Methods and apparatus for loading or modifying a vehicle database from a remote computer via a communications network and a fuel or current dispenser

• US 6,185,501 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Property Development Associates of Connecticut Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Property Development Associates of Connecticut Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Harry F., Harrington, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/130,283
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/210, 701/208, 701/209, 701/214, 320/2, 320/48, 320/21, 320/17, 320/18, 320/43, 320/49, 320/109, 320/128, 320/DIG.18, 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 340/825.44, 340/825.69, 235/384, 235/381, 235/376, 235/379, 235/382, 235/383, 235/380, 235/435, 235/375, 700/286, 700/291, 702/177, 702/188, 702/63, 702/130, 702/138, 705/413, 705/13, 705/34
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/00 Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/12 in which metering is on a time basis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/00 Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Method and apparatus providing supplementary navigation data to be used with a vehicular navigation system. The supplementary navigation data can be superimposed over primary navigation data on a navigation system display or can be presented as a split-screen display. The supplementary navigation data may contain information such as locations of local facilities, local road information, types of local facilities. The supplementary navigation data is received by the vehicle when the vehicle is coupled to a station, such as a battery recharging or a refueling station, and is transmitted to the navigation system. An on-board controller can store the data and/or display the data. The navigation system could use the supplementary data to determine routes or locations for specific local facilities selected by the user. In an interactive or two-way communications system, the user can select predetermined types of supplementary data to be received. The supplementary navigation data is preferably transmitted to the navigation system at a local vehicle station, such as a refueling station, a vehicle rest stop, a vehicle tourist center, etc. Position update information can also be entered for resetting or recalibrating an internally maintained vehicle position.

Claims

1. A method for inputting information to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle that comprises a memory capable of storing information;

coupling the vehicle to a dispenser of a consumable vehicle energy source;

transferring a message from the vehicle to a computer via the dispenser and a data communications network, the message comprising a portion for specifying a request that all or some of the stored information be modified;

in response to a receipt of the message, transferring

information from the computer to the memory via the data communications network and the dispenser; and

inserting the transferred information into the memory for modifying all or some of the stored information.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the stored information is comprised of navigation information.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the message includes a further portion for enabling the computer to account for the transferred information.

4. A method as in claim 1, and further comprising a step of displaying in the vehicle at least some of the stored information in a human perceptible format.

5. A method as in claim 1, and further comprising a step of storing at least some of the transferred information onto a removable data storage medium.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the stored information is comprised of a plurality of groups of related information, and further comprising a step of displaying in the vehicle a selected group of related information.

8. A method for inputting information to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle that comprises a memory capable of storing information;

coupling the vehicle to a dispenser of a consumable vehicle energy source;

transferring a message from the vehicle to a computer via the dispenser and a data communications network, the message comprising a portion for requesting that specified information be downloaded to the memory;

in response to a receipt of the message, accessing a file with the computer and downloading the specified information from the computer to the memory via the data communications network and the dispenser; and

storing the downloaded information into the memory.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the stored information is comprised of navigation information.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the message includes a further portion for enabling the computer to account for the downloaded information.

11. A method as in claim 8, and further comprising a step of displaying in the vehicle at least some of the downloaded information in a human perceptible format.

12. A method as in claim 8, and further comprising a step of storing at least some of the downloaded information onto a removable data storage medium.

13. A method as in claim 8, wherein the downloaded information is comprised of a plurality of groups of related information, and further comprising a step of displaying in the vehicle a selected group of related information.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the step of displaying is comprised of an initial step of displaying a list of identifiers, individual ones of which are associated with one of the plurality of groups of related information, and a step of selecting one of the identifiers from the displayed list of identifiers for selecting the group of related information to be displayed.

15. A system for inputting data to a vehicle, comprising:

a dispenser of a consumable vehicle energy source, said dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network to which is also coupled at least one computer, said dispenser comprising first data connector means for bidirectionally coupling said dispenser to a second data connector means of a vehicle; and

a vehicle that comprises a data storage memory and said second data connector means for coupling said vehicle to said first data connector means of said dispenser for transferring data into said data storage memory from said computer through said data communications network, said vehicle further comprising a controller for transmitting a message from said vehicle to said computer via said first and second data connector means and said data communications network, the message comprising a portion for specifying data to be transferred into said data storage memory;

wherein

said computer is responsive to a receipt of the message for accessing a data store and for transferring the specified data to said data storage memory via said data communications network, said dispenser, and said first and second data connector means; and

wherein

said controller is responsive to a receipt of the transferred data for storing the transferred data into said data storage memory.

7. A method as in claim 27, wherein the step of displaying is comprised of an initial step of displaying a list of identifiers, individual ones of which are associated with one of the plurality of groups of related information, and a step of selecting one of the identifiers from the displayed list of identifiers for selecting the group of related information to be displayed.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the specified data is comprised of navigation information.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein the message includes a further portion for enabling said computer to account for the transferred data.

18. A system as in claim 15, and further comprising a display means in said vehicle for presenting at least some of the transferred data in a human perceptible format.

19. A system as in claim 15, wherein the stored data is comprised of a plurality of groups of related data, and further comprising a display means in said vehicle for presenting, in said vehicle, at least one selected group of related data in a human perceptible format.

20. A system as in claim 19, wherein said controller causes said display means to display a list of identifiers, individual ones of which are associated with one of the plurality of groups of related data, and wherein said vehicle further comprises user interface input means for enabling a user to select at least one of the identifiers from the displayed list of identifiers for selecting the associated group of related data to be presented.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein said user interface input means is comprised of a manually operated input device.

22. A system as in claim 20, wherein said user interface input means is comprised of a voice recognition device.

23. A system as in claim 15, wherein said first and second data connector means are each comprised of a wired connector.

24. A system as in claim 15, wherein said first and second data connector means are each comprised of a wireless connector.

25. A system as in claim 15, wherein said dispenser is comprised of a liquid fuel dispenser.

26. A system as in claim 25, wherein said controller is further operable for transferring indicia from said vehicle to said dispenser via said first and second data connector means for enabling an amount of dispensed liquid fuel to be accounted for.

27. A system as in claim 15, wherein said dispenser is comprised of an electrical energy dispenser.

28. A system as in claim 27, wherein said controller is further operable for transferring indicia from said vehicle to said dispenser via said first and second data connector means for enabling an amount of dispensed electrical energy to be accounted for.

29. A system as in claim 15, wherein said dispenser further comprises display means for presenting at least some of the transferred data in a human perceptible format.

30. A system as in claim 15, wherein said dispenser further comprises a printer for printing at least some of the transferred data.

31. A method for retrieving data from a computer, comprising the steps of:

coupling a vehicle to a dispenser of a consumable vehicle energy source;

transferring a data request message from the vehicle to a computer via the dispenser and a data communications network that is bidirectionally coupled to the dispenser and to the computer, the data request message comprising a portion for requesting that specified data be retrieved; and

in response to a receipt of the data request message, accessing a file with the computer to retrieve the specified data and transmitting the retrieved data from the computer to the data communications network.

32. A method as in claim 31, wherein the specified data is comprised of vehicle navigation system data.

33. A method as in claim 31, wherein the data request message includes a further portion for specifying an account number for enabling the computer to account for transmitting the specified data.

34. A method as in claim 31, and further comprising steps of:

inputting to the vehicle the transmitted data from the data communications network via the dispenser;

storing the inputted data within a memory; and

presenting, in the vehicle, at least some of the stored data in a human perceptible format.

35. A method as in claim 33, and further comprising a step of further storing at least some of the stored data onto a removable data storage medium.

36. A method as in claim 33, wherein the inputted data is comprised of a plurality of groups of related data, and wherein the step of presenting presents a selected group of related data.

37. A method as in claim 35, wherein the step of presenting is comprised of an initial step of presenting a list of identifiers, individual ones of which are associated with one of the plurality of groups of related data, and a step of employing a user input means for selecting one of the identifiers from the displayed list of identifiers for selecting the group of related data to be presented.

38. A method as in claim 31, and further comprising steps of:

inputting to the dispenser the transmitted data from the data communications network; and

presenting, with the dispenser, at least some of the inputted data in a human perceptible format.

39. A method as in claim 31, wherein the dispenser is comprised of a dispenser of fuel.

40. A method as in claim 31, wherein the dispenser is comprised of a dispenser of electrical current.