Method and apparatus for setting programmable features of a motor
Contents
1. 12 transferring data representative of the selected automobile sound system function to an automobile sound system remote from the user s computer 2 The method of claim 1 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile sound system function comprises transferring the data to a transfer device and then transferring the data from the transfer device to the automobile sound system 3 The method of claim 1 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile sound system function comprises transferring the data from the server to the automobile sound system 4 The method of claim 3 wherein the data is transferred from the server to the automobile sound system via tele phonic communications 5 The method of claim 1 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile sound system function comprises transferring the data from the user s computer directly to the automobile sound system 6 A method of controlling an automobile heating venti lating and air conditioning HVAC system comprising providing a server on a global computer network with a graphical user interface tailored to an automobile HVAC system and the programmable features thereof accessing the server with a user s computer and operating the graphical user interface to program a selected automobile HVAC system function transferring data representative of the selected automobile HVAC system function to an automobi2. 455 457 Blouin et al Takahashi et al Kikinis Shiff et al Gabai et al Nemirofsky et al Nemirofsky Berry et al Godau et al Seidensticker et al Raffray et al Miller et al Ivie et al Chambers Elmers Holo et al Rifkin et al Nemirofsky et al Brittenham et al Nemirofsky Nemirofsky Obradovich et al Walker et al Woytowitz et al Miller et al Bennett Obradovich et al 6 157 982 A 12 2000 Deo et al 6 161 133 A 12 2000 Kikinis 6 175 782 Bl 1 2001 Obradovich et al 6 198 996 B1 3 2001 Berstis 701 36 6 205 374 BI 3 2001 Kljima et al 6 230 084 BI 5 2001 Kljima et al 6 233 506 Bl 5 2001 Obradovich et al 6 256 378 Bl 7 2001 Iggulden et al 6 281 820 BI 8 2001 Fields 6 282 475 BI 8 2001 Washington 6 330 497 B1 12 2001 Obradovich et al 6 351 813 B1 2 2002 Mooney et al 713 185 6 385 542 Bl 5 2002 Millington 6 415 023 B2 7 2002 Iggulden 6 430 488 BI 8 2002 Goldman et al 701 36 6 438 465 B2 8 2002 Obradovich et al 6 449 535 BI 9 2002 Obradovich et al 6 483 906 B1 11 2002 Iggulden et al 6 505 243 Bl 1 2003 Lortz 6 577 928 B2 6 2003 Obradovich et al 6 663 010 B2 12 2003 Chene et al 6 704 401 B2 3 2004 Piepho et al 6 751 452 BI 6 2004 Kupezyk et al 6 754 485 BI 6 2004 Obradovich et al 6 775 603 B2 8 2004 Yester et al 701 36 7 289 611 B2 10 2007 Iggulden et al 379 102 03 2001 0043686 Al 11 2001 Iggulden et al 2002 0035429 AI 3 200
3. the dash to turn on the seat warmer for five minutes every 30 minutes after the car is shut off Circuit monitors battery current and shuts down seat warmers when appropriate Temperature Individual user preferences are easily set up and trans ferred using multiple transfer devices keys fobs Select Alfresco mode and system automatically boosts A C or heating output as needed when convertible top is lowered Different settings for the front passenger seat can be selected depending on whether or not the seat is occu pied Humidity Select desired relative humidity with slider control or RESET to factory defaults Navigation Address Entry Enter addresses using computer keyboard or by dragging and dropping from Web site or address book While driving a designated cockpit button can be pressed to store the current location which can then be uploaded to the home computer and Web site Address Library Enter or select a new or saved address on the home computer elect to have this loaded as the destination address when car starts Trip Planning Book hotel rooms through third party Web site by clicking on a map for the final destination and on intermediate stops if appropriate Select points of interest within a selected range along the route Purchase tickets or passes or make reservations for events or movies or restaurants Receive notification when its getting close to time to refill the tank at an upcoming pre
4. the graphical user interface would be specified by the motor vehicle manufacturer and would be constrained by the hardware and software specifications of the particular vehicle US 7 379 541 B2 11 FIG 4 illustrates a portion of a graphical user interface that may be employed with the present invention to set programmable features of a motor vehicle s climate control system Use of the present invention facilitates customized driver controls and displays For example touch screen LCD or similar display panels are now used in many automobiles Using a graphical user interface a driver can design a customized set of controls for operating features of interest to that driver One driver may wish to have certain radio selections readily available whereas another driver may wish to have available a selection of destinations for the navigation system These preferences are communicated via the transfer device as described above Controls that are customized in this manner are not limited to touch screen selections By the same process driver defined functions may be assigned to buttons dials and other mechanical controls as well to create individualized function keys Likewise displays available to the driver may also be customized FIG 5 illustrates a portion of a graphical user interface for creating a customized control display panel The top portion ofthe interface provides a menu of controls and displays that may be dragged and dr
5. the system record it time shift radio Play back with the ability to pause rewind FF skip preserve seg ments etc US 7 379 541 B2 5 CD Changer Driver places CDs for use in car into CD drive of home computer Application program reads the CDs and creates a play list that is transferred to car Specify favorite songs to play in a desired order or at random Play sources at random alternating or predetermined way with preferred radio stations and or programs and or MP3 tunes MP3 Tunes Use transfer device to move MP3 files to the car Create play list as above All audio sources can be programmed to play in an almost infinite way based on time day of the week or pro grammed function button Sound amp Source Management Mix and match radio CDs MP3s by time of day ran domly etc Set audio level for radio CD and or MP3 player to be used when car is started Set a default source Select whether play continues with the same source at the same volume when car is started in the morning or switches to a different predetermined source at a dif ferent volume e g system automatically defaults to AM traffic source if it s between 7 00 and 8 00 AM Optimize sound for driver or for cabin Set equalization manually or for a specific genre of music i e whenever radio is on jazz station system defaults to driver s jazz EQ RESET to factory defaults Reminders Driver may type in any man
6. 008 Sheet 4 of 5 US 7 379 541 B2 Temperature Humidity Seat warmer Comfort index Automatically select this temperature when this driver starts the car Automatically select this humidity when this driver starts the car Temperature when seat warmer is enabled How agressive the AUTO climate control responds to adjust temperature and humidity Driver L John CEI aF Coo Warm LE Dry Humid UL m 199F Warm Hot LINE 1M Gentle Agressive General Climate Settings Auto fan speed Initialfemp Tailor fan speed when climate control is in O mode Automatically heat or coo cars interior at preset time of day Temperature is maintained for 30 minutes unless car is started Feature is disabled if car is occupied or hood is open 4 Softer Horder C Disable feature Morning Time 6 00 AM M Week day only Temp a 172 F Cool Warm Evening Time 5 30 PM lY Week day only Temp C TN FF Cool Warm FIG 4 US 7 379 541 B2 Sheet 5 of 5 May 27 2008 U S Patent Audio controls Elements OEE T0044 EELEE E A Controls A Ei a V V o z o T a E zi 8g lt i als o e Radio text Equalizer FIG 5 US 7 379 541 B2 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING PROGRAMMABLE FEATURES OF A MOTOR VEHICLE RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation of application U S Ser No 10 757 087 filed Jan 13 2004
7. 2 Banas 2002 0097851 Al 7 2002 Daum et al 2002 0196158 A1 12 2002 Lee 2003 0152088 Al 8 2003 Kominami et al 370 401 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 100 64 937 A1 7 2002 DE 101 31 395 1 A 1 2003 EP 0 754 940 A1 1 1997 EP 0803808 4 1997 WO WO 97 18636 5 1997 WO WO 97 30375 8 1997 WO WO 98 38570 9 1998 WO WO 00 43870 7 2000 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Batista Method and Apparatus for programming a device WO 98 38570 Sep 1998 Steinberg et al Method and Apparatus for Configuring a Camera WO 97 30375 Aug 1997 NBX Corporation Product Solutions NBX NetSet Application Notes NBX NetSett Administration Utility website printout Dec 14 1998 BMW Technology Guide Car key memory BMW AG Munich Germany Personalized Customer Service in Focus the Interview on Con nected Service Hans J rgen Kiening Wolfgang Kasser and Andreas Binderberger BMW Group Press 2002 pp 2 15 Microsoft Corporation Setting Up Your Microsoft Cordless Phone is Easy website printout Dec 15 1998 cited by examiner U S Patent May 27 2008 Sheet 1 of 5 US 7 379 541 B2 Local Computer kn e e 2 u 16 17 ao FIG 4 10 U S Patent May 27 2008 Sheet 2 of 5 US 7 379 541 B2 Site Server 5 a E o e 9 FIG 2 10 U S Patent May 27 2008 Sheet 3 of 5 US 7 379 541 B2 Interior Climate Navigation Phase Effects Touchscreen Station presets Weather int
8. 47 5 553 123 5 570 297 5 592 188 5 594 493 5 600 711 5 636 994 5 652 602 5 726 645 5 732 074 5 734 363 5 745 068 5 746 602 5 748 895 5 752 880 5 761 601 5 767 896 5 774 063 5 781 125 5 801 664 5 805 443 5 808 374 5 815 086 5 819 294 5 850 304 5 852 615 5 873 765 5 880 769 5 905 486 5 907 350 5 953 047 6 009 355 6 049 778 6 088 621 6 104 101 6 112 127 6 131 060 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS p gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt a gt gt gt ee a gt gt gt 6 1973 11 1976 7 1977 5 1982 10 1984 3 1988 2 1989 10 1990 3 1991 10 1992 7 1993 7 1993 12 1993 5 1994 7 1994 9 1994 4 1995 5 1995 1 1996 5 1996 6 1996 7 1996 9 1996 10 1996 1 1997 1 1997 2 1997 6 1997 7 1997 3 1998 3 1998 3 1998 4 1998 5 1998 5 1998 5 1998 6 1998 6 1998 6 1998 7 1998 9 1998 9 1998 9 1998 9 1998 10 1998 12 1998 12 1998 2 1999 3 1999 5 1999 5 1999 9 1999 12 1999 4 2000 7 2000 8 2000 8 2000 10 2000 Baer et al Baer Balanca et al Monteath et al Ikuta et al Schaefer et al Broughton et al Marian Uemura et al Shaw Darbee Mohrbacher et al Diefendorff et al Cocklin et al Tanaka et al Audebert et al Goldstein Levine Jacobs et al Friedes et al Hill et al Jacobs et al Chan et al Brzezinski et al Doherty et al Nemirofsky Yuen Tong Fishman et al Kamon et al Spaur et al
9. 93 17 379 93 25 102 05 See application file for complete search history 56 References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 3 407 301 A 10 1968 Kovanic Continued FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 197 50 372 A1 5 1999 Continued OTHER PUBLICATIONS Shear D Going Global in the Real World Putting an Embedded System on the Internet EDN Electrical Design News US Cahners Publishing Co Newton Massachusetts vol 42 No 19 Sep 12 1997 pp 37 46 Continued Primary Examiner Stella L Woo 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Blakely Sokoloff Taylor amp Zafman LLP 57 ABSTRACT An interactive interface facilitates the setting of preferences and other programmable parameters of a motor vehicle The interface is hosted by a server on a global computer network The motor vehicle owner initiates a connection to the server and is presented with a graphical user interface for setting the preferences and features of the motor vehicle Once the desired settings have been made they are transferred to the motor vehicle using a portable transfer device which may comprise a key for operating the motor vehicle 10 Claims 5 Drawing Sheets Site Server local Computer US 7 379 541 B2 Page 2 3 737 566 3 993 861 4 034 362 4 329 684 4 477 874 4 731 769 4 807 031 4 962 522 4 999 617 5 153 568 5 228 077 5 231 488 5 268 995 5 309 509 5 333 054 5 347 110 5 410 326 5 414 756 5 488 571 5 521 966 5 528 740 5 535 1
10. a2 United States Patent Iggulden et al US007379541B2 US 7 379 541 B2 May 27 2008 10 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING PROGRAMMABLE FEATURES OF A MOTOR VEHICLE 75 Inventors Jerry Iggulden Los Angeles CA US Kyle Fields El Dorado Hills CA US Arthur St Antoine Los Angeles CA US 73 Assignee Pointset Corporation Los Angeles CA US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 5 days This patent is subject to a terminal dis claimer 21 Appl No 10 938 689 22 Filed Sep 10 2004 65 Prior Publication Data US 2005 0031100 A1 Feb 10 2005 Related U S Application Data 63 Continuation of application No 10 757 087 filed on Jan 13 2004 now Pat No 7 289 611 which is a continuation in part of application No 10 155 531 filed on May 24 2002 now Pat No 6 882 712 which is a continuation in part of application No 09 415 299 filed on Oct 8 1999 now Pat No 6 483 906 which is a continuation in part of application No 09 351 270 filed on Jul 12 1999 now Pat No 6 256 378 which is a continuation in part of appli cation No 09 235 709 filed on Jan 22 1999 now Pat No 6 415 023 51 Int CI HO4M 11 00 2006 01 50 9 DES ER 379 102 03 379 102 05 10 58 Field of Classification Search 379 102 03 379 102 01 102 02 90 01 110 01
11. data has been received and analyzed Nearest Dealerships Access list with maps of closest dealers etc Customer Relations Subscribe to newsletter Subscribe to other periodic news about vehicle and or related interests Request notification about new model introductions Elect to receive periodic questionnaires relating to satis faction etc Request results of surveys about quality customer satis faction etc Request notification about special offers and events Shop Driving Accessories Order custom car mats spill proof coffee mugs first aid kits CD carriers seat covers car covers etc Logo Wear Order jackets shirts luggage gloves sunglasses hats golf bags etc Performance Accessories Order optional wheels gold trim kits trailer hitches aero body kits roof racks bicycle carriers audio visual equipment etc Events Order tickets to manufacturer sponsored races motor shows sporting events social gatherings etc FIG 3 illustrates a portion of a graphical user interface that may be employed with the present invention to set programmable features of a motor vehicle s entertainment system The interface utilizes pull down menus data entry windows buttons sliders etc which are readily imple mented by persons proficient in website design The pro grammable features shown in FIG 3 are merely illustrative of those that can be implemented The particular features that are made available on
12. eceives data directly from an interactive site server FIG 3 illustrates a graphical user interface for setting programmable features of a vehicle entertainment system FIG 4 illustrates a graphical user interface for setting programmable features of a vehicle climate control system FIG 5 illustrates a graphical user interface for customiz ing a vehicle control display panel DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the following description for purposes of explanation and not limitation specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention However it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details In other instances detailed descriptions of well known methods and devices are omitted so as to not obscure the description ofthe present invention with unnecessary detail A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG 1 A motor vehicle receives set up data from a local com puter 12 via a transfer device 16 In a typical application local computer 12 is a general purpose personal computer of the type now widely found in homes and offices Details of computer 12 are not particularly relevant to the invention and are not shown Typically computer 12 will comprise at a minimum a processing unit a keyboard and a display Additional input devices such as a mouse or other point
13. errupt Traffic interrupt Standby EBS Scan pause Radio Settings Set your station presets Search for stations in your orea RESET Om Ait OR Zp coe B 1 es Stations found 2 3 4 5 107 9 LKOLT Automatically change channels fv yes to receive weather alert messages Automatically change channels v Yes to receive traffic alert messages Always monitor for emergency vl broadcast messages EBS and le automatically turn on radio when found How long to pause when a 1 sec station is found when scanning Short Long General Audio Settings Speed volume control Volume on phone Startup options RESET Automatically adjusts audio CEL volume based on vehicle speed Softer Louder Automatically change to this C Disable feature audio volume when phone rings or when using the phone C 110 Softer Louder Automatically set audio volume Disable feature when starting car ofter sitting Bad for more than 4 hours D m_i Low High Automatically select audio U Disable feature source when starting car after sitting for more than 4 hours OM n1 O n2 O CD 102030405 Label CDs Uses CDNOW database to Use CDNOW label your car CDs and songs Move MP3 files io cor MP3 Settings Move MPS fies from yr C C computer to the car FIG 3 U S Patent Personal Climate Settings Interior Navigation Phose Effects Touchscreen May 27 2
14. ferred gas station s Route Planning Select addresses from address library and obtain most efficient route plan given the time of day distances and known traflic conditions Mobile Phone Phone Book Selected numbers and addresses from computer phone book are available to the phone and Navigation system Voice Dialing Activate voice dialing on selected phone numbers from phone book Phone Voice Commands Select key words that will activate voice dialing functions call end mute switch Personalization Horn Effects Select synthesized horn sounds from a list Select horn response mode e g pushing the horn switch and holding it in sounds the warning horn sound as normal one quick tap sounds a different horn sound friendly light is green horn two quick taps sounds a brief personalized tune e g driver s signature I m home tune Interior Lighting Effects Select the color and intensity of dial dash backlighting US 7 379 541 B2 7 Selected preferred cabin atmosphere when door is opened dim cabin lighting full on bright others Link lights to doors e g opening only driver s door turns on only left front map light when rear doors are opened rear lights also activate Sound Effects Select the sound the turn indicator makes Select a sound if the gas cap is not on or seated Select a sound when motorized seats are being adjusted Personalized seat belt warning Select an a
15. formance 30 Suspension Control Adjust the ride of computerized suspension from sport to luxury or anywhere in between Engine Control Select within a range between economy and performance Transmission Control Within factory set ranges determine shift aggressiveness e g allow max rpm shifts or always shift as early as possible for best economy Steering Adjust the feel of steering from stiffer to lighter using an infinitely variable slider Winter Click box to optimize car for poor weather e g trans mission starts in second gear max traction control m intervention ABS fires at minimum lock detection etc Tuning Sport Mode 50 Set up one button high performance profile e g low economy max power max transmission aggressive ness stiffest shocks Turbo Boost Within factory range adjust turbo pressure to favor 55 economy sport mode or point in between Handling Select spring shock rates select steering ratio select traction control response etc Emergency Information Contacts In case of emergency or accident list numbers to contact to speak to hands free or with a pre entered voice synthesized call In event of airbag deployment selected contact name and number to flash on LCD to assist rescue personnel in case of driver incapacitation 65 US 7 379 541 B2 9 Other Notifications Transmit vital information to insurance company Emergency Aid One button summons list and numbers for
16. ing device and output devices such as a printer may also be included as part of computer 12 Local computer 12 is coupled to a remote interactive site server 14 by a telecommunications link In a typical embodi ment of the invention interactive site server 14 would be accessible via the World Wide Web Other appropriate means for connecting computer 12 to server 14 could also be employed Server 14 contains programming for interactively setting the programmable features of motor vehicle 10 US 7 379 541 B2 3 Preferably server 14 presents to the owner of motor vehicle 10 via computer 12 a graphical user interface that is tailored to motor vehicle 10 and the programmable features thereof Transfer device 16 receives the programming data from local computer 12 by a wired or wireless connection to computer 12 A wired connection may comprise a serial bus configured in accordance with any of the appropriate indus try standards such as for example universal serial bus USB FireWire etc Wireless connections may comprise optical audio magnetic inductive infrared or radio fre quency coupling One wireless communication protocol suitable for use with the present invention is the Bluetooth protocol which is now becoming widely installed in home computer systems Another wireless communication proto col that may be employed with the present invention for transferring data from local computer 12 to transfer device 16
17. is the video data transfer protocol described in co pending application Ser No 10 155 531 and its predecessor applications Transfer device 16 also communicates with motor vehicle 10 by means of a wired or wireless connection with a suitable protocol such as any of those mentioned above Communications between local computer 12 and transfer device 16 and between the transfer device and motor vehicle 10 may be either one way namely from the home computer to the transfer device and then to the vehicle or two way However significant advantages are realized when utilizing two way communication Two way communication allows synchronization of the motor vehicle with a virtual motor vehicle maintained at the site server 14 Many of the features and settings of the motor vehicle can be controlled directly by the driver while in the motor vehicle By peri odically returning transfer device 16 to computer 12 and reestablishing a connection with server 14 the virtual motor vehicle can be updated with any changes in the settings of the real motor vehicle Another advantage of two way communications is that it may be used to facilitate remote troubleshooting of the motor vehicle Data from the motor vehicle may be trans ferred to computer 12 and from there to the motor vehicle manufacturer dealer or other support facility via an Internet or email connection Analysis of the data can then be used to issue appropriate repair orders In s
18. le HVAC system remote from the user s computer 7 The method of claim 6 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile HVAC system function comprises transferring the data to a transfer device and then transferring the data from the transfer device to the automobile HVAC system 8 The method of claim 6 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile HVAC system function comprises transferring the data from the server to the automobile HVAC system 9 The method of claim 8 wherein the data is transferred from the server to the automobile HVAC system via tele phonic communications 10 The method of claim 6 wherein transferring data representative of the selected automobile HVAC system function comprises transferring the data from the user s computer directly to the automobile HVAC system
19. lert sound when driving above a preset speed Select keys in ignition reminder tone Visual Effects Add a photo or image to the LCD Screensaver for LCD when vehicle is in Park Voice Commands Select any number of short voice commands to accom plish listed specific in cabin tasks Open sunroof Open my window High beams etc In Vehicle Interface Systems amp Controls Customize the function of function buttons to control selected functions of any system in the car In cars with touch screen LCDs select from among the components of the systems to be displayed and or controlled from the LCD Buttons Program any button in the cabin to do just about anything Vehicle Safety Window amp Sunroof Control i ls 35 Set each window so the occupant of the adjoining seat can only lower the window to a selected level Lock window controls at selected seats Set a button in the cockpit to lower a preset amount close all or selected windows and open close the sunroof Set the sunroof to partially open when the inside tem perature exceeds a predetermined temperature Also have the fan come on at the desired speed for selectable intervals Seatbelts Disable engine start if all or selected seats with passengers don t have seat belts fastened Speed Governor Sound a selected warning sound when the car exceeds a specified speed Make the warning louder the higher above the preset speed the car goes Limit the ma
20. n commands are not consistently understood espe cially in a typically noisy vehicle environment 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 There remains a need for a system and method of inter facing with the myriad of controllable features in a modern automobile without distracting the driver when actually operating the automobile SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides methods and apparatus for setting preferences and other parameters of a motor vehicle In certain embodiments of the invention a user initiates a connection to an interactive site on a global computer network The site hosts a graphical user interface with which preferences and other parameters of a motor vehicle may be set by the user In some embodiments set up data for the motor vehicle may be transferred directly to the motor vehicle from the interactive site In other embodiments set up data for the motor vehicle are transferred from the user s computer to a transfer device where it is temporarily stored The transfer device which may comprise a key for operating the motor vehicle is then used to program the features of the motor vehicle BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the invention wherein a motor vehicle receives data from a local computer via a transfer device FIG 2 is a functional block diagram of another embodi ment of the invention wherein a motor vehicle r
21. nearest hospi tals police fire pharmacy etc based on GPS loca 5 tion plus preset list of needed phone numbers friends family doctor school etc Information amp Service 10 Trip Logs Daily Mileage Logs Record and display distances traveled Record routes traveled Record and display fuel consumed B Calculate a cost per mile of operation including tire wear gas mileage lease and insurance cost etc Selectively clear various logs Set additional or alternative criteria for measuring vari ous parameters of daily use 20 Trip Mileage Logs On trips of a preset duration in hours days miles or upon pushing a start trip function button record distances between stops total trip mileage average speed gas mileage for the entire trip or trip segments etc 29 Cumulative Data Record all possible or selected data from a master reset done at the dealer upon delivery of the car Guest Logs Record trip information route points speeds time from 30 selected start to stop points Service amp Diagnostics Last Service At what mileage 35 On what day and time At what dealer At what cost What was done Next Service 40 Anticipated date based on how the car is being driven etc What will be serviced at the next service What bugs in the car need to be fixed What will it cost How much time should it take 45 Request email within predetermined period before the service should be done as a reminder Request phone con
22. ner of reminders or notes to be read back by voice synthesis at the push of a button at any set time or interval Reminders can be played back in the car or from the home computer Climate Control Filter Automatic or manual Recirculate air or don t or mix in a selectable ratio Fan Set preferred default setting for fan speed using slider from MIN to MAX On MIN setting fan blows gently even if a large cabin temperature change 1s required On MAX setting fan blows at full speed until desired cabin temp is achieved Slider allows for any speed in between Comfort Index Select relative weights of IR sensor outside and inside temps to optimize comfort for the driver it can be cool outside but the IR detector sees lots of IR so it thinks it s summer and the air conditioner comes on Include humidity in the relative comfort index as below Timed Temperature Preset High and low temperature thresholds can be set and the car can automatically bring cabin temperature to within a selected comfort level at a designated time of day For example the system may be programmed to start 5 minutes before a regularly scheduled departure time As a safety precaution the system may automatically shut down after running ten minutes without user intervention Seat Warmer Program the seat warmer to activate at a designated time of day or as soon as car is unlocked 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 60 65 6 Program a button on
23. now U S Pat No 7 289 611 which is a continuation in part of application Ser No 10 155 531 filed May 24 2002 now U S Pat No 6 882 712 which is a continuation in part of application Ser No 09 415 299 filed Oct 8 1999 now U S Pat No 6 483 906 which is a continuation in part of application Ser No 09 351 270 filed Jul 12 1999 now U S Pat No 6 256 378 which is a continuation in part of application Ser No 09 235 709 filed Jan 22 1999 now U S Pat No 6 415 023 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to the field of motor vehicles More particularly the invention provides a method and apparatus for conveniently setting various program mable features of a motor vehicle using a graphical user interface accessed with a computer 2 Prior Art Motor vehicles and automobiles in particular have grown increasingly complex A modern automobile may contain as many as fifty microprocessors controlling a wide variety of operational and convenience features While much of the processing power is devoted to functions that are transparent to the driver the number of driver selectable features and options has increased tremendously For example automobiles may include driver controls for seat ing position seat temperature cabin temperature cabin ventilation cabin illumination dash illumination audio entertainment navigation suspension compliance and trans missi
24. ome cases repairs may be effectuated by downloading corrective software or firm ware in the same manner that feature set up is accomplished As illustrated in FIG 1 transfer device 16 may be configured as a device with a USB or other serial bus connection 17 and an internal flash memory or other suitable non volatile memory device Such a transfer device is easily portable and may be conveniently carried on a key chain Transfer device 16 may be simply plugged into a cooperat ing serial port on local computer 12 In this regard most home computers are now equipped with easily accessible USB ports Motor vehicle 10 may also have a cooperating serial port on the dash or console Operation of motor vehicle 10 may be enabled with a conventional key Alter natively however transfer device 16 may itself function as a key to enable operation of the motor vehicle In either case it 1s preferred that each driver of the motor vehicle have his or her own transfer device so that the vehicle will be automatically configured to that driver s preferences when ever the driver inserts the transfer device into the receiving port Transfer device 16 may be configured in numerous other ways For example a recordable compact disk CD or digital video disk DVD could be employed as a transfer 0 jai 5 20 40 45 55 65 4 device In this case set up data would be written onto the CD or DVD at local computer 12 and the disk wo
25. on shift mode to name only a few Providing driver control of all of these functions has led to a proliferation of knobs buttons switches and other controls in many auto mobiles The increased number of driver controls is not without its drawbacks Typically drivers must refer to increasingly voluminous owner s manuals to understand the various controls available and learn how to operate them Naturally different drivers have different preferences and this can result in a lengthy process of changing settings each time a different driver enters the vehicle Furthermore the increased complexity of driver controls is a distraction to the driver and negatively affects traffic safety Efforts have been made to simplify the driver vehicle interface One such effort is the iDrive system introduced by BMW This system employs a video display and a driver operated joystick to replace many of the individual controls The system is reported to control more than seven hundred functions While the system succeeds in eliminating much of the dashboard clutter it results in as much if not more driver distraction than with conventional controls Another effort to simplify the driver vehicle interface and one that is employed in conjunction with BMW s iDrive system is voice recognition The vehicle is programmed to learn and respond to certain spoken commands However voice recognition technology is still in its infancy and spoke
26. opped onto a graphic representation of the vehicle s control display panel in the bottom portion of the interface In this manner a user may construct a hierarchy of control display panels for various systems of the vehicle and or driving situations A home panel may be configured with controls and displays that are most used by the driver Subsidiary panels accessible from the home panel may be created in whatever configurations the driver desires Selections available to the driver when creating customized panels may include background colors and or patterns The panel may be programmed with wallpaper and screensavers much as computer displays are custom ized by their users It will be recognized that the above described invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure Thus it is understood that the invention is not to be limited by the foregoing illustrative details but rather is to be defined by the appended claims What 1s claimed is 1 A method of controlling an automobile sound system comprising providing a server on a global computer network with a graphical user interface tailored to an automobile sound system and the programmable features thereof accessing the server with a user s computer and operating the graphical user interface to program a selected automobile sound system function 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
27. phonic or other suitable communication connec tion with motor vehicle 10 The graphical user interface with which a user sets the functions and preferences of the motor vehicle may be highly sophisticated The options that may be provided are virtually limitless The following lists some of the functions that could be implemented using the present invention Many of these allow a driver to personalize his or her car much as cell phones are personalized with distinctive cases ring tones greeting messages etc Interior Entertainment Radio Driver enters ZIP code and finds all local radio stations Driver may select by station frequency ID genre jazz pop talk etc or signal strength and assign to presets on dash or on touch display Optionally set up to scan among chosen stations until the one desired is tuned Say OK and the radio will stay on the currently tuned station Choose the scan delay time 3 sec 5 sec etc Select option to seek out the same genre of station driver was listening to in a new area whenever signal strength falls below a preset level Specify favorite stations and or programs and the audio system will switch at the designated day time e g on weekdays NPR in the morning until 9 00 classical radio station until 2 00 sports station until 5 00 news weather and traffic until 6 30 Choose different sched ule line up for weekends If not in the car when favorite radio program starts have
28. tact from nearest or selected dealer to set an appointment Request dealer assistance in getting the car to service and so back Diagnostics Send diagnostic codes to manufacturer and dealer Receive software and firmware based fixes Firmware amp Software Updates 55 Receive periodic updates to operating systems that enable new functionality Interactive User s Manual Virtual Test Drive 60 Animate various controls on the home computer screen Learn amp Setup Interactively learn the various options and settings avail able in the car Automatic Tutor 65 Based on data collected from vehicle user is prompted to learn about controls systems that have not yet been set 10 e g You have not yet set up your Address Book Would you like assistance Weather and Driving Conditions Forecast Obtain weather forecast for travel area Road Conditions Obtain reports of road conditions accidents clogged traffic roadwork being conducted etc Safety Kit Obtain list of suggested bring along items based on weather forecast and planned travel route snow chains ice scraper sunscreen full tank few filling stations on the way etc Contact Vehicle Manufacturer FAQ Access a searchable database of FAQs Help Access a searchable help database Email the service center with specific questions and issues Vehicle specific Information Send vehicle data to manufacturer Receive feedback and or contact information after
29. uld then be loaded into a suitable drive in the motor vehicle Such an approach is more suitable for one way communication than two way communication It is also possible to configure a system in which motor vehicle 10 receives set up data directly from local computer 12 without a transfer device This can be accomplished by establishing a telephonic connection with the motor vehicle In this regard motor vehicles are increasingly being equipped with built in telecommunications capabilities for implementing a variety of so called telematic functions The communication path might also involve a combination of wired and wireless protocols For example local com puter 12 may have a wireless link to an in home transceiver which is connected to a remote transceiver in the motor vehicle s garage or other parking area by a wired connec tion The wired connection may comprise a data communi cation bus or a communication signal may be carried as a modulation on the household wiring The garage transceiver then communicates with the motor vehicle using a wireless protocol FIG 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the inven tion In this case set up data for motor vehicle 10 is received directly from server 14 rather than through local computer 12 From the motor vehicle owner s perspective the pref erence setting interface is otherwise identical to the previ ously described embodiments Site server 14 may establish a direct tele
30. ximum speed of the car Limit the maximum rate of acceleration Vehicle Tracking Using GPS or mobile phone create a log of where the car has been when and for how long Also track how hard the car was driven Set up real time tracking of the vehicle Accident Set some or all of interior lights to flash and the horn to sound Enable transmission of GPS coordinates Security Door Locks Determine if and at what speed all or selected doors lock 8 Set certain doors to unlock only after one or both of the front doors have been opened for a selected period of time Enable lock doors voice command 5 Window Control see Safety above Enable voice command for windows up Panic Alert Function button or voice command that locks all doors 10 rolls up windows flashes lights sounds an emergency siren Enable panic button to call one or more predetermined phone numbers and deliver and repeat a voice synthe sized message when the call is answered 15 Add vehicle location to the message Door Access Disable opening one or more doors from the outside unless one or more specific doors are opened from the inside 20 Lighting Select how long and which of the external and internal lights go on after unlock all doors closed engine start vehicle speed Alarms 25 Program security codes Select functions for key fob panic button e g flash lights activate I need help synthesized voice horn Per
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search