Method and system for facilitating communication of information to a mobile platform

• US 8,527,015 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alrabady, Ansaf I., Huntzicker, Fred W., Abowd, Michael Jay, Turski, Karin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/678,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for facilitating communications between a remote access point and a mobile platform during a shutdown period. The mobile platform is equipped with a first receiver and a wireless communications receiver. A wake-up signal is wirelessly transmitted from a remote wireless device to the first receiver of the mobile platform. The communications receiver is activated based upon the wake-up signal. The remote access point is controlled to communicate with the communications receiver subsequent to the activation of the communications receiver.

Claims

1. Method for facilitating communications between a remote access point and a mobile platform equipped with a first receiver and a two-way wireless communications receiver during a shutdown period, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a wake-up signal from a first remote wireless device to the first receiver of the mobile platform, the first remote wireless device comprising a portable transponder device;

authenticating a communication request signal transmitted from a second remote wireless device to the two-way wireless communications receiver, the second remote wireless device comprising the remote access point of a stand-alone computer;

controlling the first receiver to activate the two-way wireless communications receiver and an information management system based upon the wake-up signal and the authenticating the communication request signal from the second remote wireless device, the information management system signally connected to the two-way wireless communications receiver and in direct communication with at least one interface device of the mobile platform;

controlling the remote access point to communicate with the two-way wireless communications receiver subsequent to the activation of the two-way wireless communications receiver and the information management system and subsequent to the authentication of the communication request signal transmitted from the second remote wireless device to the two-way wireless communications receiver; and

communicating information between the information management system and the second remote wireless device through the two-way wireless communications receiver, wherein communicating information comprises enabling features of entertainment information of the at least one interface device of the mobile platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting the wake-up signal from the first remote wireless device to the first receiver of the mobile platform comprises selectively activating a radio-frequency signal generator resident in the first remote wireless device operative to generate and transmit a low-power signal interpretable by the first receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively activating the signal generator comprises pressing a wireless enable button on the first remote wireless device proximal to the mobile platform.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

authenticating the wake-up signal transmitted from the first remote wireless device as a condition-precedent to activating the two-way wireless communications receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

de-activating the two-way wireless communications receiver when there has been no authenticated communication request signal transmitted between the two-way wireless communications receiver and the second remote wireless device comprising the remote access point for a predetermined elapsed period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the second remote wireless device comprising the remote access point to communicate with the two-way wireless communications receiver subsequent to the activation of the two-way wireless communications receiver comprises transmitting formatted electronic data therebetween.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote wireless device transmits the wake-up signal subsequent to depressing a predetermined combination of buttons.

8. A mobile platform adapted to selectively communicate with a remote system via a remote access point during a period when the mobile platform is shutdown, comprising:

a first communications receiver, adapted to receive a wake-up signal transmitted from a portable remote wireless device comprising a portable transponder device, and signally connected to and selectively operative to activate a two-way wireless communications receiver in response to the wake-up signal transmitted from the portable remote wireless device when the mobile platform is shutdown and subsequent to authenticating a communication request signal transmitted from the remote access point comprising a stand-alone computer to the two-way wireless communications receiver;

the two-way wireless communications receiver, signally connected to an on-board information management system, the information management system in direct communication with at least one interface device of the mobile platform; and

the two-way wireless communications receiver operative to activate the information management system and operative to communicate with the remote access point subsequent to authenticating the communication request signal therebetween and subsequent to activating the two-way wireless communications receiver to transmit formatted electronic data therebetween, the two-way wireless communications receiver further operative to communicate information between the information management system and the remote access point of the stand-alone computer subsequent to the activation, wherein communicating information comprises enabling features of entertainment information of the at least one interface device of the mobile platform.

9. The mobile platform of claim 8, further comprising the two-way wireless communications receiver being deactivated when there has been no authenticated communication request signal transmitted between the wireless communications receiver and the remote access point for a predetermined elapsed period of time.

10. The mobile platform of claim 8, wherein the first communications receiver is operative to authenticate the wake-up signal transmitted from the portable remote wireless device prior to activating the two-way wireless communications receiver.

11. The mobile platform of claim 10, wherein the first communications receiver comprises a remote keyless entry system adapted for the mobile platform.

12. The mobile platform of claim 11, wherein the wake-up signal comprises a low power radio-frequency signal originating from and selectively generated by a remote transponder operative to communicate with the remote keyless entry system in response to an operator depressing a button thereon.

13. The mobile platform of claim 8, wherein the wake-up signal comprises a wireless signal originating from and selectively generated by a remote transponder operative to communicate with the first communications receiver in response to an operator depressing a button thereon.

14. The mobile platform of claim 8, wherein the two-way wireless communications receiver discontinues wireless communications and deactivates subsequent to a shutdown of the mobile platform.

15. The mobile platform of claim 14, wherein the shutdown comprises a key-off event of the mobile platform.

16. The mobile platform of claim 8, wherein the two-way wireless communications receiver comprises a device adapted to communicate using a communications protocol compliant with IEEE 802.11.

17. The mobile platform of claim 8, wherein the remote wireless device transmits the wake-up signal subsequent to depressing a predetermined combination of buttons.

18. Method for communicating formatted electronic data between a remote access point and a mobile platform equipped with a first communications receiver and a two-way wireless communications receiver, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a wake-up signal transmitted subsequent to depressing a predetermined combination of buttons comprising an encrypted radio-frequency signal from a portable remote wireless device comprising a portable transponder device proximal to the first communications receiver of the mobile platform during a shutdown period;

authenticating a communication request signal transmitted from a second remote wireless device to the two-way wireless communications receiver, the second remote wireless device comprising the remote access point of a stand-alone computer;

controlling the first receiver to activate the two-way wireless communications receiver and an information management system based upon the wake-up signal and the authenticating the communication request signal from the second remote wireless device, the two-way wireless communications receiver signally connected to an information management system in direct communication with at least one interface device of the mobile platform;

controlling the two-way wireless communications receiver to communicate the formatted electronic data with the remote access point using a communications protocol compliant with IEEE 802.11 subsequent to the activation of the two-way wireless communications receiver and the information management system and subsequent to authenticating the communication request signal transmitted from the remote access point to the two-way wireless communications receiver; and

communicating information between the information management system and the second remote wireless device through the two-way wireless communications receiver, wherein communicating information comprises enabling features of entertainment information of the at least one interface device of the mobile platform.