Method and apparatus to dynamically configure a vehicle audio system

• US 8,953,816 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MicroPairing Technologies LLC (Micropairing Technologies Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eagle Harbor Holdings, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Preston, Dan Alan, Lutter, Robert Pierce
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Application Number:
  US13/196,654
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 701/1, 701/24, 701 331- 339, 701/36, 340/3.1, 340/3.2, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A vehicle audio system senses the availability of a wireless audio device in or near a vehicle, and uses logic circuitry to identify a device-specific record from among many records available in a memory. The identified record contains data codes from the available wireless audio device and from a software application running on the device. Upon identifying the data code record, the system downloads a copy of an alternate software application selected from the memory and configures the alternate software application to process data from the wireless audio device. The system provides a user the option to play sound from the vehicle speakers or play sound from the wireless audio device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle audio system having a wired audio source, a display, multiple speakers and a logic circuit configured to:

sense the availability of a wireless audio device that is located within or proximate to the vehicle;

identify a wireless audio device record from among a plurality of different wireless audio device records previously identified and stored in memory, wherein the wireless device record includes previously identified data codes from the wireless audio device and from a first software application running on the wireless audio device;

responsive to identifying the data codes and first software application running on the wireless audio device from the stored record, download a copy of a second software application selected from the memory and process data from the wireless audio device with the second software application;

provide a user with an option to direct sound from the wireless audio device through at least a first one of the speakers of the vehicle audio system or back to a speaker in the wireless audio device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless audio device couples to the vehicle audio system via Bluetooth.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising indicating availability of the wireless audio device on the display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein indicating the availability of a wireless audio device on the display includes showing an iconic representation of the wireless audio device or its type.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a speaker of the vehicle speaker system includes a speaker or speakers of a wireless headset operable with the vehicle audio system.

6. A method of operating an audio system in a vehicle comprising:

multiple processors networked together into a multi-processor system, the multi-processor system configured to;

operate a wireless transceiver;

monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor network and moved into the vehicle, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data;

sense the availability of a wireless audio device that is located within or proximate to the vehicle;

wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system;

identify the wireless audio device record from among a plurality of different wireless audio device records previously identified and stored in memory, wherein the wireless device record includes previously identified data codes from the wireless audio device and from a first software application running on the wireless audio device;

responsive to identifying the data codes and first software application running on the wireless audio device from the stored record, download a copy of a second software application selected from the memory and process data from the wireless audio device with the second software application;

provide a user with an option to play sound from the wireless audio device through at least a first one of the speakers of the vehicle audio system or from a speaker in the wireless audio device.

7. The method of claim 6 where the speaker is a wireless speaker in a wireless headset.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the speaker is a speaker in a wireless audio device.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the speaker is a speaker coupled to a wireless audio device.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the wireless audio device is a cellular phone.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the wireless audio device has an integrated display.

12. The method of claim 11 including displaying a portion of content from the integrated display on the wireless audio device on a display in the vehicle audio system.

13. The method of claim 6 including receiving at the vehicular audio system MP3 encoded audio.

14. The method of claim 6 including operating the audio system to decode the MP3 encoded audio.

15. The method of claim 6 including playing the decoded MP3 audio over a speaker included in the audio system.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the audio system wirelessly receives the MP3 encoded audio.

17. A vehicle audio system, comprising:

a wired audio source;

a speaker;

a display;

a wireless transceiver configured to sense the availability of a wireless audio device that is located within or proximate to the vehicle; and

logic circuitry configured to;

identify the wireless audio device record from among a plurality of different wireless audio device records previously identified and stored in memory, wherein the wireless device record includes previously identified data codes from the wireless audio device and from a first software application running on the wireless audio device;

responsive to identifying the data codes and first software application running on the wireless audio device from the stored record, download a copy of a second software application selected from the memory and process data from the wireless audio device with the second software application;

wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to sense the availability of an additional wireless audio device that is located within or proximate to the vehicle; and

logic circuitry further configured to;

identify the additional wireless audio device record from among a plurality of different wireless audio device records previously identified and stored in memory, wherein the additional wireless device record includes previously identified data codes from the additional wireless audio device and from a third software application running on the additional wireless audio device;

responsive to identifying the data codes and third software application running on the additional wireless audio device from the stored record, download a copy of a forth software application selected from the memory and process data from the additional wireless audio device with the forth software application.

18. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the third and fourth applications are different than the first and second applications.

19. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the third and fourth applications are the same as the first and second applications.

20. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the first wireless audio device is a cellular phone and wherein the additional wireless audio device is a music source.

21. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the first wireless audio device and second wireless audio device are a cellular phone.

22. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the first wireless audio device and second wireless audio device are music devices.

23. The audio system of claim 17 wherein a user is provided with an option to play sound from the first wireless audio device or second wireless audio device through at least a first one of the speakers of the vehicle audio system or from a speaker in the wireless audio device.