Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Timothy Robert Nixon

Mark J Scalf

Joseph J Berry

Douglas R VanDagens

Francis Luk

Mark J Timm

Gary A Watkins

Carl J Hering

Walter A Dorfstatter

Gregory B Stewart

Daniel A Hanevich

Method and apparatus for notifying an emergency responder of a vehicle emergency. Communication is established with a cellular telephone located within the vehicle. The communication link is monitored and the vehicle occupant is notified of link loss. The apparatus monitors vehicle safety systems for detection of an emergency condition. Upon detection, the occupant is notified that an emergency call will be made. If no cancellation is received, vehicle location information is obtained from a global position system, synthesized into voice signals, and communicated to an emergency responder using the cellular telephone. A plurality of occupant and vehicle emergency information may also be provided. Emergency responders may be provided with a touch tone menu to select among the available information. Vehicle and occupant information may be communicated to the apparatus from external sources, such as a web server database via cellular telephone connection, or removable memory.

Method and system for emergency notification

A system and method for wirelessly configuring vehicle electronics prior to delivery of the vehicle to a customer. The method carried out by the system includes (a) receiving a notification at a central facility indicating that a vehicle has been delivered to a dealership; (b) receiving a data message from a vehicle telematics unit installed on the vehicle while the vehicle is in a logistics mode (LM); and (c) terminating the logistics mode and/or initiating provisioning of the vehicle telematics unit using the established data connection.

Wirelessly provisioning a vehicle telematics unit

A vehicle communication system includes a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory. The system also includes a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located at the vehicle. The system further includes a backup power circuit comprising a charge storage device such as a local battery or capacitor having enough charge to power the computer processor and local wireless transceiver long enough to send an emergency call signal to the cellular telephone, and an emergency call command signal is sent from the local wireless transceiver to the cellular telephone in the event a vehicle emergency is detected at the computer processor and vehicle power is lost. The signal causes the cellular telephone to place or continue an emergency call to an emergency responder or agency over the cellular telephone network.

Method and system for emergency call handling

The described method and system provide for notification to network applications by a telematics unit in standby mode of when the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode and will be come unavailable for communication with the network applications. The network application may include mobile applications for mobile devices (such as smartphones) and web applications accessible through web pages. The telematics unit may communicate with the back office(s) of the network applications. If the vehicle is a plug-type vehicle, the telematics unit or network application may further extend the standby period of the telematics unit or vehicle when the vehicle is plugged in.

System and method for notifying back office prior to end of telematics unit standby period

An address book sharing system includes a vehicle, a short-range enabled in-vehicle telematics unit embedded in the vehicle, and a short-range enabled wireless device. The short-range enabled wireless device is configured to be paired with the short-range enabled in-vehicle telematics unit when positioned in the vehicle, and to download an address book to the short-range enabled in-vehicle telematics unit in response to an address book request trigger generated by the short-range enabled in-vehicle telematics unit. Methods for non-verbally adding address book contents using the address book sharing system are also disclosed herein.

Address book sharing system and method for non-verbally adding address book contents using the same

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a communications system including a vehicle embedded cellular phone subsystem for receiving and sending communications and a wireless device subsystem including a base station and a wireless device. The base station is coupled to the vehicle embedded cellular phone subsystem for receiving incoming cellular communications at the wireless device and sending communications from the wireless device to the vehicle embedded cellular phone subsystem.

Wireless device for use with a vehicle embedded phone

The vehicle of a subscriber of mobile application services is provided with wireless telecommunication apparatus for communication over a wireless network and a public switched telephone network with a service center. When a subscriber calls the service center to locate a particular point of interest (POI), the service center advisor extracts data from a database and downloads it to the vehicle. The information includes a dialable telephone number and an identifying speaker independent voice model of the POI and may include POI identification and location data. The vehicle is equipped with apparatus which stores the downloaded data for automated dialing of the dialable telephone number initiated by the subscriber speaking data matching the identifying speaker independent voice model and may include apparatus to visually or audibly display the identifying, locating and/or descriptive data. The subscriber may call the service center from the vehicle or from a telephone outside the vehicle, with the download to the vehicle resulting from either call. The vehicle may be equipped to store multiple dialable telephone numbers and identifying speaker independent voice models, with identification data for each displayed so that the subscriber may cycle through them to pick one for automated dialing.

Growing community of inventors

Northville, MI, United States of America

Timothy Robert Nixon