Method and system for remote modification of information for an appliance activation transmission

• US 9,984,561 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Swafford, Randy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal
• Application Number:
  US15/403,460
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 340 42
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A method to modify activation information operatively stored in a remote location, the activation information is configured to be transmitted in an activation transmission generated by an appliance control device of a vehicle for remote activation of one or more appliances, the information modification method conducted through the support of a modification module having aspects incorporated into a mobile computing device, server, and a telematics unit of the vehicle is herein presented. The method includes the steps of: receiving a command to modify the activation information at the mobile computing device; transmitting the command from the mobile computing device to the remotely located server; receiving the command at the server; transmitting the command from the server to the remotely located telematics unit; receiving the command at the telematics unit; and modifying, via the telematics unit, the activation information prior to access by the appliance control device.

Claims

1. A method to modify activation information operatively stored in a remote location, the information modification method conducted through a modification module having aspects incorporated into a mobile computing device, server, and a telematics unit of the vehicle, the telematics unit comprising an HMI module shown on a virtual display, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a command to modify activation information at the mobile computing device via a front-end aspect of a modification module, wherein the activation information is configured to be transmitted in an activation transmission generated by an appliance control device of a vehicle for remote activation of one or more appliances;

(b) transmitting the command from the mobile computing device to the remotely located server;

(c) receiving the command at a backend aspect of the modification module at the server;

(d) transmitting the command from the server to the remotely located telematics unit;

(e) receiving the command at a task-end aspect of the modification module at the telematics unit;

(f) modifying, via a task-end aspect of the modification module at the telematics unit, the activation information prior to access by the appliance control device; and

(g) collaborating with the HMI module, via a task-end aspect of the modification module at the telematics unit, to remove one or more virtual prompts associated with the appliance control device from being displayed via the virtual display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) providing a user account comprising one or more pieces of validating data;

(h) after step (c), accessing the user account through the backend aspect of the modification module at the server; and

(i) reviewing the validating data, through the backend aspect of the modification module at the server, to confirm vehicle accuracy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more appliances can be a garage door opener, mechanical barrier, door locking system, lighting system, alarm system, or temperature control system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation information is represented as binary data comprising identifier information and coded key information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the coded key information has a variable code configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device and comprises identifier information; and

the task-end aspect of the modification module at the telematics unit performs the activation information modification portion of step (f) by adjusting the identifier information in the memory device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device and comprises unique characteristics information; and

the task-end aspect of the modification module at the telematics unit performs the activation information modification portion of step (f) by removing of the unique characteristics information from the memory device.

8. A system to modify activation information operatively stored in a remote location, the system comprising:

a mobile computing device comprising a front-end aspect of a modification module, the mobile computing device configured to receive at least one command, the mobile computing device further configured to communicate one or more data transmissions;

a server comprising a backend aspect of the modification module, the server configured to both receive and communicate one or more data transmissions;

a telematics unit of the vehicle comprising an HMI module shown on a virtual display, the telematics unit comprising a task-end aspect of the modification module, the telematics unit further configured to receive one or more data transmissions;

wherein the front-end aspect of the modification module is configured to receive a modification command to modify the activation information from the mobile computing device, the activation information is configured to be transmitted in an activation transmission generated wherein the one or more appliances can be a garage door opener, mechanical barrier, door locking system, lighting system, alarm system, or temperature control system, wherein the activation information is represented as binary data comprising identifier information and coded key information, wherein the identifier information is configured to uniquely identify the appliance control device and is a static or dynamic serial number, wherein the coded key information has a fixed or variable code configuration, and wherein the variable code configuration is a rolling code scheme configured to generate key information by encrypting a synchronization counter value,

the front-end aspect is further configured to collaborate with the mobile communicating device to transmit the modification command to the server;

wherein the backend aspect of the modification module is configured to receive the modification command from the mobile computing device, the backend aspect is further configured to collaborate with the server to transmit the modification command to the telematics unit; and

wherein the task-end aspect of the modification module is configured to receive the modification command from the server, the task-end aspect is further configured to modify the activation information prior to access by the appliance control device, wherein the task-end aspect configured to exhibit a notification on the virtual display upon the activation information being modified, and wherein the task-end aspect is further configured to collaborate with the HMI module to remove one or more virtual prompts associated with the appliance control device from being displayed via the virtual display.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a user account comprising one or more pieces of validating data;

wherein the backend aspect of the modification module is configured to access the user account, the backend aspect is further configured to review the validating data to confirm vehicle accuracy.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device; and

the task-end aspect of the modification module is configured to modify the activation information through the adjustment of the identifier information in the memory device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device and

the task-end aspect of the modification module is configured to modify the activation information through the removal of the unique characteristics information from the memory device.

12. A non-transitory and machine-readable medium having stored thereon a modification module of executable instructions to modify activation information configured to be transmitted in an activation transmission generated by an appliance control device of a vehicle, which when the medium is provided a mobile computing device, server, and telematics unit, the telematics unit comprising an HMI module shown on a virtual display, and aspects of which being executed by the mobile computing device, server, and telematics unit, causes the machines to orchestrate and perform the steps of:

(a) receiving a command to modify the activation information at the mobile computing device, the activation information confused to be transmitted in the activation transmission generated by the appliance control device of the vehicle for remote activation of one or more appliances;

(b) transmitting the command from the mobile computing device to the server;

(c) receiving the command at the server;

(d) transmitting the command from the server to the telematics unit;

(e) receiving the command at the telematics unit;

(f) modifying the activation information through the telematics unit; and

(g) collaborating with the HMI module through the telematics unit to remove one or more virtual prompts associated with the appliance control device from being displayed via the virtual display.

13. The non-transitory and machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein access is provided to a user account, the user account comprising one or more pieces of validating data;

(g) after step (c), accessing the user account through the server; and

(h) reviewing the validating data to confirm vehicle accuracy.

14. The non-transitory and machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the activation information is represented as binary data comprising identifier information and coded key information.

15. The non-transitory and machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the coded key information has a variable code configuration.

16. The non-transitory and machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device and comprises identifier information; and

the telematics unit performs the activation information modification portion of step (f) by adjusting the identifier information in the memory device.

17. The non-transitory and machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the activation information is stored in a telematics unit memory device and comprises unique characteristics information; and

the telematics unit performs the activation information modification portion of step (f) by removing of the unique characteristics information from the memory device.