Method and apparatus for setting programmable features of motor
Contents
1. providing a graphical user interface at the interactive site said graphical user interface graphically depicting a programmable feature of an automobile sound system establishing a connection between a user s computer and the interactive site entering data with the user s computer to set the program mable feature of the automobile sound system at the interactive site providing a portable transfer device separate from the user s computer having an input port and an output port downloading set up data for the programmable feature of the automobile sound system from the interactive site to the user s computer an 0 an 5 20 25 40 45 50 65 12 coupling the input port of the transfer device to the computer transferring the set up data from the computer to the transfer device coupling the output port of the transfer device to the automobile sound system and transferring the set up data from the transfer device to the automobile sound system 2 A method for setting a programmable feature of an automobile sound system comprising providing an interactive site on a global computer net work establishing a connection with the interactive site interactively setting a programmable feature of an auto mobile sound system at the interactive site transferring set up data for the programmable feature from the interactive site to the automobile sound sys tem setting a programmable feature of the au2. 50 55 60 65 6 Seat Warmer Program the seat warmer to activate at a designated time of day or as soon as car is unlocked Program a button on 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 ticket
3. 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 6 157 982 6 161 133 6 175 782 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A B 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 5 1997 6 1997 7 1997 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 12 2000 12 2000 1 2001 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 Zancho et al 235 380 Tong Fishman et al Kamon et al Blouin et al Takahashi et al
4. buttons sliders etc which are readily imple US 7 289 611 B2 11 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 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 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 a
5. 0 a 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 would 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 persp
6. 4 3 ii 1 0 01 5 e yore FIG 5 US 7 289 611 B2 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING PROGRAMMABLE FEATURES OF MOTOR VEHICLE RELATED APPLICATIONS This 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 c
7. Another wireless communication proto col that may be employed with the present invention for transferring data from local computer 12 to transfer device 16 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 man
8. The vehicle is programmed to learn and respond to certain spoken commands However voice recognition technology is still in its infancy and spoken commands are not consistently understood espe cially in a typically noisy vehicle environment 20 25 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 d
9. connection with the interactive site interactively setting a programmable feature of an auto mobile HVAC system at the interactive site transferring set up data for the programmable feature from the interactive site to the automobile HVAC system setting a programmable feature of the automobile HVAC system by user input to a control physically associated with the automobile HVAC system transferring the user input setting of the programmable feature from the automobile HVAC system to the interactive site
10. 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 the system record it time shift radio Play back with the ability to pause rewind FF skip preserve seg ments etc US 7 289 611 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
11. 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 et al 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 Deo et al Kikinis Obradovich et al 340 825 57 6 198 996 B1 3 2001 6 205 374 B1 3 2001 6 230 084 B1 5 2001 6 233 506 B1 5 2001 6 256 378 B1 7 2001 6 281 820 B1 8 2001 6 282 475 Bl 8 2001 6 330 497 B1 12 2001 6 351 813 B1 2 2002 6 385 542 Bl 5 2002 6 415 023 B2 7 2002 6 430 488 Bl 8 2002 6 438 465 B2 8 2002 6 449 535 Bl 9 2002 6 483 906 B1 11 2002 6 505 243 B1 1 2003 6 577 928 B2 6 2003 6 615 123 B2 9 2003 6 663 010 B2 12 2003 6 704 401 B2 3 2004 6 718 240 B1 4 2004 6 741 920 B1 5 2004 6 748 536 B1 6 2004 6 751 452 Bl 6 2004 6 754 485 Bl 6 2004 6 775 603 B2 8 2004 6 778 073 B2 8 2004 2001 0043686 Al 11 2001 2002 0035429 Al 3 2002 2002 0097851 Al 7 2002 2002 0196158 Al 12 2002 2003 0028794 A1 2 2003 2003 0152088 A1 8 2003 Berstis 701 36 Kljima et al Kljima et al Obradovich et al Iggulden et al 379 102 03 Fields Washington Obradovich et al Mooney et al 713 185 Millington Iggulden Goldman et al Obradovich et al Obradovich et al Iggulden et al Lortz Obradovich et al Morehouse Chene et al
12. Piepho et al Suda et al wc 701 36 Oto issena ass 701 49 Madau neon 713 193 Kupczyk et al Obradovich et al Yester et al 701 36 Lutter et al 340 435 Iggulden et al Banas Daum et al Lee Miller et al 713 193 Kominami et al 370 401 701 49 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 100 64 937 A1 DE 10131395 Al EP 0 754 940 A2 EP 0803808 WO WO 97 18636 WO WO 97 30375 WO WO 98 38570 WO WO 00 43870 7 2002 1 2003 1 1997 4 1997 5 1997 8 1997 9 1998 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 Microsoft Corporation Setting Up Your Microsoft Cordless Phone is Easy website printout Dec 15 1998 BMW Technology Guide Car key memory BMW AG Munich Germany no date Personalized Customer Service in Focus The Interview on Con nectedService Hans J rgen Kiening Wolfgang Kasser and Andreas Binderberger no date BMW Group Press 2002 pp 2 15 no date cited by examiner U S Patent Oct 30 2007 Sheet 1 of 5 US 7 289 611 B2 Local Computer i E o N o P 72 FIG 1 U S Patent Oct 30 2007 Sheet 2 of 5 US 7 289 611 B2 Local Compute
13. a2 United States Patent US007289611B2 10 Patent No US 7 289 611 B2 Iggulden et al 45 Date of Patent Oct 30 2007 54 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING 58 Field of Classification Search 379 102 01 PROGRAMMABLE FEATURES OF MOTOR 379 102 02 102 03 102 07 106 01 90 01 VEHICLE 379 93 17 See application file for complete search history 75 Inventors Jerry Iggulden Los Angeles CA US j Kyle Fields El Dorado Hills CA US 56 References Cited od St Antoine Los Angeles CA U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 3 407 301 A 10 1968 Kovanic 73 Assignee AUS Corporation Los Angeles Continued f FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 DE 197 50372 Al 5 1999 U S C 154 b by 0 days Continued This patent is subject to a terminal dis OTHER PUBLICATIONS laimer TRIES Shear D GoingGlobal in the Real World Putting an Embedded n System on the Internet EDN Electrical Design News US Cahners 21 Appl No 10 757 087 Publishing Co Newton Massachusetts vol 42 No 19 Sep 12 22 Filed Jan 13 2004 1997 pps 31746 Continued 65 Prior Publication Data Primary Examiner Stella Woo US 2004 0158371 Al Aug 12 2004 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Blakely Sokoloff Taylor amp Zafi LLP Related U S Application Data THU 63 Continuation in part of application No 10 155 531 57 ABSTRACT filed on May 24 2002 now P
14. abin temperature cabin ventilation cabin illumination dash illumination audio entertainment navigation suspension compliance and trans mission 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
15. able 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 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
16. at No 6 882 712 which peo is a continuation in part of application No 09 415 An interactive interface facilitates the setting of preferences 299 filed on Oct 8 1999 now Pat No 6 483 906 and other programmable parameters of a motor vehicle The which is a continuation in part of application No interface is hosted by a server on a global computer network 09 351 270 filed on Jul 12 1999 now Pat No The motor vehicle owner initiates a connection to the server 6 256 378 which is a continuation in part of appli and is presented with a graphical user interface for setting cation No 09 235 709 filed on Jan 22 1999 now the preferences and features of the motor vehicle Once the Pat No 6 415 023 desired settings have been made they are transferred to the motor vehicle using a portable transfer device which may 51 Int CI comprise a key for operating the motor vehicle H04M 11 00 2006 01 52 US Cb ittm 379 102 03 379 102 05 4 Claims 5 Drawing Sheets 14 Site Server 10 16 E 12 Local Computer US 7 289 611 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 5 535 147 5 553 123 5 570 297 5 592 188 5 594 493 5 600 711 5 633 484 5 636 994 5 652 602 5 726 645 5 734 363 5 745 068 5 746 602 5 748 895 5 752 880
17. ata 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 receives 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 10 receives set up data from a local computer 12 via a transfer device 16 In a typical applica tion local computer 12 is a general purpose personal com puter of the type now widely found in homes and offices Details of computer 12 are not particularly relevant to the invention and are not s
18. cator 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 alert 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 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 Sou
19. d songs l MP3 Settings Move MP3 files to car ee FIG 3 Move MP3 files from your computer to the car U S Patent Interior Navigation Phase Effects Touchscreen Personal Climate Settings Oct 30 2007 Sheet 4 of 5 US 7 289 611 B2 Temperature 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 Comfort How index agressive the AUTO climate control responds to adjust temperature and humidity Humidity Seat warmer Driver LJohn N cd J2F Cool Worm CBE 30x Dry Humid C a 190r Warm Hot 4 Gentle Agressive General Climate Settings RESET Tailor fan speed when climate control is in AUTO mode Automatically heat or cool car s interior at preset time of day Auto fan speed InitialTemp Temperature is maintained for 30 minutes unless car is started Feature is disabled if car is occupied or hood is open L Iml 4 Softer Harder C Disable feature Morning Time 6 00 AM Mi Week day only Tem eE 72F Cool Warm Evening Time 5 30 PM M Week day only Temp fa 72 F Cool Warm FIG 4 U S Patent Oct 30 2007 Sheet 5 of 5 US 7 289 611 B2 Equalizer Balance Radio text STATION ARTIST SONG L Displays Controls lt I INSDE 74F RPM 6
20. e whenever radio is on jazz station system defaults to driver s jazz EQ RESET to factory defaults Reminders Driver may type in any manner 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 is 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 25 30 35 40 45
21. ective the pref erence setting interface is otherwise identical to the previ ously described embodiments Site server 14 may establish a direct telephonic 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
22. escue personnel in case of driver incapacitation Other Notifications Transmit vital information to insurance company Emergency Aid One button summons list and numbers for nearest hospi tals police fire pharmacy etc based on GPS loca tion plus preset list of needed phone numbers friends family doctor school etc Information amp Service Trip Logs Daily Mileage Logs Record and display distances traveled Record routes traveled Record and display fuel consumed 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 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 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 selected start to stop points Service amp Diagnostics Last Service At what mileage On what day and time At what dealer At what cost What was done Next Service Anticipated date based on how the car is being driven etc What will be serviced at the next service What bugs in the car
23. hown 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 pointing 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 7 289 611 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
24. nd 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 maximum 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 un 20 25 35 40 45 50 55 65 Security Door Locks Determine if and at what speed all or selected doors lock 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 Window Control see Safety above Enable voice command for windows up Panic Alert Function button or voice command that locks all doors 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 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 Lighting Select how long and which of the external and internal lights go on after unlock all doors clo
25. need to be fixed What will it cost How much time should it take Request email within predetermined period before the service should be done as a reminder Request phone contact from nearest or selected dealer to set an appointment Request dealer assistance in getting the car to service and back Diagnostics Send diagnostic codes to manufacturer and dealer Receive software and firmware based fixes Firmware amp Software Updates Receive periodic updates to operating systems that enable new functionality 20 N 5 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 Interactive User s Manual Virtual Test Drive 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 Based on data collected from vehicle user is prompted to learn about controls systems that have not yet been set 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 search
26. r i o E o 7 o a FIG 2 10 U S Patent Oct 30 2007 Sheet 3 of 5 US 7 289 611 B2 Interior Station presets Weather interrupt Traffic interrupt Standby EBS Scan pause Climate Navigation Phase Effects Touchscreen Radio Settings Set your station presets Search for stations in your area RESET OM nt OFW2 Zip Code 94086 Search 1 Stations found 2 3 4 5 107 9 KOLT Automatically change channels to receive weather alert messages Automatically change channels to receive traffic alert messages M Yes Always monitor for emergency v broadcast messages EBS and fe automaticaly turn on radio when found How long to pause when a 1 sec station is found when scanning Short Long General Audio Settings RESET Speed volume control Volume on phone Startup options Automatically adjusts audio C _EL____ 4 volume based on vehicle speed Softer Louder Automatically change to this LJ Disable feature audio volume when phone rings or when using the phone C 110 Softer Louder Automatically set audio volume when starting car after sitting for more than 4 hours C Disable feature Lp 15 Low High C Disable feature OM FM OFM CD 102030405 Automatically select audio source when starting car after sitting for more than 4 hours CD Settings Label CDs Uses CONOW database to label your car CDs an
27. s 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 preferred 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 US 7 289 611 B2 7 Interior Lighting Effects Select the color and intensity of dial dash backlighting 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 indi
28. sed engine start vehicle speed Alarms Program security codes Select functions for key fob panic button e g flash lights activate I need help synthesized voice horn Performance 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 intervention ABS fires at minimum lock detection etc Tuning Sport Mode 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 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 US 7 289 611 B2 9 In event of airbag deployment selected contact name and number to flash on LCD to assist r
29. tomobile sound system by user input to a control physically associated with the automobile sound system transferring the user input setting of the programmable feature from the automobile sound system to the inter active site 3 A method for setting a programmable feature of an automobile HVAC system comprising providing an interactive site on a global computer net work providing a graphical user interface at the interactive site said graphical user interface graphically depicting a programmable feature of an automobile HVAC system establishing a connection between a user s computer and the interactive site entering data with the user s computer to set the program mable feature of the automobile HVAC system at the interactive site providing a portable transfer device separate from the user s computer having an input port and an output port downloading set up data for the programmable feature of the automobile HVAC system from the interactive site to the user s computer coupling the input port of the transfer device to the computer transferring the set up data from the computer to the transfer device coupling the output port of the transfer device to the automobile HVAC system and transferring the set up data from the transfer device to the automobile HVAC system 4 A method for setting a programmable feature of an automobile HVAC system comprising providing an interactive site on a global computer net work establishing a
30. ufacturer 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 some 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 un
31. vailable 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 dropped 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 is claimed is 1 A method for setting a programmable feature of an automobile sound system comprising providing an interactive site on a global computer net work
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