Vehicle telematics radio operable for providing and disabling driving directions to pre-selected destinations

• US 6,912,396 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Sziraki, David, Huang, Xiaopei
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/015,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/404.2, 455/514, 455/161.2, 455/433, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/426.2, 455/521, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/457, 701/208, 701/211, 701/210, 340/426.17
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A vehicle telematics radio operable for providing and disabling driving directions to pre-selected destinations includes a receiver, memory, a processor, and an interface. The memory stores the location of at least one pre-selected destination. The interface receives a request from a vehicle operator for the driving directions to a desired pre-selected destination. The receiver receives a position signal indicative of the current location of the vehicle. The processor determines the driving directions from the current location of the vehicle to the pre-selected destination based on the position signal and map information. The interface then provides the operator with the driving directions to the desired pre-selected destination. In special situations such as when either the vehicle or telematics radio is stolen or missing, the telematics radio may be disabled from providing driving directions in response to receiving a deactivation signal.

Claims

1. A telematics radio for providing driving directions to an operator of a vehicle, the telematics radio comprising:

a receiver operable for receiving a position signal indicative of the current location of the vehicle;

memory operable for storing the location of at least one pre-selected destination;

a processor operable with the receiver and the memory for determining driving directions from the current location of the vehicle to each pre-selected destination based on the position signal and map information; and

an interface operable for receiving a request from the operator for the driving directions to a desired pre-selected destination, the interface is further operable with the processor for providing the operator with the driving directions to the desired pre-selected destination;

wherein the interface includes at least one button and is operable with the memory for associating pre-selected destinations with respective ones of the at least one button, wherein the interface receives a request from the operator for the driving directions to a desired pre-selected destination in response to the operator pressing the button associated with the desired pre-selected destination;

wherein, in response to receiving an interface deactivation signal, the interface is disabled from providing the operator with driving directions to the pre-selected destinations such that the interface ignores requests from the operator for the driving directions to the pre-selected destinations in response to the operator pressing the buttons associated with the pre-selected destinations.

3. The telematics radio of claim 1 wherein:

the interface is further operable to be disabled from providing driving directions in response to receiving the interface deactivation signal from the receiver.

4. The telematics radio of claim 3 wherein:

the receiver is operable for wirelessly receiving the interface deactivation signal from a service provider and then providing the interface deactivation signal to the interface.

5. The telematics radio of claim 3 wherein:

the receiver is operable for wirelessly receiving the interface deactivation signal directly from an owner of the vehicle and then providing the interface deactivation signal to the interface.

6. The telematics radio of claim 1 wherein:

the interface is operable for receiving the interface deactivation signal in response to a vehicle anti-theft mechanism being triggered.

7. The telematics radio of claim 1 wherein:

the interface is operable for receiving the interface deactivation signal in response to an anti-theft mechanism of the telematics radio being automatically triggered.

2. A telematics radio for providing driving directions to an operator of a vehicle, the telematics radio comprising:

a receiver for receiving a position signal indicative of the current location of the vehicle;

memory for storing the location of a home address of an owner of the vehicle;

a processor operable with the receiver and the memory for determining driving directions from the current location of the vehicle to the home address of the vehicle owner based on the position signal and map information; and

an interface for receiving a request from an operator for the driving directions to the home address of the vehicle owner, the interface is operable with the processor for providing the operator with the driving directions to the home address of the vehicle owner;

wherein the interface includes a HOME button, wherein the interface is operable with the memory for associating the HOME button with the home address of the vehicle owner, wherein the interface receives a request from the operator for the driving directions to the home address of the vehicle owner in response to the operator pressing the HOME button;

wherein, in response to receiving an interface deactivation signal, the interface is disabled from providing the operator with driving directions to the pre-selected destinations such that the interface ignores a request for the driving directions to the home address of the vehicle owner in response to the HOME button being pressed.

8. A method for providing driving directions to an operator of a vehicle, the method comprising:

storing the location of at least one pre-selected destination;

associating the pre-selected destinations with respective buttons;

receiving a request at an interface from the operator for the driving directions to a desired pre-selected destination in response to the operator pressing the button associated with the desired pre-selected destination;

receiving a position signal indicative of the current location of the vehicle;

determining driving directions from the current location of the vehicle to the location of the desired pre-selected destination based on the position signal, the stored location of the desired pre-selected destination, and map information;

the interface providing the operator with the driving directions to the desired pre-selected destination; and

disabling the interface from providing the operator with driving directions to the pre-selected destinations in response to a deactivation signal being received at the interface such that the interface ignores requests from the operator for the driving directions to the pre-selected destinations in response to the operator pressing the buttons associated with the pre-selected destinations.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

associating the pre-selected destinations with respective buttons includes associating a HOME button with a home address of the operator.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

disabling includes disabling the interface from providing the operator with the driving directions in response to a deactivation signal being wirelessly received by the interface from a service provider.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein:

disabling includes disabling the interface from providing the operator with the driving directions in response to a deactivation signal being wirelessly received by the interface from an owner of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein:

disabling includes disabling the interface from providing the operator with the driving directions in response to the interface receiving a deactivation signal generated in response to a vehicle anti-theft mechanism being triggered.