Abstract: Vehicle remote start system includes a vehicle power plant (VPP) connected to a starting system (SS) and a geographic location system. Starting system includes a geo-bounded on state electrically enabling the VPP to provide tractive power to a drive wheel as long as the vehicle remains within a predetermined geographical boundary (PGB), a geo-bounded off state electrically disabling the VPP from providing tractive power to the drive wheel or another drive wheel when the vehicle is outside the PGB, and a normal state overriding off and on states to electrically enable the VPP to provide tractive power to the drive wheel(s). Hardware key must be within a predetermined distance of the starting system for the normal state, but is not required for the on state. Starting system enters the on state only in response to an authenticated start command from a smart phone in communication with starting system's authentication system.

Abstract: A method of identifying abnormal activity within a communication system between one or more vehicles and a wireless carrier system. The method may include receiving a first record from a wireless carrier system or a call center. It may further include automatically receiving a second record from a data logger via a vehicle telematics unit. The second record may be a data upload record and includes information pertaining to a wireless connection that includes an event type (mode) and a call type (mode). The event type may indicate whether the wireless connection was SMS, circuit switched, or packet switched. The call type may indicate a transaction during the wireless connection. The method may include determining the occurrence of an abnormal activity based on the first record and the second record. And the method may also include providing a report.

Abstract: A method for controlling a mobile communications device while located in a mobile vehicle involves pairing the mobile communications device with a telematics unit via short range wireless communication. The method further involves, receiving an incoming text message at the mobile device while the mobile device is paired with the telematics unit. Upon receiving the text message, a text messaging management strategy is implemented via the telematics unit and/or the mobile device, where the text messaging management strategy is executable via an application that is resident on the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of identifying abnormal activity within a communication system between one or more vehicles and a wireless carrier system. The method may include receiving a first record from a wireless carrier system or a call center. It may further include automatically receiving a second record from a data logger via a vehicle telematics unit. The second record may be a data upload record and includes information pertaining to a wireless connection that includes an event type (mode) and a call type (mode). The event type may indicate whether the wireless connection was SMS, circuit switched, or packet switched. The call type may indicate a transaction during the wireless connection. The method may include determining the occurrence of an abnormal activity based on the first record and the second record. And the method may also include providing a report.

Abstract: A system and a method for improving wireless communications between a call center and a vehicle. The system and method can reduce the number of wireless connections needed between a call center and a vehicle by using multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages to convey information therebetween. This obviates the need for the call center to make an initial wireless connection simply to alert the vehicle that it wishes to communicate. Instead, the system and method can convey information or push down content to the vehicle on a very first connection, which can reduce wireless connections and improve reliability.

Abstract: A timing control method for use with wireless communications involving telematics-equipped vehicles. The timing control method generally determines a temporally-distributed sequence of message response times for a group of telematics-equipped vehicles, and then includes these different response times in wireless messages that are sent to the vehicles. In reply, the vehicles use the various message response times to respond in an apportioned or distributed fashion that generally correlates with the temporally-distributed sequence; instead of all at once. In another disclosed method, the response times are determined at each vehicle itself. The methods can be used for requesting data from vehicles via SMS messages.

Abstract: A method for managing data transmissions in a subscriber pool involves receiving a telematics unit call at a call center on a channel other than a packet data channel, and from the call and at the call center, recognizing that the packet data channel is unavailable in a predetermined coverage region. A notification is transmitted to the telematics unit and/or to a plurality of telematics units in the predetermined coverage region indicating that the packet data channel is unavailable for a predetermined time. In response to the notification, a vehicle data upload setting is reset in the telematics unit and/or each of the plurality of telematics units to an alternate channel such that primary connection attempts made by the telematics unit and/or each of the plurality of telematics units are via the alternate channel during the predetermined time. A system for managing such data transmissions is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for controlling a mobile communications device while located in a mobile vehicle involves pairing the mobile communications device with a telematics unit via short range wireless communication. The method further involves, receiving an incoming text message at the mobile device while the mobile device is paired with the telematics unit. Upon receiving the text message, a text messaging management strategy is implemented via the telematics unit and/or the mobile device, where the text messaging management strategy is executable via an application that is resident on the mobile device.

Abstract: A vehicle telematics unit or other electronic hardware in a vehicle authenticates an incoming SMS message and provides additional security features above and beyond those inherent to the SMS protocol. A call center uses a mathematical function to derive a security code, and then sends an SMS message to the vehicle. The telematics unit can utilize the transmitted information to authenticate the sender of the SMS message and/or its contents. One group of suitable mathematical functions utilizes keyed-hash message authentication codes (HMACs).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing automated vehicle diagnostic function within a mobile vehicle communication system. The method includes configuring a primary diagnostic script for a telematics equipped mobile vehicle, providing the primary diagnostic script to the mobile vehicle, executing the primary diagnostic script, and collecting diagnostic data based on the executed primary diagnostic script. The primary diagnostic script may recreate known problem sequences when executed or may trigger data capture when specific conditions exist. The step of configuring the primary diagnostic script may include determining at least one diagnostic script based on diagnostic options and retrieving the at least one determined diagnostic script. One or more diagnostic scripts may be combined into the primary diagnostic script.

Abstract: A system is provided for facilitating passenger pickup via telematic routing. The system includes a call center for receiving a plurality of data feeds indicative of passenger arrival time and location, a vehicle telematics unit for receiving vehicle routing instructions from the call center based at least in part on the passenger arrival time and location, the vehicle routing instructions directed to guiding a vehicle to a passenger meeting location. The system further includes a mobile device associated with the passenger, the mobile device in communication with the call center via one or more wireless networks for receiving an indicator of the passenger meeting location.

Abstract: A method for managing data transmissions in a subscriber pool involves receiving a telematics unit call at a call center on a channel other than a packet data channel, and from the call and at the call center, recognizing that the packet data channel is unavailable in a predetermined coverage region. A notification is transmitted to the telematics unit and/or to a plurality of telematics units in the predetermined coverage region indicating that the packet data channel is unavailable for a predetermined time. In response to the notification, a vehicle data upload setting is reset in the telematics unit and/or each of the plurality of telematics units to an alternate channel such that primary connection attempts made by the telematics unit and/or each of the plurality of telematics units are via the alternate channel during the predetermined time. A system for managing such data transmissions is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for acquiring marketing information from a marketing call center. The method involves a setting of a marketing information trigger based on a pre-determined event corresponding to at least one of a vehicle and an in-vehicle telematics unit, and an initiation of a call to the marketing call center to acquire the marketing information in response to an occurrence of the pre-determined event.

Abstract: The described method and system provide a connectivity problem resolution mechanism that uses a data mode call in order to diagnose a connection problem while avoiding audible ringing and or inadvertent user pick-up during error diagnosis and correction. The system includes three primary functions and elements including cellular error message recognition, error response handling configured to update and/or maintain processes, and new error message capture. This system is usable both online and offline. Error recognition may be based on error message matching or keyword matching.

Abstract: An authentication method that can be used by a telematics-equipped vehicle to authenticate an SMS message and provide additional security features above and beyond those inherent to the SMS protocol. Generally speaking, a call center uses a mathematical function to derive a security code, and then sends an SMS message to a telematics-equipped vehicle that includes information related to the derived security code. The telematics-equipped vehicle can utilize the transmitted information to authenticate the sender of the SMS message and/or its contents. One group of suitable mathematical functions utilizes keyed-hash message authentication codes (HMACs).

Abstract: A method of navigating a plurality of vehicles includes receiving vehicle identifications from the plurality of vehicles at a central location. A travel group is formed based on the received vehicle identifications. Global positioning information is received from at least one vehicle associated with the travel group at the central location. The received global positioning information is transmitted from the central location to at least one vehicle associated with the travel group.

Abstract: A method of demonstrating navigation in a vehicle includes receiving a navigation demonstration mode request and global positioning information at a call center. A destination prompt is transmitted from the call center to the vehicle. A point-of-interest category is received at a call center. A point-of-interest destination is determined based on the point-of-interest category. A route is determined based on the received global positioning information and the point-of-interest destination. The route is transmitted from the call center to the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of managing the updating of a vehicle software configuration includes establishing a temporal period, identifying a software package, determining if that vehicle does not have the identified software package, wirelessly sending the software package from a central facility to the vehicle during the temporal period, and storing the software package at the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of repeating a computer recognized string in a telematics unit in a vehicle, including receiving a user utterance at the telematics unit from a user, the user utterance including a plurality of words and a plurality of user pauses between the words, parsing the user utterance into a plurality of phonemes, forming a data string in which each user pause is associated with a phoneme adjacent to the user pause, and playing back the data string.

Abstract: A system is provided for facilitating passenger pickup via telematic routing. The system includes a call center for receiving a plurality of data feeds indicative of passenger arrival time and location, a vehicle telematics unit for receiving vehicle routing instructions from the call center based at least in part on the passenger arrival time and location, the vehicle routing instructions directed to guiding a vehicle to a passenger meeting location. The system further includes a mobile device associated with the passenger, the mobile device in communication with the call center via one or more wireless networks for receiving an indicator of the passenger meeting location.