Method and System of Using Turn-by-Turn Server Based Reroutes Data to Improve a Navigation User Interface
Granted: December 31, 2009
Application Number:
20090326801
A navigation server as part of a vehicle navigation system provides a set of turn-by-turn directions to a vehicle driver from the vehicle's current location to a destination chosen by the driver. Further, a navigation server receives new route requests because a vehicle driver disregards a previous a maneuver contained in a previous set of turn-by-turn directions. The navigation server tracks vehicle locations whereat new routes have been requested. If a large number of new route…
Method and System to Calculate Historical Traffic Data
Granted: December 31, 2009
Application Number:
20090326802
A system for a vehicle navigation accurately calculates travel times between locations and serves a vehicle driver request for the shortest time route. A navigation server compiles data of common road segments between two locations that are contained in route requests and subsequently calculates travel time between the two locations. When subsequent route requests contain further information pertaining to the same locations, the navigation server updates the travel time. Consequently,…
Potable Geo-Coded Audio
Granted: December 31, 2009
Application Number:
20090326806
A method of providing route guidance to a vehicle user via a telematics unit comprises reading geo-coded route data from a removable medium at the telematics unit, the geo-coded data comprising a list of location and events associated with respective actions. The system senses the vehicle location and event status during the course of a trip. If the vehicle location matches a vehicle location listed in the geo-coded route data, the system executes an action associated in the list with…
System and Method for Providing Multiple Portions of A Route In A Telematics System
Granted: December 31, 2009
Application Number:
20090326797
A method for communicating navigational information to a telematics unit. The method comprises receiving route requirements; calculating a plurality of portions of a route, each portion calculated according to different sets of criteria, the criteria determined from the route requirements; and sending the plurality of portions to the telematics unit. The portions of the route can be provided to the telematics unit sequentially, with non-final portions including a trigger for indicating…
UP-SHIFT CONTROL IN AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH NEGATIVE INPUT TORQUE
Granted: December 24, 2009
Application Number:
20090319143
A transmission control module including a shift control module that generates an enable signal when an up-shift is requested and the engine torque is below a threshold torque value. A turbine speed profile determination module that selectively generates a desired turbine speed profile. The shift control module controls a clutch pressure of an off-going clutch based on a measured turbine speed and the desired turbine speed profile when the enable signal is generated.
Manifold Sealing and Corrosion Preventive Interface Plate for a Fuel Cell Stack
Granted: December 17, 2009
Application Number:
20090311563
A fuel cell assembly having a terminal plate that is isolated from fluid flows passing to the fuel cell stack through manifolds is provided. A corrosion resistant member is positioned between the fuel cell stack and the terminal plate and sealingly engages with the manifold. The sealing engagement between the manifold and the corrosion resistant member prevents fluid flowing through the manifold to the fuel cell stack from contacting the terminal plate. Thus, a fuel cell assembly…
METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A TRANSMISSION DURING ACCELERATION FROM IDLE
Granted: November 12, 2009
Application Number:
20090281696
A method for controlling a transmission in a motor vehicle during acceleration from an idle condition begins when the vehicle is stationary, the engine is at idle, and the transmission is in the first gear range or ratio. When the vehicle begins to accelerate, the method includes the steps of monitoring the rate of vehicle acceleration and comparing the rate of vehicle acceleration to a rate of vehicle acceleration threshold. If the rate of vehicle acceleration is less than the…
GEAR CLASH LOGIC
Granted: November 12, 2009
Application Number:
20090281697
A system and method for selectively engaging and disengaging auxiliary equipment to avoid gear clash in a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a transmission, a transfer case, and a transmission controller. The transmission has a plurality of gears for establishing a plurality of gear ratios. The transfer case is coupled to the transmission by an output shaft. The transmission controller is in communication with a plurality of control devices for controlling the operation of the…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROUTING CALLS TO AN ADVISOR FROM MOBILE CUSTOMERS WITHIN A MOBILE VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
Granted: November 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090275311
A method is disclosed for enhancing call center services. The method comprises: receiving at the call center a call from a user; analyzing a phone number associated with the call, a location of a vehicle associated with the call, a current request of the user, a previous request of the user, and a time period between the previous request and the current request; presenting a list of menu options to the user based on the analysis; and routing the call to an advisor based on a received…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING VEHICLE RESIDUAL INTEGRITY
Granted: October 29, 2009
Application Number:
20090271127
A vehicle residual integrity monitoring system leverages the existing onboard vehicle computer network architecture and onboard data communication bus to obtain and process data items generated by various vehicle network modules. The data items are generated in response to the occurrence of events that impact residual value of the vehicle or subsystems of the vehicle. The system maintains a residual integrity score that provides an indication of the residual value of the vehicle, based…
TONE DETECTION FOR SIGNALS SENT THROUGH A VOCODER
Granted: October 22, 2009
Application Number:
20090265173
A tone detector and associated method for use with EVRC-B and GSM vocoders to enable reliable detection of system connect tones over a wireless communication system. The tone detection method examines a number of sequential data frames of the signal received from the vocoder and determines that the tone is present if the spectral energy at frequencies around the tone is much higher than that at neighboring frequencies and if the calculated center frequency of the data frames is at or…
Input Shaft Driven Hybrid Transmission Pump
Granted: October 8, 2009
Application Number:
20090252622
A pump for a hybrid transmission includes an input shaft having a mating surface—which may include a flat portion—on an outer surface thereof, and a pump rotor coaxial with the input shaft. The pump rotor has an inner surface corresponding to the mating surface of the input shaft, and is directly and drivingly coupled to the input shaft for common rotation therewith. The hybrid transmission may further include an input housing and pump housing, and a pump pocket—in which the pump…
INPUT SHAFT WITH INTERNAL DRY SPLINES AND SEALED PLUG AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A HYBRID POWERTRAIN UTILIZING THE SAME
Granted: October 8, 2009
Application Number:
20090253523
An input shaft for a hybrid transmission includes a cylindrical hollow shaft portion having internal and external surfaces. The internal surface defines an internal cavity coaxial with the hollow shaft portion and has a splined portion configured to allow power to be transferred to the hollow shaft portion. The input shaft may further include a freeze plug press-fit in the internal cavity, configured to fluidly seal the inner cavity in embodiments with a cavity extending throughout the…
Powertrain Having a Damper Installed Directly to Engine Output and Method of Assembling Same
Granted: October 8, 2009
Application Number:
20090253550
A hybrid powertrain includes an engine driving an engine output member, such as a crankshaft. A damper is directly connected to the engine output member, and a transmission input shaft is directly connected to the damper, for common rotation therewith. A dry damper is configured to allow the hybrid powertrain to be characterized by a lack of either a flexplate or a flywheel. A method of manufacturing a hybrid powertrain is also provided, including assembling a fully-functional hybrid…
Plant floor event protocol and schema
Granted: October 8, 2009
Application Number:
20090254573
A method is provided for managing information on a plant floor, and includes recording a definition file, such as an extended markup language (XML) schema, in a source device, and generating a plant floor event (PFE) message as a bit array or string array. The PFE message transfers from the source device to a host device or other appliance. The method then includes executing at least one action in response to the PFE message. A system is also provided for managing information on a plant…
VEHICLE EMAIL SYSTEM AND METHOD
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090243828
A method provides vehicle information to an interested party, such as a vehicle owner or driver, regarding the operation of a vehicle. The method includes the step of measuring a parameter of operation produced by the vehicle. A level based on the parameter measured is then calculated. A notification message that includes information concerning the level is constructed. The method then sends the notification message to the interested party via an electronic messaging system. The…
Methods and Simulation Tools for Predicting GPS Performance in the Broad Operating Environment
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090243914
To facilitate GPS hardware selection and evaluate performance of vehicle integrated GPS hardware, including various types of GPS antennas and receivers, within different vehicle operating environments, embodiments of the invention are used to provide a simulator which does not require physical GPS hardware to simulate GPS system performance. Preferably, the simulator randomly generates one or more GPS system link budget variables, within predetermined performance bounds, in order to…
ADAPTIVE INITIAL VOLUME SETTINGS FOR A VEHICLE AUDIO SYSTEM
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090245533
A vehicle audio system such as a vehicle radio is integrated with a vehicle speech system so that outputted speech by the vehicle speech system is played through the audio system. When a speech session begins, the audio system mutes any entertainment audio being played and outputs audio speech received from the vehicle speech system at an initial volume that is constrained to be between minimum and maximum initial volume settings. These initial volume settings are automatically adjusted…
XM Radio Satellite Reception Without Degrading Coverage in XM Terrestrial Markets
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090247073
A system is provided for enhancing coverage for a mobile satellite service, the system comprising a signal threshold comparator module for monitoring a predetermined threshold for a satellite service signal received on a first frequency band, a signal gain block operable to vary amplification of the satellite service signal received on a second frequency band in response to the threshold, and a satellite receiver for decoding the satellite service signal received on the first and second…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090247132
A system and a method for improving wireless communications between a call center and a vehicle. The system and method can reduce the number of wireless connections needed between a call center and a vehicle by using multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages to convey information therebetween. This obviates the need for the call center to make an initial wireless connection simply to alert the vehicle that it wishes to communicate. Instead, the system and method can convey information…
