Activation of the reception readiness of an in-vehicle network

• US 8,682,401 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Ebner, Andr, Ranzinger, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US11/802,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,492 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.4, 455/522, 455572-574, 4551271-1275, 4553431-3436, 455/345, 455/403, 455/152.1, 370/311, 370/338, 370/389, 340/988
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a process and a system for wireless transmission of infotainment components between an in-vehicle network in a vehicle and a network external to the vehicle, the in-vehicle network having a reception readiness state and an idle state and by way of a remote control of the vehicle can be shifted from the idle state to the reception readiness state. Furthermore the invention relates to a remote control for transmission of a prompt signal, the in-vehicle network by actuating an actuating element of the remote control shifting the in-vehicle network into the reception readiness state, by which infotainment components can be received from a network external to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for wireless transmission of infotainment components between an in-vehicle network in a vehicle and a network external to the vehicle, the system comprising

an in-vehicle network having

a reception readiness state in which the in-vehicle network is ready to receive information from the network external to the vehicle, and

an idle state in which the in-vehicle network is not ready to receive information from the network external to the vehicle,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the reception readiness state when an ignition of the vehicle is activated,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after at least one door of the vehicle is locked,

wherein, by way of a remote control, the in-vehicle network can be shifted from the idle state to the reception readiness state,

wherein upon entering the reception readiness state, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state, unless authenticated to the network external to the vehicle within a first fixed time interval,

wherein once authenticated to the network external to the vehicle, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state if no data is transmitted for a second fixed time interval, and

wherein the vehicle contains a vehicle battery and a battery management system which is connected to it, which monitors the battery voltage of the vehicle battery and automatically turns off the transmitter/receiver when the battery voltage reaches a low battery voltage.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote control is that of a central locking system of the vehicle.

3. A process comprising shifting the in-vehicle network of the system of claim 2 into the reception readiness state by actuating an actuation element of the remote control.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network external to the vehicle can be connected to the in-vehicle network and can be authenticated relative to the in-vehicle network when the in-vehicle network is ready to receive.

5. A process comprising shifting the in-vehicle network of claim 1 into the reception readiness state for a third fixed time interval.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a transmitter/receiver of the in-vehicle network is supplied via vehicle battery.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle network and/or the network external to the vehicle are wireless LAN networks.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network external to the vehicle is a home network, and wherein infotainment data can be transmitted from a computer to the vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the infotainment components are media data as well as audio, video and/or multimedia data, and/or navigation data, as well as navigation routes.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated, after a predetermined time interval, beginning from the time when the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state when after at least one door of the vehicle is locked, after a predetermined time interval, beginning from the time when the at least one door of the vehicle is locked.

12. A method of remotely controlling a motor vehicle for transmission of a prompt signal, the vehicle comprising an in-vehicle network having a reception readiness state and an idle state, the method comprising:

operating the remote control to activate the in-vehicle network by actuating an actuating element of the remote control so that it is shifted into the reception readiness state and is configured to receive infotainment components from a network external to the vehicle,

wherein upon entering the reception readiness state, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state, unless authenticated to the network external to the vehicle within a first fixed time interval,

wherein once authenticated to the network external to the vehicle, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state if no data is transmitted for a second fixed time interval, and

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated or after at least one door of the vehicle is locked,

wherein the reception readiness state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is ready to receive information from the network external to the vehicle, and the idle state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is not ready to receive information from the network external to the vehicle.

13. A system for transmission of infotainment components, the system comprising:

an in-vehicle network in a motor vehicle, the in-vehicle network having a reception readiness state in which the in-vehicle network is ready to receive information from a network external to the vehicle and an idle state in which the in-vehicle network is not ready to receive information from the network external to the vehicle, and a remote control for the vehicle, wherein the remote control activates the in-vehicle network when the actuating element of the remote control is actuated so that it is shifted into the reception readiness state, and can receive infotainment components from the network external to the vehicle,

wherein once authenticated to the network external to the vehicle, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state if no data is transmitted for a fixed time interval,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated or after at least one door of the vehicle is locked.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system furthermore comprises a vehicle-side transmitter/receiver for receiving information over the wireless network, the transmitter/receiver being connected to the in-vehicle network, and contains another transmitter/receiver which is connected to a network external to the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a network external to the vehicle.

16. A method of operating an in-vehicle network inside a motor vehicle comprising:

receiving a signal to switch the in-vehicle network from an idle state to reception readiness state;

operating a transmitter/receiver connected to the in-vehicle network to communicate with an external network, wherein the external network is outside the vehicle; and

authenticating the external network to the in-vehicle network prior to transmitting data therebetween, wherein once authenticated to the external network, the in-vehicle network transitions back to the idle state if no data is transmitted for a first predetermined period of time,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after at least one door of the vehicle is locked,

wherein the reception readiness state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is ready to receive information from the external network, and the idle state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is not ready to receive information from the external network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising returning the in-vehicle network to the idle state after a second predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the signal with a remote control outside the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating comprises transmitting multimedia files.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second predetermined period of time can be specified by a driver of the motor vehicle.

21. A system for transferring data to and from an in-vehicle network comprising:

a vehicle;

an in-vehicle network located in the vehicle;

means for switching the in-vehicle network from an idle state to a reception readiness state; and

means for transferring data between the in-vehicle network and an external network, wherein the vehicle contains a vehicle battery and a battery management system which is connected to it, which monitors the battery voltage of the vehicle battery and automatically turns off the means for transferring data when the battery voltage reaches a low battery voltage,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated,

wherein the in-vehicle network is shifted into the idle state after at least one door of the vehicle is locked,

wherein the reception readiness state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is ready to receive information from the external network, and the idle state is a state in which the in-vehicle network is not ready to receive information from the external network.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the switching means comprises a remote control.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the transferring means comprises a device capable of operating by way of the WLAN, Bluetooth, HiperLAN, ZigBee, nanoNET and Wireless-USB standards.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a timer, actuated by switching of the in-vehicle network to the reception readiness state; and

means for returning the in-vehicle network to the idle state upon expiration of a preset amount of time.