Method and apparatus to provide vehicle information to a requestor

• US 7,640,085 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Sidlosky, David M., Zhang, Jing, Lin, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMPLE, JONATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US11/272,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/1
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 9/02 using radio transmission; using near-field transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08

Abstract

An on-board information system is provided, including a help facility, which is operable to provide information to a requester. The information comprises audio or audio-visual descriptions for operating various systems and control devices, using on-board or off-board devices. An information system is provided, comprising a requestor-initiated information inquiry device, an information storage system, and, an information communications center. The information storage system communicates information to the communications center based upon a request for information initiated by the requester to the information inquiry device. The request for information can be canceled during delivery. The system is applicable to vehicles and other systems wherein operators may have limited knowledge of functioning of all aspects of the system.

Claims

1. An information system for a vehicle, comprising:

an information inquiry device comprising an actuator key operable to control a feature of a functional area of the vehicle and an information key;

an information storage and retrieval system comprising a control device coupled to a storage media operative to store and retrieve a description of the feature of the functional area based upon a requestor input comprising activation of the actuator key and the information key; and

a communications center configured to communicate the description of the feature of the functional area of the vehicle,

wherein the description of the feature of the functional area comprises an operating instruction related to the feature of the functional area.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the storage media operative to store a plurality of descriptions of features of functional areas of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operating instruction related to the feature of the functional area comprises electronically-retrievable representations of images and audio.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronically-retrievable representations of images and audio of the information storage and retrieval system are updateable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information key is further operable to cancel an information inquiry.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage media of the information storage and retrieval system comprises an electronic memory device remote from the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications center comprises an on-board audio-visual display device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications center comprises an audio device.

9. A system to deliver information to an operator of an apparatus, comprising:

an operator-controlled actuator key operable to actuate a feature of a functional area, wherein the feature of the functional area is actuated based on an operator-controlled input to the actuator key with a first pattern of actuation;

a communications center configured to communicate a description of the feature of the functional area of the vehicle; and

an information retrieval system comprising a control device coupled to a storage media operative to retrieve the description of the feature of the functional area based upon the operator-controlled input to the actuator key with a second pattern of actuation,

wherein the description of the feature of the functional area comprises an operating instruction related to the feature of the functional area.