Method of retrieving information for a motor vehicle

• US 8,589,058 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yuasa, Go
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/943,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The method includes retrieving stored traffic information from a database and determining a communication period for receiving current traffic information from a service provider based on the stored traffic information. The method also includes receiving current traffic information simultaneously with other non-traffic information when the non-traffic information is being requested in order to limit the number of instances of communication with the service provider.

Claims

1. A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving operating information about one or more systems of the motor vehicle at an electronic control unit in the motor vehicle;

the electronic control unit being configured to perform the steps of;

initiating a predetermined communication cycle with a service provider for periodically receiving a first type of information, the predetermined communication cycle being associated with requests for the first type of information that occur at a frequency defined by a first communication period;

determining an initial time from the first communication period at which the first type of information is scheduled to be received according to the predetermined communication cycle;

determining if a second type of information is being requested from the service provider, the second type of information being different from the first type of information, and wherein the second type of information is scheduled to be received at a second time that is substantially different from the initial time, wherein the second time is not associated with the first communication period;

preventing the first type of information from being received at the subsequent initial time according to the first communication period when the electronic control unit determines that the second type of information is being requested, thereby modifying the predetermined communication cycle; and

receiving the first type of information together with the second type of information at the second time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first type of information is traffic information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second type of information is weather information.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second type of information is point of interest information.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second type of information is stock price information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the first type of information together with the second type of information is followed by a step of resuming the predetermined communication cycle and receiving the first type of information at the frequency defined by the first communication period.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second type of information is requested by a user.

8. A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving operating information about one or more systems of the motor vehicle at an electronic control unit in the motor vehicle;

the electronic control unit being configured to perform the steps of;

initiating a predetermined communication cycle with a service provider for periodically receiving a first type of information, the predetermined communication cycle being associated with requests for the first type of information that occur at a frequency defined by a first communication period;

retrieving a first time corresponding to the end of the first communication period;

determining if a second type of information is being requested from the service provider, the second type of information being different from the first type of information, and wherein the second type of information is scheduled to be received at a second time that is substantially different from the first time, wherein the second time is not associated with the first communication period; and

the method further comprising;

receiving the first type of information at the first time when the electronic control unit determines that the first type of information is the only type of information currently being requested; and

receiving the first type of information at the second time when the electronic control unit determines that the second type of information is being requested from the service provider thereby receiving the first type of information together with the second type of information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first type of information is traffic information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first time occurs before the second time.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first time occurs after the second time.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second type of information is requested by a user of the motor vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first communication cycle is determined according to stored traffic information associated with an onboard database.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method limits the total instances of communication with the service provider in a given time period.