System and method for radio frequency communication with a personal digital assistant in a vehicle

• US 20040048622A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Witkowski, Todd R., Geerlings, Steven L., Buege, Robert F., Zeinstra, Mark L., Dykema, Kurt A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating information is described. The system comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a vehicle. The transceiver is configured to communicate with a personal digital assistant (PDA) located external to the transceiver using wireless RF signals to transmit information between the transceiver and the PDA.

Claims

1. A system for communicating information comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a vehicle, the transceiver configured to communicate with a personal digital assistant (PDA) located external to the transceiver using wireless RF signals to transmit information between the transceiver and the PDA.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises personal calendar information and telephone directory information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the RF signals are generated using a Bluetooth communication standard.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the transceiver is coupled to at least one of a vehicle instrument panel, an overhead console, a floor mounted console, a visor, and a rear view mirror.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is integrated within an electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF signals are generated using a Bluetooth communication standard.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is coupled to at least one of a vehicle instrument panel, an overhead console, a floor mounted console, a visor, and a rear view mirror.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the PDA is located outside the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates with a plurality of PDAs using the RF signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates with a first electronic device and the PDA located external to the transceiver to communicate information between the first electronic device and the PDA.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device comprises a vehicle subsystem.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle subsystem comprises at least one of an audio system, a microphone, a video display system, and an on-board navigation system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of personal calendar information, an electronic mail message, telephone directory information, music information, vehicle diagnostic information, traffic information, appointment information, news information, weather information, map information, and vehicle navigation information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises voice signals.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver automatically connects with the PDA as the transceiver and PDA approach each other.

16. A system for communicating information comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a vehicle, the transceiver communicating with a portable computing device located external to the transceiver using wireless RF signals to transmit information between the transceiver and the portable computing device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the information comprises personal calendar information and telephone directory information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the RF signals are generated using a Bluetooth communication standard.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the transceiver is coupled to at least one of a vehicle instrument panel, an overhead console, a floor mounted console, a visor, and a rear view mirror.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the transceiver is coupled to at least one of a vehicle instrument panel, an overhead console, a floor mounted console, a visor, and a rear view mirror.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the RF signals are generated using the Bluetooth communication standard.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the transceiver communicates with a plurality of portable computing devices using the Bluetooth communication standard.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the transceiver communicates with a first electronic device and the portable computing device located external to the transceiver to communicate information between the first electronic device and the portable computing device.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the first electronic device comprises a vehicle subsystem.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the vehicle subsystem comprises at least one of an audio system, a microphone, a video display system, and an on-board navigation system.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the information comprises at least one of personal calendar information, an electronic mail message, telephone directory information, music information, vehicle diagnostic information, traffic information, appointment information, news information, weather information, map information, and vehicle navigation information.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the information comprises voice signals.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the transceiver automatically connects with the portable computing device as the transceiver and portable computing device approach each other.

29. A method for communicating information comprising:

communicating information between a transceiver coupled to a vehicle and a personal digital assistant (PDA) located external to the transceiver using RF signals.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the RF signals are generated using the Bluetooth communication standard.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of communicating information occurs automatically when the transceiver and the PDA are moved within a predetermined distance from each other.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined distance is less than approximately 100 meters.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of communicating information comprises receiving information from the PDA at the transceiver and transmitting the information from the transceiver to a first electronic device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one of the PDA and first electronic devices is located outside the vehicle.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the transceiver is mounted in at least one of a vehicle dashboard, an overhead console, a floor mounted console, a visor, and a mirror.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the first electronic device comprises at least one of an audio system, a microphone, a video system, and a navigation system.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises at least one of traffic information, weather information, map information, and vehicle navigation information.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises at least one of personal calendar information, an electronic mail message, and telephone directory information.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises voice signals.