Apparatus for integrating data functions in a motion control system for a vehicle

• US 9,469,259 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Grimm, Donald K., Zhang, Wende
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/447,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160031388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure to systems for integration and communication of aftermarket vehicle components with existing vehicle components through an apparatus comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions. The apparatus is configured to be integrated into a vehicle comprising an existing motion-control system having existing motion-control-system components. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising (i) receiving, from an aftermarket motion-control-system, an input data signal containing a raw data set, (ii) processing the raw data set, yielding a processed data set, and (iii) transmitting the processed data set to one or more of the existing motion-control system components within the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus, for integration with a vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

an interface connector configured to communicate with an existing input/output system within the vehicle, wherein the interface connector is configured to;

(i) receive, from an aftermarket input device having aftermarket components, an input data signal containing a raw data set;

(ii) transmit the raw data set by way of a first signal to the processor;

(iii) receive a processed data set, by way of a second signal, from the processor; and

(iv) transmit a processed input signal containing the processed data set to the existing input/output system within the vehicle; and

a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

(i) receiving, from the interface connector, the first signal containing the raw data set;

(ii) processing the raw data set, yielding the processed data set; and

(iii) transmitting the processed data set, by way of the second signal, to the interface connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise a memory recall data set derived from vehicle-operator input.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise calibrating the apparatus using the memory recall data set.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises an alert data set used by the processor, executing the instructions, to provide, by way of at least one pre-existing vehicle component, a notification to inform a vehicle operator of vehicle conditions or surrounding-environment conditions.

5. An apparatus, for integration with a vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

an interface connector configured to communicate with an existing input/output system within the vehicle, wherein the interface connector is configured to;

(i) receive, from an aftermarket input device having aftermarket components, an input data signal containing a raw data set;

(ii) transmit the raw data set by way of a first signal to the processor;

(iii) receive a processed data set, by way of a second signal, from the processor; and

(iv) transmit, by way of the second signal, the processed input signal containing the processed data set to the existing input/output system within the vehicle; and

a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

(i) receiving, from the interface connector, the first signal containing the raw data set;

(ii) processing the raw data set, yielding the processed data set; and

(iii) transmitting, by way of the second signal, the processed data set to the interface connector,

wherein the apparatus is configured to removably engage and disengage with the input/output system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise a memory recall data set derived from vehicle-operator input.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform operations comprising calibrating the apparatus using the memory recall data set.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-medium instructions comprises an alert data set to provide, by way of at least one pre-existing vehicle component, a notification to inform an operator of vehicle conditions or surrounding-environment conditions.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a module signal comprising the processed data set to a port receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a port receptacle configured to transmit a processed port signal comprising the processed data set to the input/output system.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a module expansion signal comprising the processed data set to a port expansion.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a port expansion configured to transmit a processed port expansion signal to the input/output system.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a module signal comprising the processed data set to a port receptacle, configured to transmit the processed data set to a port expansion by way of a port receptacle signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a module expansion signal comprising the processed data set to a port receptacle and a port expansion approximately simultaneously.

15. An apparatus, for integration with a vehicle, comprising:

a processor; and

an interface connector configured to communicate with a plurality of existing input/output systems within a vehicle, wherein the interface connector is configured to;

(i) receive, from a plurality of aftermarket input devices, each having aftermarket components, a plurality of input data signals containing a plurality of raw data sets;

(ii) transmit the raw data sets by way of a first signal to the processor;

(iii) receive a processed data set, by way of a second signal, from the processor; and

(iv) transmit a processed input signal containing the processed data set to the plurality of existing input/output systems; and

a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

(i) receiving, from the interface connector, the first signal containing the raw data set;

(ii) processing the raw data set, yielding a processed data set; and

(iii) transmitting the processed data set to the interface connector,

wherein the apparatus is configured to engage and disengage with the plurality of input/output systems.