System and method for updating vehicle media content

• US 8,819,182 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarter, Jamie C., Bradford, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US12/237,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20100077094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207, 709213-219, 709/248, 701537-541, 725 74- 77, 348/148
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A system and method for updating media content for a vehicle. Media content for a vehicle is received through a home network. The media content is stored for playback by one or more devices of the vehicle. A selection of additional media content available through the home network listed in an index is received. The additional media content selected from the index is queued for download based on access to an available network. An available network is searched for. The additional media content is downloaded to the vehicle through the available network and the home network in response to detecting the available network.

Claims

1. A method for updating media content for a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving media content for a vehicle through a home network;

storing the media content for playback by one or more devices of the vehicle;

receiving a selection of additional media content available through the home network while the home network is unavailable, the selection of additional media content indicating existing media content on the home network, listed in an index, and new media content to be acquired that is not on the home network;

queuing the additional media content selected for download based on access to an available network other than the home network, the additional media content including a priority established based on user input for each of the additional media content;

searching for the available network;

displaying, with a signal indicator, information about the available network, the information comprising a connection speed of the available network and a cost of the available network;

automatically downloading the additional media content through the available network from the home network utilizing the priority established by the user input to a centralized system of the vehicle in response to detecting the available network, wherein the centralized system of the vehicle is a central interface to systems of the vehicle, wherein the download of the new media content is initiated through the home network before being downloaded to the centralized system; and

distributing the additional media content from the centralized system to the one or more devices including one or more integrated vehicle systems and external vehicle systems authorized to receive the additional media content, while the vehicle is in operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

compiling the index based on the media content available through devices in communication with the home network.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically updating the index stored by the vehicle in response to the media content available through devices in communication with the home network changing and the vehicle being directly or indirectly in communications with the home network.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the home network, the centralized system, one or more integrated vehicle systems, and the external vehicle systems include an application executed for receiving the selection and communicating the additional media content between the home network and the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the additional media content includes content accessible by the home network through one or more communications networks though not yet downloaded to the home network, and wherein the content is downloaded to the home network for communication to the vehicle in response to the content being included in the selection.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the selection is received utilizing an interface of the application.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the additional media content in the selection must be approved by an administrator before being queued.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional media content includes music and movie files.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating that the vehicle is authorized to access the media content and the additional media content.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

parsing the additional media content to one or more partitions or folders for performing the distributing in response to each user utilizing the one or more devices generating a portion of the selection.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the progress of the additional media content being downloaded to the vehicle.

12. A vehicle system for updating media content, the vehicle system comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate media content with one or more wireless networks and one or more media devices within the vehicle;

a signal indicator in communication with the transceiver, the signal indicator operable to indicate the accessibility of the one or more wireless networks to the vehicle system and to display information about at least one available network, the information comprising a connection speed of the available network and a cost of the available network;

a user interface in communication with the transceiver, the user interface operable to receive selections of the media content indicating existing media content on the home network, listed in an index, and new media content to be acquired that is not on the home network, available for remote download through a home network, the user interface is operable to receive a priority for downloading each of the selections in response to establishing a connection with the one or more wireless networks, the user interface further operable to distribute the media content to the one or more media devices while the vehicle is in operation; and

a memory in communication with the transceiver, the memory operable to queue the media content selected to be downloaded through the one or more wireless networks remotely communicating with the home network, the memory further operable to store the media content for playback in response to the transceiver downloading the media content included in the selections through the one or more wireless networks, the selections being automatically downloaded according to the priority for each of the selections in response to the one or more wireless networks being available, wherein the download of the new media content is initiated through the home network before being downloaded by the transceiver;

wherein the vehicle system is a central interface to systems of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more media devices include devices integrated with the vehicle and external devices in communication with the transceiver.

14. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver is operable to update the index stored by the memory in response to the media content available through devices in communication with the home network changing and the vehicle being in communications with the one or more wireless networks, and wherein the index lists media content that is retrievable by the home network though currently unavailable.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein the user interface is operable to approve the queued media content.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 12, wherein the memory automatically parses the media content into one or more partitions or folders for performing the distributing in response to each user generating a portion of the selection.

17. A vehicle system comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured to;

receive one or more selections of media content remotely available through a home network, the one or more selections of media content indicating existing media content on the home network and listed in an index, and new media content to be acquired that is not on the home network;

queue the one or more selections of media content for download based on access to an available network, the one or more selections of media content including a priority established based on user input;

search for the available network;

display, with a signal indicator, information about the available network, the information comprising a connection speed of the available network and a cost of the available network;

download the one or more selections of media content through the available network to the vehicle system remotely from the home network utilizing the priority in response to detecting the available network, wherein the download of the new media content is initiated through the home network before being downloaded to the vehicle system; and

stream the one or more selections of media content to one or more devices in communication with the vehicle system according to the selection generated by one or more users, while the vehicle is in operation;

wherein the vehicle system is a central interface to systems of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle system according to claim 17, wherein the set of instructions is further configured to:

display the media content that is retrievable through the home network by the available networks.

19. The vehicle system according to claim 17, wherein the set of instructions is further configured to:

update the index stored by the memory in response to the media content available through devices in communication with the home network changing and the vehicle being in communications with the home network.

20. The vehicle system according to claim 17, wherein the set of instructions further:

displays the progress of the additional media content being downloaded to the vehicle.