Bridge decoder for a vehicle infotainment system

• US 9,330,030 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Rakesh Narayan, Song, Zhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/313,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3027 where the computing system component is a bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/20 for access to input/output bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/426 using an embedded synchronisation, e.g. Firewire bus, Fibre Channel bus, SSA bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

An intermediary device may be utilized to form a communication bridge between a vehicle infotainment system and a remote device. The computing device forming the bridge may send and receive the data sent between the motor vehicle infotainment system and the remote device. The intermediary device may mimic the infotainment system or the remote device and/or an instruction sent by the infotainment system and/or the remote device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving at an intermediary device a cable connection from a vehicle infotainment system;

sending by the intermediary device at least one first instruction to the vehicle infotainment system that changes a configuration of the vehicle infotainment system from a host mode to an accessory mode;

receiving at the intermediary device a connection from a remote device separate from the vehicle infotainment system;

detecting by the intermediary device a plurality of packets based on communications between the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device;

storing by the intermediary device a record based on the plurality of packets;

receiving at the intermediary device a second instruction from the remote device for execution on the infotainment system;

preventing by the intermediary device delivery of the second instruction to the infotainment system; and

providing by the intermediary device to the remote device, a confirmation of execution of the second instruction on the infotainment system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a status of at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device, wherein the status indicates if the vehicle infotainment system or the remote device is in a host mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emulating, by the intermediary device, a third instruction of at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device; and

sending the third instruction according to a rule defined as;

if the third instruction being emulated is that of the remote device, the third instruction is sent to the vehicle infotainment system; and

if the third instruction being emulated is that of the vehicle infotainment system, the third instruction is sent to the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising emulating, by the intermediary device, at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a disconnect signal that emulates the remote device being disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system; and

sending the disconnect signal to the vehicle infotainment system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a bridge during operation of the vehicle, wherein the bridge comprises both the infotainment system and the remote device in accessory mode and connected to the intermediary device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle infotainment system is configured to operate in a projected architecture with the remote device, wherein the projected architecture utilizes a processing capability of the remote device to output content on a display of the vehicle infotainment system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising decoding the plurality of packets.

9. A device, comprising:

a connection port configured to receive a cable connection from a vehicle infotainment system and a remote device; and

a processor configured to;

send at least one first instruction to the vehicle infotainment system that changes a configuration of the vehicle infotainment system from a host mode to an accessory mode;

detect a plurality of packets based on communications between the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device;

store a record based on the plurality of packets;

receive a second instruction from the remote device for execution on the infotainment system;

prevent delivery of the second instruction to the infotainment system; and

provide to the remote device, a confirmation of execution of the second instruction on the infotainment system.

10. The device of claim 9, the processor further configured to determine a status of at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device, wherein the status indicates if the vehicle infotainment system or the remote device is in a host mode.

11. The device of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

emulate a third instruction of at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device; and

send the third instruction according to a rule defined as;

if the third instruction being emulated is that of the remote device, the third instruction is sent to the vehicle infotainment system; and

if the third instruction being emulated is that of the vehicle infotainment system, the third instruction is sent to the remote device.

12. The device of claim 9, the processor further configured to emulate at least one of the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device.

13. The device of claim 12, the processor further configured to:

generate a disconnect signal that mimics the remote device being disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system; and

send the disconnect signal to the vehicle infotainment system.

14. The device of claim 9, the processor further configured to form a bridge during operation of the vehicle, wherein the bridge comprises both the vehicle infotainment system and the remote device in accessory mode and both being connected to the device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the vehicle infotainment system is configured to operate in a projected architecture with the remote device, wherein the projected architecture utilizes a processing capability of the remote device to output content on a display of the vehicle infotainment system.

16. The device of claim 9, the processor further configured to decode the plurality of packets.