A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for providing information to a portable electronic device for processing by the portable electronic device is shown and described. The control system includes a first interface for communicating with the portable electronic device and a memory device. The control system also includes a processing circuit communicably coupled to the first interface and the memory device, the processing circuit configured to extract information from the memory device and to provide the information to the first interface so that the first interface communicates the information to the portable electronic device. The processing circuit is further configured to determine the capabilities of the portable electronic device based on data received from the portable electronic device via the first interface and to determine whether or not to communicate the information to the portable electronic device based on the determined capabilities.

Vehicle user interface systems and methods

A vehicle communication system includes a control unit in a vehicle, a vehicle data bus operable to transmit vehicle data to the control unit, and a mobile communication device having data network access. The mobile device has a self-contained mode in which the mobile communication device processes and displays the network data received via the data network and in which the control unit transmits the vehicle data to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device also has an immersive mode in which the control unit processes the network data received via the data network and in which the control unit converts the vehicle data to audible speech and plays the audible speech in the vehicle.

Communication system with personal information management and remote vehicle monitoring and control features

Location information exchange between vehicle and device

The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable remote control module operable to receive, via a remote node, a command from a vehicle owner to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of a selected vehicle component and, when the vehicle owner is authenticated successfully by the remote control module, to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of the selected vehicle component.

On board vehicle networking module

This invention relates to a system and method for customizing the appearance of a vehicle. Users can display customized designs, colors or promotional information on the vehicle for free or on a fee basis. The system also allows users to use a detection device to detect the colors or patterns of other objects and then display substantially the same color or pattern on the vehicle.

Customized vehicle body

A control system (106) for mounting to a vehicle (100) and for providing information to an occupant of the vehicle from a first source device (116) is provided. The vehicle includes an audio system (130) and/or a display system (100). The control system includes a first interface (120) for communicating with the first source device (116). The control system further includes a second interface for providing a signal to the audio system and/or the display system. The control system yet further includes a processor (122). A memory unit (122) is communicably connected to the processor and includes a first transport (2112) configured to send a control signal to the interface. The memory unit (132) further includes a first manager (2304) configured to receive a command from an application (2104) and to translate the command from the application (2104) into a command for the transport (2112).

Phillip J. Vanderwall

Papers

Mobile device gateway systems and methods