Digital content networking

• US 9,087,348 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Petrucci, David R., Massoll, Charles A., Nguyen, Thiep T., Wisnewski, Mark A., Trzcinski, David J., Saadatjoo, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/207,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• 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: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Mobile network services for a vehicle are provided via a computer processing device, and a digital communications module executable by the computer processing device. The digital communications module identifies a content channel selection for content presented on a device in the vehicle, continuously receives information indicating a location of the vehicle, and monitors signal strength of the content as the vehicle moves among location. Upon determining a threshold signal strength is reached, the digital communications module determines an action to be taken, and performs the action.

Claims

1. A system for providing mobile networking services for a vehicle, comprising:

a computer processing device; and

a digital communications module executable by the computer processing device to;

receive user-configurable preferences from an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the user-configurable preferences specify actions response to changes in a signal strength particular to a content program presented on a device in the vehicle;

identify a content channel selected for the content program presented on the device;

continuously receive information that indicates a location of the vehicle;

monitor the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among locations;

determine a trend of the signal strength of the content program in accordance with the monitoring of the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among the locations;

in response to the determination of the trend of the signal strength of the content program being a weakening of the signal strength, determine which of the actions to perform based on the user-configurable preferences as a first action, wherein the first action is configured to maintain presentation of the content program on the device or on any alternative device in the vehicle;

perform the first action;

access a database of locations of content sources, wherein the database includes a coverage range for each of the content sources;

determine a selection of at least one of the content sources having a coverage range that corresponds to the location of the vehicle and having the content program; and

in response to the determination of the trend being the weakening of the signal strength, provide continued presentation of the content program by discontinuing transmission of the content program from a current content source and accessing the content program from the selection of the at least one of the content sources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first action includes transmitting a notice of the weakening of the signal strength via at least one of:

the device; and

a personal mobile device in communication with the computer processing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining locations in which the content program is available; and

calculating an alternate route that includes the locations;

wherein the first action includes a recommendation to modify a route traveled by the vehicle to include the alternate route.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first action includes a recommendation to service the vehicle at a location in which the signal strength is determined to be within a defined threshold level but weakening.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving data from vehicle components; and

determining a need for servicing the vehicle based on the data received.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dual-mode tuner, wherein a first tuner of the dual-mode tuner presents the content program and the second tuner of the dual-mode tuner monitors the signal strength of the content program.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tutorial module executable by the computer processing device, the tutorial module configured to guide a user in entering the user-configurable preferences.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the content sources include an IPTV content source, a broadcast content source, a digital radio content source, a digital television content source, and content programming stored a storage device onboard the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the trend is one of a strengthening of the signal strength, the weakening of the signal strength, and a consistent of the signal strength.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the weakening of the signal strength is a decrease at a specified rate.

6. A method for providing mobile networking services for a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving user-configurable preferences from an occupant of the vehicle, the user-configurable preferences specify actions response to changes in a signal strength particular to a content program presented on a device in the vehicle;

identifying a content channel selected for the content program presented on the device;

continuously receiving information indicating a location of the vehicle;

monitoring the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among locations;

determine a trend of the signal strength of the content program in accordance with the monitoring of the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among the locations;

in response to the determination of the trend of the signal strength of the content program being a weakening of the signal strength, determine which of the actions to perform based on the user-configurable preferences as a first action, wherein the first action is configured to maintain presentation of the content program on the device or on an alternative device in the vehicle;

performing the first action;

accessing a database of locations of content sources, the database including a coverage range for each of the content sources;

determining a selection of at least one of the content sources having a coverage range that corresponds to the location of the vehicle and having the content program; and

in response to the determination of the trend being the weakening of the signal strength, providing continued presentation of the content program by discontinuing transmission of the content program from a current content source, and accessing the content program from the selection of the at least one of the content sources.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first action includes transmitting a notice of the weakening of the signal strength via at least one of:

the device; and

a personal mobile device in communication with the computer processing device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining locations in which the content program is available; and

calculating an alternate route that includes the locations;

wherein the first action includes a recommendation to modify a route traveled by the vehicle to include the alternate route.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first action includes a recommendation to service the vehicle at a location in which the signal strength is determined to be within a defined threshold level but weakening.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving data from vehicle components; and

determining a need for servicing the vehicle based on the data received.

11. A computer program product for providing mobile networking services for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer storage medium embodied with program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving user-configurable preferences from an occupant of the vehicle, the user-configurable preferences specify actions response to changes in a signal strength particular to a content program presented on a device in the vehicle;

identifying a content channel selected for the content program presented on the device;

continuously receiving information indicating a location of the vehicle;

monitoring the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among locations;

determine a trend of the signal strength of the content program in accordance with the monitoring of the signal strength of the content program as the vehicle moves among the locations;

in response to the determination of the trend of the signal strength of the content program being a weakening of the signal strength, determine which of the actions to perform based on the user-configurable preferences as a first action, wherein the first action is configured to maintain presentation of the content program on the device or on any alternative device in the vehicle;

performing the first action;

accessing a database of locations of content sources, the database including a coverage range for each of the content sources;

determining a selection of at least one of the content sources having a coverage range that corresponds to the location of the vehicle and having the content program; and

in response to the determination of the trend being the weakening of the signal strength, providing continued presentation of the content program by discontinuing transmission of the content program from a current content source, and accessing the content program from the selection of the at least one of the content sources.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining locations in which the content program is available; and

calculating an alternate route that includes the locations;

wherein the first action includes a recommendation to modify a route traveled by the vehicle to include the alternate route.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first action includes a recommendation to service the vehicle at a location in which the signal strength is determined to be within a defined threshold level but weakening.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving data from vehicle components; and

determining a need for servicing the vehicle based on the data received.