Activating a digital radio broadcast receiver in a vehicle
A system and method of controlling a digital radio broadcast receiver in a vehicle includes: detecting an instruction to activate the digital radio broadcast receiver; accessing a software application at the vehicle in response to the instruction; and activating the digital radio broadcast receiver in the vehicle at the direction of the software application.
1. A method of controlling a digital radio broadcast receiver in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) detecting an instruction to activate the digital radio broadcast receiver;
(b) transmitting a vehicle identifier to a central facility in response to step (a);
(c) receiving a software application or a code unlocking a software application at the vehicle;
(d) accessing the software application, wherein the software application enables audio that is received as packet data transmissions over a wireless carrier system comprising a cellular telephone system or that is received as broadcasted in-band on-channel (IBOC) radio; and
(e) activating the digital radio broadcast receiver in the vehicle at the direction of the software application.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software application includes a vehicle identifier.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
obtaining a vehicle identifier from the vehicle at the direction of the software application.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
generating a code from the vehicle identifier;
transmitting the code from the remote facility to the vehicle; and
activating the software application with the transmitted code.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of associating the activated digital radio broadcast receiver in the vehicle with an account of a vehicle owner.
6. A method of controlling a digital radio broadcast receiver in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) presenting a vehicle owner in a vehicle an option to activate the digital radio broadcast receiver;
(b) receiving a selection at the vehicle to activate the digital radio broadcast receiver;
(c) wirelessly transmitting a computer-readable instruction representing the selection from a vehicle telematics unit to a remote facility;
(d) receiving a software application at the vehicle telematics unit from the remote facility; and
(e) activating the digital radio broadcast receiver in the vehicle using the software application.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the digital radio broadcast receiver receives audio transmitted as packetized data via a data connection with a wireless carrier system.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the digital radio broadcast receiver receives audio transmitted via terrestrial antenna.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the audio transmitted via terrestrial antenna is broadcast as in-band on-channel (IBOC) radio.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the software application includes a vehicle identifier.
11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
obtaining a vehicle identifier from the vehicle at the direction of the software application; and
transmitting the vehicle identifier from the vehicle to the remote facility.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
generating a code from the vehicle identifier;
transmitting the code from the remote facility to the vehicle; and
activating the software application with the transmitted code.
13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of associating the activated digital radio broadcast receiver in the vehicle with an account of the vehicle owner.
14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the software application is an Android™ application package file.