System and method for managing an on-board entertainment system

• US 8,145,599 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pilgrim, Michael, Vilkinofsky, John, Diedrich, Nathaniel W., Goeppner, Andrew T., Miller, Ross C., Dutter, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US12/698,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 707/913, 707/916, 707/617, 707/621, 707E17101-E17103
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for managing an on board entertainment system is disclosed. The system and method can wirelessly receive music files from a computer and store those music files on an on board unit associated with a motor vehicle. The system and method can also include provisions to associate music information with a received music file and can include provisions to manage the music collection on board a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a storage device including a second database;

wherein the motor vehicle receives at least two tagged music files each having corresponding music tag information;

wherein the motor vehicle determines a pattern based on the music tag information of the at least two tagged music files;

wherein the motor vehicle receives an untagged music file and searches the second database connected to the motor vehicle for a tag corresponding to the untagged music file; and

wherein, if the corresponding tag is not found on the second database, the motor vehicle attempts to contact a first database, which is separated from the motor vehicle, to request from the first database the tag corresponding to the untagged music file and to request from the first database substantially all available music tag information related to the pattern.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the untagged music file is received through a wireless network antenna port.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a first wireless antenna port.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a second wireless antenna port if the attempt to contact the first database using the first wireless antenna port is unsuccessful.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a personal area wireless network to contact a wireless telephone.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second database is populated with a plurality of tags obtained from the first database, each tag including tag association information corresponding to a specific music file.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle conducts a synching operation to update information stored in the second database with information received from the first database when access to a wireless network is available from an on board unit associated with the motor vehicle.

8. A motor vehicle comprising:

an on board unit (OBU);

wherein the OBU receives at least two tagged music files each having corresponding music tag information;

wherein the OBU determines a pattern based on the music tag information of the at least two tagged music files;

wherein an untagged music file is received by the OBU and the OBU searches a second database located on a storage device for a tag corresponding to the untagged music file;

wherein, if the corresponding tag is not found on the second database, the OBU attempts to contact a first database; and

wherein, if contact is made with the first database

the OBU retrieves the corresponding tag from the first database and stores the corresponding tag, and

the OBU retrieves from the first database substantially all available music tag information related to the pattern and stores the substantially all available music tag information related to the pattern.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the corresponding tag and the untagged music file is stored on the storage device.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the second database is populated with a plurality of tags obtained from the first database, each tag including tag association information corresponding to a specific music file.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the OBU stores a request for the tag if contact is not made with the first database.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the OBU conducts a synching operation to update information stored in the storage device if access to a wireless network is available from the OBU.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the OBU conducts the synching operation if a current time is substantially similar to a predetermined synching time.

14. A method for managing music files in a storage device of an on board unit (OBU) associated with a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving at least two tagged music files each having corresponding music tag information;

determining a pattern based on the music tag information;

receiving an untagged first music file having a first tag association information, wherein the first tag association information comprises information necessary to request a music file tag from a database;

searching a local database located on the storage device for at least one music file tag corresponding to the first tag association information;

wherein the local database is populated with a plurality of music tag information obtained from a remote comprehensive music tagging database, the music tag information including a plurality of music file tags each untagged to its corresponding music file;

if the local database includes at least one music file tag included in the plurality of music file tag information matching the first tag association information,

associating the first music file with a first tag corresponding to the first tag association information, and

storing the first music file and the first tag in the storage device; and

if no music file tag included in the plurality of music file tag information stored on the local database matches the first tag association information,

retrieving from the remote comprehensive music tagging database substantially all available music tag information related to the pattern, the substantially all available music tag information comprising music file tags each untagged to its corresponding music file, and

storing the substantially all available music tag information in the storage device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the local database obtains the plurality of music tag information from the remote comprehensive music tagging database using a wireless antenna port.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the OBU stores the first tag association information on the local database if no music file tag included in the plurality of music file tag information stored on the local database matches the first tag association information.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein retrieving from the remote comprehensive music tagging database substantially all available music tag information related to the pattern comprises:

attempting to contact the remote comprehensive music tagging database; and

storing a request for the substantially all available music tag information if contact is not initially made with the remote comprehensive music tagging database.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the OBU conducts a synching operation to update information on the local database if access to a wireless network is available from the OBU.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the synching operation updates at least one music file or music file tag stored in the storage device of the motor vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the OBU conducts the synching operation if a current time is substantially similar to a predetermined synching time.