INTELLIGENT USER-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100321203A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: OMAN, Todd P., SULTAN, Michel F., PARTIN, Dale L., TIEMAN, Craig A.
• Application Number:
  US12/486,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

An intelligent communication system used with a vehicle and method thereof are provided, wherein the system includes a vehicle-installed telematics unit, and a nomadic device in communication with the vehicle-installed telematics unit via a plurality of different communication paths. The nomadic device is modified by including a software routine that is executed to determine which of the plurality of communication paths is to be used based upon a proximity between the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit when a user of the nomadic device instructs the nomadic device to communicate with the vehicle-installed telematics unit.

Claims

1. An intelligent communication system used with a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle-installed telematics unit; and

a nomadic device in communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via a plurality of different communication paths, wherein said nomadic device is modified by comprising a software routine that is executed to determine which of said plurality of communication paths is to be used based upon a proximity between said nomadic device and said vehicle-installed telematics unit when a user of said nomadic device instructs said nomadic device to communicate with said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication paths comprise:

a short-range RF network;

a medium-range RF network; and

a global-range RF network.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said short-range RF network is a first priority communication path, said medium-range RF network is a second priority communication path, and said global-range RF network is a third priority communication path.

4. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said short-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately within a first proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

5. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said medium-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately beyond a first proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit, and approximately within a second proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

6. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said global-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately beyond a second proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit, and approximately within a third proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

7. The communication system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said short-range RF network is a BLUETOOTH™

network, and said global-range RF network is a cellular network.

8. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a fob configured to communicate with said vehicle-installed telematics unit and said nomadic device via at least a portion of said plurality of communication paths, wherein said fob comprises a memory device configured to store security data for authorizing communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein security data for authorizing communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit is stored on a media device that can be transferred from said nomadic device to another nomadic device.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said nomadic device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, and a personal computer.

11. An intelligent communication system used with a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle-installed telematics unit;

a fob in communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit, and comprising security data for authorizing communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit; and

a nomadic device in communication with said vehicle-installed telematics unit and said fob via at least one of a short-range RF network, a medium-range RF network, and a global-range RF network, wherein said nomadic device is modified by comprising a software routine that is executed to determine which of said short-range RF network, said medium-range RF network, and said global-range RF network are to be used based upon a proximity between said nomadic device and said vehicle-installed telematics unit when a user of said nomadic device instructs said nomadic device to communicate with said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said short-range RF network is a first priority communication path, said medium-range RF network is a second priority communication path, and said global-range RF network is a third priority communication path.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said short-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately within a first proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said medium-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately beyond a first proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit, and approximately within a second proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said nomadic device communicates with said vehicle-installed telematics unit via said global-range RF network when said nomadic device is approximately beyond a second proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit, and approximately within a third proximity of said vehicle-installed telematics unit.

16. The communication system of claim 11, wherein at least one of said short-range RF network is a BLUETOOTH™

network, and said global-range RF network is a cellular network.

17. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said nomadic device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, and a personal computer.

18. A method of intelligently communicating between a modified nomadic device and a vehicle-installed telematics unit, wherein the nomadic device is modified by comprising an executable software routine for intelligent selection of a communication path, said method comprising the steps of:

authorizing the nomadic device to communicate with the vehicle-installed telematics unit;

determining a proximity between the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit;

communicating via a short-range RF network when it is determined that the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit are approximately within a first proximity;

communicating via a medium-range RF network when it is determined that the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit are approximately beyond said first proximity and approximately within a second proximity; and

communicating via a global-range RF network when it is determined that the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit are approximately beyond said second proximity and approximately within a third proximity.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing a fob configured to communicate with the vehicle-installed telematics unit and the nomadic device, wherein said fob comprises security data for authorizing said communication between the nomadic device and the vehicle-installed telematics unit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of said short-range RF network is a BLUETOOTH™

network, and said global-range RF network is a cellular network.