APPLICATION FOR A COMMUNICATIONS AND PROCESSING DEVICE
Granted: June 13, 2013
Application Number:
20130151064
An application for a communications and processing device includes a computer program embedded on a non-transitory, tangible medium. The computer program includes computer readable code for establishing respective connections between the communications and processing device and a telematics unit of a vehicle, an information system of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and an information system of a dealer associated with the OEM. The application further includes computer readable…
EXTENDING THE RANGE OF VEHICULAR CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS
Granted: June 13, 2013
Application Number:
20130149985
A method of carrying out communications using a vehicle telematics unit includes identifying a cellular base station in wireless communication with a vehicle telematics unit; attempting an emergency call via the identified cellular base station using the vehicle telematics unit; determining that a forward link portion of a cellular signal between the vehicle telematics unit and the identified cellular base station lacks sufficient strength to place the attempted emergency call; and…
ENTRYWAY CONTROL AND MONITORING SYSTEM
Granted: June 13, 2013
Application Number:
20130147616
An entryway control and monitoring system includes a remote controller to open and close an entryway and a telematics unit. The remote controller and the telematics unit are each disposed in a vehicle. The system further includes any of i) a vehicle bus that operatively connects the remote controller to the telematics unit, or ii) respective short range wireless connection units disposed in each of the remote controller and the telematics unit that selectively operatively connect the…
METHOD AND SYSTEMS FOR SERVICING A SUBSCRIBER VEHICLE
Granted: May 23, 2013
Application Number:
20130132286
A method for servicing a subscriber vehicle involves establishing a connection, via a telematics unit, with a communications device at a third party facility. A packet data message is sent from the telematics unit to a telematics service center. The packet data message includes identification information of the vehicle, and is sent using an internet protocol address of the third party facility. Via a processor associated with the telematics service center, the subscriber vehicle is…
METHOD OF SELECTING WIRELESS BASE STATIONS
Granted: May 23, 2013
Application Number:
20130130675
A method of selecting a wireless carrier system using a vehicle telematics unit includes identifying the system identity of a first base station with which a vehicle telematics unit is presently registered; detecting the presence of a second base station having a different system identity using the vehicle telematics unit; determining that the system identity of the first base station is preferred by the vehicle telematics unit with respect to the system identity of the second base…
METHOD OF INITIATING A HANDS-FREE CONFERENCE CALL
Granted: May 23, 2013
Application Number:
20130130665
A method of operating a vehicle telematics unit includes storing a conference call access code; initiating a conference call from a vehicle based on verbal commands received from a vehicle occupant; receiving a request for the conference call access code from an automated telephone attendant (ATA) while initiating the conference call; determining that the ATA has requested the conference call access code using a speech recognition function at the vehicle; and sending the stored…
PROVIDING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SERVICES USING A VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT AND A MOBILE DEVICE
Granted: May 23, 2013
Application Number:
20130130639
A system and method for providing a communication about a potential vehicular crash via a vehicle telematics unit and a personal mobile device. In one embodiment, the method carried out by the system receives a notification of a potential vehicular crash from a personal mobile device located at the vehicle. Then, the method confirms the occurrence of the crash by the vehicle telematics unit. Later, the method provides a wireless communication about the crash to one or more parties.
REPAIR ASSIST SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE SERVICING
Granted: May 16, 2013
Application Number:
20130124032
A vehicle repair assist system for repairing a vehicle fault in a vehicle. A symptom input module is provided for entering vehicle symptom information relating to the fault. A diagnostic code module retrieves diagnostic trouble codes from the vehicle. The diagnostic trouble codes are generated in response to a fault occurrence. A knowledge-based fault module identifies potential causes of the vehicle fault based on at least one of the symptom information and diagnostic trouble codes. A…
AFTERMARKET TELEMATICS UNIT AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A TARGET MOUNTING ANGLE THEREOF
Granted: May 9, 2013
Application Number:
20130115933
An aftermarket telematics unit is disclosed herein. The aftermarket telematics unit includes, but is not limited to a housing that is configured to be mounted to an internal surface of a vehicle. The aftermarket telematics unit further includes an angle detection unit that is associated with the housing and that is configured to detect a mounting angle of the housing. The aftermarket telematics unit still further includes a processor that is associated with the housing. The processor is…
VEHICLE TELEMATICS COMMUNICATION USING TEXT ENCODING OF BINARY DATA
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130109416
A system and method for sending binary data via a short message service (SMS) over a wireless communication system. The method provides the capability to send and receive binary data to a vehicle telematics unit using a text SMS message. The binary data is converted to encoded text according to an encoding scheme supported by a wireless communication system. Then, the encoded text is sent as an SMS message over the wireless communication system. Once, the SMS message containing the…
METHOD OF COMMUNICATING WITH A VEHICLE HAVING A TELEMATICS UNIT
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130090782
A system and method for communicating between a vehicle having a vehicle telematics unit and a central facility includes establishing a virtual private network (VPN) connection between a vehicle and a central facility; constructing a data message for communication between the vehicle and the central facility using the VPN; transmitting the data message via the VPN using an unreliable transmission protocol; and determining if the transmitted data message arrived at its destination.
CORRECTING UNINTELLIGIBLE SYNTHESIZED SPEECH
Granted: March 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130080173
A method and system of speech synthesis. A text input is received in a text-to-speech system and, using a processor of the system, the text input is processed into synthesized speech which is established as unintelligible. The text input is reprocessed into subsequent synthesized speech and output to a user via a loudspeaker to correct the unintelligible synthesized speech. In one embodiment, the synthesized speech can be established as unintelligible by predicting intelligibility of the…
OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF SYNTHESIZED SPEECH ATTRIBUTES
Granted: March 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130080172
A method of evaluating attributes of synthesized speech. The method includes processing a text input into a synthesized speech utterance using a processor of a text-to-speech system, applying a human speech utterance to a speech model to obtain a reference wherein the human speech utterance corresponds to the text input, applying the synthesized speech utterance to at least one of the speech model or an other speech model to obtain a test, and calculating a difference between the test…
DEVICE-INTEROPERABILITY NOTIFICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING AN INTEROPERABILITY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A VEHICLE
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130059575
A device-interoperability notification method and system are disclosed herein. The method involves establishing a connection between an electronic device and a telematics unit operatively disposed in a vehicle. Via the telematics unit, data obtained from the device is transmitted to a data aggregator at a call center. From the data, the data aggregator recognizes that an interoperability issue exists between the device and the vehicle within which the device is disposed. Via a…
Mobile Application for Providing Vehicle Information to Users
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130046592
The described method and system provide for quickly and intuitively presenting users with a variety of detailed vehicle information through a mobile application on a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device is preferably a mobile phone having at least a camera, a display, a processor, and a tangible non-transient computer-readable medium for storing appropriate programming and vehicle information. By pointing a camera at a vehicle, the mobile computing device receives images…
VEHICLE TELEMATICS COMMUNICATIONS FOR PROVIDING DIRECTIONS TO A VEHICLE SERVICE FACILITY
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130046432
A method of providing directions to a vehicle service facility includes generating a vehicle service alert that includes vehicle operating data, sending the vehicle service alert to a vehicle telematics service subscriber, offering the vehicle telematics service subscriber a choice of one or more vehicle service facilities for responding to the vehicle service alert, and if the vehicle owner chooses a vehicle service facility, providing turn-by-turn directions to the chosen vehicle…
PRE-DIFFUSED AL-SI COATINGS FOR USE IN RAPID INDUCTION HEATING OF PRESS-HARDENED STEEL
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130037178
A press-hardened steel component and a method of producing the same. In one form, a workpiece that will be formed into the component includes a coating that is pre-diffused with metal from the workpiece substrate. Examples of such protective coatings may include aluminum-based coatings, as well as from aluminum and silicon combinations. The pre-diffusion of the workpiece permits it to be subjected to the high heating rate of a subsequent press hardening operation without causing…
VEHICLE BATTERY POWER SAVE TIMER
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130016637
The described method and system provide for processing telematics service-related calls on a telematics-equipped vehicle when the vehicle ignition is off. By utilizing one or more call timers, the described invention is able to prevent excessive drain to the vehicle battery while still providing broad access to telematics services when the vehicle ignition is off. Certain types of calls may be excepted from the call timers, and different types of calls may use different call timers. A…
TERMINATED CALL ALERT PROCESS AND SYSTEM
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130017847
A terminated call alert process involves detecting, via a processor, that a voice connection initially established between a vehicle-dedicated communications device disposed inside a vehicle and a facility has been terminated and identifying a method used to terminate the initial voice connection. Via the vehicle-dedicated communications device, the method further involves transmitting a data message to the facility, where the data message includes information pertaining to the method…
TYY INTERFACE MODULE SIGNAL TO COMMUNICATE EQUIPMENT DISRUPTION TO CALL CENTER
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130017800
The described method and system provide for determining whether to immediately contact a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) or attempt to communicate with a telematics services subscriber before contacting the PSAP in the event of an emergency. If a subscriber associated with the telematics unit is deaf and/or mute, and a TIM (TTY (TeleTYpewriter) Interface Module) or TTY device is not available to the subscriber, the subscriber may not be able to communicate with a call center…
