Providing communications between a vehicle control device and a user device via a head unit

• US 9,558,598 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Telematics Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Telematics Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Doughty, John, Berkobin, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/839,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20150371459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.5, 455/556.1, 726/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A vehicle head unit may receive a request, from a user device and by the head unit, to establish communication with a control device of a vehicle. The control device may be in communication with the head unit via a vehicle communication network associated with the vehicle. The head unit may establish communication between the user device and the control device based on the received request. The head unit may forward a message between the user device and the control device based on the established communication. The message may be forwarded between the user device and the control device via the head unit.

Claims

1. A head unit, comprising:

one or more processors to;

establish communication with one or more control devices of a vehicle,

the one or more control devices being in communication with the head unit via a vehicle communication network associated with the vehicle;

establish, based on the communication established between the head unit and the one or more control devices, communication between a user device and the one or more control devices,

the communication between the user device and the one or more control devices being established independent of a wired on-board diagnostic port; and

forward a message from the user device to the one or more control devices,

the message being based on information received by the user device from a telematics monitoring device.

2. The head unit of claim 1,

where the one or more processors are further to:

establish communication with the user device via a wireless interface; and

establish communication with the one or more control devices via the vehicle communication network,

the communication with the one or more control devices via the vehicle communication network being established using a wired connection;

receive the message from the user device via the wireless interface; and

where the one or more processors, when forwarding the message from the user device to the one or more control devices, are to;

forward the message to the one or more control devices via the vehicle communication network.

3. The head unit of claim 1,

where the one or more processors are further to:

receive configuration information,

the configuration information identifying a message format associated with the vehicle communication network, and

the vehicle communication network being a network over which messages are to be transmitted to the one or more control devices; and

where the one or more processors, when establishing communication between the user device and the one or more control devices, are to;

establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices based on the received configuration information.

4. The head unit of claim 1,

where the one or more processors are further to:

receive information associated with configuring the head unit to establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices; and

where the one or more processors, when establishing communication between the user device and the one or more control devices, are to;

establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices based on receiving the information associated with configuring the head unit.

5. The head unit of claim 1,

where the one or more processors are further to:

receive connection information, from the user device, indicating that communication is to be established between the user device and the one or more control devices when the user device is detected in proximity to the head unit;

store the connection information indicating that communication is to be established; and

detect that the user device is in proximity to the head unit; and

where the one or more processors, when establishing communication between the user device and the one or more control devices, are to;

establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices based on the stored connection information and further based on detecting that the user device is in proximity to the head unit.

6. The head unit of claim 1, where the information received by the user device from the telematics monitoring device includes at least one of control device update information or configuration information.

7. The head unit of claim 1, where the message forwarded from the user device to the one or more control devices adjusts or configures the one or more control devices.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

transmit, via a short range wireless connection, a request to establish communication between a user device, which the instructions are running on, and a head unit associated with a vehicle,

the vehicle including one or more control devices and being associated with a vehicle communication network that connects the one or more control devices and the head unit;

establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices via the head unit based on the request,

the communication between the user device and the one or more control devices being established independent of a wired on-board diagnostic port; and

forward a message from the user device via the head unit to the one or more control devices,

the message being based on information received by the user device from a telematics monitoring device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive one or more parameter response messages, based on one or more parameter request messages, from the one or more control devices via the head unit with the user device and via the short range wireless connection;

perform an evaluation of the one or more parameter response messages; and

determine at least one of a driver score, a risk factor, or an insurance rating factor based on the evaluation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor over a long range wireless communication network to a server,

the server being to determine a value associated with an insurance policy based on the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor over a long range wireless communication network to a server,

the server being to operate an auction for bidding on providing an insurance policy based on the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit a transmission control message to the one or more control devices based on at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive user input selecting one or more driving performance parameters that may affect an insurance score that represents a level of risk or a price of an insurance policy.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8,

where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the user device is within a wireless communication range of the head unit of the vehicle; and

establish communication between the user device and the one or more control devices based on determining that the user device is within the wireless communication range of the head unit.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the information received by the user device from the telematics monitoring device includes at least one of control device update information or configuration information.

16. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a user device, a request to a head unit of a vehicle to establish communication between the user device and one or more control devices associated with a vehicle communication network of the vehicle,

the communication being established without using a wired on-board diagnostic port; and

forwarding, by the user device and based on establishing the communication, a message from the user device via the head unit to the one or more control devices,

the message based on information received by the user device from a telematics monitoring device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a request message from the user device to the head unit using the established communication,

the request message including one or more requests for data corresponding to one or more vehicle performance parameters; and

receiving, by the user device, a response message transmitted from the head unit in response to the request message,

the response message including data corresponding to the one or more vehicle performance parameters including data for use in performing an evaluation to determine at least one of a driver score, a risk factor, or an insurance rating factor based on the evaluation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor over a long range wireless communication network to a server,

the server being to determine a value associated with an insurance policy based on the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor over a long range wireless communication network to a server,

the server being to operate an auction for bidding on providing an insurance policy based on the at least one of the driver score, the risk factor, or the insurance rating factor.

20. The method of claim 16, where the information received by the user device from the telematics monitoring device includes at least one of control device update information or configuration information.