Establishing wireless networking between a vehicle and dealership using GPS location information

• US 8,326,522 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Harkenrider, Linda Y., Mathieson, Kier M., Lambert, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Rodney P
• Application Number:
  US12/060,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/213, 701/300
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

A method and apparatus which enables a vehicle to establish a wireless network connection to a dealership. Upon the vehicle discovering a dealership wireless node, the vehicle obtains dealership GPS coordinates and compares them to the vehicle'"'"'s own GPS data to determine whether the vehicle is on the dealership'"'"'s premises. If so, a WiFi connection is established. If not, the wireless node is ignored.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a wireless network connection between a dealership and a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

wirelessly detecting at a vehicle telematics unit a dealership wireless node located on a dealership'"'"'s premises;

obtaining location data for determining the perimeter of the dealership'"'"'s premises in response to the wireless detection of the dealership wireless node;

determining the vehicle location using a GPS receiver that provides location information to the telematics unit;

determining if the vehicle is on the dealership'"'"'s premises by comparing the vehicle'"'"'s location with the obtained location data; and

, in response to determining that the vehicle is on the dealership'"'"'s premises,

connecting the telematics unit to the dealership wireless node and transmitting data between the vehicle and dealership.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises establishing a data connection between the dealership wireless node and telematics unit and then obtaining the dealership location data from the dealership over the data connection using a first protocol;

and

wherein the connecting step further comprises connecting the telematics unit to the dealership wireless node using a second protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second protocol is a WiFi protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the connecting step further comprises carrying out an authentication process between the dealership wireless node and vehicle telematics unit and then transmitting data between the vehicle and dealership.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first protocol is XMPP.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining GPS coordinates of the dealership.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the vehicle is on the dealership'"'"'s premises further comprises determining a perimeter of the dealership premises from the location data and determining if the vehicle location is within the perimeter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dealership location data is stored in memory on the vehicle and the obtaining step further comprises obtaining the dealership location data from the memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a visual display within the vehicle for providing messages to an occupant of the vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises the step of providing an initial dealership connection message on the visual display once the vehicle is determined to be on the dealership'"'"'s premises and once the connection between the telematics unit and wireless node is established.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining the dealership location data prior to establishment of a WiFi connection with the dealership wireless node.

11. Vehicle electronics for establishing a wireless network connection between a dealership and a vehicle, comprising:

a telematics unit; and

a GPS receiver that supplies vehicle location data to the telematics unit;

wherein the telematics unit detects an available dealership wireless node in the vicinity of the vehicle, wirelessly receives dealership location data from the dealership wireless node to determine the perimeter of the dealership'"'"'s premises in response to the wireless detection of the dealership wireless node, compares the dealership location data to the vehicle location data, and establishes a WiFi connection between the vehicle and dealership based on the comparison.

12. Vehicle electronics as defined in claim 11, wherein the telematics unit obtains the dealership location data prior to establishing the WiFi connection.

13. Vehicle electronics as defined in claim 12, wherein the telematics unit obtains the dealership location data from the wireless node using a first protocol and then establishes the WiFi connection using a second protocol.

14. Vehicle electronics as defined in claim 11, wherein the telematics unit detects the available dealership wireless node using a discovery process and wherein the telematics unit obtains the dealership location data using information received from the wireless node during the discovery process.