Lear Corporation

Jody K Harwood

Kenan Robert Rudnick

Jason G Bauman

Mark D Chuey

Warren Edwin Guthrie

Joseph J Davis, Jr

Kurt Dykema

Keith Albert Christenson

Toshio Totsuka

Jeffrey M Donovan

Clayton Mackey

James D Hughes

Saurabh S Trivedi

A method and system for communicating vehicle diagnostic data to a vehicle service provider employs sensors for generating sensor signals indicative of the status or condition of vehicle components. A diagnostics module in the vehicle generates diagnostic data based on the sensor signals and transfers the diagnostic data to a communications module of a hands-free phone system in the vehicle. The communications module wirelessly communicates the diagnostic data to a Bluetooth enabled cell phone in the vehicle using Bluetooth communications. The cell phone communicates the diagnostic data to an Internet server via the Internet. The provider accesses the diagnostic data from the Internet server using a computer connected to the Internet to determine if any of the vehicle components are in need of repair or maintenance. The provider notifies a user of the vehicle of any vehicle component that is in need of repair or maintenance.

Method and system for communicating vehicle diagnostic data to internet server via Bluetooth enabled cell phone for subsequent retrieval

A method of pairing Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled devices including a portable phone with a Bluetooth&#x2122; communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system includes using vocal communications to prompt an operator of the phone to enter a given PIN number into the phone. The presence of any Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled devices within the vicinity of the communications module is searched. Vocal communications are used to prompt the operator to vocally state a name for the phone and to vocally state a pairing priority to be assigned to the phone. If the assigned pairing priority is not assigned to another Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled device, then the name and the pairing priority are associated with the phone. Communications between the communications module and the phone are then enabled if the phone has the highest pairing priority amongst all of the Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled devices present within the vicinity of the communications module.

Method of pairing a portable device with a communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system

A transmitter is configured to transmit activation signals based on transmission schemes in which one of the schemes is an appropriate scheme such that the appliance activates upon receiving an activation signal that is based on the appropriate scheme and has a code associated with the appliance. The transmitter is configured to receive a code represented by a sequence of bits and to transmit a sequence of different activation signals including different sets of first and second activation signals until user input indicating activation of the appliance is received by the transmitter. Each set of activation signals is based on a respective scheme, each first activation signal includes the sequence of bits and each second activation signal includes a bitwise reversal of the sequence of bits.

User-assisted programmable appliance control

A universal remote control interacts with a user to assist in training to one or more appliances. If the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, a sequence of different rolling code activation signals is transmitted until the user indicates a successful transmission. If the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, a fixed code word is used to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals until the user indicates a successful transmission. At least one of the sequences of activation signals inserts a preset amount of time after each activation signal transmission. If user input is not received within the preset amount of time, the next activation signal in the sequence is transmitted.

A hands-free, Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled telephone system for a vehicle is configured to enable an operator such as the driver of the vehicle to say multiple voice commands at one time in order to control the operation of the telephone system. Such multiple commands include 'Dial &#x3c;name&#x3e;', 'Dial &#x3c;name location&#x3e;', &#x201c;Dial &#x3c;number&#x3e;&#x201d;, and &#x201c;Send &#x3c;account number&#x3e;.&#x201d; The hands-free, Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled telephone system enables the pairing between Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled cell phones and a Bluetooth&#x2122; communications module of the telephone system to be conducted in a human friendly manner. The hands-free, Bluetooth&#x2122; enabled telephone system enables the telephone system to generate DTMF tones corresponding to a numeric account number or password in response to the driver vocally saying an account name associated with the numeric account number or password during a call between the driver and a voice-automated, menu-driven system for receipt by the menu-driven system.

Method of operating vehicular, hands-free telephone system

A garage door opener (GDO) communications gateway module includes a receiver for receiving garage door signals and a transmitter for transmitting control signals to a GDO operable for opening and closing a garage door of a garage of a house. The transmitter transmits a control signal to the GDO to control the garage door upon receipt of a garage door signal by the receiver. The module includes a Bluetooth enabled first transceiver for communicating with a Bluetooth enabled appliance of a vehicle over a wireless communications path when the vehicle is located within the vicinity of the garage. The module includes a second transceiver for communicating with a device of the house over another communications path. The vehicle appliance and the house device communicate with one another over the communications paths via the transceivers. The receiver, the transmitter, and the transceivers are contained within a housing mountable to the garage.

Garage door opener communications gateway module for enabling communications among vehicles, house devices, and telecommunications networks

A method for establishing communication between a communication protocol controller and a main controller including the steps of monitoring a communication bus using a power management device wherein the bus is electrically coupled to the protocol controller, the power management device, and the main controller residing in an initial low power mode, determining when the protocol controller is attempting to communicate with the main controller, generating a wake-up signal in response to the attempted communication, presenting the wake-up signal to the processor of the main controller, wherein the main controller enters a wake-up mode in response to the wake-up signal, reading at least one communication protocol configuration parameter from the data storage device, and initiating communication between the main controller and the protocol controller using the at least one communication protocol configuration parameter such that communication between the protocol controller and a communication protocol enabled device is maintained.

System and method for vehicle module wake up in response to communication activity

A vehicle-based control system and method for use with a barrier operating system that includes a motor, a receiver in communication with the motor, and a remote transmitter for transmitting an activation signal to the receiver. The activation signal includes a radio frequency carrier signal modulated with a codeword for use in activating the motor to open and close the barrier. A vehicle-mounted transceiver receives multiple radio frequency carrier signals, and transmits an activation signal for receipt by the barrier operating system receiver. A vehicle-mounted controller stores the received radio frequency carrier signals, and receives user input identifying an activation scheme having a variable codeword format. The controller generates a variable codeword based on the identified activation scheme, selects one of the stored carrier signals, and controls the transceiver to transmit an activation signal having the selected carrier signal modulated with the generated variable codeword in response to user input.

Universal vehicle based garage door opener control system and method

A method and system for communicating information between a vehicle and a device located in a house. The system includes a vehicle appliance integrated in a vehicle. The vehicle appliance has a Bluetooth&#xae; enabled communications module. The system further includes a garage located in the vicinity of the house. The garage has a garage door opener mounted therein. The garage door opener has a Bluetooth&#xae; enabled communications module and a transceiver. The communications modules wirelessly communicate with one another when the vehicle is located in the vicinity of the garage. The system further includes a device such as a personal computer or a home security or lighting system located in the house. The device and the transceiver of the garage door opener wirelessly communicate with one another. The vehicle appliance and the device wirelessly communicate with one another via the communications module and the transceiver of the garage door opener.

Method and system for communicating information between a vehicular hands-free telephone system and an external device using a garage door opener as a communications gateway

A universal remote control establishes a new transmitter identifier when programmed to a particular rolling code scheme by an existing transmitter. During programming, the universal remote control receives at least one activation signal transmitted from the existing transmitter. The activation signal includes an existing transmitter identifier. The activation signal is examined to determine which of a plurality of rolling code schemes was used by the existing transmitter to generate the received activation signal. The new transmitter identifier, different from the existing transmitter identifier, is determined based on the rolling code scheme. Subsequently, when an activation input is received, the universal remote control generates and transmits a new activation signal including the new transmitter identifier.

Programmable interoperable appliance remote control

A thermally controlled storage space system (), such as for the dashboard () of a vehicle (). The system () has a housing (), which is configured to couple a portion of the vehicles air control system (), such as a heating system, a ventilation system, or an air-conditioning system. A heat exchanger () is coupled to the housing () and to a thermoelectric device (). A temperature sensor () generates a temperature signal indicative of the temperature within the housing (). A controller (), which is coupled to the thermoelectric device (), adjusts the temperature within the housing () in response to the temperature signal.

Thermally controlled storage space system for an interior cabin of a vehicle

A hands-free, telephone system for a vehicle includes a vehicle appliance configured to read over vehicle speakers and display on a vehicle radio display a voice tag associated with a call incoming to a cell phone paired with the appliance for an operator to hear and view. The appliance uses text-to-speech (TTS) to transfer phonebook entries from the cell phone to memory of the appliance. The appliance uses TTS to read and display text messages incoming to the cell phone for the operator to hear and view. The appliance initiates connecting and disconnecting of the cell phone with the appliance in response to voice commands of the operator. The appliance wirelessly communicates vehicle diagnostic information to another device. The appliance controls vehicle functions in accordance with voice commands of the operator. The appliance receives music files from a device and plays the music files in accordance with operator voice commands.

Vehicular, hands-free telephone system

A console assembly for use with a vehicle includes a console housing adapted to be attached to the vehicle and having an aperture. An electronic module is attached to the console housing and includes a circuit board and a face plate having an integral fastening element that secures the circuit board to the face plate. The face plate further has an appearance surface and is positioned proximate the aperture of the console housing such that the appearance surface is viewable from an interior passenger compartment of the vehicle when the console assembly is installed in the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Jody K Harwood