WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090082928A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Witkowski, Todd R., Geerlings, Steven L., Zeinstra, Mark L., Dykema, Kurt A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating information facilitates wireless communication between electronic devices. The system includes a transceiver provided in a vehicle. The transceiver communicates with an electronic device located external to the transceiver.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device for communicating with vehicle electronics configured to control a component of a vehicle and communicably coupled to a first radio frequency transceiver located in the vehicle, the portable electronic device comprising:

a second radio frequency transceiver configured to establish a wireless communications link with the first radio frequency transceiver;

wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to transmit first information to the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link, the first information configured to cause the vehicle electronics to adjust the component of the vehicle; and

wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to receive second information from the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link and to store the second information.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second information is operational status information relating to at least one of the vehicle electronics and the component of the vehicle.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the operational status information is displayed.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to operate according to a Bluetooth communications protocol.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the component of the vehicle is at least one of a powered seat, a radio system, a rearview mirror, an external mirror, and an HVAC system.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to create a second wireless communications link with a third radio frequency transceiver, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver is integrated with a personal computer, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to use the second wireless communications link to receive a first data file from the personal computer and to provide the first data file to the memory for storage.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to transmit the first data file to the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to send a second data file to the personal computer via the second wireless communications link.

9. A method for using a portable electronic device to communicate with vehicle electronics configured to control a component of a vehicle and communicably coupled to a first radio frequency transceiver located in the vehicle, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communications link to the first radio frequency transceiver with a second radio frequency transceiver of the portable electronic device;

transmitting first information from the second radio frequency transceiver to the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link, the first information configured to cause the vehicle electronics to adjust the component of the vehicle;

receiving second information from the first radio frequency transceiver at the second radio frequency transceiver; and

storing the second information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second information is stored in memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second information is operational status information relating to at least one of the vehicle electronics and the component of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operational status information is displayed.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to operate according to a Bluetooth communications protocol.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the component of the vehicle is at least one of a powered seat, a radio system, a rearview mirror, an external mirror, and an HVAC system.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating a second wireless communications link with a third radio frequency transceiver, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver is integrated with a personal computer;

receiving a first data file from the personal computer at the second radio frequency transceiver via the second wireless communications link; and

storing the first data file in memory coupled to the second radio frequency transceiver.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the first data file to the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link using the second radio frequency transceiver.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending a second data file to the personal computer via the second wireless communications link.

18. A portable electronic device for communicating pre-programmed setting information to a vehicle module for controlling a component of a vehicle and communicably coupled to a first radio frequency transceiver mounted in the vehicle, the portable electronic device comprising:

a memory unit configured to store the pre-programmed setting information; and

a second radio frequency transceiver configured to communicate with the first radio frequency transceiver, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to receive the pre-programmed setting information from the memory unit and to transmit the pre-programmed setting information to the first radio frequency transceiver.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to operate according to a Bluetooth communications protocol.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the pre-programmed setting information is provided by a user.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the pre-programmed setting information comprises information regarding a preferred position of a powered seat in the vehicle and wherein the vehicle component is the powered seat.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the pre-programmed setting information further comprises information for controlling the position of a mirror.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the pre-programmed setting information comprises at least one of information relating to a powered seat setting, volume setting information for a radio system, channel setting information for a radio system, climate control information for an HVAC system, position information for a rearview mirror, and external mirror position information.

24. A key fob for receiving a data file from a first radio frequency transceiver integrated with a personal computer, the key fob comprising:

a second radio frequency transceiver configured to establish a wireless communications link with the first radio frequency transceiver and to interrogate the personal computer to cause the personal computer to transmit the data file from the personal computer to the key fob; and

a memory configured to receive the data file and to store the data file.

25. The key fob of claim 24, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to automatically create the wireless communications link when the key fob is brought within a communication range of the first radio frequency transceiver.

26. The key fob of claim 24, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to operate according to a Bluetooth communications standard.

27. The key fob of claim 24, wherein the memory is configured to store a second data file, and the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to transmit the second data file to the first radio frequency transceiver via the wireless communications link.

28. The key fob of claim 24, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to transmit the data file to a third radio frequency transceiver coupled to electronics of a vehicle.

29. The key fob of claim 24, wherein the memory is further configured to store pre-programmed setting information and wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to transmit the pre-programmed setting information to a third radio frequency transceiver coupled to vehicle electronics for controlling a vehicle component.

30. The key fob of claim 29, wherein the vehicle component is at least one of a powered seat, a radio system, an HVAC system, a rear view mirror, and an external mirror.

31. The key fob of claim 29, wherein the pre-programmed setting information includes at least one of seat position information, radio volume information, radio channel information, climate control information, rear view mirror information, and external mirror information.

32. A key fob for transferring a data file to a first radio frequency transceiver integrated with a personal computer, the key fob comprising:

a memory for storing the data file; and

a second radio frequency transceiver configured to create a wireless communications link with the first radio frequency transceiver and to transmit the data file stored in the memory unit to the first radio frequency transceiver when the wireless communications link is established.

33. The key fob of claim 32, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to automatically create the wireless communications link.

34. The key fob of claim 32, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to operate according to a Bluetooth communications standard.

35. The key fob of claim 32, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to receive a second data file from the personal computer and to store the second data file in the memory.

36. The key fob of claim 35, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is further configured to interrogate the personal computer to cause the personal computer to transmit the second data file from the personal computer to the key fob.

37. A method for adjusting a vehicle component, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communications link between a first radio frequency transceiver coupled to a portable electronic device and a second radio frequency transceiver mounted in the vehicle;

transmitting information stored in a memory of the portable electronic device to the second radio frequency transceiver using the wireless communications link;

providing the information from the second radio frequency transceiver to a vehicle module for controlling the vehicle component, wherein the information comprises user-provided information; and

adjusting the vehicle component based on the information.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the wireless communications link is established automatically by the first radio frequency transceiver as a user carrying a portable electronic device approaches the vehicle.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the portable electronic device is a key fob.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and second radio frequency transceivers operate according to a Bluetooth communications protocol.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

establishing a second wireless communications link between the first radio frequency transceiver and a third radio frequency transceiver integrated with a personal computer.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

transferring a data file from the personal computer to the memory of the portable electronic device using the second wireless communications link between the first radio frequency transceiver and the third radio frequency transceiver.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the second wireless communications link is automatically established when the portable electronic device is within a predetermined distance from the personal computer.

44. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

transmitting the information stored in the memory of the portable electronic device to a third radio frequency transceiver associated with a second vehicle.