Method and system for communicating between a communications source and a mobile platform

• US 7,974,615 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Andrew J., Talty, Timothy J., Saraydar, Cem U., Ames, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago-Cordero; Marivelisse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arevalo; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/829,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 455/427, 455/466, 455/402.2, 455/518, 455/701, 455/422.1, 709/224, 709/220, 370/328, 370/316, 701/35, 701/213, 701/223, 701/200, 701/214
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A mobile platform is equipped with a broadcast signal receiver to receive a broadcast signal and with a two-way wireless communications device. Messages within the broadcast signal are received. Other messages between the communications source and the mobile platform are wirelessly communicated via the two-way wireless communications device.

Claims

1. Method for communicating between a single communications source and a mobile platform, comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a broadcast signal receiver device to receive a one-way broadcast signal and a two-way wireless communications device to transmit and receive a wireless two-way message;

receiving a first message broadcast from the single communications source within the one-way broadcast signal at the mobile platform via the broadcast signal receiver device comprising caching a portion of the first message in an electronic memory storage device associated with the mobile platform;

equipping the mobile platform with a software update coordinator;

opportunistically updating executable code of the mobile platform when a portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device comprises executable code for the mobile platform; and

,

wirelessly communicating a second message comprising the wireless two-way message between the single communications source and the mobile platform via the two-way wireless communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-way broadcast signal further comprises the first message incorporated into a one-way broadband broadcast signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising opportunistically incorporating the first message into the one-way broadband broadcast signal during a period of available bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the first message at the single communications source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein forming the first message comprises assembling message content originating from a plurality of content providers at the single communications source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly communicating the second message from the mobile platform to the single communications source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forming content of the first message based upon the second message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises a handheld device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the handheld device comprises a transportable device adapted for docking with at least one of a docking structure on a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises a motor vehicle.

11. Method for communicating between a single communications source and a mobile platform, comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a transceiver device operative to receive a one-way broadband broadcast signal and execute two-way wireless communications to transmit and receive a wireless two-way message;

an electronic storage device;

a processor; and

, a human-machine interface;

receiving the broadcasted one-way broadband signal at the mobile platform by way of the transceiver comprising caching a portion of the broadcasted one-way broadband signal in the electronic memory storage device of the mobile platform;

interpreting a first message from the received broadcasted one-way broadband signal;

equipping the mobile platform with a software update coordinator;

opportunistically updating executable code contained in the mobile platform when the portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device comprises executable code for the mobile platform;

forming a second message comprising the wireless two-way message; and

,

wirelessly communicating the second message between the single communications source and the mobile platform by way of the transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling the single communications source to form the first message at the single communications source, generate the one-way broadband signal based upon the first message, and, broadcast the one-way broadband signal from the single communications source.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising enabling the single communications source to incorporate the first message into the one-way broadband signal during a period of available bandwidth in the one-way broadband broadcast signal.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising communicating the portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device to the human-machine interface.

15. System for communicating a message to a mobile platform, comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a communications transceiver to receive a one-way broadcast signal and transmit and receive a wireless two-way message,

equipping the mobile platform with an electronic memory storage device caching a portion of the message;

equipping the mobile platform with a software update coordinator and opportunistically updating executable code of the mobile platform when a portion of the message cached in the electronic memory storage device comprises executable code for the mobile platform;

an enterprise service manager, operative to receive authenticated inputs comprising the wireless two-way message from the mobile platform, structure the one-way broadcast signal comprising the message, and communicate with a single broadcast station; and

,

the single broadcast station operative to selectively broadcast the one-way broadcast signal comprising the message to the communications transceiver of the mobile platform.