Method and system for managing registration requests of telematics units

• US 7,020,545 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kamdar, Hitan S., Reeser, Brad T., Patenaude, Russell A., Enborg, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/767,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/33, 701/45, 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/426.19, 340/426.2, 340/989, 367/9.1, 367/10.1, 367/10.2, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 455/574
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for managing registration requests of a telematics unit within a telematics equipped mobile vehicle. The method includes receiving a restricted use command from a service provider, initiating a restricted use mode based on the received restricted use command, and modulating a transmission rate of at least one registration request based on the restricted use mode. The restricted use command may include a contact increment. The contact increment may include contact rate information. The contact increment may include contact initiation information. The restricted use mode may operate the telematics unit in a low-power configuration. The step of modulating the transmission rate of the registration request may include identifying a contact increment within the received restricted use command, determining contact information within the contact increment, and implementing the modulated transmission rate based on the determined contact information.

Claims

1. A method for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a restricted use command from a service provider;

initiating a restricted use mode based on the received restricted use command; and

modulating a transmission rate of at least one registration request based on the restricted use mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted use command comprises a contact increment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact increment comprises contact rate information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact increment comprises contact initiation information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact increment is one or more predetermined values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted use mode operates the telematics unit in a low-power configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating the transmission rate of the registration request comprises:

identifying a contact increment within the received restricted use command;

determining contact information within the contact increment; and

implementing the modulated transmission rate based on the determined contact information.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an updated contact increment from the service provider; and

providing updated telematics information to the service provider;

wherein receiving the updated contact increment is synchronized with a registration request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the updated telematics information is selected from the group consisting of:

vehicle location, system energy level, ignition cycles, ignition status and diagnostic trouble codes.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an emergency event; and

initiating an emergency use mode responsive to the detected emergency event.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the emergency event is selected from the group consisting of vehicle theft, airbag deployment, a predetermined reading from collision sensors and an emergency button press.

12. A computer readable medium for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle, comprising:

computer readable code for processing a received restricted use command from a service provider;

computer readable code for initiating a restricted use mode based on the received restricted use command; and

computer readable code for modulating a transmission rate of at least one registration request based on the restricted use mode.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the restricted use command comprises a contact increment.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the contact increment comprises contact rate information.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the contact increment comprises contact initiation information.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the contact increment is one or more predetermined values.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the restricted use mode operates the telematics unit in a low-power configuration.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable code for modulating the transmission rate of the registration request comprises:

computer readable code for identifying a contact increment within the received restricted use command;

computer readable code for determining contact information within the contact increment; and

computer readable code for implementing the modulated transmission rate based on the determined contact information.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

computer readable code for processing a received updated contact increment from the service provider; and

computer readable code for providing updated telematics information to the service provider;

wherein receiving the updated contact increment is synchronized with a registration request.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the updated telematics information is selected from the group consisting of:

vehicle location, system energy level, ignition cycles, ignition status and diagnostic trouble codes.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

computer readable code for detecting an emergency event; and

computer readable code for initiating an emergency use mode responsive to the detected emergency event.

22. A system for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle, the system comprising:

means for receiving a restricted use command from a service provider;

means for initiating a restricted use mode based on the received restricted use command; and

means for modulating a transmission rate of at least one registration request based on the restricted use mode.

23. A method for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a restricted use command from the call center, the restricted use command including a specified period of vehicle inactivity;

initiating a restricted use mode based on the received restricted use command;

programming the telematics unit to synchronize transmission timing to the call center of at least one registration request based on the restricted use mode;

repeating the synchronized transmission of at least one registration request at a specified rate until the specified period of vehicle inactivity terminates; and

returning the telematics unit to normal operating mode after the specified period of vehicle inactivity terminates.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the restricted use mode includes instructing the telematics unit to operate in a low-power configuration.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the synchronized transmission of at least one registration request includes information selected from the group consisting of:

vehicle location, system energy level, ignition cycles, ignition status and diagnostic trouble codes.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting the mobile vehicle has been accessed; and

initiating a mobile vehicle accessed mode responsive to the detected access to the mobile vehicle.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the origin of the specific period of vehicle inactivity is selected from the group consisting of:

end user, factory programmed, and call center.