IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,807,545
Granted Patent B2
US 10,807,545 · App. 15/812,137 · Granted Oct 20, 2020

Temperature-based embedded modem feature scaling

Inventors: Oliver Lei (Windsor, CA); Allen R. Murray (Lake Orion, MI); David Tengler (West Bloomfield, MI); Ritesh Pandya (Rochester Hills, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60R16/0232B60R16/0237H04W4/40B60Q9/00H04W4/203H04W4/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,807,545
App. No.
15/812,137
Granted
Oct 20, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A telematics device of a vehicle, comprising includes a temperature sensor to sense temperature of the telematics device; and a processor in communication with the temperature sensor. The processor is programmed to disable over-the-air software update functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a first predefined threshold value, disable hotspot functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a second predefined threshold value, and disable remote services functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a third predefined threshold value.

Claims (19)

1. A telematics device of a vehicle, comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature of the telematics device; and

a processor in communication with the temperature sensor programmed to

disable over-the-air software update functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a first predefined threshold value,

disable hotspot functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a second predefined threshold value higher than the first threshold value, and

disable remote services functionality responsive to the temperature exceeding a third predefined threshold value higher than the second threshold value.

2. The telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to send an alert to a server responsive to identifying the temperature as being above the first predefined threshold.

3. The telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a computing platform in communication with a human machine interface (HMI), and the processor is further programmed to, responsive to the temperature being above the first predefined threshold, send a overtemperature alert to the computing platform to be output on the HMI.

4. The telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to report a malfunction responsive to a difference between a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor of the telematics device and a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor of the vehicle being greater than a predefined threshold difference.

5. The telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to enable a set of temperature-controlled functions of the telematics device responsive to the processor determining that the temperature of the telematics device is below the first predefined threshold.

6. The telematics device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is programmed to disable the set of temperature-controlled functions of the telematics device but maintain emergency calling capability responsive to the processor determining that temperature of telematics device is above a second predefined threshold, wherein the second predefined threshold is greater than the first predefined threshold.

7. The telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the first predefined threshold value, the second predefined threshold value, and the third predefined threshold value are stored to a memory of the telematics device.

8. A telematics control unit (TCU) installed on a vehicle, comprising:

a controller, configured to generate a malfunction message responsive to an indication that a first temperature of a first TCU component is higher than a second temperature for greater than a threshold period of time, wherein the second temperature is indicative of temperature of a vehicle component other than the first TCU component.

9. The TCU of claim 8 , wherein the second temperature is indicative of temperature of a second TCU component.

10. The TCU of claim 8 , wherein the second temperature is indicative of an ambient temperature of the vehicle.

11. The TCU of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to disable a function of the TCU when the first temperature is higher than the second temperature for more than the threshold.

12. The TCU of claim 11 , wherein the disabled function is a wireless modem function.

13. The TCU of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain availability of emergency service regardless of the first temperature.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2017
From: LEI, OLIVER; MURRAY, ALLEN R.; TENGLER, DAVID; PANDYA, RITESH
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 044120/0764 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190143915A1 · May 16, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,705,152