of business and distant from the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for searching for the place of business based, at least in part, on one or more search criteria of the stored information.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for presenting directions to the place of business.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for presenting one or more available purchase options of the place of business based on user preferences associated with the user profile.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for presenting one or more available purchase options of the place of business in a ranked order based, at least in part, on one or more prior purchases made by the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for searching for the place of business based, at least in part, on one or more search criteria provided in the stored information;

means for determining directions to the place of business; and

means for presenting one or more available purchase options of the place of business based on a number of times the one or more available purchase options have previously been ordered.

34. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for storing the stored information, wherein the means for storing is located external to the mobile control unit.

35. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for storing the stored information, wherein the means for storing is located inside the mobile control unit.

36. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the stored information comprises a user identification.

37. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the stored information comprises a history of prior orders associated with the user.

38. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mobile control unit comprises a mobile phone.

13. An article of manufacture, comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to being executed by a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

storing a user profile on a mobile control unit, wherein the user profile includes one or more user preferences based on a history of prior purchases;

transmitting the user profile to an onboard vehicle communication system of a vehicle;

receiving an order confirmation including billing information associated with the user profile from the onboard vehicle communication system;

communicating the order confirmation to a register via a short range wireless communication system associated with the mobile control unit while the mobile control unit is near the store and distant from the vehicle; and

receiving a receipt confirmation from the register via the short range wireless communication system indicating that the billing information was accepted.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise searching for a location based, at least in part, on the user preferences.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise presenting directions to the location based, at least in part, on the user preferences.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise presenting one or more available purchase options of the location based, at least in part, on the user preferences.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise presenting one or more available purchase options of the location in a ranked order based, at least in part, on one or more prior purchases.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

searching for the location based, at least in part, on one or more search criteria;

determining directions to the location; and

presenting one or more available purchase options of the location based, at least in part, on the user preferences.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations comprising storing a user profile further comprise storing prior orders made by a user.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 39, wherein the operations further comprise storing the prior orders to track user behavior.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations comprising communicating the order confirmation include communicating the order confirmation to a restaurant.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations comprising communicating the order confirmation include communicating the order confirmation to a store.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operation comprising storing the user profile include storing a previous order.

19. A system, comprising:

a holding device configured to be mounted to a vehicle;

a mobile control unit configured to communicatively interface with the vehicle via the holding device;

a memory device configured to store a user identification, wherein the user identification is communicated to the vehicle when the mobile control unit is located in the holding device;

a display device configured to display a list of purchase options based, at least in part, on one or more user preferences associated with the user identification;

a first wireless communication device associated with the vehicle and configured to;

place an order comprising a selection from the list of purchase options to a business; and

receive an order confirmation from the business; and

a second, short range wireless communication system associated with the mobile control unit, wherein the mobile control unit is configured to confirm the order placed from the first wireless communication device, and wherein the order is confirmed via the second, short range wireless communication system while the mobile control unit is located proximate to a store register of the business and distant from the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second, short range wireless communication system comprises an RFID device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile control unit is configured to communicatively interface with a second vehicle, and wherein the user identification is communicated to the second vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a second holding device configured to be mounted to the second vehicle, wherein the mobile control unit communicatively interfaces with the second vehicle via the second holding device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile control unit comprises a mobile phone.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory device is located within the mobile control unit.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the holding device comprises a cradle.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile control unit is further configured to transmit the user identification to the store register via the second, short range wireless communication system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the mobile control unit is further configured to confirm the order by transmitting the user identification to the store register.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the order comprises billing information associated with the user identification.

44. The system of claim 19, wherein the order confirmation is transmitted to the mobile control unit via the holding device.