Method and system for providing user-selected telematic services

• US 7,406,321 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Beiermeister, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US10/400,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20040190693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.13, 340/995.19, 455/345, 455/414.3, 455/456.3, 705/26
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for providing user-selected telematics services in a mobile vehicle. The method includes accessing a menu of available telematics services and selecting a desired telematics service. The method also includes determining a telematics service fee based on the user selected service and paying the user selected telematics service fee via remote resource. The method further includes receiving the selected telematics service.

Claims

1. A method for providing user-selected telematics services in a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

initiating a service request by depressing an onboard call center request button or by speaking the request, whereby an onboard voice response unit (VRU) is alerted that a service request sequence is initiated;

playing, from the VRU in response to the alert, a preprogrammed audible script presenting a menu of available telematics services;

selecting a desired telematics service;

sending a request to an onboard control gate, in operative communication with the VRU, to retrieve, from the onboard control gate, vehicle-specific information and a fixed dollar amount for the selected telematics service;

automatically transmitting, from the control gate to a call center, the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, and a request for the selected telematics service;

determining a telematics service fee based on the user selected telematics service;

paying the user selected telematics service fee via a remote resource; and

providing from the call center to the mobile vehicle, after recognition of the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, the selected telematics service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the desired telematics service comprises responding to at least one voice response unit prompt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the telematics service fee comprises retrieving a predetermined fee amount from a database located onboard the mobile vehicle or at a call center, the fee amount corresponding to the user selected telematics service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein paying the service fee comprises transmitting user billing information to a payment processing source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein paying the telematics service fee comprises:

retrieving a vehicle identification number from the mobile vehicle; and

transmitting the vehicle identification number and the telematics service fee to a payment processing source,

wherein the vehicle identification number is linked to user billing information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-specific information includes a vehicle identification number (VIN), global positioning system (GPS) data, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, substantially simultaneous with the automatic transmitting, the control gate transmits the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount to an external payment processing source.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the database is located onboard the mobile vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the vehicle-specific information is a vehicle identification number, and wherein the method further comprises associating the vehicle identification number with billing information for a specific credit card of the user.

14. The method of claim 5 wherein the user billing information is associated with a specific credit card of the user.

6. A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable program instructions when executed by a processor for providing user-selected telematics services in a mobile vehicle, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer readable program code for initiating a service request in response to depression of an onboard call center request button or verbalization of the request, whereby an onboard voice response unit (VRU) is alerted that a service request sequence is initiated;

computer readable program code for playing, from the VRU in response to the alert, a preprogrammed audible script presenting a menu of available telematics services;

computer readable program code for selecting a desired telematics service;

computer readable program code for sending a request to an onboard control gate, in operative communication with the VRU, to retrieve, from the onboard control gate, vehicle-specific information and a fixed dollar amount for the selected telematics service;

computer readable program code for automatically transmitting, from the control gate to a call center, the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, and a request for the selected telematics service;

computer readable program code for determining a telematics service fee based on the user selected service;

computer readable program code for paying the user selected telematics service fee via a remote resource; and

computer readable program code for providing from the call center to the mobile vehicle, after recognition of the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, the selected telematics service.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

computer readable program code for retrieving a vehicle identification number from the mobile vehicle; and

computer readable program code for transmitting the vehicle identification number and the telematics service fee to a payment processing source,

wherein the vehicle identification number is linked to user billing information.

8. A system for providing user-selected telematics services in a mobile vehicle, the system comprising:

means for initiating a service request, whereby an onboard voice response unit (VRU) is alerted that a service request sequence is initiated;

means for playing, from the VRU in response to the alert, a preprogrammed audible script presenting a menu of available telematics services;

means for selecting a desired telematics service;

means for sending a request to an onboard control gate, in operative communication with the VRU, to retrieve, from the onboard control gate, vehicle-specific information and a fixed dollar amount for the selected telematics service;

means for automatically transmitting, from the control gate to a call center, the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, and a request for the selected telematics service;

means for determining a telematics service fee based on the user selected service;

means for paying the user selected telematics service fee via a remote resource; and

means for providing from the call center to the mobile vehicle, after recognition of the vehicle-specific information and the fixed dollar amount, the selected telematics service.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for retrieving a vehicle identification number from the mobile vehicle; and

means for transmitting the vehicle identification number and the telematics service fee to a payment processing source;

wherein the vehicle identification number is linked to user-specific billing information.