Extensible infotainment/telematics system

• US 8,571,571 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Geiger, Erich, Bauer, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US12/016,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens

Abstract

An infotainment/telematics system includes a fixed base unit and a portable communication device. The fixed base unit may include a plurality of base unit devices cooperating with a base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The portable communication device may include a one or more PCD devices cooperating with a portable communication device processor to execute a one or more stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The fixed base unit and the portable communication device may be connected for intelligent communication with one another to share and/or control a base unit device and/or a PCD device. Multiple portable communication devices may be connected to a single base unit to share the infotainment/telematics devices of the portable communication devices with the base unit and/or between the multiple portable communication devices. The fixed base unit may be fixed in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit having a base unit processor and a user interface, where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of base unit components cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone functions, the stand-alone functions being at least one of infotainment functions or telematics functions;

a portable communication device having a portable communication device processor and a user interface, where the portable communication device further includes one or more portable communications device (“

PCD”

) components cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute at least one stand-alone function, the at least one stand-alone function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function;

an intelligent communication link, the fixed base unit in communication with the portable communication device via the intelligent communication link; and

a shared component configured to receive data and receive commands from the fixed base unit and the portable communication device, the shared component further configured to process the received data based on the received commands and transmit results to at least one of the fixed base unit or the portable communication device, where the shared component is one of the base unit components or one of the one or more PCD components, and where the shared component extends at least one of the at least one stand-alone function of the portable communication device or at least one of the stand-alone functions of the fixed base unit.

2. The system of claim 1, where the fixed base unit is fixed in a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, where the user interface of the fixed base unit comprises browser interface access to the infotainment function or the telematics function of the shared component.

4. The system of claim 1, where the user interface of the fixed base unit comprises plug-in interface access to the infotainment function or the telematics function of associated with the shared component.

5. The system of claim 1, where the one or more PCD components comprise a Global Position Satellite (“

GPS”

) receiver, the GPS receiver is the shared component, and where the telematics functionality of the fixed base unit is extended by allowing the fixed base unit to use the GPS receiver through intelligent communication link with the portable communication device.

6. The system of claim 5, where the fixed base unit is configured to communicate commands and data to the portable communication device for use in control of the GPS receiver.

7. The system of claim 6, where the portable communication device is configured to stream map video to the fixed base unit in response to the commands and the data received from the fixed base unit for use in controlling the GPS receiver.

8. The system of claim 6, where the portable communication device is configured to stream audio to the fixed base unit in response to the commands and the data received from the fixed base unit for use in controlling the GPS receiver.

9. The system of claim 1, where the one or more PCD components comprise a decoder device, the decoder device is the shared component, and where the infotainment functionality of the fixed base unit is extended by allowing the fixed base unit to use the decoder device through the intelligent communication link with the portable communication device.

10. The system of claim 9, where the fixed base unit is configured to communicate media data to the portable communication device for decoding of the media data using the decoder device of the portable communication device.

11. The system of claim 10, where the portable communication device is configured to communicate the decoded media data to the fixed base unit for playback.

12. The system of claim 1, where the portable communication device is configured to update firmware of the fixed base unit when the portable communication device and the fixed base unit are in communication with one another via the intelligent communication link.

13. The system of claim 1, where the one or more PCD component comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver, the Wi-Fi transceiver is the shared component, and where the fixed base unit may use the Wi-Fi transceiver as an Internet gateway when the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are in communication with one another via the intelligent communication link.

14. The system of claim 1, where the portable communication device is a first portable communication device, the at least one stand-alone function of the first portable communication device is at least one of a first stand-alone function, and the intelligent communication link is a first intelligent communication link, the system further comprising:

a second portable communication device having a portable communication device processor and a user interface, where the second portable communication device further includes one or more PCD components cooperating with the portable communication device processor of the second portable communication device to execute at least one of a second stand-alone function, the at least one of the second stand-alone function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function;

a second intelligent communication link, where the fixed base unit is in communication with the second portable communication device via the second intelligent communication link; and

the first portable communication device configured to share the one or more PCD components of the second portable communication device to extend the at least one of the first stand-alone function.

15. A portable communication device for use in an infotainment-telematics system comprising:

a portable communication device processor;

a user interface controlled by the portable communication device processor;

one or more portable communications device (“

PCD”

) components cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute at least one stand-alone function, the at least one stand-alone function being at least one of an infotainment or a telematics function; and

a communication interface adapted for communication with an intelligent fixed base unit having a set of stand-alone functions, the stand-alone functions being at least one of infotainment or telematics functions;

where the portable communication device may be is in connected for intelligent communication with the fixed base unit, the intelligent communication including at least one of transmittal to or receipt from the fixed base unit of a request to share a base unit component or a PCD component, and where the shared component receives commands and receives data from the portable communication device and the fixed base unit to extend one of the stand-alone functions of the fixed base unit or extend the at least one stand-alone function of the portable communication device.

16. The portable communication device of claim 15, where the one or more PCD components comprise a decoder device, and where the portable communication device is adapted to extend the infotainment functionality of the fixed base unit by allowing the fixed base unit to share the decoder device through intelligent communication with the portable communication device.

17. The portable communication device of claim 16, where the portable communication device is adapted to receive media data from the fixed base unit over the communication interface for decoding of the media data using the decoder device of the portable communication device.

18. The portable communication device of claim 17, where the portable communication device is adapted to send the decoded media data to the fixed base unit over the communication interface.

19. The portable communication device of claim 15, where the portable communication device is a first portable communication device, where the fixed base unit is configured to communicate via the intelligent communication with a second portable communication device, and where the first portable communication device shares one or more PCD components of the second communication device via the intelligent communication.

20. A fixed base unit for use in an infotainment-telematics system comprising:

a base unit processor;

a user interface controlled by the base unit processor;

a plurality of base unit components cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone functions, each stand-alone function being at least one of an infotainment or a telematics function;

a communication interface adapted for communication with an intelligent portable communication device having one or more portable communications device (“

PCD”

) components adapted to execute at least one stand-alone function, the at least one stand-alone function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function; and

where the base unit is in intelligent communication with the portable communication device, the intelligent communication extending a stand-alone function of the base unit or a stand-alone function of the portable communication device via a pooled component, the pooled component being a base unit component or a PCD component, and where the pooled component receives commands and receives data from the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

21. The base unit of claim 20, where the user interface comprises a display.

22. The base unit of claim 20, where the plurality of portable communication device components resources includes a decoder device, and where the base unit is adapted to send the data over the communication interface for decoding by the decoder device via the intelligent communication.

23. The base unit of claim 22, where the base unit is adapted to receive the decoded media data over the communication interface for playback on an infotainment component of the base unit.

24. A portable communication device for use in an infotainment system comprising:

a processor configured to control operation of the portable communication device;

a user interface configured to provide a user an interface to operate the portable communication device;

one or more portable communication device (“

PCD”

) components configured to execute at least one of infotainment or telematics functions in cooperation with the processor;

a communication interface configured to integrate with an intelligent fixed base unit having a set of base unit components configured to execute at least one of infotainment functions or telematics functions; and

where at least one of the infotainment or the telematics functionality of one or both of the fixed base unit and the portable communication device is extended to include at least one of an infotainment or a telematics function of a mutual component, the mutual component identified from the PCD components or the base unit components when the portable communication device and the fixed base unit are in communication with one another over the communication interface.

25. A method of operating an infotainment system comprising:

providing a first set of stand-alone functions, each function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function using a set of fixed components;

providing a second set of stand-alone functions, each function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function using a set of portable components;

sharing shared components, each shared component being one of the portable components or one of the fixed components, the sharing performed via a communication interface; and

providing a third set of stand-alone functions, each function being at least one of an infotainment function or a telematics function using the shared components, where the third set of stand-alone functions comprises one or more of the first set of stand-alone functions and one or more of the second set of stand-alone functions.

26. The method of claim 25, where the shared components comprise a decoder device.

27. The method of claim 25, where the shared components comprise a Global Positioning Satellite receiver.

28. The method of claim 25, where the shared components comprise a Wi-Fi transceiver.

29. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit having a base unit processor and a user interface including a display, where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of base unit components cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone functions, the stand-alone functions being at least one of infotainment functions or telematics functions, where the user interface comprises a browser, and where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of markup language pages facilitating user access to the plurality of base unit components;

a portable communication device having a portable communication device processor and a user interface including a display, where the portable communication device further includes a plurality of portable communications device (“

PCD”

) components cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute a set of stand-alone functions, the stand-alone functions being at least one of infotainment functions or telematics functions, where the user interface comprises a browser, and where the portable communication device includes a markup language page facilitating user access to the plurality of PCD components; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are in intelligent communication with one another to extend the stand-alone functions of the fixed base unit or the stand-alone functions of the portable communication device, the intelligent communication including transmission and receipt of a request and acknowledgement to share a base unit component or a PCD component as a shared component, and the intelligent communication further including transmission of data and transmission of commands to the shared component from the fixed base unit and the portable communication device and receipt of processed data from the shared component at the fixed base unit and the portable communication device.

30. The system of claim 29, where the portable communication device and the fixed base unit exchange one or more markup language pages facilitating user access to the shared component.