Systems, methods and articles for a server providing communications and services involving automobile head units

• US 8,799,360 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tweedle Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Nicholson, Jonas Kolba, Vanak, Abbas Ali, Klassen, Paul John Henry, Smith, Jason Holt, Terry, Troy, Kinlin, Alexander, Radko, Ronald Otto, Clauson, Erik Andrew, Justman, Jason David, Wigzell, Mark William, Trowbridge, George Cecil Jr., Lu, Xiaobin, Gil, Tomasz J., Rane, Nilesh, Starkey, Ryan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/756,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/217, 701/1, 701/36
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/58 Data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/592 External database involved
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/73 with special adaptation to the user or to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/65 Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Network communications, Web-based services and customized services using the Web-based services may be provided to drivers and users via the automobile head unit in the vehicle and via their mobile device. The automobile head unit in the vehicle and the mobile device are communicatively linked via a short range wireless connection. Also, these devices may communicate over a network such as a cellular network to a service provider that provides entertainment and informational services to the mobile device and the head unit of the vehicle. The user'"'"'s profile and preferences are able to follow the user to various locations and into vehicles because this information is stored at a server accessible by the user'"'"'s mobile device, and in some embodiments, also the head unit. The mobile device may provide services to the head unit if it does not have wider network connectivity over the short range wireless connection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor of a server, information regarding a head unit of an automobile;

receiving, by the at least one processor of the server, information regarding a communications device associated with the head unit of the automobile;

uniquely identifying, by the at least one processor of the server, the head unit based at least in part on the received information and other previously stored information regarding the head unit and communications device; and

providing, by the at least one processor of the server and based at least in part on a vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the uniquely identified head unit, one or more services to one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

providing, by the at least one processor of the server, multimedia services for a user associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device that can roam with the user to other automobiles with a capability to support the multimedia services by authenticating, by the at least one processor of the server, the user via the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

abstracting, by the at least one processor of the server, of user input to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

tracking or monitoring, by the at least one processor of the server, error classes associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device based on the vehicle identification number (VIN) does not require the VIN to be associated with any user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes providing, by the at least one processor of the server, services to detect and mitigate abuse of the server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes providing, by the at least one processor of the server, a repository of information regarding devices that are interoperable.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes providing, by the at least one processor of the server, a virtual device that having dynamic features to facilitate building a device compatibility matrix.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

providing, by the at least one processor of the server, software updates to the uniquely identified head unit.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

manipulating, by the at least one processor of the server, content to be provided to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device to maintain compatibility of the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device with the content.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

transforming, by the at least one processor of the server, content to be provided to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device to a one or more formats based on one or more supported formats of the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

searching, by the at least one processor of the server, for the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device, based on one or more of location, direction and speed of the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device; and

providing, by the at least one processor of the server, location information based on the searching.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

linking, by the at least one processor of the server, third party credentials to a user identity associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

receiving a request for service from the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device to be provided by a third party service provider;

responding to the request obtaining the service from the third party and facilitating providing the requested service to without supplying credentials of the third party service provider to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device or a user associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device.

15. A server for providing services to one or more remote head units of automobiles and one or more remote communications devices having a handheld form factor that are associated with the one or more head units comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

receive information regarding a head unit of an automobile;

receive information regarding a communications device associated with the head unit of the automobile;

uniquely identify the head unit based at least in part on the received information and other previously stored information regarding the head unit and communications device, wherein the previously stored information includes a vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the uniquely identified head unit; and

based at least in part on the identifying of the head unit, provide services to manage ownership information of the automobile associated with the uniquely identified head unit.

16. The server of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

provide location services regarding current location of the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device associated with the uniquely identified head unit.

17. The server of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

provide services regarding using barcode data for authentication.

18. The server of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

provide services regarding management of and authentication of guest users associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device associated with the uniquely identified head unit.

19. The server of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

track usage of services provided to users associated with the one or more remote head units of the automobiles.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having computer executable instructions thereon that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a server to:

receive information regarding a head unit of an automobile;

receive information regarding a communications device associated with the head unit of the automobile;

uniquely identify the head unit based at least in part on the received information and other previously stored information regarding the head unit and communications device; and

provide services to one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device based on the unique identification of the head unit, wherein the providing of the one or more services includes providing the one or more services based at least in part on a vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the uniquely identified head unit.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

providing multimedia services for a user associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device that can roam with the user to other automobiles with a capability to support the multimedia services by authenticating, by the at least one processor of the server, the user via the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

abstracting of user input to the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the communications device.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the providing of the one or more services includes:

tracking or monitoring, by the at least one processor of the server, error classes associated with the one or more of the uniquely identified head unit and the associated communications device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the providing of the one or more services based on the vehicle identification number (VIN) does not require the VIN to be associated with any user.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor of the server to provide services to detect and mitigate abuse of the server.