(12) United States Patent
`Witkowski et a1.
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,257,426 B1
`*Aug. 14, 2007
`
`US007257426B1
`
`WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
`AND METHOD
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(54)
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Todd R. WitkoWski, Zeeland, MI (US);
`Kurt A. Dykema, Holland, MI (US);
`Steven L. Geerlings, Holland, MI
`(US); Mark L. Zeinstra, Holland, MI
`(Us)
`
`(73)
`
`Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology
`Company, Plymouth, MI (US)
`
`Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis
`claimer.
`
`(21)
`
`(22)
`
`(86)
`
`Appl. No.:
`
`09/979,199
`
`PCT Filed:
`
`May 26, 2000
`
`PCT No.:
`
`PCT/US00/14692
`
`§ 371 (0X1),
`(2), (4) Date:
`
`Apr. 29, 2002
`
`(87)
`
`PCT Pub. No.: WO00/72463
`
`PCT Pub. Date: Nov. 30, 2000
`
`(60)
`
`(51)
`
`(52)
`
`(58)
`
`Related US. Application Data
`
`Provisional application No. 60/135,979, ?led on May
`26, 1999.
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`H04M 1/00
`US. Cl. ............................. .. 455/569.2; 455/569.1;
`455/41.2; 455/41.3; 455/563
`Field of Classi?cation Search ........... .. 455/569.2,
`455/569.1, 563, 41.1, 41.2, 41.3, 413, 412.1,
`455/412.2, 566
`See application ?le for complete search history.
`
`DE
`
`4,731,811 A *
`
`3/1988 Dubus ...................... .. 455/563
`(Continued)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3417956
`11/1985
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Briody et al., “Intel to launch Wireless initiative”, Infoworld, May
`18, 1998, 2 pgs.
`
`(Continued)
`Primary ExamineriLeWis West
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or F irmiFoley & Lardner LLP
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A Wireless communications system and method adapted for
`use in automotive applications for enabling automatic, high
`speed, Wireless voice and/ or data communications link to be
`established between a Wide variety of external devices and
`various electronic subsystems of a vehicle. The apparatus
`includes ?rst and second RF transceivers Which are operated
`in accordance With a communications speci?cation to enable
`a seamless, automatic communications link to be created
`When the tWo RF transceivers come Within a pre-determined
`proximity of one another, for example, Within up to 100
`meters of one another. Information from one device is then
`automatically transmitted over the Wireless communications
`link to the other device. In various implementations the
`apparatus is used to obtain information from a home PC, a
`Work PC, a notebook PC and various other electronic
`devices, as Well as information from the Internet, Which is
`displayed and/or played back for the user by various sub
`systems of the vehicle While traveling in the vehicle. Other
`applications involving retail and manufacturing applications
`are disclosed by Which the apparatus is used to facilitate
`and/or expedite manufacturing processes or retail transac
`tions via one or more high-speed, secure, Wireless commu
`nications links Which are created automatically and seam
`lessly between the RF transceivers of the apparatus of the
`invention.
`
`26 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets
`
`Wi r e | e s : Serv i u
`Or go» i 1 iii i on
`
`User
`Reque si
`
`Overhead nr
`Dash-Mounted
`Display
`
`Aud i o
`Sys 1 cm
`
`1
`
`

`
`US 7,257,426 B1
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`2002/0197955 A1
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`*
`
`*
`
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`3/1998
`5/1998
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`11/1998
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`
`Ono ......... ..
`
`. 455/5692
`
`Gulau et al. ................ .. 455/79
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`Chutorash
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`
`
`
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`
`.
`
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`King
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`
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`
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`
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`. 455/569.2
`
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`
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`
`DE
`DE
`DE
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`GB
`WO
`WO
`W0
`W0
`W0
`W0
`
`1/1995
`4323144 A1
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`
`* cited by examiner
`
`2
`
`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 14, 2007
`
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`US 7,257,426 B1
`
`1
`WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
`AND METHOD
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This application claims the bene?t of US. Provisional
`Application No. 60/135,979, ?led May 26, 1999.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention relates to Wireless communications
`devices, and more particularly to a Wireless communications
`system and method Which facilitates an automatic Wireless
`connection and Wireless communication of voice and/or data
`information betWeen various electronic components such as
`notebook computers, cellular telephones, hand held com
`puting devices, pagers, audio devices, display terminals and
`other electronic systems.
`With the dramatically increasing popularity of various
`personal electronic information and computing devices,
`there has been an increasing need to conveniently integrate
`the operation, and more speci?cally the transfer of informa
`tion, betWeen one or more of such devices. These electronic
`devices may include notebook computers, desktop comput
`ers, hand-held computing/organizer devices often termed
`“personal digital assistants” (“PDAs”), cellular phones, pag
`ers, audio systems, display devices, cordless headsets, digi
`tal cameras and virtually any other electronic or electrome
`chanical device that use electronic information for its
`operation.
`In many environments, such as Within an automobile, it
`Would be highly desirable to be able to communicate voice
`and/ or data in Wireless fashion betWeen various subsystems
`of the vehicle, such as an overhead display subsystem of the
`vehicle, and a cellular phone, notebook computer, PDA,
`pager or other personal electronic device Which is carried on
`the person of an individual. The ability to transfer informa
`tion betWeen various subsystems of the vehicle and the
`user’s personal electronic devices, in Wireless fashion,
`Would greatly increase the ease and convenience of use of
`such personal devices When travelling in the vehicle.
`Until the present, transferring information betWeen one or
`more of these devices has most often required that speci?c
`cabling be connected betWeen the devices. Usually the
`cabling is “application speci?c”, meaning that the cabling
`used to connect, for example, a notebook computer and a
`hand-held PDA, is speci?cally designed for only these tWo
`components. Thus, the same communications cabling
`needed for connecting tWo speci?c electronic components
`often can only be used to connect those tWo components,
`and not to connect different combinations of other electronic
`components. Thus, interconnecting different combinations
`of electronic devices for intercommunication is often pos
`sible only With speci?c and often expensive cabling.
`Communication betWeen more than tWo electronic
`devices at one time via cabling presents even greater diffi
`culty. Usually some form of hub or “T” connector, together
`With a mechanical sWitch and a suitable plurality of external
`cables is needed. Thus, the user often has very limited
`?exibility in linking more than tWo electronic devices
`together for communication.
`In certain environments, such as Within an automobile, it
`is often impractical for the user to manually connect and
`disconnect cabling betWeen tWo or more electronic devices,
`especially When the electronic devices are portable devices
`Which the user desires to carry With her When leaving the
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`2
`vehicle. Additionally, it Would be extremely impractical to
`attempt to connect such personal electronic devices to
`existing subsystems of a vehicle, such as an overhead
`display console, With physical cables that Would be loose
`Within the vehicle. Such cabling could easily interfere With
`the driver’s convenient operation of the various controls of
`the vehicle or With the comfort and convenience of other
`passengers in the vehicle.
`In some instances Wireless communications, such as by
`infrared or radio frequency (ARF @) signals, have been used
`to permit communications and information sharing betWeen
`tWo electronic devices. HoWever, previously developed
`implementations of these methods of information transfer
`have suffered from signi?cant draWbacks. For example,
`infrared data transmission requires a “line of sight” betWeen
`the communicating sensors of the tWo devices. Such a line
`of sight is often not practical and/or dif?cult to maintain in
`certain operating environments, such as While travelling in
`an automobile. This also constrains the use of portable
`electronic devices to positions Where the sensor on the
`portable device is in the line of sight of the other device With
`Which the portable device is communicating.
`Radio frequency data communication has traditionally
`been hampered by the lack of a standard communications
`protocol for data transfer Which permits data to be trans
`mitted betWeen tWo or more independent electronic devices.
`A further limitation With RF data transfer systems has been
`the lack of a loW cost, loW poWer RF transceiver able to be
`inexpensively integrated With compact, portable electronic
`devices such as notebook computers, cellular telephones,
`hand-held PDAs, pagers, etc., to enable convenient RF
`information transfer betWeen tWo or more of such devices
`over short distances of up to, for example, about ten meters.
`Still another limitation With traditional methods for trans
`mitting data betWeen electronic devices has been the lack of
`an “automatic” or “unconscious” connection When the
`devices are in proximity With one another. By “automatic”
`or “unconscious” it is meant an immediate communications
`link Which is established betWeen tWo or more electronic
`devices as soon as the devices are Within a certain range, for
`example, ten meters, of each other Without any command
`being input to any of the devices by the user. This limitation
`has up until the present required the user to provide one or
`more commands to at least one of the electronic devices to
`begin the process of transferring data betWeen the tWo
`devices.
`In vieW of the foregoing, it Would therefore be desirable
`to provide a Wireless communications system adapted for
`use in automotive applications to permit the Wireless
`exchange of voice and/or data betWeen various portable
`electronic devices and various electronic subsystems of a
`motor vehicle. Such a system Would preferably include a
`?rst electronic component Which could be readily integrated
`With a Wide variety of electronic devices such as notebook
`computers, pagers, PDAs, cellular phones, etc., and a second
`component Which could easily be integrated With various
`electronic subsystems of a motor vehicle such as an audio
`system, microphone, in-dash or overhead display system,
`on-board navigation system, etc. The ?rst and second com
`ponents Would also preferably be extremely compact, light
`Weight, have loW poWer requirements, and Would therefore
`be very easily integrated into the various portable electronic
`devices described above, as Well as into the various elec
`tronic subsystems of the vehicle. The components Would
`preferably be able to automatically establish a Wireless
`communications link as soon as the electronic device incor
`porating the ?rst component comes into proximity With the
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`vehicle, Where the vehicle incorporates the second compo
`nent. Such a system Would completely obviate the need for
`any external cables to be attached betWeen the electronic
`device(s) and the subsystem(s) of the vehicle.
`Another example of an application Where such a system
`Would be highly useful is in the manufacturing of an
`automobile. If pertinent information concerning one or more
`of the vehicle’s components or electronic subsystems could
`be quickly and automatically accessed and transmitted, via
`a high speed Wireless communications link, to an electronic
`diagnostic/veri?cation test system stationed along side an
`assembly line on Which the vehicle is moving, then real time
`veri?cation tests could be performed on the various elec
`tronic subsystems of the vehicle as it being manufactured.
`Such automatically created Wireless communications links
`Would signi?cantly enhance a Wide range of other applica
`tions.
`Furthermore, it Would be highly desirable if such a
`Wireless communications system could be provided Which
`does not add appreciably to the overall costs of such portable
`electronic devices or to the costs of various electronic
`subsystems of the vehicle. Preferably, the system Would
`provide a manner of transmission that also ensures very
`secure Wireless transmissions to limit the possibility of the
`devices being susceptible to electronic “eavesdropping” or
`the data being intercepted by other RF devices operating in
`the same frequency spectrum.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention is directed broadly to a Wireless
`communications system and method for transmitting infor
`mation betWeen tWo or more electronic devices. In one
`preferred embodiment a miniature RF transceiver is inte
`grated into each electronic device. The RF transceivers are
`loW poWer, short range transceivers that enable the exchange
`of voice and/or data information betWeen the tWo devices.
`The Wireless communications link betWeen the devices is
`established automatically When the devices come Within a
`predetermined proximity to each other. Thus, information
`can be transmitted automatically from one device to the
`other Without any action from an individual monitoring or
`possessing one of the devices and Without the user having to
`connect one or more external cables betWeen the devices.
`In one preferred embodiment the present invention makes
`use of the Bluetooth communications standard for establish
`ing a Wireless communications link betWeen tWo devices,
`Where each device is equipped With a RF transceiver oper
`ating in accordance With the Bluetooth communications
`standard. This enables tWo or more devices to be connected
`via high speed, Wireless communications links to permit
`voice and/or data information to be exchanged betWeen the
`various devices. The devices communicate on the 2.4 GHZ
`ISM frequency band and employ encryption and authenti
`cation schemes, in addition to frequency hopping, to provide
`a high measure of security to the transmission of data
`betWeen the devices. Advantageously, the Wireless commu
`nications link is created automatically as soon as the tWo
`devices come into proximity With each other.
`In each embodiment of the present invention, the RF
`transceivers each comprise loW poWer components provid
`ing a limited range of up to about 100 meters. Each RF
`transceiver has a negligible poWer consumption, as com
`pared With the device With Which it is integrated. Each RF
`transceiver can automatically form ad hoc communications
`links With other RF transceivers passing Within the prede
`termined transmission range.
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`The various preferred embodiments of the present inven
`tion enable voice and/ or data information to be transmitted
`betWeen a Wide variety of devices Without any command or
`intervention by the user. The preferred embodiments lend
`themselves especially Well to applications involving the
`transfer of information betWeen various portable electronic
`devices and the various electronic subsystems of a motor
`vehicle. The preferred embodiments further enable the trans
`fer of information betWeen a motor vehicle and other
`electronic systems outside of the vehicle, Which makes the
`present invention ideally suited to applications involving
`assembly of the vehicle, assisting in transmitting diagnostic
`information to and from a vehicle, and a Wide variety of
`other applications Where it is desirable to transmit informa
`tion to a user traveling in a motor vehicle.
`The various preferred embodiments are also ideally suited
`to establishing Wireless communications links for a Wide
`variety of other home, business, and commercial applica
`tions. A Wide variety of electronic devices can thus be
`netWorked together for information sharing.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The various advantages of the present invention Will
`become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the
`folloWing speci?cation and by referencing the folloWing
`draWings in Which:
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram draWing of a Wireless commu
`nications system in accordance With a preferred embodiment
`of the present invention being used to transfer information
`betWeen an electronic device of the user and an audio system
`and a display system of a motor vehicle;
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the Wireless com
`munications system of the present invention being used to
`perform vehicle diagnostics on a motor vehicle by creating
`a Wireless communications link betWeen a notebook com
`puter running diagnostics softWare and a vehicle interface
`circuit associated With a motor vehicle;
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the Wireless communications
`system of the present invention being used in an assembly
`operation in Which information is transmitted from RF
`transceivers located in each vehicle to an assembly line
`monitoring system such that information needed for the
`manufacture of each vehicle can be requested in advance
`and thereafter made ready as needed during assembly of the
`vehicle;
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the Wireless communications
`system being used to create a high speed data link betWeen
`a drive-through restaurant menu and the various electronic
`subsystems of the motor vehicle to enable information from
`the drive through menu to be broadcast and/ or displayed by
`the vehicle’s electronic subsystems;
`FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the Wireless communications
`system being used in connection With a key FOB to enable
`data to be transmitted from the key FOB to a vehicle bus
`interface of a motor vehicle to control various subsystems of
`the vehicle;
`FIG. 5A is a block diagram of the major components of
`the key FOB of FIG. 5;
`FIG. 6 is a block diagram draWing illustrating a Wireless
`communications link created betWeen a key FOB carried by
`the user and a Work PC to enable data ?les to be transmitted
`in Wireless fashion betWeen the PC and the key FOB;
`FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the key FOB of FIGS. 5 and
`5A being used to transmit ?les in Wireless fashion from the
`key FOB to a home PC;
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`FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the present invention being
`used to create a Wireless communications link betWeen a
`cellular phone and a proprietary voice recording/playback
`system manufactured by the assignee of the present appli
`cation and presently used on motor vehicles;
`FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the Wireless communications
`system being used to create a Wireless data link betWeen a
`home PC linked to the Internet and various electronic
`subsystems of a motor vehicle to thereby enable information
`from the Internet to be transmitted to the subsystems of the
`vehicle automatically;
`FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the Wireless communica
`tions system of the present invention being used to establish
`a Wireless communications link betWeen a cellular phone
`and various electronic subsystems of a motor vehicle after
`the cellular phone has linked With a Wireless service orga
`niZation;
`FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the Wireless communica
`tions system of the present invention being used to establish
`a Wireless data link betWeen a cellular phone of a user and
`one or more subsystems of a vehicle, Where the cellular
`phone is linked With a Wireless service organiZation so that
`“push” services from an Internet service provider can be
`used to provide personaliZed traf?c, Weather or other infor
`mation automatically from the Internet to the user as the user
`travels in the vehicle;
`FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the Wireless communica
`tions system of the present invention being used to create a
`Wireless data link betWeen a gas pump kiosk of a service
`station and the subsystems of a vehicle, Where the gas pump
`is linked to the Internet, such that information from the
`Internet can be transmitted in Wireless fashion to one or
`more electronic subsystems of the vehicle While the vehicle
`is parked near the gas pump;
`FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the Wireless communica
`tions system of the present invention being used to create a
`Wireless data link for doWnloading map directions doWn
`loaded onto a home PC off of the Internet directly to one or
`more electronic subsystems of the vehicle While the vehicle
`is in close proximity to the home PC; and
`FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the Wireless communica
`tions system of the present invention being used to transmit
`corporate information or messages from a Wireless service
`organiZation to a ?eet vehicle, Where the information is
`provided over the Internet from a corporate computer sys
`tem, and such that the information can be provided via a
`Wireless data link directly to the various subsystems of a
`?eet vehicle.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`Referring to FIG. 1, a Wireless communications system 10
`in accordance With a preferred embodiment of the present
`invention is illustrated. The present invention is broadly
`directed to a Wireless communications system 10 in Which at
`least one pair of RF transceivers 10a and 10b are used to
`create a Wireless communications link betWeen at least tWo
`independent electronic devices. Each RF transceiver 10a
`and 10b operates in accordance With a suitable Wireless
`communications protocol or standard to enable Wireless
`communications betWeen the transceivers 10a and 10b. The
`speci?c protocol or standard used also preferably enables the
`Wireless communications link to be established automati
`cally When the tWo RF transceivers come into proximity
`With each other. The speci?c protocol or standard may be the
`Bluetooth communications standard or the Shared Wireless
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`Access Protocol-Cordless Access (SWAP-CA) speci?cation,
`or any other suitable Wireless communications speci?cation
`that enables voice and/or data information to be transmitted
`betWeen the tWo RF transceivers 10a and 10b.
`The Bluetooth communications standard Was established
`for creating small form factor, loW-cost, short range RF links
`betWeen mobile telephones, notebook computers, PDAs and
`other portable electronic devices. It is the result of a joint
`effort betWeen several major commercial organiZations to
`develop a RF communications standard for creating secure,
`Wireless communications links betWeen portable electronic
`devices such as cellular phones, PDAs, computers and other
`electronic devices. The Bluetooth communications standard
`is presently an “open” standard that enables short range,
`secure, RF transmission of voice and/or data information
`betWeen such portable electronic devices to thus eliminate
`the need for physical cables for interconnecting the devices.
`Its implementation is based on a high performance, but loW
`cost, integrated RF transceiver chip set. The Bluetooth
`standard further provides the potential for automatic and
`rapid “ad hoc” Wireless connections When tWo or more
`devices equipped With RF transceivers operating in accor
`dance With the Bluetooth standard come into proximity With
`each other.
`The Bluetooth standard makes use of the free, universal
`2.4 GHZ Industrial, Scienti?c, and Medical (ISM) band and
`a frequency hopping scheme using 1600 hops/ second.
`Encryption and authentication are built into the Bluetooth
`standard along With an automatic “output poWer adaption”
`feature that automatically reduces the output poWer of the
`RF transceiver to only (and exactly) that amount of poWer
`Which is needed to accomplish the data transmission.
`The Bluetooth standard speci?es a minimum RF receiver
`sensitivity of —70 dBm and the nominal output poWer is
`speci?ed as 0 dBm (i.e., 1 mW), Which eliminates the need
`for an off-chip poWer ampli?er. With a 0 dBm transmit
`poWer, the typical range for the RF transceiver is up to about
`10 meters. The range can be extended to about 100 meters
`by augmenting the RF transceiver chip set With an external
`poWer ampli?er to increase the transmit poWer to a maxi
`mum of 20 dBm. The maximum data transfer rate betWeen
`tWo Bluetooth transceivers is slightly under 1 Mbits/ sec. The
`data rate for a voice channel is 64 kbits/sec (GSM-l3
`kbits/sec). A suitable RF transceiver for use With the Blue
`tooth standard can be formed relatively inexpensively as a
`single CMOS integrated chip. As such, the RF transceiver
`can be manufactured suf?ciently small such that it can be
`readily incorporated into virtually all portable electronic
`devices Without adding appreciably to the siZe, cost, Weight
`and poWer consumption of such devices. Additional infor
`mation on the Bluetooth standard can be obtained at URL
`address WWW.bluetooth.com.
`Advantageously, the Bluetoot