System and method for using networked mobile devices in vehicles

• US 8,707,044 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: TTI Inventions D LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shim, Hyong, Pietrowicz, Stanley, Zhang, Tao, Wullert, John R. II
• Primary Examiner(s): LANIER, BENJAMIN E
• Application Number:
  US12/539,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A system and method for using networked mobile devices in a vehicle in a tightly integrated manner is presented. The vehicle has an OBE, a mobile device client, and vehicle components, and the mobile device has a mobile device proxy and applications, such that the mobile device client and the mobile device proxy communicate, enabling dynamic transfer of the applications to the OBE and execution of the applications on the mobile device and the OBE using the plurality of vehicle components at runtime. In one embodiment, the mobile device client and the mobile device proxy authenticate each other. The authentication can be performed using digital certificates. The mobile device client can communicate the vehicle components on the vehicle to the mobile device proxy. The mobile device client and the mobile device proxy can communicate using Bluetooth. The vehicle components can include dashboard displays, speakers, and voice I/O systems.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle to a mobile device;

receiving at least a first portion of an application from the mobile device if it is determined that the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

executing at least the first portion of the application with the computing system of the vehicle, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating, with a mobile device client of the computing system of the vehicle, a mobile device proxy on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device client and the mobile device proxy communicate using at least one of a Bluetooth connection, an Internet Protocol (IP) connection, and a secure connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating with a mobile device proxy on the mobile device to dynamically create cryptographic keys for at least one of encryption, integrity protection, or other security protection of communications between the vehicle and the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is not running.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is being started.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a text messaging application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the application comprises:

receiving, by the vehicle, a verbal message;

converting the verbal message into a text message; and

providing the text message to the mobile device for transmission to a recipient.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication connection with the mobile device;

detecting a disconnection of the communication connection; and

ceasing execution of at least the first portion of the application in response to detecting the disconnection.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the first portion of the application includes communication between the computing system of the vehicle and the mobile device.

9. A system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle to a mobile device;

a receiver configured to receive at least a first portion of an application from the mobile device if it is determined that the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter and the receiver and configured to execute at least the first portion of the application, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate a mobile device proxy on the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically create cryptographic keys for at least one of encryption, integrity protection, or other security protection of communications between the vehicle and the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is not running.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is being started.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a memory configured to store at least the portion of the application at the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the application comprises a text messaging application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the processor is configured to convert a received verbal message into a text message; and

the transmitter is configured to provide the text message to the mobile device for transmission to a recipient.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle;

determining whether an application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

providing at least a first portion of the application to the vehicle for execution by the computing system of the vehicle if the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising authenticating the vehicle with a mobile device proxy on the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile device and the vehicle communicate using at least one of a Bluetooth connection, an Internet Protocol (IP) connection, and a secure connection.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising using cryptographic keys for at least one of encryption, integrity protection, or other security protection of communications between the vehicle and the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is not running.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein communication between the mobile device and the vehicle occurs while the vehicle is being started.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the application comprises a text messaging application.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a text message from the vehicle, wherein the text message is based on a verbal message received at the vehicle; and

transmitting the text message to a recipient.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle;

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and configured to determine whether an application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor and configured to provide at least a first portion of the application to the vehicle for execution by the computing system of the vehicle if the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the vehicle with a mobile device proxy on the mobile device.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the application comprises a text messaging application.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

the receiver is configured to receive a text message from the vehicle, wherein the text message is based on a verbal message received at the vehicle; and

the transmitter is configured to transmit the text message to a recipient.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to transmit information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle to a mobile device;

instructions to receive at least a first portion of an application from the mobile device if it is determined that the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

instructions to execute at least the first portion of the application with the computing system of the vehicle, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the application comprises a text messaging application, and further comprising:

instructions to receive a verbal message;

instructions to convert the verbal message into a text message; and

instructions to provide the text message to the mobile device for transmission to a recipient.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive, at a mobile device, information regarding capabilities of a computing system of a vehicle;

instructions to determine whether an application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle; and

instructions to provide at least a first portion of the application to the vehicle for execution by the computing system of the vehicle if it is determined that the application matches the capabilities of the computing system of the vehicle, wherein execution of the application includes execution of at least the first portion of the application by the computing system of the vehicle and execution of at least a second portion of the application by the mobile device.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions to authenticate the vehicle with a mobile device proxy on the mobile device.