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

• US 8,831,585 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Nicholson, Jonas Kolba, Dreher, Christopher Mark, Vanak, Abbas Ali, Klassen, Paul John Henry, Terry, Troy, Kinlin, Alexander, Radko, Ronald Otto, Clauson, Erik Andrew, Wigzell, Mark William, Lu, Xiaobin, Gil, Tomasz J., Rane, Nilesh, Starkey, Ryan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/756,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 381/56
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/00 Colour television systems details H04N9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

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. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer processor-readable storage medium having computer processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computer processor of a wireless mobile device to:

receive multiple service requests from a head unit of an automobile for streaming media, wherein the wireless mobile device and the head unit are communicating over a short range wireless communications link;

evaluate each of the multiple received service requests, to determine, for each of the multiple received service requests how to process the received service request based on a capability and functionality of the head unit to decode and play the streaming media;

based on the evaluation, select an option to stream and decode the requested streaming media using the processor if a capability and functionality of the head unit to play the streaming media falls below a particular level, and to stream the requested streaming media for the head unit to decode and play if the capability and functionality of the head unit to play the streaming media does not fall below the particular level; and

based on the evaluation, select an option to stream and decode the requested streaming media by streaming the requested streaming media if the capability and functionality of the head unit to play the streaming media falls below a determined level.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

receive a request from the head unit over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to route socket network traffic; and

authenticate and route the socket network traffic in response to the particular service that is being requested by the received service request and based on one or more of;

a user account associated with the service request, the head unit, a vehicle identifier of the automobile, the wireless mobile device, a user account, user credentials, and user-specific preference or user identification information; and

processing, by the processor of the wireless mobile device, the multiple received service requests according to the evaluation.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

upon detection that the wireless mobile device and head unit are communicating over the short range wireless communications link, disable usage of selected particular applications of the mobile wireless device that had been previously selected as unsafe to use while driving.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

upon detection that the wireless mobile device and head unit are compatible, force an update of the mobile wireless device.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

cause one central application on the wireless mobile device to communicate to other applications in working work together on the wireless mobile device in providing services to the head unit.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

facilitate monitoring of bandwidth use for user of the wireless mobile device.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:

determine which mode of location should be used by the wireless mobile device based on an application'"'"'s accuracy requirements that is running on the wireless mobile device and the environment the wireless mobile device is in during location acquisition of the mobile wireless device; and

automatically change a configuration of software on the mobile wireless device to be directed to a specific test server based on a specific type of the wireless mobile device and a specific test run for test and automation of the wireless mobile device, wherein the automatically changing the configuration of the software on the mobile wireless device for testing occurs without having to rebuild a code base of the software.