Centralized management of motor vehicle software applications and services

• US 8,050,817 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC (Wanxiang Group Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airbiquity Incorporated
• Inventors: Moinzadeh, Kamyar, Hong, Leon L., Zhao, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHUONG P
• Application Number:
  US12/914,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/905, 340/936, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/995.27, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441, 340/466, 340/576, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 701/1, 701/2, 701 23- 26, 701/29, 701/30, 701/32, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 701/48, 701/49, 701/200, 701208-213, 701/300, 709/203, 709/208, 709/209, 709/211, 709217-220, 709/229, 707/705, 707/732, 726 2- 4, 726 26- 30, 348/211.3
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device

Abstract

In one example, a network device stores a mapping of application operation modes to vehicle conditions such as a first condition of the vehicle powered but not moving and a second condition of the vehicle moving. The network device receives a wirelessly transmitted request for a particular application to utilize an interface powered by the vehicle. The network device compares an application identifier specified by the received request to the mapping. The network device then identifies a portion of the vehicle interface according to the comparison and signals control software on the vehicle to grant the particular application access to only the identified portion of the vehicle interface itself. The application can reside on the mobile device and utilize the vehicle interface as an extended interface, or the application can reside on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling operation of a user application program executable in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a server computer located remotely from a motor vehicle and having access to wireless communications for exchanging information with the motor vehicle;

storing a digital configuration file in a datastore accessible to the server, the configuration file including predetermined parameters for remotely controlling a user application program'"'"'s access to user interface resources of a head unit of the motor vehicle to extend a user interface of the application program to the head unit when the user application program is executed in the vehicle;

wherein the said predetermined parameters indicate, for a specified user application program, which user interface resources of a head unit the specified user application program is authorized to use, and conversely, which user interface resources of the head unit the specified user application program is not authorized to use;

and wherein the said predetermined parameters are specified as a function of the specified user application program, and are not associated with any specific user or operator of the motor vehicle;

receiving at the server a wirelessly transmitted request message from the motor vehicle, the request message including an identifier of the motor vehicle, and data for identifying a user application program;

at the server, querying the stored configuration file to retrieve parameters stored in association with the user application program identified from the received request message;

forming a control message based on the retrieved parameters; and

wirelessly transmitting the control message to the motor vehicle in response to the request message, the control message indicating, for the identified user application program, which user interface resources of the head unit of the motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by the identified user application program to extend its interface, based on the parameters stored in the configuration file.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

including an identifier of the head unit in the request message; and

wherein the control message is responsive at least in part to the identifier of the head unit.

3. The method of claim 1 including:

in the motor vehicle, establishing a communicative coupling between a user'"'"'s mobile wireless device and the motor vehicle head unit; and

in the motor vehicle head unit, receiving data via the communicative coupling for identifying user application programs stored on the user'"'"'s wireless device; and

wherein the data sent to the server in the request message for identifying a user application program includes data identifying at least one of the application programs stored on the user'"'"'s wireless device, so that the control message indicates which user interface resources of the head unit of the motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by the identified user application program stored on the user'"'"'s wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user application program executes on the user'"'"'s wireless device located in the motor vehicle and the communicative coupling to the head unit comprises a cable or short-range wireless link.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface resources of the head unit subject to control via the control message include an audio output and a video display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the request message includes an indication of a current status of the motor vehicle; and

the stored configuration file includes parameters for controlling usage of head unit resources based at least in part on the current status of the vehicle;

whereby the control message content is responsive to the current status of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the current status of the vehicle comprises an indication of whether or not the vehicle is moving.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the control message permits the user application program to access a display screen resource of the motor vehicle head unit user interface if the vehicle is not moving and disables access to the display screen resource if the vehicle is moving.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the vehicle status comprises an indication of whether or not a passenger seat is occupied and the stored configuration file includes parameters for controlling usage of head unit resources based at least in part on whether a passenger seat is occupied.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the head unit includes a display screen and the identifier of the head unit comprises one or more of a make/model/year of the vehicle, a predefined head unit identification code, and a listing of at least one parameter of the head unit display screen; and

further comprising the steps of;

in the server, selecting a GUI based on information received in the request message; and

in the control message, instructing the head unit to install and use the selected GUI.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

modifying the selected GUI in appearance based on a customized frontend selected based on a telephone number of a mobile device currently coupled to the motor vehicle head unit, or information provided by the user through the head unit.

12. A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling operation of a user application program in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a server computer located remotely from a motor vehicle and having access to wireless communications for exchanging information with the motor vehicle;

storing a digital configuration file in a datastore accessible to the server, the configuration file including parameters for remotely controlling access to user interface resources of a head unit of the motor vehicle, responsive to an identifier of a mobile wireless device, or information provided by the user through the head unit;

in the motor vehicle, establishing a communicative coupling by cable or wireless link between a user'"'"'s mobile wireless device and the motor vehicle head unit;

acquiring a unique identifier from the mobile wireless device coupled to the motor vehicle head unit, or from the head unit provided by the user;

comparing the acquired unique identifier with the stored configuration file to determine parameters for remotely controlling access to user interface resources of the head unit of the motor vehicle, responsive to the unique identifier; and

wirelessly transmitting a control message to the motor vehicle, the control message indicating which user interface resources of the head unit of the motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by a user application program in the vehicle, based on the parameters stored in the configuration file;

receiving at the server a wirelessly transmitted request message from the motor vehicle, the request message including an identifier of the motor vehicle, identifier of the user, and an identifier of at least one user application program;

comparing the request message to configuration data stored at the server; and

wirelessly transmitting a control message from the server to the motor vehicle, the control message indicating which resources of the head unit of the motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by the identified user application program; and

responsive to the request message, wirelessly transmitting head unit frontend configuration data to the motor vehicle to deploy a selected user interface on the head unit, the selected user interface arranged for mapping a user interface of the identified user application program to the user interface of the head unit identified in the request message, for extending the user interface of the application program to the head unit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the selected user interface is previously stored as code in a memory accessible to the head unit.

14. The method of claim 12 including wirelessly transmitting the selected user interface from the server to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the received request message includes an identifier of a current user of the motor vehicle;

the stored configuration file includes a corresponding profile for the current user; and

the control message to the vehicle is based in part on the corresponding user profile.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the identifier of the current user comprises a unique identifier of a wireless device coupled to the head unit.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein selecting a particular graphical user interface for operation on the head unit is based on the identifier of the current user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the identifier of the current user comprises a telephone number of a wireless device coupled to the head unit.