System and method for providing content to vehicles in exchange for vehicle information

• US 20070124046A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: D'Avello, Robert, Ayoub, Ramy, Giunta, Gus
• Granted Patent: US 9,269,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096877 where the input to the navigation device is provided by a suitable I/O arrangement details of I/O arrangements for onboard navigation computers G01C21/36; I/O arrangements for general purpose computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00

Abstract

A system and method for providing content from a source to a vehicle is disclosed. The content is restricted by associating the content with at least one requirement for vehicle information from a vehicle to which the content is provided. When restricted content is requested, a vehicle system obtains vehicle related information from the vehicle. The vehicle information is transferred to the vehicle system from the source, and the restricted content is transferred from the source to the vehicle system. The vehicle system, the source, or both determine whether the vehicle information meets the at least one requirement restricting the content. As long as the requirement for vehicle information is met, processing of the restricted content is allowed.

Claims

1. A content handling method, comprising not necessarily in sequence:

restricting content by requiring at least one transfer of first vehicle information;

obtaining second vehicle information of a vehicle;

transferring the second vehicle information from a vehicle system to a source;

determining at the source whether the transfer of the second vehicle information meets the requirement of the at least one transfer of first vehicle information; and

transferring the content to the vehicle system based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of transferring the second vehicle information from the vehicle system to the source comprises transmitting the second vehicle information with a communication interface of the vehicle system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of transferring the content from the source to the vehicle system comprises receiving the content transmitted from the source with a communication interface of the vehicle system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is restricted by a plurality of requirements for transfer of first vehicle information from the vehicle system, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining at the vehicle system whether one or more of the plurality of requirements for the transfer of first vehicle information are met,

enabling or preventing the vehicle system from processing the content based on the determination.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring an acceptance at the vehicle system before transferring the second vehicle information.

6. A content handling method, comprising not necessarily in sequence:

restricting content by requiring at least one transfer of first vehicle information;

receiving the restricted content at a vehicle system of a vehicle;

obtaining second vehicle information of the vehicle;

transferring the second vehicle information from the vehicle system; and

determining at the vehicle system whether the transfer of the second vehicle information meets the requirement for the at least one transfer of first vehicle information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of transferring the second vehicle information from the vehicle system comprises transmitting the second vehicle information with a communication interface of the vehicle system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of receiving the restricted content at the vehicle system of the vehicle comprises receiving the restricted content transmitted from a source with a communication interface of the vehicle system.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising enabling or preventing the vehicle system from processing the content based on whether the transfer of the second vehicle information meets the requirement for the at least one transfer of first vehicle information.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the content is restricted by a plurality of requirements for transfer of first vehicle information from the vehicle system, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining at the vehicle system whether one or more of the plurality of requirements for the transfer of first vehicle information are met,

enabling or preventing the vehicle system from processing the content based on the determination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of enabling or preventing comprises enabling the vehicle system to process the content for a predetermined time during or after one of the requirements for the transfer of first vehicle information is met.

12. A vehicle system, comprising:

one or more communication interfaces;

a device for processing content;

memory for storing content;

a controller in a vehicle communicatively coupled to one or more communication interfaces, the device, and the memory, the controller configured to;

obtain second vehicle information of the vehicle;

transfer the second vehicle information with one of the communication interfaces;

receive restricted content with one of the communication interfaces;

determine whether the transfer of second vehicle information meets at least one requirement for transfer of first vehicle information restricting the restricted content; and

enable or prevent the device to process the restricted content based on the determination.

13. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of digital data, media data, audio data, video data, multimedia data, internet data, cable broadcast data, radio broadcast data, satellite broadcast data, television broadcast data, Global Position System data, navigation data, user interface data, and software application data.

14. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the device for processing content is selected from the group consisting of a Telematics system, an entertainment system, a video system, an audio system, a navigation system, and a user interface.

15. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the first or second vehicle information comprises one or more pieces of information selected from the group consisting of Global Positioning System information, navigation information, a vehicle condition, a vehicle parameter, a vehicle component detail, a status of a vehicle component, a diagnostic trouble code, a service record, a feature, a capability, and a preference.

16. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein to obtain the second vehicle information of the vehicle, the controller is communicatively coupled to a vehicle bus interface, an On-Board Diagnostic connection, a vehicle component, or the memory having vehicle information.

17. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the one or more communication interfaces are selected from the group consisting of an Internet interface, a satellite communication interface, a hot spot gateway interface, a cellular interface, a global positioning system interface, a WiFi interface, a BlueTooth™

interface, an Ultrawide Band interface, and a Universal Serial Bus interface.

18. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the content is restricted by a plurality of requirements for transfer of first vehicle information from the vehicle system, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether one or more of the plurality of requirements for the transfer of first vehicle information are met,

enable or prevent the device to process the restricted content based on the determination.

19. The vehicle system of claim 18, wherein to enable or prevent the device to process the restricted content, the controller is configured to enable the device to process the restricted content for a predetermined time during or after one of the requirements for the transfer of first vehicle information is met.

20. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to require an acceptance before transferring the second vehicle information.