METHODS SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING INFORMATION AMONG A GROUP OF VEHICLES
Granted: October 9, 2014
Application Number:
20140302774
Computer-implemented methods, systems and apparatus are provided for sharing information between a group of vehicles that includes a first vehicle and one or more other vehicles. Each of the vehicles includes an onboard computer system that includes a computer processor, a receiver, a transmitter, and a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform various acts. In…
MOUNTING SENSOR AND AFTERMARKET DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH MOUNTING SENSOR
Granted: September 25, 2014
Application Number:
20140288770
An aftermarket device is disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the aftermarket device includes, but is not limited to, a housing that is configured to be mounted to an internal surface of a vehicle. The aftermarket device further includes, but is not limited to a processor that is mounted within the housing. The aftermarket device still further includes, but is not limited to, a mounting sensor that is associated with the housing and that is communicatively coupled with the processor. The…
COLLISION SENSOR, COLLISION SENSING SYSTEM, AND METHOD
Granted: September 25, 2014
Application Number:
20140288727
A collision sensor, a collision sensing system, and a method of mounting a collision sensor to a vehicle are disclosed herein. An embodiment of the collision sensor includes, but is not limited to, a processor and a three-axis accelerometer that is communicatively coupled with the processor. The three-axis accelerometer is configured to detect an acceleration experienced by a vehicle and to generate a signal indicative of the acceleration. The processor is configured to obtain the signal…
ELECTRONIC GLOVEBOX FOR A VEHICLE
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140279019
A method and a system for providing access to a cloud computer from a vehicle. The method carried out by the system includes providing at least one client (e.g., an e-glovebox device). The method also includes configuring a cloud server to allow access to one or more clients and accessing the cloud server using the e-glovebox. The access may include uploading one or more data members to the cloud server. The access may also include downloading one or more data members from the cloud…
SECURING A COMMAND PATH BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND PERSONAL WIRELESS DEVICE
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270172
A system and a method using that system is provided for establishing a secure communication channel between a vehicle and a mobile device. The method may include providing at least one unique mobile device identifier and at least one unique vehicle telematics unit identifier associated with the mobile device identifier to a call center. At least one of the two identifiers may be provided to a wireless service provider. Two private keys may be generated—a first private key based on the…
CONNECTION KEY DISTRIBUTION
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270158
A system and a method implementing the method pertaining to securely providing a mobile device with a cryptographic key in a vehicle. The method includes generating a cryptographic key pair. The key pair may include at least a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key. The method may further include creating a label using a scannable image readable by a mobile device; the scannable image may be based on the second cryptographic key. And the method may include providing the…
INTERFACE DEVICE FOR PROVIDING VEHICLE SERVICES USING A VEHICLE AND A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140256304
A method and system for providing vehicle services using a vehicle and a mobile communications device includes receiving at a vehicle a wireless communication sent from an interface device physically attached to the mobile communications device; linking the interface device with one or more vehicle modules; and communicating between one or more vehicle modules and the mobile communications device via the interface device.
Provisioning Automotive SIM Cards without Removal from Vehicle
Granted: September 4, 2014
Application Number:
20140248860
A system and method are provided for re-provisioning a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle for wireless services. The re-provisioning process includes: connecting a computing device to an on-board diagnostics interface of the telematics-equipped vehicle; accessing a subscriber identification card of the telematics unit via the on-board diagnostics interface; requesting subscription information from a subscriber credentials server via a network connection; receiving the…
VEHICLE-RELATED MESSAGING METHODS AND SYSTEMS
Granted: September 4, 2014
Application Number:
20140247158
Vehicle-related messaging methods and systems are disclosed herein. In one of the methods, a telematics unit disposed in a vehicle detects that the vehicle is no longer in operation. Upon making the detection, the telematics unit automatically transmits a message to a device, where the message includes a suggestion, a recommendation, an indication, or a notification pertaining to a vehicle utility. An application resident on the device, or on a cloud computing system in communication…
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR BASE STATION DETECTION
Granted: July 31, 2014
Application Number:
20140213216
Methods and systems for unauthorized base station detection are disclosed herein. In an example of the method, an in-vehicle controller of a vehicle or an application of a mobile communications device scans a cellular radio environment to identify an available base station. By a signal detection unit in operative communication with the in-vehicle controller or the application, a strength of a signal of the available base station is detected. The in-vehicle controller or the application…
RECEIVING A SERVICE IN A VEHICLE BASED ON LOCATION DATA OF A MOBILE DEVICE WITHIN THE VEHICLE
Granted: July 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140206392
A method and a system for providing a vehicle service to a vehicle based on the location data of a mobile device. The method carried out by the system includes a step of receiving at a call center vehicle location data from a vehicle. After receiving vehicle location data, the method may then include receiving at the call center mobile device location data from the mobile device. The method may include determining whether the mobile device is located within the vehicle based upon the…
TELEMATICS CONTROL UTILIZING RELATIONAL FORMULAS
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140201748
A telematics unit is provided. The telematics unit includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a processor, configured to execute a telematics task manager application according to processor-executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The telematics task manager application comprises a plurality of tasks. Each task includes one or more subtasks. Each subtask including subtask-specific triggering logic for execution of one or more actions…
AUTOSTARTING A VEHICLE BASED ON USER CRITERIA
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140200742
A method of remotely performing a vehicle autostart function when starting a vehicle engine. A vehicle may be associated with a handheld communication device (HCD) using a vehicle mobile application (e.g., on the HCD). Using the application, a configuration of at least one vehicle function and autostart criteria may be received. The auto-start criteria may define a geographic area. It may be determined that the vehicle and the HCD are located within the geographic area at a time when it…
SHORT RANGE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND A HANDHELD COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140200740
A method and system for establishing short range wireless communication (SRWC) between a handheld communications device (HCD) and a vehicle telematics unit. In some instances, the communication may be established following a disconnection event between the telematics unit and a wireless carrier network. The SRWC may include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct as well as other suitable protocols or technologies. Once SRWC is established, the telematics unit may receive a vehicle command from the…
VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT MANAGEMENT
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140199989
A method and system for maintaining a wireless carrier system presence at a vehicle telematics unit in a vehicle includes placing the vehicle telematics unit in a quiescent mode that suspends its signal transmitting functions; instructing the vehicle telematics unit to periodically exit the quiescent mode and transmit a query that determines if the wireless carrier system used by a telematics service provider has changed; when the wireless carrier system has changed, receiving a new…
PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED USE OF VEHICLE WIRELESS SERVICES
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140199965
A method and system for temporarily disabling vehicle wireless services to prevent a third-party such as a bailee from using one or more vehicle wireless services without authorization. The wireless services may accrue cellular data charges to the vehicle user's account. The method includes configuring a telematics unit to identify a valet event, determining the occurrence of the valet event at the telematics unit, and initiating a valet mode in the vehicle based on the determination. In…
HIGH FIDELITY HORIZONTAL POSITION ERROR ESTIMATION FOR VEHICULAR GPS/DR NAVIGATION
Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140195151
A method is provided for determining an Estimated Horizontal Position Error (EHPE) with respect to a navigation system onboard a telematics-equipped vehicle by utilizing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation system in combination with a dead reckoning (DR) navigation system. The method includes: receiving GNSS positioning information from the GNSS navigation system; receiving DR positioning information from the DR navigation system; applying, by a telematics unit, a…
SINGLE TRANSCEIVER FOR USE WITH MULTIPLE CELLULAR NETWORKS
Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140194149
A system and method for wirelessly communicating over two wireless networks having different communication protocols using a single transceiver of a vehicle telematics unit. The method includes monitoring a first network for an incoming page using a transceiver and a first network access device (NAD); the transceiver and the first NAD may be components of a cellular device, such as a vehicle telematics unit. The method includes monitoring a second network for another incoming page using…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SERVING BINARY SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE CONTENT TO DIFFERENT WIRELESS NETWORKS
Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140192711
Systems and methods are described for serving binary short message service (SMS) content to multiple mobile devices that use different wireless networks to receive data. One implementation involves a method for serving binary SMS content to the subscribers of a telematics service provider (TSP) on multiple mobile devices that are provisioned with multiple wireless networks. The method involves receiving a binary SMS at a receiving module of an external short message entity (ESME),…
Cellular Device Identifier Provisioning Verification
Granted: June 12, 2014
Application Number:
20140162639
Systems and methods are described for confirming the accuracy and consistency of cellular device provisioning parameters such as telematics station identifiers (TSTIDs) stored at multiple locations. One implementation consists of a method for ensuring accuracy and consistency of parameters stored at multiple locations. The method involves storing parameters on a computer readable medium, connecting to a mobile station corresponding to a first stored parameter, and requesting the mobile…
