EXTENSIBLE INFOTAINMENT/TELEMATICS SYSTEM WITH PROCESS CONTROL SHIFTING

• US 20080278343A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Erich Geiger, Lee Bauer
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Geiger, Erich, Bauer, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A system includes a fixed base unit adapted to execute a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions and a portable communication device adapted to execute a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions may overlap with one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions. The fixed base unit and the portable communication device are connectable with one another for intelligent communication to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions from the portable communication device or the fixed base unit to the other of the portable communication device or the fixed base unit. Shifting of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions may be based on the relative processing power of the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit adapted to execute a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

a portable communication device adapted to execute a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlap one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are connectable with one another for intelligent communication to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions from the portable communication device or the fixed base unit to the other of the portable communication device or the fixed base unit.

2. The system of claim 1, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions is based on relative processing power of the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

3. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit adapted to execute a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

a portable communication device adapted to execute a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlap one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are connectable with one another for intelligent communication to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to the portable communication device.

4. The system of claim 3, where the portable communication device comprises more processing power than the fixed base unit.

5. The system of claim 4, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to the portable communication device is based on relative processing power of the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

6. The system of claim 3, where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device share a base unit device and/or a PCD device when connected for intelligent communication with one another.

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

8. The system of claim 3, where the portable communication device includes a media decoder device, and where the shifting of the at least one overlapping infotainment/telematics function unit comprises shifting media decoding to the media decoder device.

9. The system of claim 8, 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.

10. The system of claim 9, where the portable communication device communicates the decoded media data to the fixed base unit for playback.

11. A system comprising:

a fixed base unit adapted to execute a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

a portable communication device adapted to execute a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlap one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are connectable with one another for intelligent communication to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to the fixed base unit.

12. The system of claim 11, where the fixed base unit comprises more processing power than the fixed base unit.

13. The system of claim 12, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to the fixed base unit is based on relative processing power between the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

14. The system of claim 11, where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device share a base unit device and/or a PCD device when connected for intelligent communication with one another.

15. The system of claim 11, where the fixed base unit is fixed in a vehicle.

16. 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 first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

a portable communication device having a portable communication device processor, where the portable communication device further includes a plurality of PCD devices cooperating with the portable communication device processor to execute a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlaps one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions; and

where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device are connectable for intelligent communication with one another to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to a corresponding PCD device.

17. The system of claim 16, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions to the PCD device of the portable communication device is based on relative processing power of the portable communication device and the fixed base unit.

18. The system of claim 16, where the fixed base unit and the portable communication device share a base unit device and/or a PCD device when connected for intelligent communication with one another.

19. The system of claim 16, where the fixed base unit is fixed in a vehicle.

20. A system comprising:

fixed base unit means for executing a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

portable communication device means for executing a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlap one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions; and

where the fixed base unit means and the portable communication device means are connectable with one another for intelligent communication to shift at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions from the portable communication device means or the fixed base unit means to the other of the portable communication device means or fixed base unit means.

21. The system of claim 20, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions is based on relative processing power of the portable communication means and the fixed base unit means.

22. A method for operating an infotainment/telematics system comprising:

executing a first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions using a fixed base unit;

executing a second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions using a portable communication device, where one or more of the first set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions overlap one or more of the second set of stand-alone infotainment/telematics functions;

connecting the personal communication device and fixed base unit with one another for intelligent communication; and

shifting at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions from the portable communication device or the fixed base unit to the other of the portable communication device or fixed base unit.

23. The method of claim 22, where shifting of at least one of the overlapping infotainment/telematics functions is based on relative processing power of the portable communication and the fixed base unit.