Provisioning of callback reminders on a vehicle-based computing system

• US 8,335,494 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wilkerson, Brian Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US12/981,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120172009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

One or more embodiments include a computer-implemented method and system for providing reply reminders to a vehicle occupant in a vehicle. Information indicating one or more unanswered communications from a nomadic telephone device may be wirelessly received at a vehicle computer. Time and/or date information for the unanswered communication may also be received. By automatically monitoring a passage of time, a determination may be made if one or more unanswered communications have been answered within a predefined reply period. If the one or more unanswered communications have not been answered within the predefined reply period, a reply reminder may be generated and presented in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing reply reminders to a vehicle occupant in a vehicle, the computer-implemented method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at a vehicle computer information indicating one or more unanswered communications from a nomadic telephone device;

receiving at the vehicle computer time and/or date information for the one or more unanswered communications;

defining a reply period based on the time and/or date information;

automatically monitoring at the vehicle computer a passage of time based on the reply period;

determining at the vehicle computer if the one or more unanswered communications have been answered within the reply period;

generating a reminder at the vehicle computer if the one or more unanswered communications have not been answered within the predefined reply period;

presenting the reminder in a vehicle;

receiving information, stored on a computing system remote from the vehicle, designating the one or more unanswered communications as a priority;

designating the one or more unanswered communications as a priority based on the information; and

modifying the reply period based on designating the one or more unanswered calls as a priority.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the information includes relationship information between a caller and a call recipient.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the information is stored on a computing system remote from the vehicle.

4. A system for providing callback reminders to a vehicle occupant in a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one vehicle computer configured to;

receive information defining one or more unanswered calls from a nomadic telephone device;

receive information defining multiple connected incoming calls and/or multiple outgoing calls from the nomadic telephone device;

identify one or more call characteristics of the incoming calls and/or outgoing calls;

determine if the one or more unanswered calls have been answered;

determine when to present a callback reminder based on the one or more call characteristics;

if the one or more unanswered calls have not been answered, present a callback reminder in the vehicle based on when to present the callback reminder;

receive time and/or date information for the one or more unanswered calls;

define a callback period based on the time and/or date information, wherein the at least one computer is configured to determine if the one or more unanswered calls have been answered within the callback period;

receive information, stored on a computing system remote from the vehicle, designating the one or more unanswered calls as a priority;

designate the one or more unanswered calls as a priority based on the information;

and modify the callback period based on designating the one or more unanswered calls as a priority.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the information includes relationship information.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one vehicle computer is configured to further prioritize multiple unanswered calls designated as a priority.