Plug-and-play interactive vehicle interior component architecture

• US 9,622,159 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rankin, II, James Stewart, Buttolo, Pietro, Tokish, Stephen Ronald, Salter, Stuart C., Strumolo, Gary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US14/842,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 455434, 455418- 42, 455435, 4554141, 4555692, 4555759, 455 95, 455 96, 455 99, 455344, 455345
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A system may include a wireless transceiver configured to scan for advertised services; and a processor programmed to receive a service identifier of a service from the wireless transceiver, verify a name included in the service identifier indicates that the service identifier is an in-vehicle component, and decode, from the service identifier, a relative location within the vehicle, a zone controlled by the in-vehicle component, and a category of functionality of the in-vehicle component. A method may include enumerating characteristics of a service of an in-vehicle component describing configurable functions of the in-vehicle component; retrieving a control state of the in-vehicle component using a read characteristic of the service; generating a user interface of the in-vehicle component indicating the configurable functions and the control state; and updating the control state of the in-vehicle component using a write characteristic of the service responsive to user input to the user interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to scan for advertised services; and

a processor programmed to

receive a service identifier of a service from the wireless transceiver,

verify a name included in the service identifier indicates that the service identifier is an in-vehicle component, and

decode, from the service identifier, a relative location within a vehicle, a zone controlled by the in-vehicle component, and a category of functionality of the in-vehicle component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to decode, from the service identifier, a protocol identifier indicative of a protocol by which the processor receives a functionality definition of the in-vehicle component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to add the in-vehicle component to a listing of verified in-vehicle components scanned to be within a vehicle cabin.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine that the service identifier was previously detected by the wireless transceiver and includes an updated counter; and

invoke a user interface for control of the in-vehicle component when the zone controlled by the in-vehicle component and a zone associated with the processor are a match.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

enumerate characteristics of the service of the in-vehicle component describing configurable functions of the in-vehicle component; and

generate a user interface for control of the in-vehicle component listing the configurable functions based on the characteristics.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

retrieve a control state of the in-vehicle component using a read characteristic of the service;

receive an indication of a user interaction with the user interface for control of the in-vehicle component; and

update the control state of the in-vehicle component using a write characteristic of the service.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

retrieve a control state of the in-vehicle component using a read characteristic of the service responsive to receipt of an indication of a user interaction with the in-vehicle component; and

update the user interface for control of the in-vehicle component listing the configurable functions based on the control state.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

enumerating characteristics of a service of an in-vehicle component describing configurable functions of the in-vehicle component;

retrieving a control state of the in-vehicle component using a read characteristic of the service;

generating a user interface of the in-vehicle component indicating the configurable functions and the control state; and

updating the control state of the in-vehicle component using a write characteristic of the service responsive to user input to the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by a personal device, that a service identifier of the service is previously detected by the personal device and includes an updated counter; and

invoking the user interface on the personal device when a zone controlled by the in-vehicle component and a zone associated with the personal device are a match.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a service identifier of the service;

verifying a name included in the service identifier indicates that the service identifier is an in-vehicle component; and

decoding, from the service identifier, at least two of a location of the in-vehicle component, a zone controlled by the in-vehicle component, and a category of functionality of the in-vehicle component.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising decoding a protocol identifier indicative of a protocol by which the in-vehicle component provides a functionality definition of the in-vehicle component.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising adding the in-vehicle component to a listing of verified in-vehicle components scanned to be within a vehicle cabin when the name included in the service identifier indicates that the service identifier is an in-vehicle component.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the read characteristic of the service is associated with a first predefined name common to in-vehicle components, and the write characteristic of the service is associated with a second predefined name common to in-vehicle components.

14. A system comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a user interface element; and

a processor programmed to

broadcast, using the wireless transceiver, a service identifier indicating presence of an in-vehicle component as well as functionality of the in-vehicle component; and

update a counter value included in the service identifier responsive to identification of an update to a control state of the in-vehicle component determined according to user input to the user interface element.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface element is a control of a vehicle cabin light, and the control state of the in-vehicle component indicates whether the vehicle cabin light is on or off.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface element is a control of a vehicle cabin speaker, and the control state of the in-vehicle component indicates a volume level of the vehicle cabin speaker.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the service identifier indicates a vehicle cabin zone controlled by the in-vehicle component.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a personal device programmed to:

determine that the service identifier was previously detected by the wireless transceiver and includes the update to the counter value; and

invoke a user interface for control of the in-vehicle component when the zone controlled by the in-vehicle component and a zone associated with the processor are a match.