KR100723444B1 - Technique for effective communications with, and provision of global positioning system GPS based advertising information to, automobiles - Google Patents

Abstract

In a car, communication with the car is in the form of a message. These messages are referred to as "electronic car-mail" or "C-mail" messages, each of which has a destination or source address, including an identifier, for example a vehicle identification number (VIN) identifying the car. The message can be delivered from the remote server to the vehicle via a communication network, for example the Internet. One such message may include a recall notice for the vehicle. Another message may include a just-in-time map for navigation, depending on the current location of the vehicle. Another message may also contain advertising information related to the selected entities, eg, restaurants, gas stations, department stores, etc., depending on the current vehicle's location. Messages sent from the vehicle to the remote server may include, for example, GPS information identifying the location of the vehicle, dynamic data supplied by sensors in the vehicle for analysis, distance totalizer records for recording and speedometer records, and the like. have.

Description

Technology for effective communications with, and provision of global positioning system (GPS) based advertising information to, automobiles}

The present invention relates to a communication technique, and more particularly, to a technique for communicating information with a vehicle, including advertising information.

In the modern information age, virtually everyone is "connected" to each other through telephones, cellular phones, facsimiles, pagers, and the like. In particular, because of recent major advances in Internet technology, many also utilize personal computers (PCs), notebook computers, pocket computers, and the like, to send each other e-mails over the Internet by modem. What's more, with common web browser software such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers installed on these computers, users can browse web pages from the World Wide Web (WWW), the graphical subnetwork of the Internet on their computers.

Many webpages, especially webpages that provide free services, such as search engines and other portal services, include paid advertisements. Some web pages include a display option to provide directory assistance. One such option may be a "yellow page" option that allows you to specify the products or services you want and the areas you want them to get. In response, the user is provided with information relating to each location of the desired product or service provider in the designated area.

In order to keep motorists in the "wired state" even while driving, a PC specially designed for them, namely "Auto PC", was introduced. Auto PCs, which can be installed in standard vehicle stereo slots, use well known communication and navigation technologies. For example, car users can use an Auto PC to deliver e-mail and pager messages. Users can also rely on Auto PCs to drive their vehicles with the help of the US Government's Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite. In response to signals from these satellites, in a general manner, the Auto PC accurately indicates (in latitude and longitude) the position of the vehicle. Auto PC also detects the speed and direction of the vehicle. With the geographical information stored therein, the AutoPC can send voice and visual instructions to the user to arrive at their destination.

We looked at the combination of communication and GPS technology to help the car. The resulting service is known as the "On Star Service." The service needs to be installed in automobiles that have an Ostar system including a GPS receiver and a cellular phone subscribed to the service. When a car user calls an Ostar service representative on a cellular phone, the system automatically communicates the location of the vehicle tracked by the GPS receiver. The service representative may then provide the user with roadside assistance based on directions, restaurant recommendations, and / or vehicle location.

Moreover, a system is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,442,553, issued August 15, 1995 to Parrillo, in which the vehicle communicates data relating to the remote base with the vehicle to obtain diagnostic information from the vehicle and upgrade certain software. . In the disclosed system, a remote station uses cellular phone numbers to locate a car and communicate data with a car connected to the cellular phone over a cellular phone network.

The prior art system described above, which uses the cellular phone number assigned for cellular phone connection to the vehicle to locate the vehicle, has recognized the inconvenience. This arises from the fact that the cellular phone number belongs to and is definitely related to the subscriber of the cellular phone service most likely to be the current owner of the vehicle. Cellular phone numbers are used for personal communication, so when ownership of a vehicle changes, the new owner is likely to replace the current cellular phone number with a new number for his personal communication. As a result, in prior art systems the remote base can no longer locate and communicate with the vehicle using the previous cellular phone number. As such, the practicality of prior art systems is valid depending on whether the system has a record of the latest telephone number for locating the vehicle. Although the procedure for registration of a new telephone number is appropriate, the operability of the system is undesirably affected by the registration procedure by new owners.

Moreover, because of the use of cellular phone networks, remote bases in prior art systems need to dial one car at a time when communicating data with multiple vehicles. Therefore, this communication method is also particularly inefficient when the remote base transmits the same data, for example, information relating to a particular type of vehicle recall to many vehicles. In such cases, the remote station needs to make multiple calls to each vehicle and repeat the same data. In contrast, by utilizing a cellular network, a vehicle can communicate with one remote station at a time. If the same data from the vehicle needs to communicate with different bases for different analysis, it is undesirable because multiple calls need to be made for each base one at a time.

According to one aspect of the present invention, communication between a vehicle and remote bases or servers is implemented using electronic car-mail, referred to as "C-mail". Like normal e-mail messages, C-mail messages are formatted according to well-known protocols and can be delivered by common mail servers on a communication network such as the Internet. However, unlike e-mail whose address identifies a person for personal communication and is similar to the cellular phone number described above, C-mail has an address that identifies the vehicle itself. For example, the C-mail address may consist of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that identifies the vehicle. These C-mail addresses remain unchanged until at least the life of the vehicle. Since the C-mail address belongs to or is clearly related to the vehicle rather than the person, for example the owner of the vehicle, communication with the vehicle using C-mail is not compromised throughout the lifetime of the vehicle and any changes in vehicle ownership are made. This will remain. Moreover, by taking advantage of the well-known e-mail feature, the vehicle can send the same information, for example diagnostic information, via C-mail to multiple servers simultaneously on the Internet for multiple analysis simultaneously. In contrast, the server may simultaneously send the same information via C-mail, for example recall information, to the selected vehicle using multiple corresponding VINs as part of the C-mail address.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a user may utilize a vehicle browser to look up advertising information from a communication network, such as the Internet. Advertising information is provided in Just-In-Time (JIT) format, the content of which depends on the current location of the vehicle in GPS coordinates.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show illustrative embodiments of the invention.

1 is a block diagram of an information and control system for in-vehicle use according to the present invention.

2 illustrates a configuration in which the communication subsystem communicates with a remote server via a communication network in the system of FIG. 1.

3 illustrates a data field in an electronic vehicle mail message in accordance with the present invention communicating with a communication subsystem.

4 illustrates a screen containing display options related to navigation features provided by the navigation subsystem in the system of FIG. 1.

5 illustrates a screen displaying an electronic vehicle mail message.

6 illustrates a screen containing a display option for accessing GPS-based advertising information according to the present invention.

7 illustrates a screen displaying an advertisement page.

8 illustrates a display window that includes an inquiry about the confidentiality of access to specific advertisement information.

9 illustrates a screen displaying information relating to a restaurant-advertiser.

10 illustrates a screen containing restaurant menu information.

11 illustrates a screen including information related to preferred goods / service providers for business purposes.

1 illustrates an information and control system 100 embodying the principles of the present invention for use in a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the system 100 can communicate information with remote servers via a communication network, for example the Internet in this case. As described below, system 100 transmits information relating to a vehicle to one or more servers, including, for example, diagnostic information, GPS information, and the like, from, for example, map information, weather information, Information including traffic information, telephone number information, and the like can be received.

In prior art systems, a remote station communicates data associated with a vehicle through a cellular phone network with a vehicle having a cellular phone connection, using the cellular phone number assigned to the connection for locating the vehicle. However, this communication configuration based on the recognition of the cellular phone number is lacking in that the cellular phone number belongs to and is definitely related to the cellular phone service subscriber most likely to be the current owner of the vehicle. Cellular phone numbers are used for personal communication, so when ownership of a vehicle changes, the new owner is likely to replace the current cellular phone number with a new number for his personal communication. As a result, in prior art systems the remote base can no longer locate and communicate with the vehicle using the previous cellular phone number. As such, the practicality of prior art systems depends on whether the system has a record of the latest telephone number to locate the vehicle. Although the procedure for registration of a new telephone number is appropriate, the operability of the system is undesirably affected by the registration procedure by new owners.

Moreover, because of the use of cellular phone networks, remote stations in prior art systems need to dial one car at a time when communicating data with multiple vehicles. Therefore, this communication method is also particularly inefficient when the remote base transmits the same data, for example, information relating to a particular type of vehicle recall to many vehicles. In such cases, the remote station needs to make multiple calls to each vehicle and repeat the same data. In contrast, by utilizing a cellular network, a vehicle can communicate with one remote station at a time. If the same data from the vehicle needs to communicate with different bases for different analysis, it is undesirable because multiple calls need to be made for each base one at a time.

In accordance with the present invention, communication between a vehicle and remote stations or servers is implemented using electronic vehicle mail, hereinafter referred to as "C-mail". Like regular e-mail messages, C-mail messages are constructed according to well-known protocols, such as the well-known mail transport protocol and Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), and common mail servers on communication networks such as the Internet. Can be delivered by However, unlike e-mail whose address identifies a person for personal communication and is similar to the cellular phone number described above, C-mail has an address that identifies the vehicle itself.

A typical email address is of the form <user account> @ <domain>, for example "jsmith@aol.com". As is well known, the <user account> part before "@", for example "jsmith", identifies an e-mail user, for example Joe Smith. The <domain> part after the "@" sign, e.g. "aol.com" identifies an access mail server, for example, an American online server connected to the Internet, in this case providing email services to Joe Smith do. However, according to the present invention, the C-mail address is in the form of <vehicle account> @ <domain>. In this example, the <vehicle account> portion is composed of a vehicle identification number (VIN) identifying a vehicle to which a C-mail address has been assigned. In a general way, VIN uniquely identifies a vehicle by its type, model and year. The <domain> part may represent a predetermined access mail server connected to the Internet in order to satisfy the need of the C-mail of the vehicle. For purposes of explanation, the <domain> part may be "vehicle.com" in this example.

Thus, the C-mail address of the vehicle may be "JN1CA23D4TT567890@vehicle.com" when "JN1CA23D4TT567890" is the VIN of the vehicle. This C-mail address is stored in memory 107 in system 100 and remains unchanged until at least the life of the vehicle is over. It should be noted here that memory 107 generally represents a combination of volatile, nonvolatile, and cache memory. Since the C-mail address belongs to or is clearly related to the vehicle rather than the person, for example the owner of the vehicle, communication with the vehicle using C-mail is not compromised throughout the lifetime of the vehicle and any changes in vehicle ownership are made. This will remain. Moreover, by utilizing the advantages of the well-known e-mail feature, as described below, the vehicle can simultaneously send the same information via C-mail, for example diagnostic information, to multiple servers on the Internet simultaneously for multiple analyzes. can send. In contrast, the server may simultaneously send the same information via C-mail, for example recall information, to the selected vehicle using multiple corresponding VINs as part of the C-mail address.

System 100 includes a communication subsystem 109 for conveying information, including C-mail, in a vehicle. 2 shows a wireless communication network 213, e.g., a well-known Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) network, a digital AMPS network, a Personal Communications Service (PCS) network, a full range system for mobile communications. (GSM: Global System for Mobile communications) Examples of sending and receiving information over a network, paging network, hybrid personal communications network (HPCN), satellite network, microwave network, milliwave network, etc. For example, a block diagram of a subsystem 109 that includes a transceiver 205 that includes a cellular phone. Subsystem 109 modulates a carrier in a wireless communication network 213 that carries C-mail data to or from a data channel, such as, for example, a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) channel. And a modem 209 to demodulate.

Referring back to FIG. 1, subsystem 109 passes through common bus 113, for example, detection subsystem 111, electronic transmission / throttle system 113, brakes. (brake) subsystem 116, traction control system 121, engine subsystem 126, wheel subsystem 129, climate control subsystem 131, auxiliary sub And connect to other subsystems in system 100 including system 134, clock subsystem 136, user interface 139, and navigation subsystem 141. Subsystem interface 151 includes, for example, all of the standard input / outputs (I / O's) that connect processor 103 to all subsystems. Under the control of the processor 103, combinations of subsystems perform various vehicle functions collaboratively.

For example, system 100 provides adaptive cruise control using detection subsystem 111, electronic transmission / throttle subsystem, and brake subsystem 116. Specifically, the detection subsystem 111, including sonar, infrared transceiver, laser transceiver and / or Doppler radar, measures the distance to the vehicle in front of it. The electronic transmission / throttle subsystem 113, the brake subsystem 116, and the processor 103 are adjusted to keep the speed of the vehicle moving as the traffic flows. If the preceding vehicle speeds up or slows down, the subsystem 111 signals the processor 103 to adjust the throttle or brake to maintain a proper safety distance. Other autonomous driving methodologies including such subsystems may be found in US Patent Serial No. 08 / 904,855 ("855 Application") entitled "Central Control and Management System for Automobiles", but is beyond the scope of the present invention. In this regard, the description is omitted here.

Traction control subsystem 121, which may be a type of TRAXXAR stability control system, includes sensors that measure the steering wheel position, yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. These sensors work in conjunction with the processor to be controllable to the brake to prevent potential slippage at the selected wheel.

Similarly, under the control of processor 103, engine subsystem 126 drives the engine of the vehicle at the selected R.P.M using the selected fuel / air mixture that provides the appropriate power of the vehicle.

The wheel subsystem 129 includes sensors for reading tire pressure and detecting losses such as tire traction and tread.

The climate control subsystem 131, which includes a thermostat and an airflow controller, cools or heats the vehicle interior and trunk / store for proper preservation of the load for the occupant's convenience; Select the airflow mode; Set fan speed; Start or stop the sedentary heaters; Select outside and bet; Start or stop the front and rear defroster, defroster and steering wheel heater.                 

Through the auxiliary subsystem 134, the processor 103 controls the vehicle's doors, windows, hoods, trunks, mirrors, airbags, locks, light sources, and the like.

Each of the subsystems described above includes sensors (not shown) for providing various dynamic data relating to components associated with the processor 103. Specifically, the sensors in communication subsystem 109 provide dynamic data regarding whether transceiver 205 and modem 209 are in a steady state, including information regarding charger power levels.

Sensors within the detection subsystem 111 provide dynamic data relating to whether the associated radar and transceiver are functioning properly, including information relating to the radar and charger power levels for the transceiver.

Sensors in the electronic transmission / throttle subsystem 113 provide dynamic data relating to the state of the transmission or the transmission as well as the variable state within the transmission, including fluid levels and the like.

Sensors in the brake subsystem 116 provide dynamic data relating to the wear of the brakes, the state of the emergency brakes, and whether all the brakes are steady.

The sensors in the traction control system 121 described above provide dynamic data relating to measurements of the steering wheel position, yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

Sensors in engine subsystem 126 provide dynamic data related to engine R.P.M., fuel / air mixture, exhaust, pollution content, and the remaining life of engine oil before the next oil change required.

The sensors of the wheel subsystem 129 described above provide dynamic data relating to loss of tire pressure, tire traction or tread and the like.

Sensors in climate control subsystem 131 include indoor and trunk / storage temperature, airflow mode, fan speed, indoor air quality, and front and rear defrosters, mirror defrosters and steering wheels. Provides dynamic data regarding the condition of the heater.

Sensors in the auxiliary subsystem 134 include, among others, distance totalizers and speedometers that provide dynamic data relating to the current mileage and speed of the vehicle, respectively. Other sensors in the system 134 provide dynamic data relating to the status of the vehicle's doors, windows, hoods, trunks, mirrors, airbags, locks, light sources, and the like. In particular, some data relate to the preservation of doors, windows, hoods, drakes and mirrors, and to the detection of any physical shocks occurring to them in the event of a collision and whether the airbags are ready or operational.

In addition, clock subsystem 136 provides processor 103 with data relating to the current time and date. Relying on this data, processor 103 properly synchronizes the activity of system 100 and maintains continuity of events. Moreover, utilizing the temporal data, the processor 103 implements a planner function, such as vehicle maintenance scheduling.

It will be appreciated that the dynamic data provided by the subsystems described above is for illustrative purposes only, and additional and / or other dynamic data may be required, depending on the vehicle and the actual components coupled thereto. There will be. In some event, processor 103 polls each subsystem over time for dynamic data and, based on the dynamic data, alerts and account for violations via user interface 141 described below. You can announce the message. Some violations may cause the processor 103 to limit certain vehicle operations until such corrective action is taken. As will be described below, the processor 103 allows the selected ones of the dynamic data to be sent via C-mail for analysis and recording to one or more remote servers.

Recently, in the United States, approximately 200 million vehicles operate on public roads. However, the driving of the vehicle is subject to federal and state regulations. For example, the driving of each vehicle needs to meet certain legal requirements with regard to safety, emissions, licenses, insurance, and driving skills. In this way, law enforcement is interested in obtaining specific information about each vehicle to determine whether the driving vehicle meets these requirements.

In addition, many vehicles in the United States are leased or loaned from financial institutions. The latter generally establishes the security right as a right to re-own them in the event of a non-payment of the first lease for the vehicle. Therefore, these financial institutions are interested in finding out where the rented or loaned vehicle is in case of subsequent re-ownership.

In addition, the vehicle maintenance service is concerned with finding out the work history of each vehicle serviced for diagnostic purposes, and the maintenance history of what parts were replaced with the previous service for the vehicle and when. Similarly, potential buyers of used vehicles may wish to have their own records of the vehicle's work and maintenance history. In addition, they may want to know if the vehicle is involved in a crash, whether the distance totalizer record is correct, and so on.

Furthermore, automotive producers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) may use data relating to components within each vehicle produced to determine the durability of the components after the initial sale of the vehicle, and thus the appropriate warranty period. I'm tired of getting it. Independent watchdogs are also interested in such data to report on vehicle quality for various vehicle brands.

In fact, all of the above data of interest can be provided via C-mail in accordance with the present invention. This data is multi-delivered via C-mail by individual vehicles to different servers on the Internet, using the well-known feature of e-mail "carbon copy (cc :)", where the server's destination address can be specified. Can be. Each server may be associated with a different entity and may collect a database for use by that entity.

Alternatively, in this case, the data is collected by a central server 230 that acts as a data store that can be asked to extract useful policies from FIG. To that end, the processor 103 constructs a C-mail message relating to the vehicle in question, and the C-mail message is communicated by the communication subsystem 109 on a timely basis, for example periodically, on the Internet 250. It is programmed to be sent to a designated mailbox in the central server 230. Accordingly, subsystem 109 establishes a telephone connection via wireless communication network 213 to, among other things, a predetermined access server 222 that provides C-mail on the Internet 250. Note that server 222 may not be the only one access server that provides C-mail on the Internet. It will be appreciated that many access servers similar to server 222 are geographically distributed for efficient communication of C-mail.

The C-mail message configured by the processor 103 is, for example, when "carcentral.com" represents the domain associated with the central server 230, according to its address, mail@carcentral.com, the central server over the Internet. Is sent over the established connection to the server 222 destined for the mailbox.

3 illustrates different data fields in the C-mail message configured by the processor 103. Specifically, data field 303 contains the address of the central server mailbox to which the C-mail message is delivered, namely mail@carcentral.com. This address is stored in memory 107. The data field 307 contains the source address associated with the vehicle, which in this case is JN1CA23D4TT567890@vehicle.com, as previously described. The data field 311 includes selected data of dynamic data provided by the aforementioned subsystems in some form. The data field 315 includes the date and time stamp of the C-mail message provided by the clock subsystem 136. The data field 319 includes a record of the current distance totalizer of the vehicle provided by the auxiliary subsystem 134. The data field 323 includes GPS data provided by the navigation subsystem 141 that indicates the current location of the vehicle to be described below. The data field 327 contains direction data relating to the current direction the vehicle is traveling from the subsystem 141. The data field 331 contains data relating to the current speed of the vehicle provided by the speedometer in the subsystem 134.

Upon receipt of the C-mail message, the central server 230 processes the data contained in the message and distributes the data to appropriate databases to facilitate queries by different content. Each new data registration to the database is identified by the vehicle's VIN, which forms part of the C-mail source address, as mentioned above.

The first database in the central server 230, which can be queried by law enforcers using questions in accordance with the standard relational database programming language (SQL), is for example the preservation, locking of emissions, pollutants, light sources from each vehicle. C-mail data relating to the device and the like. For example, after questioning the first database, the enforcement of the law may issue a warning or summon order to the owner of the offending vehicle, or the emissions of the vehicles do not meet certain criteria, or the preservation of light sources, locks, etc. The lack of safety can even prohibit the use of such vehicles when their safety is an issue. In response to inquiries, law enforcement may use the VINs that form part of the C-mail to issue such warnings or subpoenas via C-mail to the offending vehicles.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle includes a safety mechanism that can prevent the vehicle from operating remotely via C-mail in the event of an emergency, vehicle theft, prohibition of the use of the vehicle, and the like. In accordance with this mechanism, the processor 103 examines each received C-mail message with a secret code to effectuate the vehicle. If such a secret code is detected, the processor 103 accordingly turns off the engine when the speed of the vehicle is low, preferably to avoid an accident. The remainder of the C-mail message may indicate the cause of the outage through the user interface 139 described below. In a preferred embodiment, multiple secret codes are used to shut down the vehicle and special secret codes are assigned to the enforcement of the law. If a vehicle is notified by a C-mail message due to a violation of the law and the vehicle is disabled, the vehicle owner needs to explain the violation in accordance with the appropriate law enforcement case before the vehicle engine is restarted based on a special secret code.

The second database in the central server 23, which is queried for tracking vehicles leased and financed by financial institutions in the case of re-owning, is based on the date, time and direction of travel and speed corresponding to the location from each vehicle. It may include C-mail data relating to an associated GPS location. Knowing the whereabouts of each vehicle is also important when the vehicle needs to locate the vehicle in an emergency or accident, especially if the user is unconscious or unable to communicate the current vehicle location.

A third database in the central server 230, which can be queried by vehicle maintenance services, OEMs, independent monitoring groups, relates to the diagnosis of operating elements in the vehicle provided by the above-described subsystems from each vehicle. May contain C-mail data. The car insurance company may also query the third database for data relating to the status of the vehicle brake, for example to know the speed, the driving habits of the user. Based on data indicative of the frequency of the vehicle over the speed limit of the vehicle, the rate of brake wear, the insurance company can determine the specific risk factors associated with the user and the insurance fee for the user's vehicle.

The automaker can also supply repairs, maintenance and / or replacement parts for each vehicle and enter it into a third database, thereby supplementing the database. For that purpose, each car repair service sends an e-mail message describing the services performed on the vehicle to a central server mailbox. The data field of such an email message is (a) a central server mailbox, i.e. a destination address field containing the address of mail@carcentral.com in this example, (b) a subject containing the VIN of the serviced vehicle, or " re: "field (c) In this example, a source address field containing an e-mail address that identifies a car maintenance company that has subscribed to a central server, and (d) services performed on the vehicle, the exchange of vehicle parts, and And a message body field containing data relating to the service date and time, along with an indication of which service or parts exchange is due to a recall notice by the automobile manufacturer. The message body field may include data in some form, which may be a code that facilitates data processing by the central server 230 after receiving the e-mail message. The central server 230 distinguishes this email message from the C-mail message as a source address that identifies the maintenance service, which is registered and different from the C-mail address. Upon receiving the e-mail message from the maintenance service, central server 230 extracts data from the message body field and enters the data into the third database under VIN provided in the problem event field.                 

Thus, by querying a third-party database that is supplemented, among other things, an automobile recall may have been sent to a vehicle owner's final known address as in the prior art via a slow mail, for example, a US postal service. You can get the VIN of those vehicles in response. Automotive producers generally maintain a database of VINs of sold vehicles for which recall notifications should be issued on their own computers. Therefore, by entering and removing the above-mentioned VINs obtained from the supplemented third database, the automobile producer computer identifies the VINs of those vehicles that did not comply with the recall notice. According to another aspect of the present invention, an automobile producer computer may multiplex secondary recall notifications via C-mail to those vehicles using the VIN identified as part of the C-mail "cc:" address. Compared to the slow mail method of the prior art, in which the practicality of the registration address of each vehicle owner who has moved or changed is uncertain in practice, the C-mail method of the present invention has a recall notification in the form of C-mail. It is more efficient in that it is sent to itself and the user in the vehicle is urged to read the C-mail recall notification as soon as it arrives by the user interface in the manner described below. In fact, it is economical and advantageous for car producers to multi-recall the recall notice to all vehicles involved in the first example via C-mail.

As mentioned earlier, a third database supplemented by auto repair companies also categorizes the parts of each vehicle replaced by such services by replacement date, time and description. In the final scrapping of the vehicle, the history of each replacement part is known by querying a supplemented third database. Depending on the history of replacement parts, replacement parts can be recycled, reused, or removed appropriately to better protect the environment.

For used vehicle buyers, the supplemented third database also provides C-mail data relating to any detection of a physical impact on the vehicle's body, which indicates a previous crash, and thus any actuation of the airbag. In addition, it may include a distance totalizer record of the vehicle associated with the corresponding date and time. The distance totalizer record is assumed to be accurate if it increases over time.

In order to prevent fraud or tampering with the database in the central server 230, the data in the e-mail or C-mail to the server 230 may be well-known cryptographic algorithms such as RSA algorithms, digital signature algorithms (DSA). Note that it may be encrypted or signed with a digital signature for authentication purposes according to the Digital Signature Algorithm (PG), Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) algorithms, etc.

It should also be noted that by using a typical relational database manager (not shown) for the server 230, queries against the database result in simple reports that meet the criteria defined in the query. If any sentences, drawings, pictures, audio clips and / or video clips are attached to a C-mail or e-mail message sent to the server 230, these attachments will have a title and marker in the database. The report generated in response to the query contains all relevant attachments.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the user interface 139 is a display 405, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a processor 103 located on the dashboard of the vehicle, the display graphic on the display 405. Display driver (not shown) for controlling the, for example, LCD driver. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, the interface 139 includes well-known touch-screen circuits (not shown). In such circuitry, the user may interact with the processor 103 by, for example, contacting an option displayed on the display 405. Through interface 139, processor 103 receives a signal indicating location information regarding which portion of display 405 has been contacted via touch screen circuitry. If this location matches a predetermined location of one of the options displayed on the screen, the processor 103 determines that the option has been selected. In addition to this touch screen and the displayed option selection function, the user can continuously acquire information and control the selectable function of the vehicle.

In this example, interface 139 includes (1) a conventional speech recognizer and audio input for allowing a user to issue commands and respond to processor 103, and (2) processor 103 Also included are conventional speech synthesizers and audio outputs that allow the &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt;

Of course, other well-known user interface hardware / software for selecting the options displayed on the display 405 may also be built in addition to or instead of the touch screen function built into the user interface 139 described above. . For example, such hardware / software may include dedicated or programmable keys installed around the display 405; Indicator devices such as a mouse, joystick, light pen, trackball, touch pad, or a combination thereof.

As disclosed in the aforementioned '855 application, the processor 103 may cause different screens or pages to be displayed on the display 405. Each page contains the displayed options for controlling different aspects of the vehicle's functions. For example, the audio page allows to select an audio station, the climate control page to adjust temperature and humidity, and so on.

As described herein above, a C-mail message containing information regarding the current state of the subject vehicle is sometimes sent to a server 222 on the Internet via an established connection from subsystem 109. How often these C-mails are sent can vary depending on the speed of the vehicle. For example, this C-mail transmission may not occur often when the vehicle is stationary (i.e. when the speed is zero) because many of the vehicle's activities are not in progress. After each transfer from subsystem 109 to server 222 occurs, the server responsively responds to subsystem 109 before disconnecting a previously established connection from the Internet addressed to the vehicle. Send any C-mail messages via. As soon as such a C-mail message is received by the subsystem 109, the processor 103 reads a header of the received C-mail message, where the header is for browsing. Display data and / or non-display data to be processed by the processor 103. If the processor 103 determines that the received C-mail message contains indication data, the result is that the C-mail indicator pops up to display on the page the user is currently using. Is displayed to indicate that a C-mail message has been reached. For example, this C-mail indicator, indicated as 409, appears on the SMART NAVIGATOR page, which is the page shown in FIG. 4 and the user is currently using.

In this example, by touching the area (except box 411) on screen 405 where indicator 409 is displayed, the user can open a received C-mail message containing display data. 5 shows an example of a C-mail message that includes a recall notification. As shown in FIG. 5, the notification in this example is delivered from the ABC car producer to the target vehicle on the target vehicle and indicates that the wrong airbag VOD window mechanism has been applied. Under other circumstances, such a C-mail message may contain a warning or subpoena from low enforcement, such as a notice from an insurance company and an auto insurance expiration. After reading the received C-mail message, the user saves the message in memory 107 using the SAVE option 509 or deletes the received message using the DELETE function 511. You can also delete it.

Looking at the pop-up indicator 409, if the user later decides to read the C-mail pointed to by the indicator 409, the user touches the portion corresponding to the box 411 on the screen 405. The indicator 409 can be minimized to postpone opening the received C-mail message.

As shown in FIG. 4, the Smart Navigator page includes, for example, NAVIGATION option 419, WEATHER option 421, TRAFFIC option 425, and DIRECTORY option 430. Include the indicated option, By selecting option 419 by contacting option 419 on display 405 and selecting ENTER key 435, the user can obtain navigation instructions regarding the entered destination. In detail, the user may derive information regarding a destination, an intermediate station, and the like. This derivation is realized by placing the question on the display 405 and / or by pronunciation of the question using voice synthesized via the audio output described above. The user then provides a voice response to the question via the voice input signal described above. The speech recognizer in interface 139 then recognizes and registers the response.

The navigation subsystem 141 shown in FIG. 1 receives signals from satellites that are part of the US government's GPS. In response to this signal, subsystem 141 accurately indicates the location of the vehicle in latitude and longitude. Using map information from a source to be described below, subsystem 141 suggests a route on display 405 to a destination specified by the user. Furthermore, based on the information regarding the instantaneous speed and direction of the vehicle, subsystem 141 may direct the user to its destination, both by voice and by image.

For local navigation, the map information described above may be provided from a medium stored in the form of a compact disc (CD). However, since the storage capacity of such a storage medium is limited, in order to navigate the long-distance area beyond the area covered by the short distance, the subsystem 141 obtains necessary map information in real time through the above-described C-mail, It should be obtained in the form of a web page described below. For example, if the central server 230 sometimes receives from the vehicle a C-mail message indicating the current position of the vehicle based on the GPS information included in each message, the server 230 may determine whether map information for the far distance is needed. Decide This determination is based on a prediction of where the vehicle will be in the interval between the time of receiving the current C-mail message and the time of receiving the next C-mail message. This prediction task is based on the time interval as described above, and the data is related to the speed and direction of the vehicle present in the current C-mail or the like. If it is determined that some remote area map information is needed, the server 230 returns the map information to the system 100 via the C-mail in a just-in-time manner, which map information from the current position of the vehicle. It is valid within a predetermined radius. Alternatively, the server 230 provides map information for coverage, which is based on the predictions described above.

The user may select a weather option 421, a traffic condition option 425, and / or a directory option 430 in addition to the navigation option 419 on the smart navigator page. For example, if option 421 is selected in addition to option 419 and then enter key 435 is pressed, subsystem 141 will display a route to a given destination on display 405 as described above in the '855 application. Present with information on weather conditions, hazardous areas, etc. on the route as published within. In a similar manner, if option 425 was selected in addition to option 419 and then enter key 435 was pressed, subsystem 141 would then route the route to a given destination with traffic conditions, highway warning messages, etc. on that route. The same information is presented on the display 405. If option 430 was selected in addition to option 419 and the enter key 435 was pressed, processor 103 displays the main directory page described below on display 405. In the current state, when the user continues to select additional options on this page, directory information about the proposed route to a given destination and the selected goods and / or services (eg, restaurants, gas stations, etc.) on that route is displayed. It is sufficient to understand that it is displayed on the display 405. It should be noted that the aforementioned weather information, traffic condition information, and directory information can be combined on the same route.

According to another aspect of the present invention, memory 107 in the system 100 may be used to obtain browsing information provided by servers connected to the Internet 250 by software for a well-known car browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Is stored in). Specifically, automotive browsers include standard hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), hypertext markup language (HTML), virtual reality markup language (VRML), and graphics exchange format (GIF). , graphics interchange format, JAVA applet, etc. work with compatibility.

For example, if only the directory option 430 is selected on the smart navigator page of FIG. 4, or if the directory option 430 is selected with the navigation option 419 and the enter key 435 is pressed, the processor 103 may communicate with the communication sub. Causes system 109 to establish a communication path for communicating with access server 222. The processor 103 then causes the car browser to request directory information from a server identified by a uniform resource locator (URL), where the car browser uses the Internet protocol (IP) in a conventional manner. , internet protocol). For example, if the URL is " www.carcentral, com / directory " in this example, this URL identifies the aforementioned main directory page provided by the central server 230. When the request signal including the URL and the identification number of the request originator, that is, the IP address of the car browser, is generated from the car browser, the request signal is transmitted to the access server 222 through the established communication connection path. The access server 222 transmits the request signal according to the present example to the central server 230 through the Internet 250 based on the given URL.

In response to the transmitted signal, server 230 sends a web page (such as the main directory to name) to the car browser according to the IP address of the car browser provided in the request signal. After receiving this main directory page, the car browser opens the page on display 405. 6 illustrates an example of a main directory page displayed on the display 405.

As shown in FIG. 6, the main directory page includes a NATIONAL option 605, a REGIONAL option 607, and an INDIVIDUAL option 609. For example, selecting option 605 allows a user to access directory information about goods and / or services that are nationally recognized or nationally trademarked, available within a selected distance from the current vehicle location. Specifically, upon recognizing that option 605 has been selected, the car browser launches a drop-down menu 615, which is a restaurant option that appears on display 405. 615-1, GAS STATION option 615-2, ..., and DEPMENTMENT STORE option 615-N, etc., where N is a natural number.

Without losing generality, the user by this example selects restaurant option 615-1. When it is detected that this option is selected, the car browser obtains a GPS coordinate axis for the current position of the vehicle from the navigation subsystem 141 and selects a selected distance (e.g., from the current position of the vehicle indicated by the acquired GPS coordinate axis). Send a request signal for the business name of a nationally known restaurant within a distance of 5 miles). In response to this request signal, server 230 provides a restaurant advertisement page based on the received GPS coordinate axes. 7 illustrates an example of a restaurant advertisement page displayed on the display 405, assuming that the directory option 430 is selected in a single state not combined with the navigation option 419 on the smart navigator page. If the directory option 430 is selected in conjunction with the navigation option 419 on the smart navigator page, a navigational instruction to the given destination on the displayed restaurant advertisement page will also appear.

As shown in FIG. 7, an icon 703 represents the current location of the vehicle on a 5-mile radius map using the GPS coordinate axis described above. Tags 713, 715, and 719 each indicate the location of restaurants nationwide known. For example, tag 713 represents the location of a McDonald's restaurant; Tag 715 indicates the location of the Taco Bell Restaurant; Tag 719 indicates the location of the Olive Garden Restaurant. Tags 713, 715, and 719 may include a famous logo of each restaurant to facilitate identification. In any case, selecting these tags allows the car browser to access the central server 230 and identify the restaurant with voice and text signals, similar to the case of a conventional hyperlink. . For example, after selecting the tag 713, the car browser sends the user interface 139 "Welcome to McDonald's" and / or jingles to identify the McDonald's restaurant and at the same time the tag ( 713) the letter words representing McDonald's.

Here, it should be noted that the server 230 provides directory information related to the product / service provider based on their paid advertising subscription. For example, in the case of restaurants nationwide, server 230 provides directory information only for restaurants that pay for the directory service of the server. The server 230 stores the GPS coordinate axis of each subscribing restaurant in the memory of the server. In providing the restaurant advertisement page of FIG. 7, the server 230 may assign to such subscribing restaurants (eg, tags 713, 715, and 719 in this example) that are within a selected distance from the current location of the vehicle. Restaurants that are indicated by This determination is made based on comparing the GPS coordinate axis of the vehicle and the coordinate axis of each subscribing restaurant stored in the server memory.

OPTIONS key 721, BACK key 725, and FORWARD keys 727 have been provided on the restaurant advertisement page of FIG. For example, by selecting the key 721, the user can re-specify the included area of the displayed map. This re-definition may be used to select a further option for specifying a new radius from the vehicle location, or to set a cross mark 733 as in the indicator device or in this example case. Likewise, when the user interface provides a touch screen function, the user interface may be pointed and dragged using a finger. When the user points to the edge mark 733 and drags it from the center of the display 405, the area of coverage of the map is enlarged, thereby increasing the scale of the displayed map (ie, the number of miles per inch increases). By enlarging (or reducing) the coverage area, it is almost certain that the number of restaurant tags in the coverage area will increase (or decrease).

By selecting the key 721, the user can also limit the frequency of updating the restaurant advertisement page so that the user can continuously obtain information about other restaurants as the vehicle moves. This frequency can be defined over time. However, in this preferred embodiment, the frequency is defined in terms of mileage, for example, once every five miles from the current location of the vehicle. As soon as the frequency is specified, the car browser constantly requests the navigation subsystem 141 for the current GPS coordinate axis of the vehicle and compares this coordinate axis with the coordinate axes of previous request signals that have been sent to the central server 230. If it is determined that the two sets of GPS coordinates that are compared are more than a specified distance (eg 5 miles) away, the car browser sends a new request signal to the server 230 for the names of restaurants known nationwide. The signal includes a set of GPS seats for the current position of the vehicle. In response to the new request signal, server 230 displays a new restaurant advertisement page on display 405 that includes the new restaurant tags.

In a conventional manner, a car browser stores the order of pages that the user has visited or browsed. Selecting the back key 725 allows the user to revisit the page visited just prior to the current page (eg, a restaurant advertisement page) (eg, the main directory page). Similarly, selecting forward key 727 allows the user to revisit the page immediately following the current page. In this case, the future key 727 cannot be selected because the page following the restaurant advertisement page has not yet been set.

Continuing the example above, the user has learned that tag 713 represents a McDonald's restaurant, and the user may also want to have dinner at a McDonald's restaurant, so select tag 713 again and enter that restaurant. You can get other information about this. With this choice, the car browser displays an inquiry window on display 405. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the query window includes three queries regarding the confidentiality of the user's selection. Specifically, if the user wishes to keep his / her choice secret, the user may select box 805 to dispose of the inquiry window. On the other hand, if the user does not want to keep his / her choice secret, the user may select box 807 instead of box 805. Furthermore, if the user does not want to keep his / her choice secret at any time and does not want to see the inquiry window in the future, the user may select box 809 instead of boxes 805 and 807.

After receiving a request from the car browser for other information about the McDonald's restaurant and receiving a user's response to confidentiality, the server 230 first determines the hit count of the tag 713 representing the McDonald's restaurant. Increase by one. In general, the server 230 keeps pace with information such as the cumulative hit number for each tag representing the product / service provider-advertiser and the respective hit time and hit date. The resulting statistics can be used by the provider-advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their directory appearances and help to formulate each promotional plan.

In addition, if the user's response indicates that his / her choice for information on the goods / services is not confidential, the server 230 may display information such as the selection, the selected time and date, etc. Stored in a record identified by its IP address. All other user choices related to the same IP address are stored in the same record. The resulting data face includes records from different users, which can be used by the product / service provider to create a profile for the consumer of their product / service. Using the information on the consumer profile, the product / service provider can plan advertisements, commercial advertisements, and giveaway campaigns targeting each group of their consumers.

As a result, the server 230 returns a restaurant page on the display 405. 9 illustrates a restaurant page that includes road information to a McDonald's restaurant displayed by the selected tag 703 and information about opening hours, phone numbers, facilities and giveaways. In another embodiment, this page may be preceded by an advertisement for a restaurant based on the video and sound clips provided by the server 230 as well.

According to another aspect of the present invention, server 230 collects digital images of performers' business performance and business establishment. In this example, one or more digital cameras are installed in each serving restaurant to periodically take pictures of the restaurant's facilities. The resulting images are converted into the format of conventional image files (eg GIF files) by an Internet processor in the restaurant. For example, each image file includes in its header the GPS coordinates of the restaurant, the time the image was taken, and the like. Of course, the time at which the image was taken may be included in the image itself. In a conventional method, an image file is transmitted to the server 230 via the internet 250 via an internet processor, where the image file recognizes the performer's restaurant and is stored according to the GPS coordinate axis in the file header.

VIEW key 903, FAVIGATE key 905, FAVORITE key 907, BACK key 909, FORWARD key 911, restaurant website ( RESTAURANT WEBSITE key 913 and RESTAURANT MENU key 915 are also provided on the restaurant page of FIG. 9. Pressing select key 903 causes server 230 to display on display 405 one or more of the most recent digital images of the McDonald's restaurant in question identified by its GPS coordinate axis. Preferably, when viewing an image, it is desirable for the user to be able to determine whether the restaurant is crowded at the time of arrival of the restaurant, given the time stamp associated with each image and the time stamp associated with each image. Do.

Selecting the navigation car 905 causes the navigation subsystem 141 to provide the user with the location of the restaurant in the manner described above. By selecting the taste key 907, the user can " bookmark " or register a GPS coordinate axis that identifies the restaurant in question in the individual registry described below. At present, it is sufficient to know that individual registries include personal registries and business registries. If it was a desirable choice for his / her personal (business) purpose, the user could bookmark the GPS coordinate axis of the restaurant to the personal (business) registry.

The back key 909 and forward key 911 operate similarly to the keys 725 and 727 described above, respectively. Key 913 is a hyperlink to the restaurant's website. Therefore, the select key 913 allows the car browser to open the restaurant's web site on the display 405. In addition, the select key 915 allows the user to access the restaurant menu page, which is illustrated in FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 10, the restaurant menu page lists food and beverages served at the restaurant. Each food and beverage entry can be highlighted by selecting. The user may pre-order the highlighted food and drink by selecting the ORDER key 1005. Upon selecting key 1005, the car browser sends order information to server 230, causing the server to send the information back to an Internet processor in the restaurant to process the order.

At this point, selecting the tag 713 representing the McDonald's restaurant and the information relating to the food and beverage ordered at that restaurant are stored in a particular memory space in the memory 107 according to the GPS coordinate axis according to the tag 713. It should be emphasized. When the car browser receives a tag 713 corresponding to the same GPS coordinate axis in the future through the server 230, the car browser recovers the information stored for that GPS coordinate axis in a specific memory space. In the example described, it is very likely that the tag 713 will reappear during the return trip if the user returns via the same route or a similar route. In such a case, based on the information stored for the same GPS coordinate axis as the tag 713, the car browser highlights the tag 713 with an identifiable color to indicate that it has stopped by the restaurant associated with the tag 713. . That is, the tag 713 is painted in a different color from other tags that do not have a selected bar. This identifiable color highlighting can stimulate the memory of the user associated with the restaurant, and therefore it is desirable to help determine whether or not he / she will return to the restaurant. If the user decides to return to the restaurant, and thus reselects the associated tag, and if the user sees the selectable item on the related web page with the bar previously selected, the restaurant menu page of FIG. Any food or drink that has been pre-ordered is also highlighted in an identifiable color. In addition, such identifiable color highlighting can stimulate the user's memory related to the selected item, and therefore it is desirable to help him / her decide whether to reselect the same item.

In this example, returning to the main directory page of FIG. 6, the user has selected a regional option 607 this time. According to another aspect of the present invention, a regional option allows a user to obtain directory information related to the local attractiveness of the area and to products and / or services known in the area (ie, those specifically known in the area to which the vehicle currently belongs). Make it accessible. In detecting this selection, the car browser receives a GPS coordinate axis of the vehicle's current location from the navigation subsystem 141 and sends a signal requesting that the server 230 provide a suitable drop-down menu. The -down menu is a function of the current position of the vehicle, indicated by the GPS coordinate axis just obtained. Upon receiving this request signal, server 230 determines in which region the vehicle is currently located based on the received GPS coordinate axis and provides a suitable menu containing options of goods and / or services belonging to the determined region.

Continuing, for example, assume that a car is now located some distance away from various theme parks and areas such as Orlando, Florida, which have tourist attractions attractive to tourists. Then, the server 230 may drop a drop-down menu 617 including, for example, a theme park option 617-1, a souvenir option 617-2, ... and a local restaurant option 617-k, and the like. Where k represents a natural number. Similar to the operation of selecting the restaurant option 615-1 as described above, selecting the theme park option 617-1 in this example causes the server 230 to display 405 a theme park advertisement page (not shown). Provide on. In light of the disclosure so far, similar to the restaurant advertising page of FIG. 7 described above, the theme park advertising page displays a selected coverage area indicating the current location of the vehicle and the locations of theme parks appearing in the directory service of the server 230. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a map containing) will be included. In addition, similar to the restaurant page of FIG. 9 described above, the theme park page (not shown) may include, for example, information related to a direction to the theme park, visitable time and prizes, and facilities of the park. Furthermore, as in the restaurant menu page described above with reference to FIG. 10, an admission ticket page (not shown) may include information related to, for example, ticket prices and discounts, options for ordering tickets in advance, and the like.

Selecting the INDIVIDUAL option 609 allows the user to access directory information related to the product / service provider that suits the user's preferences according to the personal registry described above. As mentioned above, personal registries include business and personal registries. Both business and personal registries are stored in the allocated memory space in memory 107. The business (personal) registry contains information related to a product / service provider that suits the user's tastes for business (personal) purposes and also includes a corresponding GPS coordinate axis that identifies the location of those providers.

In particular, selecting option 609, a drop-down menu 619 is provided on display 405 that includes business option 619-1 and personal option 619-2. Without losing generality, in this example, business option 619-1 is selected, the car browser restores the stored business registry information from the allocated memory space, and based on the restored information, the business on display 405. A BUSINESS REGISTRY page is provided, which is illustrated in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, a product / service provider tailored to a user's preference belonging to a business option may be classified into different categories, such as computer equipment option 1103, office equipment provider option 1105, ..., restaurant option 1109, and the like. Are classified as options. The user may add a product service provider for a new taste to the registry using a taste key such as, for example, a FAVORITE key 907 on a web page. Alternatively, the user may achieve the same additional effect by using an additional key on the registry page. For example, selecting the additional key 1113 on the business registry page, the car browser tells the server 230 a directory menu that includes the product and service coordinates of each product / service provider that appears in the directory service of the server 230. Sends a request signal requesting to send. After receiving this menu, the user can select from that menu a product / service provider for additional tastes in all categories. Thus, the business registry page is updated, and the GPS coordinate axes of the selected providers are stored in the allocated memory space described above with the names of additional providers.

The delete key 1115 performs the opposite function of the add key 1113 and allows the user to delete product / service providers from the registry page that do not fit the taste.

For example, in order to access directory information related to other office equipment suppliers in the user's business registry, the user may select office equipment vendor options 1105 and enter key 1117 in turn. In response, the car browser sends a request signal to the server 230 to send the office equipment supplier advertisement page. Server 230 then returns an office equipment supplier advertisement page (not shown) on display 405. Similar to the restaurant advertisement page of FIG. 7, the office equipment supplier advertisement page includes a map indicating the location of any of the office equipment suppliers that match the current location and taste of the vehicle and having a selected coverage area. If there is no office equipment supplier in the region of interest, the server 230 searches the directory menu described above to find products of the same chain or franchise point in the region, or similar quality and price ranges to providers of taste. Find alternative providers that provide services. However, tags representing the preferred providers on the ad page are highlighted in the first predetermined color, and tags representing the alternative providers are highlighted in the second predetermined color, allowing the user to easily distinguish the preferred providers from the alternative providers. Make it possible.

If the user's service is for multiple purposes, i.e. including purchasing different goods / services in the same service, the user selects the multiple goods / services provider option before selecting the enter key 1117 to provide providers of different goods / services. Directory information relating to these fields may be included on the same advertisement page. For example, the user may select the computer equipment vendor option 1103 in addition to the office equipment vendor option 1105 before selecting the enter key 1117. In such a case, the first and second sets of tags are associated with certain designated computer equipment providers and office equipment suppliers, respectively, which sets are indicated on the advertisement page. Tags in the first set differ in their shape, color, or other characteristics from the tags in the second set, allowing users to easily select the corresponding provider.

6 briefly, selecting private key 619-2 instead of business key 619-1, as in the above-described example, the process is similar to that described above, while merchandise according to the user's personal choice. Include service providers. In addition, the Enter key may be used to allow a user to simultaneously display directory information relating to different goods / services providers under the national option 605 and / or the regional option 607 on the same ad page on the main directory page. have.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that it is possible to devise numerous other examples that embody the principles of the invention, and such examples are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

For example, system 100 is disclosed herein in the form that various transmitter and receiver operations are performed by discrete functional blocks. However, one or several of these functions may be implemented in one implementation example in an equivalent manner, in which one or more or all of the functions of these functional blocks are for example one or more suitably programmed. It may be realized by a processor.

Claims (120)

delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete In a system for use in a vehicle, An interface for receiving a message transmitted through a communication network external to the vehicle based on a destination address associated with the vehicle, wherein the message includes information regarding a failure state of the vehicle and an indication of receipt of the message is provided. ; A display element for showing information regarding a failure state of the vehicle in the message; And A processor configured to provide a selectable option related to the message. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein said communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein said information includes recall notification. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein the destination address is identified based on data relating to the vehicle. 65. The system of claim 64, wherein said data includes all or part of a vehicle identification number (VIN) of said vehicle. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein the indication comprises an indicator visible through the display element. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein a second selectable option is provided for delaying viewing of the information. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein said selectable option is provided via said display element. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein the selectable option includes an option to delete the message. In a system for use in a vehicle, An interface for receiving a message transmitted through a communication network outside the vehicle based on a destination address, the destination address being searchable using data about the vehicle, the message being a campaign initiated by the manufacturer of the vehicle An interface comprising information about; A display element showing information about the campaign in the message; And A processor configured to provide a selectable option related to the message. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein said communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein said campaign relates to the service of said vehicle. 73. The system of claim 72, wherein the campaign comprises a recall. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein said data includes all or part of a vehicle identification number (VIN) of said vehicle. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein the receipt of the message is indicated by an indicator visible through the display element. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein a second selectable option is provided to postpone viewing the information. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein said selectable option is provided via said display element. 71. The system of claim 70, wherein said selectable option includes an option to delete said message. In a system for use in a vehicle, A device for detecting the position of the vehicle; A display element showing at least one indicator indicating a location of at least one product or service provider with respect to the sensed location of the vehicle; An interface that allows a user to obtain information about products or services provided by the provider indicated by the indicator; And And a processor configured to provide a selectable option to order one or more of the products or services over a communication network based on the information. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein said communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein said information includes descriptions of products or services visible through said display element. 82. The system of claim 81, wherein the descriptions comprise a menu. 82. The system of claim 81, wherein the descriptions of the ordered products or services are displayed in a selected state. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein said information includes promotional information. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein the user is able to obtain data regarding the provider. 86. The system of claim 85, wherein said data includes a direction for reaching said provider's location. 86. The system of claim 85, wherein said data includes contact information for communicating with said provider. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein the provider comprises a restaurant. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein said selectable option is provided via said display element. 80. The system of claim 79, wherein the device incorporates a satellite positioning system (GPS) technique. A method for use in a system inherent to a vehicle, the system comprising a display element, the method comprising: Receiving a message transmitted through a communication network external to the vehicle based on a destination address associated with the vehicle, wherein the message includes information regarding a failure state of the vehicle and an indication of receipt of the message is provided. ; Displaying, via a display element, information about a fault condition of the vehicle in the message; And Providing a selectable option related to the message. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein said communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein said information comprises a recall notification. 92. The method of claim 91 wherein the destination address is identified based on data relating to the vehicle. 95. The method of claim 94, wherein the data includes all or part of a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein the indication comprises an indicator visible through the display element. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein a second selectable option is provided for delaying viewing of the information. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein said selectable option is provided via said display element. 92. The method of claim 91 wherein the selectable option includes an option to delete the message. In a method for use in a system inherent to a vehicle, Receiving a message delivered via a communication network external to the vehicle based on a destination address, the destination address being searchable using data about the vehicle, the message being a campaign initiated by the manufacturer of the vehicle Including information regarding; Displaying, via a display element, information about the campaign in the message; And Providing a selectable option related to the message. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the campaign relates to the service of the vehicle. 107. The method of claim 102, wherein the campaign comprises a recall. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the data includes all or part of a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the receipt of the message is indicated by an indicator visible through the display element. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein a second selectable option is provided for delaying viewing of the information. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the selectable option is provided via the display element. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the selectable option includes an option to delete the message. In a method for use in a system inherent to a vehicle, Sensing the location of the vehicle; Showing at least one indicator via a display element indicative of the location of at least one product or service provider in relation to the sensed location of the vehicle; Allowing a user to obtain information about products or services provided by the provider indicated by the indicator; And Providing a selectable option to order one or more of said products or services via a communication network based on said information. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless communication network. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the information comprises descriptions of products or services visible through the display element. 112. The method of claim 111, wherein the descriptions comprise a menu. 119. The method of claim 111, wherein the descriptions of the ordered products or services are displayed in a selected state. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the information comprises promotional information. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein a user is able to obtain data about the provider. 116. The method of claim 115, wherein the data includes a direction for reaching the provider's location. 116. The method of claim 115, wherein the data includes contact information for communicating with the provider. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the provider comprises a restaurant. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the selectable option is provided via the display element. 109. The method of claim 109, wherein the device incorporates a satellite positioning system (GPS) technique.

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