Method and system for communicating information between a vehicular hands-free telephone system and an external device using a garage door opener as a communications gateway

• US 20050170777A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Harwood, Jody K., Rudnick, Kenan Robert, Bauman, Jason G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/664 by radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for communicating information between a vehicle and a device located in a house. The system includes a vehicle appliance integrated in a vehicle. The vehicle appliance has a Bluetooth® enabled communications module. The system further includes a garage located in the vicinity of the house. The garage has a garage door opener mounted therein. The garage door opener has a Bluetooth® enabled communications module and a transceiver. The communications modules wirelessly communicate with one another when the vehicle is located in the vicinity of the garage. The system further includes a device such as a personal computer or a home security or lighting system located in the house. The device and the transceiver of the garage door opener wirelessly communicate with one another. The vehicle appliance and the device wirelessly communicate with one another via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

Claims

1. A system for communicating information between a vehicle and a device located in a house, the system comprising:

a vehicle appliance integrated in a vehicle, the vehicle appliance having a Bluetooth®

enabled communications module;

a garage located in the vicinity of the house, the garage having a garage door opener mounted therein, the garage door opener having a Bluetooth®

enabled communications module and a transceiver, wherein the communications module of the garage door opener and the communications module of the vehicle appliance are operable to wirelessly communicate with one another when the vehicle is located in the vicinity of the garage; and

a device located in the house, the device and the transceiver of the garage door opener being operable to wirelessly communicate with one another;

wherein the vehicle appliance and the device wirelessly communicate with one another via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle appliance includes a hands-free telephone system, wherein the system further includes a Bluetooth®

enabled cell phone operable to communicate with the communications module of the vehicle appliance in order for a driver of the vehicle to make a cell phone call using voice commands.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the device and the cell phone wirelessly communicate with one another via the communications module of the vehicle appliance and the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the device is a personal computer.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:

the personal computer is connected to the Internet.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

the personal computer wirelessly communicates with the vehicle appliance via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener in order to transfer information from the Internet to the vehicle appliance.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the vehicle appliance wirelessly communicates with the personal computer via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener in order to access the Internet from the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the device is a home lighting device, wherein the vehicle appliance wirelessly communicates with the communications module of the garage door opener in order to transmit a home lighting device command to the home lighting device, wherein the transceiver of the garage door opener wirelessly transmits the home lighting device command to the home lighting device to control the operation of the home lighting device in accordance with the command.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the device is a home security device, wherein the vehicle appliance wirelessly communicates with the communications module of the garage door opener in order to transmit a home security device command to the home security device, wherein the transceiver of the garage door opener wirelessly transmits the home security device command to the home security device to control the operation of the home security device in accordance with the command.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the transceiver of the garage door opener is a Bluetooth®

enabled transceiver.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the transceiver of the garage door opener is a wireless local area network (LAN) transceiver.

13. A method for communicating information between a vehicle having a vehicle appliance and a device located in a house, the method for use with a garage door opener of a garage located in the vicinity of the house, the method comprising:

providing the vehicle appliance with a Bluetooth®

enabled communications module;

providing the garage door opener with a Bluetooth®

enabled communications module and a transceiver, wherein the communications module of the garage door opener and the communications module of the vehicle appliance are operable to wirelessly communicate with one another when the vehicle is located in the vicinity of the garage, wherein the device and the transceiver of the garage door opener are operable to wirelessly communicate with one another;

parking the vehicle in the garage; and

wirelessly communicating information between the vehicle appliance and the device via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the device is a personal computer connected to the Internet, the method further comprising:

using the personal computer to access information from the Internet; and

wirelessly communicating the accessed information from the personal computer to the communications module of the vehicle appliance via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the accessed information includes a custom vehicle horn sound, the method further comprising:

transmitting a command from the vehicle appliance to a horn of the vehicle via a vehicle electrical bus in order to control the horn to blast sounds in accordance with the custom vehicle horn sound.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the accessed information includes a custom turn signal sound, the method further comprising:

transmitting a command from the vehicle appliance to a speaker of the vehicle via a vehicle electrical bus in order to control the speaker to output a sound in accordance with the custom turn signal sound as a turn signal of the vehicle operates.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the device is a personal computer connected to the Internet, the method further comprising:

wirelessly communicating information from the communications module of the vehicle appliance to the personal computer via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener; and

using the personal computer to transfer the communicated information to the Internet for access by a third party.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the communicated information includes vehicle diagnostics and the third party is a vehicle service dealer.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the device includes a personal computer connected to the Internet and a home security system, the method further comprising:

transferring, from the vehicle appliance to the personal computer via the Internet, a command to control the home security system;

wirelessly communicating the command from the personal computer to the transceiver of the garage door opener; and

wirelessly communicating the command from the transceiver of the garage door opener to the home security system in order to control the operation of the home security system in accordance with the command.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the device includes a personal computer connected to the Internet and a home lighting system, the method further comprising:

transferring, from the vehicle appliance to the personal computer via the Internet, a command to control the home lighting system;

wirelessly communicating the command from the personal computer to the transceiver of the garage door opener; and

wirelessly communicating the command from the transceiver of the garage door opener to the home lighting system in order to control the operation of the home lighting system in accordance with the command.