Patent Application
20100079241
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for data transfer. In particular, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a vehicle entry device that is adapted to store data such as audio data for transfer to a vehicle system in a vehicle.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Automotive systems are continuing to offer more alternatives to consumers. Known systems allow a user to transfer data such as audio music files from a source outside the vehicle (such as a portable media player) to an audiovisual system in the vehicle. Thus, a user may transfer preferred entertainment content to the audiovisual system of the vehicle, reducing the need to constantly bring separate media (for example, CDs or DVDs) into the vehicle to be played. Compatibility problems, however, may prevent a user from being able to transfer data from a portable media player of a particular type to the automotive audiovisual system. In addition, the user must carry the device containing the stored data into the car. An improved system and method of transferring data from a source outside a vehicle to an audiovisual system on board the vehicle is desirable.
There is provided an integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device and method of operating the same. An exemplary integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device comprises vehicle entry logic adapted to provide at least one vehicle entry function, a data input/output port that is adapted to receive external data and a memory that is adapted to store external data received via the data input/output port. The integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device also comprises data processing logic adapted to transfer data from the data input/output port to the memory and from the memory to a vehicle system in a vehicle, whereby the external data is brought into the vehicle via operation of the at least one vehicle entry function and transferred to the vehicle system from the memory.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the present invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be better understood by reference to the following description of one embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting in any manner the scope of the invention.
One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the body portion 102 of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 supports a lock button 106, an unlock button 108 and an alarm button 110. The lock button 106, when pressed, may generate a wireless control signal to lock all the doors of an associated vehicle (not shown). The unlock button 108 may generate a wireless command to unlock one or more doors of the vehicle. The alarm button 110 may be adapted to sound an alarm such as repeatedly sounding the horn of the vehicle to indicate that the user is in distress.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an internal audio play system to play audio data transferred to the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 from an external source. The inclusion of an internal audio play system allows the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 to function as a portable media player that may be used even when the user is not in the vehicle. If such an internal audio play system is included, the body portion 102 of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 may include controls to operate the internal audio play system. For example, the body portion 102 may include a rewind button 112, a pause/play button 114, and a fast forward button 116. In addition, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a head phone output 118 to deliver audio data to a set of headphones worn by the user.
As fully described below, the body portion 102 of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 may comprise one or more data input/output ports to receive data transferred from an external source. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that data stored on the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 using a particular input/output port may be transferred to a vehicle system using a different input/output port. For example, data may be loaded into the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device using the data input/output port 120 and transferred to a vehicle system via the wireless communication interface 122. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the body portion 102 or the key blade 104 of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 may include one or more physical contacts that engage with the vehicle when the key blade 104 is inserted into the ignition of the vehicle. These contacts may allow the transfer of data from the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 to a vehicle system.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention allows a user to conveniently bring data such as audio files into an automobile by using an existing element of the automobile (i.e., the key device already carried by the user). Moreover, the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 can be used in conjunction with or as a substitute for external audio devices such as a USB stick, a USB hard drives or other commercially available consumer electronic audio and/or video players. The use of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 to transport data to a vehicle system in the vehicle allows the owner to carry one less device relative to using a separate data storage device such as a USB stick or personal audio player to transport data. This is true because car keys are typically kept on a person while they are outside of their automobile. In other words, the user already has car keys, so the need to carry yet an additional device is avoided.
As shown in
The memory 204 may be powered by a rechargeable battery 206. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rechargeable battery 206 is recharged from a vehicle power supply on the vehicle whenever the key is engaged in the vehicle ignition. In addition, the rechargeable battery 206 may also be recharged when the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 is connected to receive data from an external device such as a computer system. Further, the rechargeable battery 206 may be adapted to be charged via inductive charging. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention that is adapted for inductive charging, the user places the key in an inductive charging location to maintain the charge on the rechargeable battery 206. While located in the inductive charging location, the rechargeable battery 206 is inductively charged.
The integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 200 comprises vehicle entry logic 208 that is adapted to perform a vehicle entry function, such as unlocking the doors of vehicle. The vehicle entry logic 208 is powered by a battery 210, which may operate independently of the rechargeable battery 206 used to power the memory 204. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the vehicle entry logic 208 may implemented in the same physical device as the data processing logic 202 depending on system design considerations.
In
In the exemplary embodiment of the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 200 shown in
At block 304, data is stored in an integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 (
At block 306, a vehicle entry function is performed with the integrated vehicle entry/data transfer device 100 (
While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
