System, method and device for providing communication between a vehicle and a plurality of wireless devices having different communication standards

• US 20060273878A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Michmerhuizen, Mark, Syfert, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.720
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A system for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of applications (204, 206, 208; 304, 306, 308) and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards includes a receiver (218; 318) and a wireless data transfer module (202; 302). The receiver is configured to receive wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices. The received wireless signals are provided in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards and include data. The wireless data transfer module (202; 302) is coupled to the receiver and is configured to support the plurality of communication standards, to process the wireless signals and to direct the data of the wireless signals to a corresponding vehicle system (204, 206, 208; 304, 306, 308). The system may further include a transmitter (218; 318) coupled to the wireless data transfer module (202; 302). The transmitter (218; 318) is configured to transmit wireless signals from the vehicle to at least one of the plurality of wireless devices The wireless data transfer module (202; 302) receives data from a vehicle system (206, 206, 208; 304, 306, 308) and provides the data to the transmitter (218; 318) in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards.

Claims

1. A system for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices, the wireless signals provided in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards and having data; and

a wireless data transfer module coupled to the receiver, the wireless data transfer module configured to support the plurality of communication standards, to process the wireless signals and to direct the data of the wireless signals to a vehicle system.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the wireless data transfer module, the transmitter configured to transmit wireless signals from the vehicle to at least one of the plurality of wireless devices.

wherein the wireless data transfer module receives data from a vehicle system and is further configured to provide the data to the transmitter in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module comprises a single circuit board.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module directs data to a corresponding vehicle system via a communication bus.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the communication bus is a vehicle bus.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module processes the wireless signals by decoding the wireless signals in accordance with the communication standard.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless data transfer module is configured to determine a transmission path for the data received from the vehicle system.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless data transfer module is further configured to transfer data between vehicle systems.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory device coupled to the wireless data transfer module and configured to store data from the wireless signals.

10. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a memory coupled to the vehicle systems and the wireless data transfer module and configured to store data from the vehicle systems.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the memory device is one of a hard drive or flash memory.

12. A system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless data transfer module determines the transmission path for the data received from the vehicle system based on a type associated with the data and an availability status of the plurality of wireless devices.

13. A wireless data transfer module for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards, the wireless data transfer module comprising:

an input configured to receive wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices, the wireless signals provided in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards and having data;

a control circuit coupled to the input and configured to support the plurality of communication standards, to process the wireless signals and to direct the data from the wireless signals to a vehicle system; and

an output coupled to the control circuit and configured to send the data to the vehicle system.

14. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data based on the vehicle systems in the vehicle.

15. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, where the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data based on a request for data provided by at least one vehicle system.

16. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit directs data to a corresponding vehicle system via a communication bus.

17. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit processes the wireless signals by decoding the wireless signals in accordance with the communication standard.

21. A method according to claim 16 further comprising:

processing data from a vehicle system based on a second communication standard using the wireless data transfer module configured to support the plurality of communication standards; and

transmitting the data to at least one wireless device.

18. A wireless data transfer module for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards, the wireless data transfer module comprising:

an input configured to receive data from at least one vehicle system;

a control circuit coupled to the input and configured to support the plurality of communication standards, to process the data and to provide the data to at least one wireless device in accordance with a communication standard from the plurality of communication standards.

19. A wireless data transfer module according to claim 18, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a transmission path for the data from the vehicle system based on at least a type associated with the data and the wireless devices in communication with the vehicle.

20. A method for providing communication between a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems and a plurality of wireless devices operating via a plurality of communication standards, the method comprising:

receiving wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices, the wireless signals provided in accordance with a first communication standard and having data;

processing the wireless signals based on the first communication standard using a wireless data transfer module configured to support the plurality of communication standards; and

;

distributing the data from the wireless signals to a vehicle system.