Ambient noise injection for use in speech recognition
Granted: February 1, 2011
Patent Number:
7881929
A method of ambient noise injection for use with speech recognition in a production vehicle. The method includes the steps of monitoring audio including user speech, receiving an utterance from the user speech, retrieving vehicle-specific ambient noise, and prepending the vehicle-specific ambient noise to the utterance before pre-processing and decoding the utterance.
Method and system for remote telltale reset
Granted: January 25, 2011
Patent Number:
7877176
A system and method for telltale reset from a remote processing center. A method includes receiving a telltale indication 200, establishing communication with the remote processing center through a telematics device 202, and resetting the telltale indication from the remote processing center through the telematics device 204.
System and method for maintaining and providing personal information in real time
Granted: January 25, 2011
Patent Number:
7877275
The invention provides a method and system for communicating a vehicle user's medical information stored in a key device to medical caregivers via a wireless communications network. The method comprises receiving vehicle user medical information in a key device, transmitting the medical information from the key device to a storage unit within a vehicle and transmitting the stored medical information from a telematics unit to a call center responsive to an emergency event.
Methods of managing communications for an in-vehicle telematics system
Granted: January 4, 2011
Patent Number:
7865282
A method of managing communications for an in-vehicle telematics system includes substantially simultaneously receiving requests for communicating first and second audio signals via a vehicle audio system. The signals respectively correspond to interactive voice services (provided via a menu dialogue) from a first in-vehicle system and to a first audio messaging from a second in-vehicle system. An arbitration control selects one of the signals as a priority output and the other as a…
Method of providing a navigational route for a vehicle navigation system
Granted: January 4, 2011
Patent Number:
7865303
A navigational route providing method for use with various types of vehicle navigation systems. The route providing method generally enables a user to pre-select one or more destinations and trigger events, so that navigational routes leading to the pre-selected destinations can be subsequently generated and presented to the user when the designated trigger events occur. According to some embodiments, multiple destinations and trigger events can be provided so that multiple navigational…
Airflow control devices based on active materials
Granted: December 21, 2010
Patent Number:
7854467
An airflow control device comprises a body and an active material in operative communication with the body. The active material, such as shape memory material, is operative to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal. The active material can change its shape, dimensions and/or stiffness producing a change in at least one feature of the airflow control device such as shape, dimension, location, orientation, and/or stiffness to control vehicle airflow to better…
Method and system for informing a vehicle telematics user of a connection status
Granted: December 21, 2010
Patent Number:
7856297
A method for informing an in-vehicle telematics unit user of a connection status generally includes establishing a connection between the telematics unit and a call center, and initiating communication between the user and a call center service advisor. Next, the communication may be temporarily suspended while maintaining the connection. A connection status signal informing the user of the status of the connection is transmitted from the call center to the telematics unit during the…
Hands-free microphone with wind break
Granted: December 7, 2010
Patent Number:
7848528
A wind break device for a microphone includes an airflow diverter and a flow separation edge partially bordering a microphone end of the airflow diverter. The microphone zone located between the flow separation edge and is part of the recirculation zone. The microphone is located in the microphone zone. Airflow separates from one of the airflow diverter or the flow separation edge. The separated airflow is directed as one of recirculating airflow or a major airflow and the recirculating…
Method and system for communications between a telematics call center and a telematics unit
Granted: November 30, 2010
Patent Number:
7844246
The invention provides a method and system for communicating between a telematics call center and a telematics unit. A service communication is initiated from a telematics unit to a telematics call center responsive to user input. A text-based acknowledgment is received at the telematics unit from the call center in response to the initiation. A communication mode is established based on communication preference data in response to the acknowledgement. The method and system further…
Method and system for implementing vehicle personalization
Granted: November 23, 2010
Patent Number:
7840322
The present invention provides a method for providing vehicle settings to a telematics unit in a mobile vehicle that includes receiving a vehicle settings update signal at a call center from the telematics unit and sending vehicle settings from the call center to the telematics unit. The method may additionally include implementing the vehicle settings in the mobile vehicle. The method may further include sending an update flag signal from the call center to the telematics unit. The…
Computer peripheral device method and apparatus
Granted: November 23, 2010
Patent Number:
7840314
A vehicle peripheral device system comprising a first peripheral state manager that manages a persistent connection between a computing device and a vehicle and a second peripheral state manager that manages on-demand connections between the computing device and the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is presented to a user of the computing device as a persistent peripheral device when either the persistent connection or the on-demand connection is available, wherein at least some on-demand…
In-vehicle entertainment method and system for executing the same
Granted: November 16, 2010
Patent Number:
7834758
An in-vehicle entertainment method includes playing through an in-vehicle audio component a received program content broadcast from a remote location; and receiving, during the playing of the received program content, a user input selecting an identifier. The selected identifier is associated with an electronic device remote from the vehicle. The method further includes transmitting, from the vehicle to the electronic device during the playing of the received program content, an alert…
Remote vehicle-related notification
Granted: November 16, 2010
Patent Number:
7835691
A vehicle notification method comprising: receiving a remotely transmitted message at a mobile vehicle; after receiving the transmitted message and in response thereto, setting, within a module in the mobile vehicle, a code retrievable by a vehicle diagnostic check, and alerting a user of the vehicle.
Method and system for telematics location sensing
Granted: November 16, 2010
Patent Number:
7835856
The present invention provides a method of operating a telematics device within a mobile vehicle communication system to provide a current telematics device geographic location. The method includes receiving odometer information including velocity information for a specified time period, and receiving positional information including velocity information for a specified time period. The method further includes determining a first distance traveled value based on the received odometer…
In-vehicle notification of failed message delivery
Granted: November 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7831347
A method and system for in-vehicle notification of a failed message delivery for use with a vehicle email notification system in which triggers are used to initiate the generation and transmission of email messages that provide diverse types of dynamic vehicle information to the owner or other authorized subscriber. The email notifications are triggered by different events, some of which are independent of the vehicle (e.g., a monthly trigger), and others of which occur at the vehicle,…
Real time voting regarding radio content
Granted: November 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7831461
A method for remotely participating in a listener survey includes receiving survey questions on an infotainment system, where the survey questions are at least partly displayed on a display portion of the infotainment system; transmitting to the survey provider a user input response to at least one of the survey questions; and receiving tabulated survey results of the survey, the results being at least partly displayed on the display portion of the infotainment system. A…
High activity water gas shift catalysts based on platinum group metals and cerium-containing oxides
Granted: November 2, 2010
Patent Number:
7824455
A method of reducing the amount of carbon monoxide in process fuel gas in a feed stream for a fuel cell. The method includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream into a primary reactor and reacting the hydrocarbon feed stream in effective contact with a reforming catalyst forming primary reactor products containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane; placing a high activity water gas shift catalyst system into a water gas shift converter, introducing the primary…
Configurable vehicle bus storage cache mechanism
Granted: November 2, 2010
Patent Number:
7826944
A remotely configurable telematics unit cache provides for selective caching of data of interest to a remote caller. The configurable caching system ensures that selected data is available when the vehicle is not in operation and the telematics unit is not powered on. A remote caller can remotely configure the telematics unit cache to selectively store data of interest. Subsequently, the telematics module can accept calls from the caller and the cached information can be pulled. Thus,…
Microphone apparatus with increased directivity
Granted: October 12, 2010
Patent Number:
7813519
A microphone assembly includes a housing including at least one first tube in communication with at least one first cavity, at least one second tube in communication with at least one second cavity, one third tube in communication with at least one third cavity, and at least one microphone element separating the first, second and third cavities, wherein sound waves are received in the first, second, and third tubes and directed into the cavities and received by the microphone element. A…
Architecture for delivering data to mobile telematics units
Granted: September 21, 2010
Patent Number:
7801540
An improved mobile connectivity system and method allow for data transfers, such as related to service delivery, to and from mobile wireless units in an economical and secure manner. The system utilizes existing IP connectivity when available and otherwise determines an appropriate data exchange mechanism based on the length and security requirements of the intended exchange. Data exchange mechanisms include SMS, IP and other suitable protocols, and wireless carriers include cellular and…
