Method and system for conference calling with vehicle occupant

• US 8,320,893 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Suurmeyer, Andrea K., Adams, Mary Ann, Chrumka, Edward P., George, Reni, Williams, Bradley O.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/864,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.2, 455/416, 455/466, 455/404.1, 455/575.9, 455/425, 455/417, 455/420, 455/410, 340/425.5, 340/988, 340/442, 342/357.14, 379/45, 379/406.01, 379/142.17, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/553 Data upload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

The disclosed system and method provide a mechanism for facilitating a conference call between a telematics subscriber and third parties through a call center. In one aspect, vehicle data may be uploaded data from the telematics unit while maintaining the conference call. The uploaded data may contain GPS location of the vehicle to assist a requester in locating and assisting the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a conference call with a vehicle occupant in a telematics unit equipped vehicle, the method comprised of:

receiving a communication at a call center from a requester over a phone line including a request to speak with the vehicle occupant;

validating the request to speak with the vehicle occupant;

initiating a call from the call center to the vehicle occupant via a communication over a wireless network to the telematics unit;

creating a multi-party conference call via a switch at the call center, the conference call including the telematics unit, the call center, and the requester; and

, during the conference call uploading to the call center non-voice data contained within the telematics unit,

wherein initiating a call from the call center to the vehicle occupant via a communication over a wireless network to the telematics unit further comprises determining that the vehicle occupant is willing to communicate with the requester.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the uploaded non-voice data into a database associated with the call center.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising terminating the conference call.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein terminating the conference call further comprises determining that the conference call is to be terminated in a normal fashion.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein terminating the conference call further comprises determining to release from the conference call.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is selected from the group consisting of wireless wide area networks, wireless metropolitan area networks, wireless local area networks, cDMA2000, Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), GSM, \VIM, and WiMAX networks.

7. A system for conference calling with a vehicle occupant in a telematics unit equipped vehicle, the system comprising:

a multi-channel switch adapted to process at least three voice channels and one or more data channels, wherein the at least three voice channels include a first voice channel corresponding to the vehicle occupant, a second voice channel corresponding to the call center customer service representative, and a third voice channel corresponding to a third party;

a database for storing data uploaded from the telematics unit over the data channel; and

a wireless network for linking the telematics unit with at least one voice channel of the switch and at least one data channel of the switch,

wherein the telematics unit further comprises a conference call software application residing within a memory of the telematics unit.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the telematics unit further comprises a network access device to allow the telematics unit to communicate over the wireless network and a central processing unit implementing a conference call application.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the telematics unit further comprises a GPS system that identifies the geographical location of the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the telematics unit further comprises a cellular device for communicating across the wireless network.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network is selected from the group consisting of wireless wide area networks, wireless metropolitan area networks, wireless local area networks, CDMA2000, Evolution Data Optimized (ENDO), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), GSM, WiFi, and WiMAX networks.

12. A method for facilitating a conference call with a vehicle occupant in a telematics unit equipped vehicle, the method comprised of:

receiving a communication at a call center from the telematics unit indicating a need for assistance at, the vehicle;

initiating a call from the call center to tile vehicle occupant via a communication over a wireless network to the telematics unit;

initiating a call from the call center to a third party;

creating a multi-party conference call via a switch at the call center, the conference call including the telematics unit, the call center, and the third party; and

during the conference call uploading to the call center non-voice data contained within the telematics unit,

wherein receiving a communication at the call center from the telematics indicating a need for assistance comprises receiving an automated communication from the telematics unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the automated communication from the telematics unit comprises a collision detection notification.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the third party comprises emergency response personnel.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving a communication at the call center from the telematics unit indicating a need for assistance comprises receiving a user-initiated communication from the telematics unit.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising transferring the uploaded non-voice data from the call center to the third party.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless network is selected from the group consisting of wireless wide area networks, wireless metropolitan area, networks, wireless local area networks, CDMA2000, Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), GSM, Win, and WiMAX networks.