EXTENSIBLE INFOTAINMENT/TELEMATICS SYSTEM

• US 20080261643A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bauer, Lee, Geiger, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens

Abstract

An infotainment/telematics system includes a fixed base unit and a portable communication device. The fixed base unit may include a plurality of base unit devices cooperating with a base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The portable communication device may include a one or more PCD devices cooperating with a portable communication device processor to execute a one or more stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The fixed base unit and the portable communication device may be connected for intelligent communication with one another to share and/or control a base unit device and/or a PCD device. Multiple portable communication devices may be connected to a single base unit to share the infotainment/telematics devices of the portable communication devices with the base unit and/or between the multiple portable communication devices. The fixed base unit may be fixed in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit having a base unit processor and a user interface, where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of base unit devices cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions;

a portable communication device having a portable communication device processor and a user interface, where the portable communication device further includes a PCD device cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute a stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics function; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device may be connected for intelligent communication with one another to share a base unit device and/or PCD device.

2. The system of claim 1, where the user interface of the fixed base unit and the user interface of the portable communication device each comprise a display.

3. The system of claim 1, where the fixed base unit is fixed in a vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, where the user interface of the fixed base unit comprises browser interface access to the infotainment/telematics functionality associated with the shared device.

5. The system of claim 1, where the user interface of the fixed base unit comprises plug-in interface access to the infotainment/telematics functionality associated with the shared device.

6. The system of claim 1, where the PCD device comprises a GPS receiver, and where the telematics functionality of the fixed base unit is extended by allowing the fixed base unit to use the GPS receiver through intelligent communication with the portable communication device.

7. The system of claim 6, where the base unit communicates commands and data to the portable communication device for use in control of the GPS receiver.

8. The system of claim 7, where the portable communication device streams map video to the base unit in response to the commands and data received from the base unit for use in controlling the GPS receiver.

9. The system of claim 7, where the portable communication device streams audio to the base unit in response to the commands and data received from the base unit for use in controlling the GPS receiver.

10. The system of claim 1, where the PCD device comprises a decoder device, and where the infotainment functionality of the fixed base unit is extended by allowing the fixed base unit to use the decoder device through intelligent communication with the portable communication device.

11. The system of claim 10, where the fixed base unit communicates media data to the portable communication device for decoding of the media data using the decoder device of the portable communication device.

12. The system of claim 11, where the portable communication device communicates the decoded media data to the fixed base unit for playback.

13. The system of claim 1, where the portable communication device may be used to update firmware of the fixed base unit when the portable communication device and the fixed base unit are connected for communication with one another.

14. The system of claim 1, where the PCD device comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver, and where the fixed base unit may use the Wi-Fi transceiver as an Internet gateway when the fixed base unit and portable communication device are connected for intelligent communication with one another.

15. A portable communication device for use in an infotainment and/or telematics system comprising:

a portable communication device processor;

a user interface controlled by the portable communication device processor;

a PCD device cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute a stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics function; and

a communication interface adapted for communication with an intelligent fixed base unit having a set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions;

where the portable communication device may be connected for intelligent communication with the fixed base unit to share a base unit device and/or the PCD device.

16. The portable communication device of claim 15, where the user interface comprises a display.

17. The portable communication device of claim 15, where the PCD device comprises a decoder device, and where the portable communication device is adapted to extend the infotainment functionality of the fixed base unit by allowing the fixed base unit to use the decoder device through intelligent communication with the portable communication device.

18. The portable communication device of claim 17, where the portable communication device is adapted to receive media data from the fixed base unit over the communication interface for decoding of the media data using the decoder device of the portable communication device.

19. The portable communication device of claim 18, where the portable communication device is adapted to send the decoded media data to the fixed base unit over the communication interface.

20. A fixed base unit for use in an infotainment and/or telematics system comprising:

a base unit processor;

a user interface controlled by the base unit processor;

a plurality of base unit devices cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions;

a communication interface adapted for communication with an intelligent portable communication device having a PCD device adapted to execute a stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics function; and

where the base unit may be connected for intelligent communication with the portable communication device to share a base unit device and/or the PCD device.

21. The base unit of claim 20, where the user interface comprises a display.

22. The base unit of claim 20, where the plurality of portable communication device resources includes a decoder device, and where the base unit is adapted to send data over the communication interface for decoding by the decoder device.

23. The base unit of claim 22, where the base unit is adapted to receive the decoded media data over the communication interface for playback on an infotainment resource of the base unit.

24. A portable communication device for use in an infotainment system comprising:

processing means for controlling operation of the portable communication device;

user interface means for providing a user interface between a user and the portable communication device;

PCD device means for executing an infotainment and/or telematics function in cooperation with the processing means;

communication interface means for communicating with an intelligent fixed base unit having a set of infotainment and/or telematics functions; and

where the infotainment and/or telematics functionality of one or both of the fixed base unit and portable communication device is extended to include at least one infotainment/telematics function when the portable communication device and fixed base unit are in communication with one another over the communication interface means.

25. A method of operating an infotainment system comprising:

providing a first set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions using a set of fixed devices;

providing a second set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions using a set of portable devices;

sharing one of the portable devices and/or one of the fixed devices; and

providing a third set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions using the shared devices, where the third set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions comprises one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions and one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions.

26. The method of claim 25, where the shared device comprises a decoder device.

27. The method of claim 25, where the shared device comprises a GPS receiver.

28. The method of claim 25, where the shared device comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver.

29. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit having a base unit processor and a user interface including a display, where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of base unit devices cooperating with the base unit processor to execute a set of stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics functions, where the user interface comprises a browser, and where the fixed base unit includes a plurality of markup language pages facilitating user access to the plurality of base unit devices;

a portable communication device having a portable communication device processor and a user interface including a display, where the portable communication device further includes a PCD device cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute a stand-alone infotainment and/or telematics function, where the user interface comprises a browser, and where the portable communication device includes a markup language page facilitating user access to the PCD device; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device may be connected for intelligent communication with one another to share a base unit device and/or PCD device.

30. The system of claim 29, where the portable communication device and the fixed base unit exchange one or more markup language pages facilitating user access to a shared device.