Methods and apparatus for providing user-selectable preset options and associated data for a vehicle onboard computer system

• US 9,300,417 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Fan, Yue, Lyons, John C., Huntzicker, Fred W.
• Primary Examiner(s): FILE, ERIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/147,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/119 Icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/00 Arrangements specially adapted for receiving broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

A method for providing display information for preset options using a vehicle onboard computer system is provided. The method replaces a default screen display with a selection screen display for a designated period of time, wherein the selection screen display comprises a plurality of user-selectable preset options; and displays associated broadcast information at each of the plurality of user-selectable preset options.

Claims

1. A method for providing display information for preset options using a vehicle onboard computer system, the method comprising:

replacing a default screen display with a selection screen display for a designated period of time, wherein the selection screen display comprises a plurality of user-selectable preset options, wherein the selection screen display is configured to fill a capacity of a user interface of the vehicle onboard computer system with the plurality of user-selectable preset options, and wherein the plurality of user-selectable preset options comprises at least one of a radio broadcast, a podcast, or streaming media;

receiving a data stream associated with one of the plurality of user-selectable preset options, the data stream comprising a broadcast presentation and detail associated with the broadcast presentation;

extracting the detail from the data stream;

uploading the detail to a remote server;

downloading, from the remote server, broadcast information associated with each of a remainder of the plurality of user-selectable preset options;

displaying the detail at the one of the plurality of user-selectable preset options; and

displaying the broadcast information at each of the remainder of the plurality of user-selectable preset options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated broadcast information comprises title information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated broadcast information comprises time-elapsed status information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering the plurality of user-selectable preset options such that the plurality of user-selectable preset options fill the selection screen display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before performing the replacing step, displaying the default screen display with a subset of the plurality of user-selectable preset options; and

displaying associated broadcast information at each of the subset of the plurality of user-selectable preset options on the default screen display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the subset of the plurality of preset buttons comprises a user-configured number of the plurality of preset buttons.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a radio broadcast comprising digitally encoded data, wherein the radio broadcast is associated with the one of the plurality of user-selectable preset options, wherein the data stream comprises the radio broadcast;

wherein extracting the detail from the data stream comprises extracting the broadcast information from the digitally encoded data.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

connecting to a server using a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the server comprises a database of broadcast information, and wherein the detail comprises the broadcast information; and

uploading, to the server, the extracted broadcast information for the radio broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a radio broadcast comprising analog data, wherein the radio broadcast is associated with the one of the plurality of user-selectable preset options, wherein the data stream comprises the radio broadcast;

wherein extracting the detail from the data stream comprises extracting the broadcast information from the analog data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

connecting to a server using a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the server comprises a database of broadcast information, and wherein the detail comprises the broadcast information; and

uploading, to the server, the extracted broadcast information for the radio broadcast.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting to a server using a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the server comprises a database of broadcast information, and wherein the detail comprises the broadcast information; and

retrieving, from the server, the associated broadcast information for the one of the plurality of user-selectable preset options.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input via user interaction with the default screen; and

performing the replacing step in response to the received user input.

13. A system for displaying information for preset options using a vehicle onboard computer system, the system comprising:

a wireless communication module, configured to receive a plurality of broadcasts, wherein one of the plurality of broadcasts comprises a broadcast presentation and data associated with the broadcast presentation;

a display module, configured to generate;

a preset option screen display, comprising a set of preset options and broadcast detail associated with each of the set of preset options, wherein the set of preset options comprises at least one of a radio broadcast, a podcast, or streaming media, wherein the preset option screen display is configured to fill a capacity of a user interface of the vehicle onboard computer system, and wherein the one of the plurality of broadcasts is associated with one of the set of preset options; and

a default screen display, comprising a subset of the set of preset options and broadcast detail associated with each of the subset, wherein the broadcast detail comprises the data associated with the broadcast presentation;

a user interface, configured to present the default screen display and, when instructed via user input, to present the preset option screen display for a designated period of time; and

a preset labeling module, configured to;

extract the data from the one of the plurality of broadcasts;

upload the data to a remote server;

download, from the remote server, broadcast detail associated with each of a remainder of the set of preset options;

display the data at the one of the set of preset options; and

display the broadcast detail at each of the remainder of the set of preset options.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the broadcast detail comprises a title for each of the set of preset options.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the broadcast detail comprises a time-progression status of an associated one of the plurality of broadcasts.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

a subset of the plurality of broadcasts comprises analog data received from a plurality of tuners; and

the analog data is received using an onboard vehicle telematics module.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, wherein, when executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform a method for providing broadcast information for preset options, the method comprising:

receiving a streaming broadcast comprising digitally encoded data, the streaming broadcast corresponding to a designated user-selectable preset option of a set of user-selectable preset options;

extracting data associated with the streaming broadcast from the digitally encoded data;

uploading the data to a remote server;

downloading, from the remote sever, broadcast information associated with each of a remainder of the set of user-selectable preset options;

in response to a predefined user input signal,

presenting, for a designated period of time, a display comprising the set of user-selectable preset options and associated data for each respective user-selectable preset option, wherein the associated data comprises the data and the broadcast information, wherein the display is configured to fill a capacity of a user interface of a vehicle onboard computer system with the user-selectable preset options, and wherein the user-selectable preset options comprise at least one of a radio broadcast, a podcast, or streaming media.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the associated data comprises:

title data for the streaming broadcast;

time-elapsed data for the streaming broadcast; and

title data for an upcoming second streaming broadcast associated with the designated user-selectable preset option.

19. A method for providing a selection screen display using a vehicle onboard computer system, the method comprising:

replacing a default screen display with a selection screen display for a designated period of time, wherein the selection screen display comprises a plurality of user-selectable preset options, and wherein the plurality of user-selectable preset options comprises one or more radio broadcasts, podcasts, or streaming media; and

rendering the plurality of user-selectable preset options such that the plurality of user-selectable preset options fill the selection screen display.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

before performing the replacing step, displaying the default screen display with a subset of the plurality of user-selectable preset options.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the subset of the plurality of preset buttons comprises a user-configured number of the plurality of preset buttons.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a user input via user interaction with the default screen; and

performing the replacing step in response to the received user input.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the user-selectable preset options is associated with a stored phone number for selection when accessing calling capabilities of the vehicle onboard computer system.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the user-selectable preset options is associated with a navigation destination for selection when accessing navigation capabilities of the vehicle onboard computer system.