Method for providing information to a user of a motor vehicle

• US 9,430,475 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Land Rover (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Land Rover (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Powell, Richard, Pickering, Carl, Thomas, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, TOAN H
• Application Number:
  US12/990,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,678 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/769, 711/162, 711/163, 711/173, 711/170, 711/100, 711/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles

Abstract

A method is disclosed in which a configuration code identifying the type and specification of a vehicle (1) is stored in a memory device (2) during manufacture of the vehicle (1). Information relating to one or more types of vehicle is uploaded into a mass storage device (3) located on the vehicle from an external data source (4). The stored configuration code is then used to select from the information stored on the mass storage device (3) only the information relating to the particular vehicle (1) so that only relevant information can be accessed by a user of the vehicle (1). The method may also include restricting the information provided if the vehicle speed is above a predetermined vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a user of a motor vehicle, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

storing a configuration code on the vehicle defining the predetermined specification of that specific vehicle, the information providing guidance regarding how to operate functions of the vehicle, the guidance representing an electronic manual, uploading to a mass storage device located on the vehicle information relating to more than one vehicle specification, disabling irrelevant information based upon the stored configuration code in response to an initial activation event and providing access to the non-disabled information to the user of the vehicle, wherein the non-disabled information corresponds to vehicle specific guidance regarding how to operate a particular function of the vehicle based on the specification applicable to that specific vehicle;

wherein the vehicle specific guidance is represented by the configuration code;

wherein the method further comprises the step of updating the configuration code when the specification of the vehicle is altered subsequent to the initial activation event so as to update the non-disabled information available to the user according to a new specification of the vehicle; and

receiving a request via a graphical user interface to access the updated information and presenting a plurality of selectable options on a display for selection by the user each representing vehicle specific guidance of the updated information, and providing at least one of an audible instruction and a visual instruction of the vehicle specific guidance in response to selecting at least one of the plurality of selectable options;

wherein providing access to the non-disabled information to the user of the vehicle further comprises determining the speed of the vehicle and restricting the access provided to the user on the display when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined speed threshold; and

wherein the information is supplied via at least one of an audible output and a visual output and, when the speed of the vehicle is above the predetermined speed threshold, the information supplied via the visual output is restricted;

wherein disabling irrelevant information comprises selecting information relevant to the vehicle based upon the configuration code and storing the relevant information in a separate location in the mass storage device; and

wherein disabling irrelevant information further comprises deleting from the mass storage device information not relevant to the vehicle specification.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein disabling irrelevant information comprises preventing access to information not relevant to the vehicle.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein uploading to a mass storage device located on the vehicle information relating to more than one vehicle specification comprises uploading to a mass storage device located on the vehicle information relating to more than one type of vehicle.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is above the predetermined speed threshold, only audible information is supplied to the user.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the vehicle speed is above the predetermined speed threshold, only graphical information is supplied via the display to the user.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 the configuration code being the same so long as the vehicle specification remains unchanged.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the configuration code is stored in a controller, the method further comprising selectively broadcasting the configuration code to the mass storage device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 the broadcasting taking place upon the initial activation event, wherein the initial activation event includes at least one of a key-on-event and an ignition event.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the functions of the vehicle comprise at least one of a climate control system, an audio system and a navigation system.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a mass storage device to store information relating to more than one vehicle specification, the information providing guidance regarding how to operate functions generic to at least the same vehicle type of the vehicle, the guidance representing an electronic manual, a memory device to store a configuration code identifying the predetermined specification applicable to that specific vehicle and a mechanism to provide information after an initial activation event regarding the motor vehicle in response to an input from a user of the vehicle, wherein the information accessible to the user is based upon the configuration code stored in memory so that only relevant information is provided and irrelevant information is disabled the relevant information corresponding to vehicle specific guidance regarding how to operate a particular function of the vehicle based on the specification applicable to that specific vehicle;

wherein the vehicle specific guidance is represented by the configuration code;

a graphical user interface arranged to provide the vehicle specific guidance for selection by the user via a plurality of selectable options presented on a display, wherein at least one of an audible instruction and a visual instruction is provided in response to the user selecting at least one selectable option; and

wherein the display is arranged to provide access to the information when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined threshold and, when the vehicle speed is above the predetermined threshold, the access provided on the display is restricted;

wherein the information is supplied via at least one of an audible output and a visual output and, when the speed of the vehicle is above the predetermined speed threshold, the information supplied via the visual output is restricted;

wherein the irrelevant information is disabled by selecting information relevant to the vehicle based upon the configuration code and storing the relevant information in a separate location in the mass storage device, and information not relevant to the vehicle specification is deleted from the mass storage device;

wherein the configuration code is updatable when the specification of the vehicle is altered so as to update the information available to the user according to a new specification of the vehicle.

11. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10, the memory device being arranged to broadcast the configuration code to the mass storage device.

12. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 comprising a CAN network wherein the memory device is arranged to broadcast the configuration code to the mass storage device via the CAN network.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions for providing information to a user of a motor vehicle, the instructions being executable by a vehicle processor to provide operations comprising:

identifying a stored configuration code on the vehicle defining the predetermined specification of that specific vehicle;

accessing in a mass storage device located on the vehicle information relating to more than one vehicle specification, the uploaded information providing guidance regarding how to operate functions generic to at least the same vehicle type of the vehicle, the guidance representing an electronic manual;

disabling irrelevant information based upon the stored configuration code in response to an initial activation event and providing access to the non-disabled information to the user of the vehicle, wherein disabling irrelevant information comprises selecting information relevant to the vehicle based upon the configuration code and storing the relevant information in a separate location in the mass storage device, and deleting from the mass storage device information not relevant to the vehicle specification; and

receiving a request via a graphical user interface to access the relevant information from the separate location in the mass storage device and providing a plurality of selectable options on a display for selection by the user of the vehicle in response to the request, the plurality of selectable options each representing vehicle specific guidance regarding how to operate a particular function of the vehicle based on the specification applicable to that specific vehicle, wherein the vehicle specific guidance is represented by the configuration code;

wherein providing a plurality of selectable options on the display further comprises determining the speed of the vehicle and restricting access to the plurality of selectable options on the display when the speed of the vehicle is above a predetermined speed threshold;

wherein the information is supplied via at least one of an audible output and a visual output and, when the speed of the vehicle is above the predetermined speed threshold, the information supplied via the visual output is restricted;

wherein the configuration code is updatable when the specification of the vehicle is altered so as to update the information available to the user according to a new specification of the vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein disabling irrelevant information comprises preventing access to information not relevant to the vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the uploaded information comprises information relating to more than one type of vehicle.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the configuration code is the same so long as the vehicle specification remains unchanged.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is above the predetermined speed threshold, only audible information is supplied to the user.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when the vehicle speed is above the predetermined speed threshold, only graphical information is supplied via the display to the user.