Method and system for sending user information to a car
A telematics server manages meeting request messages sent from, and to, a vehicle-coupled device. The server performs authentication services when a subscriber logs in to the server from the vehicle-coupled device, or with a device associated with the subscriber's telematics services account. Upon login, the server may append a session identifier to the request message. After the message passes through the server, an application running on a device remote from the vehicle receives the request message and accepts user input that permits the remote device to transmit its current location to the vehicle-coupled device in a confirmation message according to the session identifier. The telematics server can use the session identifier to determine the destination address of the vehicle-coupled device to forward the confirmation message to. The vehicle-coupled device displays the remote user device location on a map. The request and confirmation messages may include a media content file.
1. A method, performed by a telematics server, comprising:
receiving a meeting request and information message sent from it device associated with a vehicle, wherein the meeting request and information message requests the location of a device remote from the vehicle and associated with a certain individual;
transmitting the meeting request and information message to the device remote from the vehicle according to a unique identifier associated with a user associated with the device remote from the vehicle, wherein the transmitted request and information message includes an identity of a driver of the vehicle;
receiving a confirmation message from the device remote from the vehicle that the user associated with the remote device will permit the device in the vehicle to obtain current location information of the remote device; and
transmitting a confirmation message that includes current location information of the device remote from the vehicle to the vehicle device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle device is coupled to a communication bus of the vehicle and wherein the vehicle device is configured to communicate with electronic vehicle components and systems that are also coupled to the vehicle communication bus.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a user name.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein a telematics table associates the user name with one, or more, device identifiers.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the association of the device associated with the vehicle that initiates the meeting request and information message occurs when a telematics subscriber authenticates himself, or herself, to a telematics server using an application running on the initiating device.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the telematics server routes the confirmation message and information contained therein to a vehicle device associated with the telematics subscriber based on the subscriber's authentication to the telematics server.
7. A method for sending a meeting request, comprising:
receiving a meeting request and information message sent from a device associated with a vehicle, wherein the meeting request and information message requests the location of a device remote from the vehicle and associated with a certain individual, and wherein the meeting request and information message is transmitted to the device remote from the vehicle according to a unique identifier associated with a user remote from the vehicle, wherein the transmitted meeting request and information message includes an identity of a driver of the vehicle; and
transmitting a confirmation message from the device remote from the vehicle to a telematics operations server indicating that the user associated with the unique identifier and the remote device will permit the device in the vehicle to obtain current location information of the remote device.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing a user interface for selecting whether to transmit location information to the device associated with the vehicle.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user interface facilitates communicating over a network with a location information processing software application running on the telematics operations server, wherein the telematics operations server presents information contained in the confirmation message to an application running on the telematics server, which determines an address of the vehicle device to transmit the information contained in the confirmation message to according to a data record associated with the device that sent the meeting request and information message.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the confirmation message includes location coordinates that describe the current location of the device remote from the vehicle.
11. A server configured for performing the steps of a method for sending a meeting request, the method comprising:
receiving a meeting request and information message sent from a device associated with a vehicle, wherein the meeting request and information message requests the location of a device remote from the vehicle and associated with certain individual;
transmitting the meeting request and information message to the device remote from the vehicle according to a unique identifier associated with a user associated with the device remote from the vehicle, wherein the transmitted meeting request and information message includes an identity of a driver of the vehicle;
receiving a confirmation message from the device remote from the vehicle that that the user associated with the remote device will permit the device in the vehicle to obtain current location information of the remote device; and
transmitting a confirmation message that includes current location information of the device remote from the vehicle to the vehicle device.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the vehicle device is coupled to a communication bus of the vehicle and wherein the vehicle device is configured to communicate with electronic vehicle components and systems that are also coupled to the vehicle communication bus.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the unique identifier is a user name.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein a telematics table associates the user name with one, or more, device identifiers.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the association of the device associated with the vehicle that initiates the meeting request and information message occurs when a telematics subscriber authenticates himself, or herself, to the server using an application running on the initiating device.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the server routes the confirmation message and information contained therein to a vehicle device associated with the telematics subscriber based on the subscriber's authentication to the telematics server.