Telematics device for vehicles with an interface for multiple peripheral devices
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, the invention provides an in-vehicle telematics system featuring: 1) a controller; 2) a diagnostics system configured to receive diagnostic information from a host vehicle; 3) a position-locating system configured to determine the host vehicle's location information; 4) a communication interface configured to send additional information to a peripheral system other than the diagnostic position-locating systems; and, 5) a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
1. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller;
a diagnostics system, communicating with the controller, configured to receive diagnostic information from a host vehicle;
a position-locating system, communicating with the controller, configured to determine location information of the host vehicle;
a communication interface, communicating with the controller, configured to send additional information to an in-vehicle peripheral system other than the diagnostic and position-locating systems, wherein the in-vehicle peripheral system comprises a short-range wireless transmitter, and wherein the communication interface is configured to universally interface with different peripheral systems; and,
a wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to transmit information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral system is a display.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the display is an LCD.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the display.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to cause a text message to be displayed on the display.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the text message is received from the Internet-accessible website.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the text message is received from a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant.
8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the display is configured to mount inside the vehicle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral system comprises a voice interface that receives audio information and sends the information to the wireless transmitter.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the peripheral system is a hands-free phone kit.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a Bluetooth™ transmitter configured to send information to and receive information from the hands-free phone kit.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral system comprises a transceiver.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless transmitter is a transmitter operating a Bluetooth™, 802.11, part-15, or infrared wireless protocol.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral system comprises a button that, when depressed, sends a signal through the interface to the controller.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral system is a secondary wireless modem.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the secondary wireless modem is a satellite modem.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a serial interface.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the serial interface is an I 2 C, RS232, RS485, USB, CAN or SPI interface.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position-locating system is a GPS.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position-locating system is a network-assisted GPS.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a microprocessor or a microcontroller.
22. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller configured to receive diagnostic information from a host vehicle and location information from a position-locating system, and additionally configured to receive and send information through a serial interface to an in-vehicle peripheral device other than the diagnostic and position-locating systems, wherein the in-vehicle peripheral device comprises a short-range wireless transmitter, and wherein the serial interface is configured to universally interface with different peripheral systems; and,
a wireless transmitter configured to receive diagnostic and location information and transmit this information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral device is a display.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the display is an LCD.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller is configured to cause a text message to be displayed on the display.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the text message is received from the Internet-accessible website.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the text message is received from a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant.
28. The system of claim 23 , wherein the display is configured to mount inside the vehicle.
29. The system of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a voice interface that receives audio information and sends the information to the wireless transmitter.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the voice interface is a hands-free phone kit.
31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the system further comprises a Bluetooth™ transmitter configured to send information to and receive information from the hands-free phone kit.
32. The system of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a transceiver.
33. The system of claim 22 , wherein the short-range wireless transmitter is a transmitter operating a Bluetooth™, 802.11, part-15, or infrared wireless protocol.
34. The system of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a button that, when depressed, sends a signal through the interface to the controller.
35. The system of claim 22 , wherein the peripheral device is a secondary wireless modem.
36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the secondary wireless modem is a satellite modem.
37. The system of claim 22 , wherein the interface is a serial interface.
38. The system of claim 37 , wherein the serial interface is an I 2 C, RS232, RS485, USB, CAN or SPI interface.
39. The system of claim 22 , wherein the controller is a microprocessor or a microcontroller.
40. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller;
a position-locating system, communicating with the controller, configured to determine location information of the host vehicle;
a communication interface, communicating with the controller, configured to send additional information to an external peripheral system, wherein the communication interface is configured to universally interface with different in-vehicle peripheral systems, and wherein the in-vehicle peripheral system comprises a short-range wireless transmitter;
a housing that covers the controller and the position-locating system and includes a port communicating with the external peripheral system; and,
a wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to transmit information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
41. The system of claim 40 , further comprising a cable that sends information to and receives information from the external peripheral system.
42. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller;
a position-locating system, communicating with the controller, configured to determine location information of the host vehicle;
an in-vehicle short-range wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to send information to an in-vehicle peripheral device; and,
a long-range wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to transmit information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
43. The system of claim 42 , wherein the short-range wireless transmitter is a transmitter operating a Bluetooth™, 802.11, part-15 or infrared wireless protocol.
44. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller;
a diagnostics system, communicating with the controller, configured to receive diagnostic information from a host vehicle;
a position-locating system, communicating with the controller, configured to determine location information of the host vehicle;
a display, communicating with the controller through a serial interface, configured to display information sent from an Internet-accessible website, wherein the serial interface is configured to universally interface with different in-vehicle peripheral systems, wherein the in-vehicle peripheral systems comprise a short-range wireless transmitter; and,
a wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to transmit information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website.
45. An in-vehicle telematics system comprising:
a controller;
a position-locating system, communicating with the controller, configured to determine location information of the host vehicle;
a voice interface, communicating with the controller, configured to receive and send voice information to an in-vehicle peripheral system, wherein the in-vehicle peripheral system comprises a short-range wireless transmitter; and,
a wireless transmitter, communicating with the controller, configured to transmit location information through a wireless network to an Internet-accessible website, and configured to transmit voice information through the wireless network.
46. The system of claim 45 , wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit location information through the wireless network to the Internet-accessible website, and voice information through the wireless network to an external telephone.
47. The system of claim 46 , wherein the controller further comprises a speech-recognition module.
48. The system of claim 47 , wherein the speech-recognition module is configured to analyze speech of a user to determine a telephone number.