Vehicle-related messaging methods and systems

• US 9,401,087 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Tengler, Steven C., Frye, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARAMOLA, ISRAEL O
• Application Number:
  US14/278,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 307/10.7, 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Vehicle-related messaging methods and systems are disclosed herein. In one of the methods, a telematics unit disposed in a vehicle detects that the vehicle is no longer in operation. Upon making the detection, the telematics unit automatically transmits a message to a device, where the message includes a suggestion, a recommendation, an indication, or a notification pertaining to a vehicle utility. An application resident on the device, or on a cloud computing system in communication with the device, presents the message on the device by displaying i) the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification and ii) a plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification.

Claims

1. A vehicle-related messaging method, comprising:

by a telematics unit operatively disposed in a vehicle, detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation;

by a processor of the telematics unit;

receiving a then-current position of a vehicle system responsible for performing a vehicle function that is associated with at least a first position and a second position;

comparing the then-current position of the vehicle system with a standard position for the vehicle system when the vehicle is no longer in operation, wherein the standard position is user-defined and user selectable; and

determining that the then-current position of the vehicle system does not correspond with the standard position;

by the telematics unit, automatically transmitting a message to a device, the message including a suggestion, a recommendation, an indication, or a notification pertaining to the then-current position of the vehicle system; and

by an application resident on the device or on a cloud computing system in communication with the device, presenting the message on the device, the presenting including displaying i) the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification and ii) a plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, wherein the application is executable by a processor of the device or by a processor of the cloud computing system, and the application includes computer readable code, embedded on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, for performing the presenting;

wherein upon detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation, the method further comprises;

obtaining then-current geographic location data from an in-vehicle location detection unit;

utilizing the then-current geographic location data to determine a then-current location of the vehicle;

formulating an other message that includes the then-current location of the vehicle; and

posting the other message, by the telematics unit, on an online networking page.

2. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 1 wherein the detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation is accomplished by detecting any of:

a vehicle ignition has been switched to an OFF state and a vehicle transmission system has been switched into park mode;

a short range wireless connection has ended;

an in-vehicle camera image has indicated a lack of persons inside the vehicle;

a seat weight has changed to a null state;

a seat belt sensor has indicated that a seat belt locking mechanism has been released;

or combinations thereof.

3. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to transmitting the message to the device, the method further comprises one of:

via the processor of the telematics unit, formulating the message;

or

upon receiving a note from the telematics unit including i) an indication that the vehicle is no longer in operation and ii) an indication that the then-current position of the vehicle system does not correspond with the standard position, formulating the message, by a processor of the cloud computing system.

4. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 3 wherein the plurality of actionable items is chosen from:

i) a first actionable item that, when selected, performs the suggestion, the recommendation, an action associated with the indication, or an action associated with the notification, ii) a second actionable item that, when selected, ignores the suggestion, the recommendation, the action associated with the indication, or the action associated with the notification, iii) a third actionable item that, when selected, performs an alternative proposition to the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, and iv) combinations of i), ii), and iii).

5. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by one of the processor of the telematics unit or the processor of the cloud computing system, a user-selected setting; and

generating, by the processor of the telematics unit or the processor of the cloud computing system, a rule based on the user-selected setting for transmitting the message or for configuring the message.

6. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to automatically transmitting the message to the device, the method further comprises:

determining a then-current location of the vehicle; and

by the processor operatively associated with the telematics unit, formulating the message based on the then-current position of the vehicle system and the then-current location of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 6, further comprising formulating the message based on a weather condition associated with the then-current location of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation, the method further comprises establishing a connection between the telematics unit and a communications unit at a facility.

9. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 8, further comprising by the processor of the telematics unit, determining where to transmit the message, and wherein the transmitting of the message includes transmitting the message to i) a user-owned mobile communications device, ii) a facility-owned device, or iii) both i) and ii).

10. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle system is a door locking system, and wherein the standard position is a door lock position;

or

the vehicle system is a window opening/closing system, and wherein the standard position is a window closed position.

11. A vehicle-related messaging method, comprising:

by a telematics unit operatively disposed in a vehicle, detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation;

by a processor operatively associated with the telematics unit;

receiving a then-current position of a vehicle system responsible for performing a vehicle function that is associated with at least a first position and a second position;

comparing the then-current position of the vehicle system with a standard position for the vehicle system when the vehicle is no longer in operation, wherein the standard position is user-defined and user selectable; and

determining that the then-current position of the vehicle system does not correspond with the standard position;

by the processor, formulating a text message including i) a suggestion, a recommendation, an indication, or a notification pertaining to the then-current position of the vehicle system, and ii) a plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, wherein the processor executes computer readable code for performing the formulating, and wherein the computer readable code is embedded on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium;

by the telematics unit, automatically transmitting the text message to a mobile communication device; and

presenting the text message on the mobile communications device;

wherein the text message is a short message service (SMS) message or a multi-message service (MMS) message;

wherein upon detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation, the method further comprises;

obtaining then-current geographic location data from an in-vehicle location detection unit;

utilizing the then-current geographic location data to determine a then-current location of the vehicle;

formulating an other message that includes the then-current location of the vehicle; and

posting the other message, by the telematics unit, on an online networking page.

12. The vehicle-related messaging method as defined in claim 11 wherein upon presenting the text message on the mobile communications device, the method further comprises:

transmitting a reply to the text message to a server, the reply including a selection of one of the plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification;

recognizing the reply at the server; and

transmitting an instruction from the server to the telematics unit, the instruction corresponding to the selection of one of the plurality of actionable items included in the reply.

13. A vehicle-related messaging system, comprising:

a vehicle;

a vehicle system operatively disposed in the vehicle, the vehicle system responsible for performing a vehicle function that is associated with at least a first position and a second position;

a telematics unit operatively disposed in the vehicle, the telematics unit including an electronic memory for storing a user-defined and user selectable standard position for the vehicle system when the vehicle is no longer in operation, and a processor executing computer readable code, embedded on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, for;

receiving a user-selected setting;

generating a rule based on the user-selected setting for transmitting a message or for configuring the message;

detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation;

receiving a then-current position of the vehicle system;

comparing the then-current position of the vehicle system with the user-defined standard position; and

determining that the then-current position of the vehicle system does not correspond with the user-defined and user selectable standard position;

a mobile communications device in selective and operative communication with the telematics unit via a short range wireless connection, the mobile communications device to receive the message from the telematics unit upon detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation, the message including i) a suggestion, a recommendation, an indication, or a notification pertaining to the then-current position of the vehicle system and ii) a plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification;

a user interface associated with the mobile communications device and usable to submit a reply to the message received from the telematics unit, the reply including a selection of one of the actionable items included in the message;

a geographic location detection unit to determine a then-current geographic location of the vehicle; and

an online networking page upon which an other message is to be posted by the telematics unit, the other message including the then-current geographic location of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle-related messaging system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a processor operatively associated with the mobile communications device; and

an application resident on the mobile communications device and executable by the processor, the application including computer readable code, embedded on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium for displaying i) the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification and ii) the plurality of actionable items associated with the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification.

15. The vehicle-related messaging system as defined in claim 13 wherein the message is a text message selected from a short message service (SMS) message and a multi-message service (MMS) message, and wherein the user interface is operatively connected to a display to present the text message on the mobile communications device.

16. The vehicle-related messaging system as defined in claim 13, further comprising at least one of a vehicle sensor, an in-vehicle camera, or a short range wireless communications unit to perform the detecting that the vehicle is no longer in operation.

17. The vehicle-related messaging system as defined in claim 13 wherein the at least one actionable item is chosen from:

i) a first actionable item that, when selected, performs the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, ii) a second actionable item that, when selected, ignores the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, iii) a third actionable item that, when selected, performs an alternative proposition to the suggestion, the recommendation, the indication, or the notification, and iv) combinations of i), ii), and iii).

18. The vehicle-related messaging system as defined in claim 13, further comprising a webpage accessible by a user of the vehicle, the webpage being usable to update settings pertaining to how the message is to be formulated, when the message is to be formulated, and combinations thereof.