Prompting system for vehicle personalization

• US 5,525,977 A
• Filed: 12/06/1993
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/163,062
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.25, 340/825.24, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.22, 340/528, 340/426, 340/460, 367/197, 367/198, 364/286.2, 364/948.21, 395/156
• US Class Current: 340/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23086 Menu is sequentially selected and read from cd disk and guides operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23386 Voice, vocal command or message
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23472 Confirmation of user for the selection of a program setting
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24168 Identify connected programmer to allow control, program entry
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair

Abstract

A personalization system for vehicles uses a CD player and a keyless entry transmitter. The CD player outputs audible prompting signals including accessory operation choices. The driver selects accessory operation by pressing the "LOCK" or "UNLOCK" switch on the keyless entry key fob following an associated audio prompting signal. A controller coupled to the CD player receives a selection signal from the keyless entry key fob and associates the receipt of the selection signal with an index corresponding to the audio prompting signal last output by the CD player. The controller controls accessory operation according to the accessory options selected responsive to the audible prompting signal.

Claims

1. A system for programming the selectable operation of programmable vehicle options prior to using such options, said system comprising:

a compact disc including index information and audio instructional information stored thereon for the operator prompting of programming instructions;

a compact disc player for receiving said compact disc and responsive to said index and audio instructional information stored on said compact disc for simultaneously generating index signals and audio prompting signals;

a selection input device outputting selection signals;

a controller coupled to said compact disc player and to said selection device for receiving said index signals and said selection signals, said controller operating in a training mode and an operating mode, said controller responsive to said index signals and said selection signals for selecting and storing vehicle accessory operation instructions in the training mode, and said controller coupled to the vehicle electrical system for controlling the operation of vehicle accessories according to said stored vehicle accessory operation instructions in the operating mode.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said index information includes track and time information for said compact disc.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein each track of said compact disc includes control information for selecting vehicle accessory operation in the vehicle, whereby a user can access a track having the type of option the user would like to program to expedite selection of the vehicle accessory operation.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 and further including a transducer, wherein said audio compact disc player audibly outputs the audio prompting signals through said transducer and said controller waits for a selection signal from said selection input device following output of the audio prompting signals.

5. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle locks.

6. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control lamps.

7. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control a vehicle audio system.

8. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle interior temperatures.

9. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle seating.

10. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle seat options.

11. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control a trainable transmitter.

12. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle windows.

13. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control vehicle alarms.

14. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said compact disc includes a track that includes audio instructional information for programming said controller to control a telephone.

29. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller enters the training mode when said compact disc is coupled to said compact disc player and said compact disc player is activated to read information on said compact disc.

30. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said compact disc player includes an index input selector for selecting a desired index.

31. The system as defined in claim 30, wherein said compact disc player generates an index signal when an index is selected using said index input selector, and provides the index signal corresponding to the selected index to said controller.

15. A vehicle personalization system for programming the manner in which a plurality of vehicle accessories will operate upon actuation, comprising:

an audio source for generating a plurality of audible prompting signals and for generating index signals corresponding to the audible prompting signals, each audible prompting signal being associated with one of the plurality of vehicle accessories;

input means for generating response signals responsive to said audible prompting signals; and

a controller coupled to said audio source for receiving said index signals, to said input means, and to the vehicle accessories, said controller responsive to the response signals received from said input means and to the index signals for storing vehicle accessory operation instructions when in a training mode, and said controller controlling the vehicle accessories according to said stored vehicle accessory operation instructions when in an operating mode.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein said controller stores respective driver identification signals each associated with one of a plurality of vehicle drivers.

17. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein each of said driver identification signals has associated therewith respective vehicle accessory operation instructions uniquely selected in a respective training operation.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein said audio source includes an audio storage device.

19. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said audio storage device is a compact disc and said audio source further includes a compact disc player.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein said input means includes a keyless entry receiver.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein each of said driver identification signals is a security code associated with a keyless entry key fob.

32. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein said audio source includes index information for each of said plurality of audible prompting signals and an index input selector for selecting a desired index, and wherein said audio source outputs index signals corresponding to a selected index to said controller.

33. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein said controller enters the training mode when said compact disc is loaded into said compact disc player.

22. A vehicle personalization system for programming the manner in which a plurality of vehicle accessories will operate upon actuation, comprising:

an audio source for generating a plurality of audible prompting signals, each audible prompting signal being associated with one of the plurality of vehicle accessories, wherein said audio source includes a compact disc and a compact disc player;

input means for generating response signals responsive to said audible prompting signals, wherein said input means includes a keyless entry receiver; and

a controller coupled to said audio source, to said input means, and to the vehicle accessories, said controller responsive to the response signals received from said input means following an audible prompting signal for storing vehicle accessory operation instructions when in a training mode, and said controller controlling the vehicle accessories according to said stored vehicle accessory operation instructions when in an operating mode, wherein said controller stores respective driver identification signals each associated with one of a plurality of vehicle drivers, each of said driver identification signals has associated therewith respective vehicle accessory operation instructions uniquely selected in a respective training operation and each of said driver identification signals is a security code associated with a keyless entry key fob, and wherein said audio source outputs index and prompting signal information used for selecting a vehicle accessory operation and wherein said controller, when in the training mode, scrolls through said index information, generates audible index signals describing which vehicle accessory operation may be selected in each index, and advances to an index corresponding to a selected vehicle accessory operation.

23. A system for selecting vehicle option operation, comprising:

a storage device for storing index and prompting signal information used for selecting vehicle accessory operation;

a prompting circuit coupled to said storage device for generating index information and audible training requests identifying accessory selections programmable in the vehicle;

input means for inputting response signals; and

a controller coupled to said prompting circuit and to said input means, said controller storing accessory operation instructions when in a training mode and controlling vehicle accessory operation according to stored vehicle accessory operation instructions when in an operating mode, said controller, when in the training mode, generates audible signals describing which vehicle accessory operation may be modified in response to the index information provided from said prompting circuit.

24. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein said controller stores driver identification signals each associated with one of a plurality of vehicle drivers.

25. The system as defined in claim 24, wherein each of said driver identification signals has associated therewith respective vehicle accessory operation instructions uniquely selected in a respective training operation.

34. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein said storage device is removably coupled to said prompting circuit.

35. The system as defined in claim 34, wherein said controller enters the training mode when said storage device is coupled to said prompting circuit.

36. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein said prompting circuit includes an index input selector for selecting a desired index.

37. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein said prompting circuit generates an index signal when an index is selected using said index input selector, and provides the index signal corresponding to the selected index to said controller.

38. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein said prompting circuit is a compact disc driver of a vehicle audio entertainment system and said storage device is a compact disc.

26. A system for selecting vehicle option operation, comprising:

a storage device for storing index and prompting signal information used for selecting vehicle accessory operation;

a prompting circuit coupled to said storage device for generating audible index information and audible training requests identifying accessory selections programmable in the vehicle, wherein said storage device is a compact disc and said prompting circuit includes a compact disc drive;

input means for inputting response signals; and

a controller coupled to said prompting circuit and to said input means, said controller storing accessory operation instructions when in a training mode and controlling vehicle accessory operation according to stored vehicle accessory operation instructions when in an operating mode, said controller, when in the training mode, scrolls through the index information, generates audible signals describing which vehicle accessory operation may be selected in each index, and advances to an index corresponding to a selected vehicle accessory operation.

27. The system as defined in claim 26, wherein said input means includes a keyless entry receiver.

28. The system as defined in claim 27, wherein said keyless entry receiver is a keyless entry key fob having a security code associated therewith corresponding to the driver identification signal.

39. A system for programming the selectable operation of vehicle accessories prior to using such accessories in a vehicle having an audio system including a compact disc player having a data port and a track selection actuator, the system comprising:

a compact disc having index information and audio instructional information stored thereon for operator prompting of programming instructions;

an input selector for outputting selection signals; and

a controller coupled to the data port of the vehicle compact disc player, for receiving the selection signals from said input selector and index signals from the compact disc player, which the compact disc player generates from the index information stored on said compact disc, said controller operating in a training mode and in an operating mode, said controller responsive to said index signals and said selection signals for selecting and storing vehicle accessory operation instructions in the training mode, and said controller controlling the operation of vehicle accessories according to said stored vehicle accessory operation instructions in the operating mode.

40. The system as defined in claim 39, wherein said controller operates in the training mode when said compact disc is loaded into the compact disc player and said compact disc player is activated to read information on said compact disc.