Device, method, and system for portable configuration of vehicle controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426274-B2
Application number	US-201213629119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A device, method, and system for portable configuration of vehicle controls includes a mobile communication device configured to communicate with an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle. The mobile communication device stores user vehicle configuration settings, which are selectively transmitted to the in-vehicle computing system to cause the in-vehicle computing system to adjust vehicle controls based on the user vehicle configuration settings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile communication device for remotely configuring vehicle configuration settings of a vehicle, the mobile communication device comprising:
a data storage having stored therein a plurality of sets of user vehicle configuration settings to facilitate control of a plurality of vehicle occupant controls of the vehicle, wherein each set of the user vehicle configuration settings is associated with a corresponding user of the vehicle and comprises data usable by an in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle to configure each vehicle occupant control of the plurality of vehicle occupant controls of the vehicle based on a previous configuration of the vehicle occupant controls by the corresponding user; and
a processor to establish a vehicle configuration management module, wherein the vehicle configuration management module is to:
transmit a request for vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system, wherein the vehicle configuration settings identify current settings of the plurality of vehicle occupant controls and are usable by the in-vehicle computing system to set a configuration of at least one component of the vehicle;
receive the requested vehicle configuration settings from the in-vehicle computing system;
store the vehicle configuration settings in the data storage
retrieve a set of user vehicle configuration settings from the data storage; and
transmit the retrieved set of user vehicle configuration settings to the in-vehicle computing system to configure the vehicle occupant controls.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle configuration management module is to automatically retrieve and transmit the set of user vehicle configuration settings in response to establishment of a communication connection with the in-vehicle computing system.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle configuration management module is to automatically retrieve and transmit the set of user vehicle configuration settings in response to receiving a configuration authorization signal from the in-vehicle computing system indicative that a component of the vehicle has been activated.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle configuration management module to determine a vehicle identifier for the vehicle and retrieve the set of user vehicle configuration settings from the data storage based at least in part on the vehicle identifier.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to:
display, via a graphical user interface on the display, one or more user selectable seat locations of the vehicle stored in the data storage;
receive a seat location selection selected via the graphical user interface on the display from one of the user selectable seat locations of the vehicle; and
retrieve a set of user vehicle configuration settings from the data storage corresponding to the seat location selection.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the vehicle configuration management module to:
display, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display, one or more user selectable user vehicle configuration settings stored in the data storage;
receive a setting selection selected via the graphical user interface on the display from one of the selectable user vehicle configuration settings;
display, via the GUI, one or more setting options corresponding to the setting selection;
receive a selected setting option of one of the setting options selected via the GUI on the display;
determine a user configuration settings identifier in response to the selected setting option; and
transmit the user configuration settings identifier to the in-vehicle computing system of the vehicle.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein each set of user vehicle configuration settings comprises at least one of user configuration settings to adjust an ergonomic control of the vehicle, user configuration settings to adjust an comfort control of the vehicle, user configuration settings to adjust an mechanical control of the vehicle.

8. An in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle for managing vehicle configuration settings, the in-vehicle computing system comprising:
a processor to establish a communication module and a vehicle configuration control module, wherein:
the communication module is to receive, from a mobile computing device, a set of user vehicle configuration settings from a plurality of sets of user vehicle configuration settings stored at the mobile communication device, wherein the set of user vehicle configuration settings is associated with a corresponding user of the vehicle and comprises data usable by the in-vehicle computing system to configure one or more vehicle occupant controls of the vehicle that are managed by the in-vehicle system based on a previous configuration of the vehicle occupant controls by the corresponding user; and
the vehicle configuration control module is to adjust at least one vehicle occupant control of the vehicle as a function of the set of user vehicle configuration settings,
wherein the communication module is further to receive a request for vehicle configuration settings from the mobile communication device,
wherein the vehicle configuration settings are usable by the in-vehicle system to set a configuration of at least one component of the vehicle, and
wherein the in-vehicle computing system is further to determine current vehicle configuration settings of the vehicle in response to the request and transmit, using the communication module, the current vehicle configuration settings to the mobile communication device.

9. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle configuration control module is to generate a vehicle authorization signal in response to activation of a component of the vehicle and the communication module is to transmit the vehicle authorization signal to the mobile communication device to inform the mobile communication device that the vehicle configuration settings may be adjusted.

10. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 9 , wherein the component of the vehicle is one of a door handle, a break, and an ignition switch.

11. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 8 , further comprising a data storage to store vehicle configuration settings,
wherein the set of user vehicle configuration settings comprises a user vehicle configuration settings identifier, and
wherein the in-vehicle computing system to retrieve vehicle configuration settings from the data storage corresponding to the user vehicle configuration settings identifier and adjust the at least one vehicle occupant control as a function of the retrieved vehicle configuration settings.

12. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle configuration control module comprises at least one of an ergonomic control module to adjust at least one ergonomic control of the vehicle as a function of the set of user vehicle configuration settings, a comfort control module to adjust at least one comfort control of the vehicle as a function of the set of user vehicle configuration settings, and a mechanical control module to adjust at least one mechanical control of the vehicle as a function of the set of user vehicle configuration settings.

13. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 8 , wherein the communication module to receive an additional set of user vehicle configuration settings from an additional mobile communication device,
the vehicle configuration cont

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Morgan Dennis M
• Ross Alan D

Classifications

• B60R16/037 Primary

  for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• H04M1/72533 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M1/72415 Primary

  for remote control of appliances · CPC title