METHOD FOR STAFFING A CALL CENTER
Granted: December 15, 2011
Application Number:
20110307283
A method for staffing a call center involves, via a processor at the call center, generating a work schedule of a call center advisor for a then-current work day, the work schedule including i) information related to at least one planned activity, and ii) information related to at least one shrink activity, the information related to the at least one shrink activity being forecasted from a time-based, graduated ramp schedule. The method further involves, via the processor, utilizing the…
METHOD OF USING VEHICLE LOCATION INFORMATION WITH A WIRELESS MOBILE DEVICE
Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110301839
A system and method for monitoring vehicle position includes receiving vehicle location information at a mobile wireless device via short-range communication from the vehicle, storing the received vehicle location information at the wireless mobile device, receiving a request from a user of the wireless mobile device for a navigational route to the vehicle, determining the location of the wireless mobile device, and providing at the wireless mobile device the navigational route between…
METHOD FOR UPDATING A DATABASE
Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110302214
A method for updating a database involves determining, via a processor operatively associated with a vehicle, a location circle within which the vehicle is then-currently located, and obtaining, from a facility, a database corresponding to the location circle. The method further involves detecting, via a sensor selectively and operatively disposed in the vehicle, a stationary object along a road segment that is located in the location circle, and determining, via a processor associated…
METHOD OF UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLE MOVEMENT DETECTION
Granted: December 1, 2011
Application Number:
20110291823
A system and method for detecting unauthorized vehicle movement that includes measuring a resting angle of a vehicle using a vehicle sensor; thereafter, detecting a change in the measured resting angle of the vehicle; determining that the detected change is not authorized; and sending an alert message based on the determination via a vehicle telematics unit.
PROVIDING WIRELESS MOBILE DEVICE INFORMATION TO A CALL CENTER
Granted: December 1, 2011
Application Number:
20110294466
A method and system for providing wireless mobile device information from a vehicle to a call center. The method includes the steps of (a) detecting the presence of a personal mobile device at the vehicle, (b) receiving at a vehicle interface module a mobile device identifier from the personal mobile device, and (c) sending the mobile device identifier from the vehicle interface module to a call center via the mobile device. The mobile device identifier received at the call center can be…
METHODS FOR PROVIDING EMERGENCY SERVICES TO A MOBILE VEHICLE
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110287733
Methods for providing emergency service to a mobile vehicle are disclosed herein. One method involves monitoring a network country code broadcast from a communications network provider and comparing the network country code with a list of country codes stored in the telematics unit. This method further includes determining where to direct an emergency call by the telematics unit based on the comparing. Another method involves notifying a telematics service provider of a need for…
Roadside Handling for Alternate-Propulsion Systems
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110288700
The described method and system allow a service provider to remotely interact with a vehicle analysis system, high voltage battery contactors, and other vehicle systems to eliminate certain sources of inconvenience for service personnel and users. For example, when the high voltage battery contactors are disconnected inadvertently or as a precaution, they may later need to be safely reengaged to allow the user to drive the disabled but otherwise operational vehicle. Conversely, when an…
PRE-FILLING VEHICLE DATA CHECK
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110288721
A pre-filling vehicle data check method and system are disclosed herein. One example of the method includes receiving, at a financial institution, an authorization request from a filling station for initiating a filling event, where the authorization request includes a financial code. Via a computing device at the financial institution, the financial code is recognized as being associated with at least one of a vehicle identification number or a station identification associated with a…
ROUTE-BASED PROPULSION MODE CONTROL FOR MULTIMODAL VEHICLES
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110288737
A method and system of operating a multimodal vehicle includes determining a vehicle route between a starting point and an ending point, establishing one or more waypoints along the determined vehicle route based on one or more factors such as topography or road classification, and changing the propulsion mode of the vehicle at each of the established waypoints. This can be used, for example, to help optimize the use of different propulsion modes such as gasoline and battery power to…
NAMETAG CONFUSABILITY DETERMINATION
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110288867
A method of and system for managing nametags including receiving a command from a user to store a nametag, prompting the user to input a number to be stored in association with the nametag, receiving an input for the number from the user, prompting the user to input the nametag to be stored in association with the number, receiving an input for the nametag from the user, processing the nametag input, and calculating confusability of the nametag input in multiple individual domains…
PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED IN-VEHICLE SERVICES USING A VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110281562
A method and system for providing a customized in-vehicle service to one or more people inside a vehicle via a vehicle telematics unit. The method involves detecting the presence of a personal mobile device at the vehicle, associating the detected mobile device with a specific person, and providing a customized service to the specific person identified via the vehicle telematics unit. The method and system can be used, for example, to adjust vehicle settings or operation in response to…
SPEECH ADAPTATION IN SPEECH SYNTHESIS
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110282668
A method of and system for speech synthesis. First and second text inputs are received in a text-to-speech system, and processed into respective first and second speech outputs corresponding to stored speech respectively from first and second speakers using a processor of the system. The second speech output of the second speaker is adapted to sound like the first speech output of the first speaker.
TRANSIENT NOISE REJECTION FOR SPEECH RECOGNITION
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110282663
A method of and system for transient noise rejection for improved speech recognition. The method comprises the steps of (a) receiving audio including user speech and at least some transient noise associated with the speech, (b) converting the received audio into digital data, (c) segmenting the digital data into acoustic frames, and (d) extracting acoustic feature vectors from the acoustic frames. The method also comprises the steps of (e) evaluating the acoustic frames for transient…
Multifactor Charging for Electric Vehicles
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110282527
The described method and system improve electric-power driving range for electric vehicles, i.e., electric-only, hybrid electric, and other vehicles that draw electrical power from an on-board storage system for propulsion. The described system uses synergy among selected data sources to provide charging prompts and route assistance to allow the vehicle user to operate his or her vehicle in a more economical fashion by ensuring timely and cost effective charging.
REMOTE TRIGGER OF AN ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCE TO POWER A VEHICLE SYSTEM
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110282526
The described method and system improve electric-power driving range for electric vehicles, i.e., electric-only, hybrid electric, and other vehicles that draw electrical power from an on-board storage system for propulsion and auxiliary functions such as HVAC, defroster, defogger, seat heaters, seat coolers, etc. The described system uses an alternate energy source off-board of the vehicle, e.g., the municipal power grid, to power and run vehicle systems while the vehicle is plugged into…
SCALABLE MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY VERIFICATION SYSTEM
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110270432
A scalable manufacturing assembly verification system for use in a manufacturing facility to verify assembly of a product, the system comprising assembly process work stations and assembly verification system stations. The assembly process work stations are each configured to provide at least one device configured to aid in assembly of the product. The assembly verification system stations are each located within a different one of the assembly process work stations, with each of the…
METHOD FOR COLLECTING DATA AND SYSTEM FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE SAME
Granted: October 27, 2011
Application Number:
20110260884
A method for collecting data is disclosed herein. The method involves selecting, via a processor associated with a telematics service center, a mobile vehicle to collect data from a sensor configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more selected vehicles and, via a telematics unit disposed in the selected mobile vehicle, receiving data collected by the sensor. The method further involves, via the telematics unit, transmitting the data from the telematics unit to a data aggregator…
METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA TRANSMISSIONS IN A SUBSCRIBER POOL
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110255481
A method for managing data transmissions in a subscriber pool involves receiving a telematics unit call at a call center on a channel other than a packet data channel, and from the call and at the call center, recognizing that the packet data channel is unavailable in a predetermined coverage region. A notification is transmitted to the telematics unit and/or to a plurality of telematics units in the predetermined coverage region indicating that the packet data channel is unavailable for…
METHOD FOR RESETTING A NON-RESPONSIVE MOBILE UNIT THEN-CURRENTLY OCCUPYING A CELLULAR TRAFFIC CHANNEL OF A WIRELESS NETWORK
Granted: October 13, 2011
Application Number:
20110250876
A method for resetting a non-responsive mobile unit then-currently occupying a cellular traffic channel of a wireless network is disclosed herein. The method involves recognizing, at an external entity, that the mobile unit is in a non-responsive state that is occupying a voice channel of the cellular traffic channel, and establishing a wireless data connection between the mobile unit and an external entity over the cellular traffic channel. A data message is transmitted to the mobile…
METHOD OF CONTROLLING DIALING MODES IN A VEHICLE
Granted: October 13, 2011
Application Number:
20110250933
A dialing mode of a telematics unit in a vehicle is controlled by monitoring for dialing digits from a vehicle occupant, determining whether the type of dialing digits are continuous dialing digits or discrete dialing digits, establishing a continuous mode for receiving continuous dialing digits or a discrete mode for receiving discrete dialing digits based on the determination, and if the type of dialing digits changes, switching the established mode.
