Plug-and-play interactive vehicle interior component architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9622159-B2
Application number	US-201514842051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Buttolo Pietro
• Rankin Ii James Stewart
• Tokish Stephen Ronald
• Salter Stuart C
• Strumolo Gary Steven

Classifications

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04M1/72583

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60R16/037

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

• H04M1/72469

  for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons · CPC title

• H04M1/72415

  for remote control of appliances · CPC title