Abstract: A system is disclosed for inserting stored advertising content into broadcast content being played over an audio system. The system may have a smartphone in wireless communication with the audio system which runs an application relating to a specific broadcast station that is broadcasting the broadcast content. The audio system may have a processing system for detecting breaks in program content that forms part of the broadcast content. The audio system may further be configured to obtain predetermined advertisements and to play back the predetermined advertisements over the audio system during each break in the program content, in place of advertisements contained in the broadcast content.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling access to premium content, obtained via a smartphone, to be controlled by using a vehicle as a “key” to unlock the premium content. In one implementation the user of the vehicle uses her/his smartphone to establish a wireless link with the vehicle's radio system. The vehicle's radio system supplies a unique radio identifier to the smartphone, which the smartphone forwards to a remote authorization server. The authorization server determines from an internal database if the radio identifier is permitted access to any premium content. If so the authorization server forwards a code or command to the smartphone that the smartphone uses when accessing a web-based or cloud-based content provider, which enables the user to receive premium content form the content provider.

Abstract: A system may determine, based on vehicle data received from vehicle sensors, a maintenance indication indicative of vehicle maintenance required according to a vehicle maintenance schedule, identify a maintenance time indication for which a maintenance procedure unrelated to the vehicle maintenance schedule should be performed, and generate a maintenance recommendation to provide in a vehicle human-machine interface offering to perform the vehicle maintenance and the unrelated maintenance procedure.

Abstract: A remote server having at least one processor in communication with one or more databases is configured to predict a congestion of a destination based on traffic information and/or an estimated amount of people at the destination. The one or more databases may include map information and attendance information. The processor is configured to receive a current location and destination input. The processor may be further configured to query the map information for one or more coordinates for the destination within a predefined distance to the current location. The processor may be further configured to query the attendance information to estimate the number of people at the destination based on the one or more coordinates and compare the estimated number of people to one or more predefined congestion values for the destination. The processor may be further configured to output a congestion prediction for the destination based on the comparison.

Abstract: A vehicle software management system includes a transceiver configured to communicate information with a server, and a processor in communication with the transceiver. The processor may be configured to receive a file manifest from the server and transmit a list of to-be updated application file(s) based on the file manifest to the server. The processor may be further configured to receive one or more application files from the server based on the list. The processor may be further configured to flash one or more systems using the one or more application files based on at least one of destination file location, installation type, and file identification.

Abstract: A vehicle system may be connected to a mobile device over a data connection and an audio connection, and configured to, responsive to a vehicle volume change, request over the data connection that the mobile device provide an audio indication at device volume over the audio connection, and reproduce the audio indication by the vehicle system, at vehicle volume, to indicate a loudness for audio played back from the mobile device. The mobile device may be connected to the vehicle system over the data connection and the audio connection, and configured to receive the request over the data connection that the mobile device provide the audio indication over the audio connection, and provide the audio indication at device volume to allow the vehicle system to reproduce the audio indication at the overall volume of sound played back from the mobile device through the vehicle system.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. A radio system is used for wirelessly receiving broadcast content. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone communicate to enable supplemental information from the smartphone to be presented to the user, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded.

Abstract: A vehicle computer system in an autonomous vehicle includes a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a remote device. The vehicle computer system also includes a processor in communication with the wireless transceiver. The processor is configured to receive instructions from the remote device to initiate an automatic valet-mode, receive data from the remote device indicative of a user's pick-up location, and send instructions to a vehicle module instructing the vehicle to drive to the user's pick-up location.

Abstract: A method is disclosed which involves using an identifier which may be stored in an electronic component of a vehicle. A short range, wireless protocol connectivity system of the vehicle may establish a wireless link with a personal electronic device (PED) of a user when the user enters the vehicle with the PED powered on. The link may be used to automatically transmit the identifier to the PED. The PED then transmits the identifier to a remote authorization source which checks if the identifier is valid and, if so, sends an unlock code back to the PED. The PED uses the unlock code to unlock an application on the PED which enables access to the remote content source.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing advertising (AD) content to a radio system of a vehicle. A smartphone may have a stored application thereon related to a specific broadcast station. A utility application may be associated with the radio system (RS) and used to inform the smartphone when the RS is tuned to the specific broadcast station. The RS may have a processor for detecting a start maker and a stop marker in a broadcast signal being received from the specific broadcast station, and to inform the smartphone when the start marker is detected. The start marker and the stop marker define a time interval where at least one advertisement is present in the broadcast signal. The smartphone may provide AD content to the RS which is inserted for playback during the time interval.

Abstract: One or more controller may extract voice commands from retrieved web content, format the web content according to vehicle computing system (VCS) specific formatting information, provide the formatted web content for display by the VCS, and update the recognized voice commands of the VCS according to the extracted voice commands. A server may identify whether a received web request for web content is directed to a vehicle sub-domain for providing an in-vehicle-specific version of the content, identify whether the received web request is for presentation of web content via a VCS, and redirect the web request to the vehicle sub-domain when the request is not directed to the vehicle sub-domain and is for presentation via the VCS.

Abstract: A vehicle system may be connected to a mobile device over a data connection and an audio connection, and configured to, responsive to a vehicle volume change, request over the data connection that the mobile device provide an audio indication at device volume over the audio connection, and reproduce the audio indication by the vehicle system, at vehicle volume, to indicate a loudness for audio played back from the mobile device. The mobile device may be connected to the vehicle system over the data connection and the audio connection, and configured to receive the request over the data connection that the mobile device provide the audio indication over the audio connection, and provide the audio indication at device volume to allow the vehicle system to reproduce the audio indication at the overall volume of sound played back from the mobile device through the vehicle system.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing real time information content from a remote content source to an individual travelling in a vehicle over a personal electronic device (PED) of the individual, for playback over a subsystem of the vehicle. A control is designated on the vehicle subsystem which enables the individual to request the information content from the remote content source. A short range wireless link is established between the user's PED and the vehicle subsystem and the PED is used to access the information content from at least one Cloud based information service. The information content is then streamed back to the vehicle subsystem over the PED and played back to the individual, at least substantially in real time, while the individual is traveling in the vehicle.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for inserting selected content into a signal being broadcast by a broadcast station, and being received by a vehicle radio system. A vehicle radio system may be incorporated which has a processing system. A personal electronic device (PED) able to be carried by a user is also used. The PED may supply selected content to the processing system. The processing system may detect a first signal in the received broadcast signal that indicates a commercial break period of predetermined duration is to begin, and a second signal in the received broadcast signal that indicates that the commercial break period is to end. The processing system may obtain the selected content from the PED and insert the obtained, selected content into the broadcast signal for seamless playback through the vehicle radio system during the commercial break period.

Abstract: A system may include global controls, each associated with a different one of a plurality of user interface screens of a vehicle; contextual controls, each associated with a command function available from a selected one of the plurality of user interface screens; and a vehicle processor configured to display a current one of the plurality of user interface screens, and update command functions associated with the contextual controls responsive to user input to the global controls. A method may include, responsive to receiving an indication of a user input press of a global control, updating command functions associated with contextual controls in accordance with command function available from a user interface screen associated with the global control; and upon receiving a user input release of the global control within a predetermined threshold period of time, navigating to the user interface screen associated with the global control.

Abstract: A recipient communications device associated with a vehicle computing system (VCS) may be configured to receive, over a communications network, an incoming communication from a sender communications device, identify a notification type to provide based on a message directive provided by the sender device, retrieve notification settings associated with the notification type, and perform a notification of receipt of the incoming communication using a VCS user interface according to the notification settings.

Abstract: A vehicle software management system includes a transceiver configured to communicate information with a server, and a processor in communication with the transceiver. The processor may be configured to receive a file manifest from the server and transmit a list of to-be updated application file(s) based on the file manifest to the server. The processor may be further configured to receive one or more application files from the server based on the list. The processor may be further configured to flash one or more systems using the one or more application files based on at least one of destination file location, installation type, and file identification.

Abstract: One or more controller may extract voice commands from retrieved web content, format the web content according to vehicle computing system (VCS) specific formatting information, provide the formatted web content for display by the VCS, and update the recognized voice commands of the VCS according to the extracted voice commands. A server may identify whether a received web request for web content is directed to a vehicle sub-domain for providing an in-vehicle-specific version of the content, identify whether the received web request is for presentation of web content via a VCS, and redirect the web request to the vehicle sub-domain when the request is not directed to the vehicle sub-domain and is for presentation via the VCS.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. A radio system is used for wirelessly receiving broadcast content. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone communicate to enable supplemental information from the smartphone to be presented to the user, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded.

Abstract: An application programming interface (API) is disclosed for interfacing a vehicle electronic component with a smartphone, wherein the vehicle electronic component and the smartphone each make use of a short range wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the other, and wherein the smartphone includes an application running thereon. The API has an interconnect API disposed in the electronic component. The interconnect API also has a software library of command and function definitions that are able to be implemented by the API. A connect library is also used which resides within the smartphone and which is configured to communicate with the application running on the smartphone. The interconnect API and the connect library cooperatively operate as a translation mechanism to implement a plurality of functionalities when communicating with the application, according to the electronic device's capabilities.