Method and device for demonstrating features of a vehicle navigation system

• US 8,606,500 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Veliu, Shpetim S., Oesterling, Christopher L., Kamdar, Hitan S., Fraser, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/420,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,755 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A demonstration method and module for demonstrating various features of a vehicle navigation system without activating the system at a back-end facility, such as a remote call center. The demonstration module comes with a variety of pre-established navigation demonstrations, each of which is designed for a particular geographic area. The demonstration module obtains a vehicle position reading from the vehicle navigation system, and then utilizes this reading to select the most appropriate demonstration experience for that area. The selected navigation demonstration is then played through one or more output devices in the vehicle, such as speakers and a graphical display. This enables a prospective customer to experience a local or familiar navigation demonstration, without taking the steps and incurring the expenses associated with activating the vehicle navigation system at the call center.

Claims

1. A method for communication with a telematics-equipped vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of pre-established navigation demonstrations, each of which is associated with a geographic location;

(b) obtaining a vehicle position reading relating to the position of the vehicle;

(c) selecting one of said pre-established navigation demonstrations based at least partially on said vehicle position reading; and

(d) using one or more output device(s) to play said selected pre-established navigation demonstration and to illustrate features of a telematics-based vehicle navigation system without activating the telematics-based vehicle navigation system at a back-end facility.

2. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the configuration of a network bus and one or more vehicle hardware component(s).

3. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the key position of a vehicle ignition, and performing steps (b)-(d) in a power mode that is selected based on said key position.

4. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the state of a vehicle transmission, and halting said method if said state is other than ‘

PARK’

.

5. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically selecting a particular frequency, and wherein step (d) further includes playing an audio component of said selected navigation demonstration over a vehicle audio system using said selected frequency.

6. The demonstration method of claim 5, wherein said automatic selection of said frequency further includes conducting a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) test involving a plurality of frequencies.

7. The demonstration method of claim 6, wherein said signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) test further includes receiving wireless updates of local frequency information.

8. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of receiving wireless updates of said navigation demonstrations.

9. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of alerting a user when an electronic module carrying said plurality of navigation demonstrations is still present in the vehicle following said demonstration.

10. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing said plurality of navigation demonstrations on a portable, electronic demonstration module that connects with the vehicle navigation system.

11. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing said plurality of navigation demonstrations on an integrated, electronic memory device that is part of the vehicle hardware.

12. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing navigation demonstrations that include turn-by-turn directions.

13. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further includes obtaining a vehicle position reading from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver located in the vehicle navigation system.

14. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further includes controlling said play of said selected navigation demonstration by using one or more electronic control(s) in the vehicle.

15. A method for demonstrating features of a telematics-based vehicle navigation system by providing turn-by-turn directions without activating the telematics-based vehicle navigation system at a back-end facility, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of pre-established turn-by-turn navigation demonstrations, each of which is associated with a particular geographic location;

(b) obtaining a current vehicle position reading from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that is part of the telematics-based vehicle navigation system;

(c) selecting one of said turn-by-turn navigation demonstrations based at least partially on said current vehicle position reading; and

(d) using one or more speaker(s) and/or display(s) to play said selected turn-by-turn navigation demonstration and to illustrate features of the telematics-based vehicle navigation system without activating the telematics-based vehicle navigation system at a back-end facility.