System and method of providing personalized context information for vehicle

• US 20040092253A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Simonds, Craig John, Yester, John Loring
• Application Number:
  US10/696,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20040092253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J

Abstract

An infotainment system is provided which efficiently manages and provides for the availability of information onboard a vehicle. The infotainment system includes an infogas agent for acquiring information from an external source. The infotainment system further includes a context-based delivery system for delivering context-based information. The context-based information includes a vehicle context advisor for monitoring and storing information relative to vehicle devices and services available on the vehicle. The context advisor further includes a personalization context advisor for monitoring and storing personalization information made available to devices and services onboard the vehicle. The context advisor further includes an environmental context advisor for monitoring and storing environmental information made available to devices and services onboard the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for providing personalized context information for use with onboard vehicle devices, said system comprising:

an input for accessing and receiving context information;

an identifier for identifying context information related to a person as personal context information;

a data storage device having memory for storing the identified personal context information;

an interface for communicating the data storage device with a plurality of onboard vehicle devices; and

an agent for downloading personal context information to one or more of the vehicle devices.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored personal context information from at least one of a personal digital assistant and a phone.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the input receives personal user preference information from at least one of an off-board service provider and a vehicle centric device.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the input receives personal user preference information from at least one of a personal digital assistant and a phone.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a wireless interface.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle devices comprise a personal electronics device and a vehicle control module.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user preference information comprises user preference settings.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the data storage device is portable.

13. The method as defined in claim 6 further comprising the step of detecting a presence of a user personal device, wherein the personal context information is sensed from the user personal device.

9. A method of providing personalized context information for use with onboard vehicle devices, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring information from one or more sources;

identifying information related to a person as personal context information;

storing the identified personal context information in memory;

communicating with an onboard vehicle service; and

downloading at least some of the stored personal context information to the vehicle device.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the step of storing the identified personal context information comprises storing an address pointer in memory indicative of the source of the personal context information.

11. The method as defined n claim 9, wherein the step of monitoring information from one or more sources comprises monitoring the information from at least one of an off-board service provider and a vehicle centric system.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the step of communicating with an onboard vehicle device comprises communicating with a plurality of devices comprising a vehicle context module and a personal electronics device.

14. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the step of communicating with the onboard vehicle device comprises wireless communication.

15. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the personal context information comprises user preferences.

16. The method as defined in claim 9 further comprising the step of transporting the memory as a portable memory device.