Vehicle with a vehicle data network

• US 20060212198A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lueftner, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/374,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212198A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle has multiple functional units and a central control, whereby the various functional units and the central control can exchange data via a digital vehicle data network. At least one user data interface (03, 05) is incorporated into the vehicle data network so that digital data can be exchanged between external devices and the vehicle data network in a process controlled by the user.

Claims

1. A vehicle with several functional units and a central control, wherein the different functional units and the central control are able to exchange data via a digital vehicle data network, the vehicle further comprising:

at least one user data interface incorporated into the vehicle data network, wherein digital data can be exchanged between external devices and the vehicle data network via said user data interface under the control of a user.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein data can also be exchanged with the external devices in a wireless fashion via the user data interface.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the wireless data communication is realized in accordance with the Bluetooth data transmission standard or the WLAN data transmission standard.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein data can also be transmitted in a wireless fashion between the central control and at least one functional unit of the vehicle, particularly the exterior rear-view mirrors, via the user data interface.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said user data interface is realized in the form of a slot module that can receive removable data storage media including memory sticks or data cards.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the slot module makes it possible to realize the data communication in accordance with the USB data transmission standard.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the user data interface is arranged in the interior of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the user data interface is arranged in or on a roof console.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the user data interface is arranged in or on the interior rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a navigation data receiver integrated into the interior rear-view mirror.

11. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising an evaluation device for evaluating the data stored on the exchangeable data storage media, said evaluation device being integrated into the interior rear-view mirror.

12. The vehicle according to one of claim 7, further comprising a display unit for displaying data received via the user data interface, said display unit being integrated into the interior rear-view mirror.

13. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a loudspeaker unit integrated into the interior rearview mirror.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone unit integrated into the interior rearview mirror.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a digital vehicle data network;

a plurality of functional units;

a central control, said functional units and said central control being operatively connected to said digital vehicle data network to exchange data via said digital vehicle data network; and

at least one user data interface operatively connected to said vehicle data network, wherein digital data can be exchanged between external devices and the vehicle data network via said user data interface under the control of a user.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said data interface includes a wireless transceiver whereby data is also exchanged with the external devices in a wireless fashion via the user data interface.

17. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said digital vehicle data network includes wireless means whereby data is transmitted in a wireless fashion between the central control and at least one of said functional units.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said at least one of said functional units comprise exterior mirrors.

19. The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising:

a navigation data receiver integrated into the interior rear-view mirror;

an evaluation device for evaluating the data stored on the exchangeable data storage media, said evaluation device being integrated into the interior rear-view mirror; and

a display unit for displaying data received via the user data interface, said display unit being integrated into the interior rear-view mirror and wherein the user data interface is arranged in or on the interior rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising:

a loudspeaker unit integrated into the interior rearview mirror; and

a microphone unit integrated into the interior rearview mirror and wherein the user data interface is arranged in or on the interior rear-view mirror of the vehicle.