Wireless-enabled consumer port apparatus for accommodating after-market devices flexibly in vehicles

• US 10,110,721 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Bai, Fan, Shan, Dan, Thanayankizil, Lakshmi V., Sergakis, John, Pop, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US15/395,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 455557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A vehicle system, for implementation at a subject vehicle, including a vehicle storage component having a device-discovery module that, when executed by a vehicle processing unit, determines, using vehicle communication hardware, presence of non-subject-vehicle devices. The storage component also includes a service-discovery module that, when executed, uses the communication hardware in determining needs of various devices including any of the non-subject-vehicle devices and any vehicle device. The storage component also includes a resource-discovery module that, when executed, determines what resources amongst the various devices available to serve the needs determined. The component also includes a grouping module that, when executed, establishes one or more groups amongst the various devices, yielding grouped devices of the various devices. The storage may also include a role-assignment module, a maintenance module, a soft-state-refresh module, and a broker module including an auction-and-bid protocol. The technology may include simply the storage device having any mentioned module, and processes performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, implemented at a subject vehicle, comprising:

a hardware-based processing unit; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising;

a device-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines, using a vehicle communication hardware component, presence of one or more proximate devices that are not native to the subject vehicle;

a service-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines needs of various devices including (i) any of the proximate devices determined present, (ii) a primary vehicle communication interface, (iii) a vehicle consumer-port interface, and (iv) one or more embedded vehicle components;

a resource-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines one or more resources of the various devices available to serve the needs determined; and

a grouping module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, establishes, at least temporarily, a first group comprising a vehicle module interface and a vehicle port interface, a second group comprising the vehicle module interface and one or more non-vehicle devices, and a third group comprising the vehicle port interface and one or more non-vehicle devices.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a role-assignment module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, assigns roles to select devices for meeting determined needs using resources determined.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a maintenance module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, maintains operations at and/or interactions amongst the grouped devices.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a soft-state-refresh module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, performs a soft-state refresh operation in connection with the first group, the second group, or the third group established.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a group-release module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, releases the groups in response to the needs, for which the groups were established, being met.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein:

the first group, the second group, or the third group include at least two bidding devices having need for a sought resource of the resources; and

the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a broker module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines which of the first group, the second group, or the third group will have access to the sought resource.

7. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the broker module, upon determining which of the bidding devices will have access to the sought resource, initiates delivery of a notification to each of the bidding devices advising whether the bidding device is being awarded access to the sought resource.

8. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the broker module, upon determining which of the bidding devices will have access to the sought resource, initiates delivering, to a resource device to provide the resource, of the first group, the second group, or the third group, a resource notification referencing the bidding device awarded access to the sought resource.

9. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the hardware-based processing unit, receives a bid from each of the bidding devices for the sought resource.

10. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the broker module, in determining which of the bidding devices will have access to the sought resource, uses an auction-and-bid protocol.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the auction-and-bid protocol comprises a utility function configured to determine which of the first group, the second group, or the third group is best to receive access to the sought resource.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device, for use at a vehicle system of a subject vehicle having a communication hardware component, comprising:

a device-discovery module that, when executed by, hardware-based processing unit, determines, using the communication hardware component, presence of one or more proximate devices that are not native to the subject vehicle;

a service-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit of the vehicle system, determines needs of various devices including (i) any of the one or more proximate devices determined present, (ii) a primary vehicle communication interface, (iii) a vehicle consumer-port interface, and (iv) one or more embedded vehicle components;

a resource-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines one or more resources of the various devices available to serve the needs determined; and

a grouping module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, establishes, at least temporarily, a first group comprising a vehicle module interface and a vehicle port interface, a second group comprising the vehicle module interface and one or more non-vehicle devices, and a third group comprising the vehicle port interface and one or more non-vehicle devices.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a role-assignment module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, assigns roles to grouped devices for meeting determined needs using resources determined.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a maintenance module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, maintains operations at and/or interactions amongst the first group, the second group, or the third group.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a soft-state-refresh module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, performs a soft-state refresh operation in connection with the groups established.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a group-release module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, releases the groups in response to the needs, for which the groups were established, being met.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein:

the first group, the second group, or the third group include at least two bidding devices having need for a sought resource of the resources;

the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises a broker module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, determines which of the first group, the second group, or the third group will have access to a sought resource of the resources; and

the broker module, in determining which of the bidding devices will have access to the sought resource, uses an auction-and-bid protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the auction-and-bid protocol comprises a utility function configured to determine which of the first group, the second group, or the third group is best to receive access to the sought resource.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the hardware-based processing unit, in connection with the auction-and-bid protocol, receives a bid from each of the bidding devices.

20. A method, performed at a subject vehicle system comprising a communication hardware component, comprising:

determining, by a vehicle processing unit executing a device-discovery module of a non-transitory computer-readable storage device, and using the communication hardware component, presence of one or more proximate devices that are not native to the subject vehicle;

determining, by a hardware-based processing unit executing a service-discovery module that, needs of various devices including (i) any of the one or more proximate devices determined present, (ii) a primary vehicle communication interface, (iii) a vehicle consumer-port interface, and (iv) one or more embedded vehicle components;

determining, by a resource-discovery module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, one or more resources of the various devices available to serve the needs determined; and

establishing, by a grouping module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, establishes, at least temporarily, a first group comprising a vehicle module interface and a vehicle port interface, a second group comprising the vehicle module interface and one or more non-vehicle devices, and a third group, comprising the vehicle port interface and one or more non-vehicle devices.