Wireless communication in the car

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to in-vehicle wireless communications. The embodiments described herein disclose techniques for enabling a user device to seamlessly establish a secure, high-bandwidth wireless connection with a vehicle accessory system, so that the user device can wirelessly stream user interface (UI) information to the vehicle accessory system. To implement this technology, a lower bandwidth wireless technology (e.g., Bluetooth) is used as an initial means for establishing a Wi-Fi pairing between the user device and the vehicle accessory system. Wi-Fi parameters associated with a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system can be transmitted to the user device using the lower bandwidth wireless technology. A secure Wi-Fi connection can then be established between the user device and the vehicle accessory system using the provided Wi-Fi parameters. The embodiments also disclose techniques for enabling a user device to automatically reconnect with a vehicle accessory system in a seamless manner (e.g., upon returning to the vehicle).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of invention patent application No. 201680008533.1, filed on February 5, 2016, and entitled “In-vehicle wireless communication”. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments described herein set forth general methods and apparatus for wirelessly coupling a user device with a vehicle accessory system, including enabling a user interface associated with the user device to be displayed on a head unit display of the vehicle accessory system. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments described herein set forth methods and apparatus for enabling a user device to generate a user interface (UI) and wirelessly transmit, e.g., stream, a UI to a head unit display included in a vehicle accessory system. Embodiments set forth herein also disclose methods and apparatus for enabling a user device to connect to a head unit display via a secure low-bandwidth wireless connection (e.g., The invention relates to a technology that seamlessly establishes a secure, high-bandwidth wireless connection (e.g., a Wi-Fi connection) with a vehicle accessory system. Subsequently, the user device is able to transmit the UI to the head unit via the established secure, high-bandwidth wireless connection. According to this method, the head unit is configured to display the UI by a display device communicatively coupled to the head unit, wherein the head unit continuously outputs an updated UI to the display unit based on the UI information provided by the user device. In this way, the head unit acts as a device for receiving and displaying the UI. In some embodiments, the head unit has minimal (if any) effect when generating content displayed within the UI. According to some embodiments, the user device may be configured to include a device (e.g., an icon) for accessing only a subset of applications managed by the user device or provided by other means when generating a UI for display by the head unit. For example, a subset of applications displayed at the head unit may include a messaging application, a phone application, a music application, a radio application, a navigation application, and the like. These and other technologies are described in more detail below.

[0004] The purpose of providing this summary is only to summarize some example embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the features described above are only examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims.

[0005] Other aspects and advantages of the embodiments described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the principles of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and are merely examples of possible structures and arrangements of the disclosed inventive devices and methods for providing wireless computing devices. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. The embodiments will be more easily understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent similar structural elements:

[0007] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating different components of an example system configured to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 According to some embodiments, in order to Figure 1 A high-level sequence diagram of example operations performed to initiate a streaming session between a user device and a vehicle accessory system is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 It is shown that according to some embodiments, Figure 2 An example low-level sequence diagram of the operations of .

[0010] Figure 4 A table is shown that defines example Wi-Fi parameters transmitted using the accessory communication protocol according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 5 An example low-level sequence of operations performed to automatically reconnect a previously paired user device with a vehicle accessory system is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B A flowchart of an example method for initiating and maintaining a streaming session between a user device and a vehicle accessory system is shown according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method for initiating and maintaining a streaming session between a vehicle accessory system and a user device is shown according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 8 Shown is a detailed view of a computing device that can be used to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Representative applications of the apparatus and methods according to the embodiments described in the present invention are provided in this section. These examples are provided only to add context and to help understand the embodiments. It will therefore be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in the present invention may be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In other cases, well-known process steps are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments described in the present invention. Other applications are also possible, so that the following examples should not be considered as restrictive.

[0016] When implementing wireless UI display technology, it may be beneficial to utilize a wireless communication protocol that provides a bandwidth level commensurate with the resolution and refresh rate of the UI. It is worth noting that as new devices are released to the market, as processing speeds and display resolutions increase, these two factors, resolution and refresh rate, tend to increase over time. Therefore, in some specific implementations, these advances make some low-bandwidth wireless communication protocols, such as In some implementations, this is insufficient to provide smooth and reliable wireless transmission of UI information between devices.

[0017] Therefore, it may be desirable to utilize a higher bandwidth wireless communication protocol, such as Wi-Fi, which provides greater bandwidth, for implementing the techniques described herein. However, in some cases, current Wi-Fi implementations do not provide a simple protocol for establishing a secure connection between two devices in some specific implementations. Therefore, a user may be required to perform a manual process involving, for example, establishing a Wi-Fi network name, a Wi-Fi network password, etc. at a vehicle accessory system and then entering the corresponding information into their user device. As can be appreciated, this can reduce overall user satisfaction and can further reduce security because users are less likely to regularly update their Wi-Fi network name / password to thwart potential malicious activity.

[0018] Thus, the embodiments described herein disclose various techniques for enabling a user device to seamlessly establish a secure, high-bandwidth wireless connection with a vehicle accessory system. To implement this technique, a lower bandwidth (or low-bandwidth) wireless technology (e.g., ) as an initial means for establishing a higher bandwidth (or high bandwidth) wireless connection (e.g., Wi-Fi) between the user device and the vehicle accessory system. For example, low bandwidth wireless technologies may be utilized, e.g., via Wi-Fi parameters associated with a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system are transmitted to the user device via the accessory communication protocol. The Wi-Fi parameters can then be used to establish a secure Wi-Fi connection between the user device and the vehicle accessory system.

[0019] Representative embodiments described herein also disclose a technique for enabling a user device to automatically (i.e., without user intervention) reconnect with a vehicle accessory system in a seamless manner. More specifically, the user device can utilize the aforementioned low-bandwidth wireless technology to 1) facilitate reestablishing a Wi-Fi connection to the vehicle accessory system when the Wi-Fi connection fails or has been terminated, and / or 2) receive updated Wi-Fi parameters from the vehicle accessory system when aspects of the Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system change.

[0020] Thus, the foregoing methods provide techniques for connecting a user device to a vehicle accessory system and enabling the user device to wirelessly transmit UI information to the vehicle accessory system. A more detailed discussion of these techniques is set forth below and in conjunction with Figure 1-Figure 7 A description is provided that shows detailed illustrations of representative systems and methods that can be used to implement these techniques.

[0021] Figure 1 A block diagram is shown of different components of a system 100 configured to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. Figure 1 1 shows a high-level overview of the system 100, which includes a vehicle accessory system 110 and one or more user devices 120. Each user device 120 may represent any form of computing device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) capable of interacting with other computing devices, such as the vehicle accessory system 110. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle accessory system 110 represents a combination of hardware and software components that enable a wireless communication session, including streaming, to occur between the vehicle accessory system 110 and one or more user devices 120. The vehicle accessory system 110 may include a head unit 112 communicatively coupled to a display device 114, a Wi-Fi access point 116, and a Module 118 and the like. Similarly, each user device 120 may include a Wi-Fi manager 122, Module 124 and display device 126 and other components. User device 120 can communicate with the user via wireless communication link 102 (e.g., via Wi-Fi, near field communication (NFC), long term evolution in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U), and / or other links) communicate with the vehicle accessory system 110. It should be understood that although Figure 1 Two user devices 120 are shown that can be wirelessly connected to the vehicle accessory system 110, but any number of user devices 120 may be configured to communicate wirelessly with the vehicle accessory system 110 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Various techniques are described for wireless and Wi-Fi connections, but in some embodiments the same techniques may be applied to other combinations of wireless connections, such as using a first low-bandwidth, secure wireless personal area network connection in combination with a second high-bandwidth, secure wireless local area network connection. In some embodiments, information from previous wireless and / or wired connections may be used to assist in establishing a secure high-bandwidth wireless connection between one or more user devices 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110.

[0022] Figure 2 According to some embodiments, in order to Figure 1 A high-level sequence diagram 200 of operations performed to initiate a streaming session between a user device 120 and a vehicle accessory system 110. Figure 2 As shown, during operation 202, the user device 120 initiates a communication with the vehicle accessory system 110. The pairing process (e.g., using the vehicle accessory system 110 Module 118 and user equipment 120 Module 124). Establishing a secure connection between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 When the link is established, operation 204 is performed, wherein the vehicle accessory system 110 communicates with the user device 120, for example, using the accessory communication protocol (ACP) via Link communication. ACP may include, for example, During operation 204, the vehicle accessory system 110 transmits Wi-Fi parameters associated with a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110 (e.g., using the Wi-Fi access point 116) to the user device 120 via the ACP. Then, at operation 206, the vehicle accessory system 110 transmits Wi-Fi parameters associated with a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110 (e.g., using the Wi-Fi access point 116) to the user device 120 via the ACP. The link triggers an in-vehicle notification, which causes the user device 120 (specifically, the Wi-Fi manager 122 included in the user device 120) to scan for a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. In summary, according to the above steps, a low-bandwidth wireless technology (e.g., ) provides Wi-Fi parameters to the user device 120 and initiates a Wi-Fi scan for the Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110.

[0023] At operation 208, the user device 120 establishes a Wi-Fi connection with the vehicle accessory system 110 using the Wi-Fi parameters received from the vehicle accessory system 110. Upon establishing the Wi-Fi connection, a communication session, such as a streaming session, may be initiated between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110, as reflected at operation 210. According to one example, the streaming session may involve a communication session between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 via the Wi-Fi connection. Stream. During the streaming session, the user device 120 generates a UI and streams the UI to the head unit 112 via a Wi-Fi connection, where the head unit 112 then outputs the UI on the display device 114. According to some embodiments, the UI streamed to the head unit may include all information required to display the UI or a subset of the information required to display the UI. The head unit 112 continuously outputs an updated UI to the display device 114 based on the UI information received from the user device 120. In this way, the head unit 112 acts as a device for receiving and displaying the UI. In some specific implementations, the head unit 112 may play little or no role in generating content displayed within the UI.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the user device 120 can be configured to include only a subset of applications managed by the user device 120 when generating the UI. For example, the subset of applications displayed on the display device 114 may include a messaging application, a phone application, a music application, a radio application, a navigation application, etc. In other embodiments, one or more applications of any other group can be presented in any arrangement. In this way, the display device 114 can display a rendering of the UI, wherein the rendering includes a subset of applications managed by the user device 120 that are related to the in-vehicle environment or selected for the in-vehicle environment by other means.

[0025] Figure 3 According to some embodiments, the above combined Figure 2 The low-level sequence diagram 300 of the set of operations described above. Specifically, the low-level sequence diagram 300 begins with the user device 120 initiating a communication with the vehicle accessory system 110. Pairing process. At operation 302, the user device 120 enters In an inquiry mode to discover devices that support streaming services, for example, the user device 120 can receive and process beacons 301 generated by the vehicle accessory system 110. According to some embodiments, the vehicle accessory system 110 is configured to perform periodic scans for inquiries and respond to inquiries issued by the user device 120 by sending an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet to the user device 120. The EIR packet may include an indication that the vehicle accessory system 110 supports streaming services. Next, at operation 304, a communication is performed between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. Connection setup and service discovery. Service discovery may be performed via a service discovery protocol (SDP). A list of devices supporting the streaming service is then displayed at the user device 120, including the vehicle accessory system 110. The vehicle accessory system 110 is selected (e.g., manually by a user or automatically by the user device 120) so that a connection occurs between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. Pairing, which is reflected at operation 306. This can be performed via Secure Simple Pairing (SSP) using numeric comparison pair.

[0026] In some embodiments, different data streams (e.g., audio including music and voice calls, video, commands, navigation data, etc.) are provided during a streaming session. Also, while a streaming session is active, different audio devices (e.g., speakers, headphones, Audio streams associated with the wireless headset, Wi-Fi, etc.) are switched to Wi-Fi and provided over the Wi-Fi connection. However, in some cases, if the user wishes, a specific audio stream can be switched to use a different connection (e.g., an incoming call can be switched to the headset via a separate connection).

[0027] A secure connection is established between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. When the link is established, the user device 120 negotiates and sets the ACP profile with the vehicle accessory system 110, which is reflected at operation 308 (followed by disconnection at step 329). Next, at operations 310 and 312, an ACP communication channel is established between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110, and Wi-Fi parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110 are transmitted to the user device 120 (via the ACP communication channel) by the vehicle accessory system 110. These Wi-Fi parameters can be configured to include any number of parameters and formatted in a manner that is understood between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. An example set of Wi-Fi parameters is shown in FIG. Figure 4 It is shown in Figure 4 Table 400 is shown, which defines the ACP can be used through The Wi-Fi parameters transmitted. Figure 4 As shown, the Wi-Fi parameters may include the MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point 116 (also referred to as a BSSID-Basic Service Set Identifier), the network name of the Wi-Fi network (also referred to as an SSID-Service Set Identifier), the Wi-Fi security mode used, the password used for the Wi-Fi network (such as WPA2-PSK-Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 Pre-Shared Key), the channel number used by the vehicle accessory system 110 (e.g., by the Wi-Fi access point 116) to host the Wi-Fi network, and the vehicle accessory system 110. In one embodiment, the Wi-Fi parameters are mapped to the BD-ADDR of the vehicle accessory system 110. address.

[0028] Now re-refer to Figure 3At operation 314, when the user device 120 has successfully received Wi-Fi parameters from the vehicle accessory system 110, a Wi-Fi scan is triggered at the user device 120. In one embodiment, this involves An in-vehicle notification (of initial pairing) is triggered, which in turn causes the Wi-Fi manager 122 of the user device 120 to scan for Wi-Fi networks. In order to perform the scan, information is exchanged, such as the radio frequency channel on which the Wi-Fi access point 116 operates, so that a directional scan can be performed instead of a full-band scan, which can promote power conservation. Full-band scans are also very time consuming, and latency savings can also be achieved using this approach. In some specific implementations, information elements can be exchanged, where the information elements can include an indication that the vehicle accessory system supports Wi-Fi, an indication of the radio frequency band on which the Wi-Fi access point 116 operates, an indication of whether both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequency bands are supported, an indication of whether Internet access is provided, and the like.

[0029] In operation 316, the Wi-Fi manager 122 associates with the Wi-Fi access point 116 located via the scan using the Wi-Fi parameters obtained at operation 310. When a Wi-Fi connection is successfully established between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110, an Internet Protocol (IP) link may be established between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110, as reflected by operations 318 and 320. Thus, each of the foregoing steps may be implemented to reduce the amount of user input that would otherwise be involved if the user was required to manually establish a Wi-Fi connection between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110.

[0030] Figure 3 , further illustrated in FIG. 3 , a sequence of operations ( 322 , 324 , and 326 ) including the vehicle accessory system 110 using a service discovery protocol (eg, ). Specifically, selection of (1) a host vehicle accessory system 110 by the user device 120 and (2) service discovery are performed prior to initiating a streaming session between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. Subsequently, at operation 328, a streaming session is performed over an IP link, which involves the user device 120 wirelessly transmitting a UI to a head unit 112 of the vehicle accessory system 110, wherein the UI is output by the head unit 112 to the display device 114.

[0031] At operation 330, when a streaming session has been successfully initiated between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110, based on the number of factors, Module 118 provides The link can remain in idle mode or terminate. When the link remains in idle mode (rather than being terminated), the radio frequency band in which the Wi-Fi network operates—for example, the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz radio frequency band—may affect the reliability of the Wi-Fi streaming session. Specifically, when the Wi-Fi streaming session operates within the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, the Wi-Fi streaming session and Interference may occur between traffic (from other devices). Therefore, it may be beneficial to terminate the communication between the vehicle accessory system 110 and the user device 120 for which the Wi-Fi connection is intended. Links (especially other device is not present). However, when Wi-Fi access point 116 operates in the 5 GHz radio frequency band (which generally does not interfere with flow), Module 118 may enter an idle mode, thereby enabling Module 118 can maintain the ability to communicate with other A component (eg, a separate hands-free component) establishes a connection.

[0032] Therefore, when a user first pairs his user device 120 with the vehicle accessory system 110 of the vehicle, an initialization is performed. The pairing process (operations 302-306) transmits Wi-Fi parameters to the user device 120 via the ACP communication channel (operations 308-312), and uses the Wi-Fi parameters to implement Wi-Fi pairing and IP link creation (operations 314-320). When the user re-enters the vehicle (holding their user device 120) after pairing, the user device 120 can automatically (and without user intervention) connect to the vehicle accessory system 110 using the previously acquired Wi-Fi parameters. This allows a streaming session to be automatically initiated each time the user enters their vehicle, which can significantly enhance the user's overall experience.

[0033] In some embodiments, the ACP communication channel provides a mechanism for transmitting various messages between the vehicle accessory system 110 and the user device 120. When the user manipulates any input source provided in the vehicle (e.g., scroll wheel, touch screen, up / down buttons, steering wheel buttons, etc.), the vehicle accessory system 110 can send appropriate messages / commands to the user device 120 through the ACP communication channel, and vice versa.

[0034] In some embodiments, navigation data (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) data) can be shared between the vehicle accessory system 110 and the user device 120. In many cases, the vehicle accessory system 110 includes a GPS unit, and the vehicle accessory system 110 is connected to a robust power source (e.g., a car battery). According to this arrangement, navigation data can be sent by the vehicle accessory system 110 to the user device 120 via the ACP communication channel. The navigation data can be sent to supplement or replace the GPS data normally collected by the user device 120. Sharing such navigation data from the vehicle accessory system 110 to the user device 120 can benefit the user device 120 by reducing the requirement for the user device 120 to perform scans to obtain location information (e.g., in a crowded city), which can reduce the overall performance of the user device 120 in various aspects. Sharing such navigation data from the vehicle accessory system 110 to the user device 120 can also benefit the user device 120 by reducing the power consumption at the user device 120, which can extend the battery life of the user device 120. According to some embodiments, navigation data may be shared between the vehicle accessory system 110 and the user device 120 depending on the communication mode employed by the user device 120. For example, in some embodiments, navigation data may be shared when the user device 120 is communicating with the vehicle accessory system 110 via Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz, but may not be shared when the Wi-Fi is operating at 5 GHz.

[0035] Figure 5 According to some embodiments, in order to pair previously paired (e.g., The low-level sequence diagram 500 of operations performed to automatically reconnect a user device 120 (paired with Wi-Fi) with a vehicle accessory system 110. For example, upon updating one or more Wi-Fi parameters (e.g., a Wi-Fi password) of a Wi-Fi network (provided by a Wi-Fi access point 116), the vehicle accessory system 110 can initiate a reconnection process with a previously paired user device 120. During the reconnection process, there is no need to reestablish / retransmit the initial connection between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. Connection and pairing process ( Figure 3 Various initial Messages (for example, query message). In contrast, The link and ACP communication channel can remain intact and can be used by the vehicle accessory system 110 to transmit updated Wi-Fi parameters to the user device 120. Figure 5 Operations 502 - 508 reflect where updated Wi-Fi parameters are provided to the user device 120 in conjunction with the beacon 501 generated by the vehicle accessory system 110 .

[0036] In establishment When the user device 120 attempts to establish a new Wi-Fi connection with the Wi-Fi access point 116 using the updated Wi-Fi parameters (reflected by operations 510 and 512). The link triggers an in-car notification (of reconnection), which in turn triggers the Wi-Fi manager 122 of the user device 120 to scan for a Wi-Fi network provided by the Wi-Fi access point 116 and connect thereto. Figure 5 The remaining operations 514-526 are similar to Figure 3 Operations 318-330 of the embodiment involve reestablishing the IP link between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 and initiating a streaming session. It is worth noting that the aforementioned reconnection process may also be initiated by the vehicle accessory system 110 when the Wi-Fi connection between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 is lost. In this scenario, the IP link may be reestablished. link, user device 120 may attempt to reconnect to Wi-Fi access point 116 using a reconnection process.

[0037] In some embodiments, the vehicle accessory system 110 can be configured to provide an explicit "out-of-vehicle" notification to the user device 120 to prevent the user device 120 from continuing (and wastefully) attempting to reconnect to the vehicle accessory system 110. For example, in the first scenario, when the vehicle accessory system 110 loses power (e.g., when the vehicle's engine is turned off), the vehicle accessory system 110 can issue an "out-of-vehicle" notification, which in turn can cause the user device 120 to terminate the Wi-Fi connection with the vehicle accessory system 110. It is worth noting that due to Using a shorter time window for attempting to reestablish a connection (e.g., approximately 300-500 ms) than a Wi-Fi connection (e.g., approximately 8 seconds) may trigger Wi-Fi manager 122 of user device 120 to begin scanning for new Wi-Fi networks more quickly than normal. This can advantageously reduce delays that would otherwise occur when user device 120 would transition to join another Wi-Fi network (e.g., when the user is driving to their residence).

[0038] In the second scenario, an explicit “bye” notification may be transmitted over the ACP communication channel, wherein the bye notification causes the user device 120 to roam to a new Wi-Fi network (e.g., a home network or a work network). Specifically, when the Wi-Fi access point 116 is turned off, a bye notification is sent by the vehicle accessory system 110 to the user device 120, which triggers a sequence of events similar to those that occur in response to an out-of-vehicle notification. In the third scenario, when the Wi-Fi access point 116 is turned off, the Wi-Fi access point 116 may transmit a deauthentication notification to the user device 120, which may also trigger a sequence of events similar to those that occur in response to an out-of-vehicle notification. Therefore, any of the first, second, and third scenarios enables the user device 120 to more efficiently connect to a different Wi-Fi network when the Wi-Fi connection to the vehicle accessory system 110 is no longer relevant and / or available.

[0039] In some embodiments, the vehicle accessory system 110 may support Wi-Fi networks / Multiple user devices 120 on the link. For example, when the Wi-Fi access point 116 operates using the 5 GHz radio frequency band, multiple user devices 120 can be supported. In addition, the vehicle accessory system 110 can be configured to switch between user devices 120 within the communication range. For example, the driver and the passenger may each operate different user devices 120 (e.g., user devices 120-1 and 120-2) that can communicate with the vehicle accessory system 110. In some embodiments, the driver's device (e.g., user device 120-1) can be selected as the primary (or preferred) user device 120, and the passenger's device (e.g., user device 120-2) can work as a secondary user device 120. In other embodiments, a hierarchical structure may be established using different standards or may not be established. The vehicle accessory system 110 can switch between primary and secondary user devices 120 based on different functions used, for example, when the primary user device 120 is selected to stream the UI to the vehicle accessory system 110. In one scenario, the vehicle accessory system 110 may select a secondary user device 120 (eg, to play music) and may switch back to the primary user device 120 when desired (eg, to check navigation).

[0040] Upon entering the vehicle, both the primary and secondary user devices 120 may send a signal to the vehicle accessory system 110 (eg, via ) advertise that they support UI streaming. The primary user device 120 is capable of receiving in-vehicle notifications and connecting to a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. Subsequently, the secondary user device 120 can receive in-vehicle notifications and also connect to the Wi-Fi network. In some embodiments, a user device 120 selection interface can be presented on a display device 114 coupled to the head unit 112 to facilitate switching between primary and secondary user devices 120.

[0041] In some embodiments, when the vehicle accessory system 110 supports multiple devices, the vehicle accessory system 110 may attempt to pair with one or more (or all) previously paired devices. Device Reconnection. In one scenario, the vehicle accessory system 110 may attempt to reconnect to the primary user device 120, but may not be able to do so, for example, when Wi-Fi is disabled at the primary user device 120. In this case, the vehicle accessory system 110 may attempt to reconnect to the secondary user device when Wi-Fi is turned on at the secondary user device 120. In a second scenario, when both the primary and secondary user devices 120 have Wi-Fi enabled, the vehicle accessory system 110 may first attempt to reconnect to the primary user device 120 and subsequently successfully connect to the primary user device 120. The vehicle accessory system 110 may then attempt to reconnect to the secondary user device 120 and subsequently also successfully connect to the secondary user device 120. The vehicle accessory system 110 may display a user device 120 selection interface on, for example, a display device 114 to allow selection of the primary user device 120 or the secondary user device 120 as the active device and to allow switching between them. In some embodiments, both the primary and secondary user devices 120 are capable of wirelessly connecting to the vehicle accessory system 110. In some cases, a particular user device 120 (e.g., a secondary user device 120) may be connected to the vehicle accessory system 110 in a wired manner (e.g., via a USB interface, via an Ethernet USB interface, etc.). Regardless of whether a particular device is connected to the vehicle accessory system 110 wirelessly or wired, device discovery, device selection, and initiation of a UI streaming session may be performed in a similar manner. In some cases, the user may use A combination of and one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) is used for session management (e.g., starting / ending sessions) with multiple user devices 120.

[0042] Figure 6A-6B Flowcharts 600 and 611 of a method for initiating and maintaining a streaming session between a user device 120 and a vehicle accessory system 110 are shown. Fig. 6A As shown, the method begins at step 602, where the user device 120 initiates a communication with the vehicle accessory system 110. pairing process. As a result of the pairing, a secure connection is established between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. At step 604, the user device 120 receives Wi-Fi parameters associated with a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110 from the vehicle accessory system 110. According to some embodiments, by The link uses ACP to exchange Wi-Fi parameters.

[0043] At step 606, when the user device 120 successfully receives the Wi-Fi parameters, the user device 120 initiates a scan for a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. As previously described herein, the scan may be performed based on the provided Wi-Fi parameters to reduce the amount of processing involved in identifying a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. At step 608, the user device 120 establishes a Wi-Fi connection with the vehicle accessory system 110 using the Wi-Fi parameters received from the vehicle accessory system 110. Upon establishing the Wi-Fi connection, at step 610, a UI streaming session may be initiated between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110. For the UI streaming session, the user device 120 generates a UI and wirelessly streams the UI to the head unit 112 included in the vehicle accessory system 110 over the Wi-Fi connection, where the head unit 112 then outputs the UI to the display device 114.

[0044] exist Figure 6B At step 612 shown in , the user device 120 determines whether the Wi-Fi connection between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 has failed and / or disconnected. In one scenario, the Wi-Fi connection may be disconnected when the user device 120 is out of range of the Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. In another scenario, the Wi-Fi connection may fail when Wi-Fi parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network are updated but not yet transmitted to the user device 120. In response to determining that the Wi-Fi connection has not failed / disconnected, at step 613, the user device 120 may continue the streaming session. Conversely, in response to determining that the Wi-Fi connection has failed / disconnected, at step 614, the user device 120 may reestablish a Wi-Fi connection with the vehicle accessory system 110. According to some embodiments, the user device 120 may receive updated Wi-Fi parameters from the vehicle accessory system 110, as reflected at step 616. At step 618, the user device 120 may re-establish a Wi-Fi connection with the vehicle accessory system 110 using the updated Wi-Fi parameters. Finally, the streaming session between the user device 120 and the vehicle accessory system 110 may be resumed, as reflected at step 620.

[0045] In some cases, the Wi-Fi connection is disconnected when the user leaves the vehicle and the user device 120 is out of range. When the Wi-Fi access point 116 operates using the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, A connection can also be in a disconnected state, for example, to disable after a Wi-Fi connection is established. In this scenario, when the Wi-Fi connection is disconnected and there is no ongoing session (e.g., with a different user device 120), The user device 120 can be returned to the user device 120. Therefore, when the user re-enters the vehicle with his user device 120, the user device 120 can be returned to the user device 120. The reconnection process is initiated without user intervention, thereby providing a seamless experience to the user.

[0046] Figure 7 Flowchart 700 of a method for initiating and maintaining a streaming session between a vehicle accessory system 110 and a user device 120 is shown according to some embodiments. Figure 7 As shown, the method begins at step 702, where the vehicle accessory system 110 establishes a connection with the user device 120. At step 704, the vehicle accessory system 110 The link provides parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system 110. At step 706, the vehicle accessory system 110 The device 120 establishes a Wi-Fi connection and receives a request from the user device 120 to establish a Wi-Fi connection, wherein the request includes at least a portion of the parameters.

[0047] At step 708, the vehicle accessory system 110 establishes a Wi-Fi connection with the user device 120. At step 710, the vehicle accessory system 110 wirelessly receives a stream representing a UI generated by the user device 120 via the Wi-Fi connection. Finally, at step 712, the vehicle accessory system 110 displays the UI on the display device 114 communicatively coupled to the vehicle accessory system 110.

[0048] Figure 8 800 that can be used to implement the various components described herein according to some embodiments. Specifically, the detailed view shows Figure 1 The various components that may be included in the vehicle accessory system 110 or the user device 120 shown. Figure 8As shown, the computing device 800 may include a processor 802, which represents a microprocessor or controller for controlling the overall operation of the computing device 800. The computing device 800 may also include a user input device 808, which allows a user of the computing device 800 to interact with the computing device 800. For example, the user input device 808 may take a variety of forms, such as buttons, keypads, dials, touch screens, audio input interfaces, visual / image capture input interfaces, input in the form of sensor data, etc. Further, the computing device 800 may include a display 810 (e.g., a screen display) that can be controlled by the processor 802 to display information to the user. The data bus 816 can facilitate data transmission between at least the storage device 840, the processor 802, and the controller 813. The controller 813 can be used to interact with and control different devices through the device control bus 814. The computing device 800 may also include a network / bus interface 811 coupled to the data link 812. In the case of a wireless connection, the network / bus interface 811 may include a wireless transceiver.

[0049] The computing device 800 also includes a storage device 840, which may include a single disk or multiple disks (e.g., a hard drive), and includes a storage management module that manages one or more partitions within the storage device 840. In some embodiments, the storage device 840 may include flash memory, semiconductor (solid-state) memory, etc. The computing device 800 may also include a random access memory (RAM) 820 and a read-only memory (ROM) 822. The ROM 822 may store programs, utilities, or processes to be executed in a non-volatile manner. The RAM 820 may provide volatile data storage and store instructions related to the operation of the computing device 800.

[0050] The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the embodiments may be used individually or in any combination. The various aspects of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. The embodiments may also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. A computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data, which can then be read by a computer system. Examples of computer readable media include read-only memory, random access memory, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic tape, hard disk drive, solid state drive, and optical data storage device. The computer readable medium may also be distributed over a network coupled computer system so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0051] The above description uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments for the purpose of explanation. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not required in order to practice the embodiments. Therefore, the above description of specific embodiments is presented for the purpose of illustration and description. These descriptions are not intended to be considered exhaustive or to limit the embodiments described to the precise form disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible based on the above teachings.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a computing device to communicate with a vehicle accessory system, the method comprising, at the computing device: In response to determining that a first connection to a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system cannot be established using a first set of Wi-Fi parameters: Initializes a Bluetooth link with the vehicle accessory system, receiving a second set of Wi-Fi parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network from the vehicle accessory system via the Bluetooth link, and A second connection to the Wi-Fi network is established according to the second set of Wi-Fi parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency band and (ii) the computing device is not communicating with any other computing device other than the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: Terminate the Bluetooth link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to detecting that the second connection to the Wi-Fi network is inactive: Initialize the Bluetooth link.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using a 5 GHz radio frequency band or (ii) the computing device is communicating with another computing device outside of the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: The Bluetooth link is maintained.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after establishing a second connection to the Wi-Fi network: A user interface (UI) generated by the computing device is wirelessly streamed to the vehicle accessory system over the Wi-Fi network, wherein the vehicle accessory system utilizes at least a portion of the UI to generate output on a display device communicatively coupled to the vehicle accessory system. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UI is different from a primary UI displayed on a second display device communicatively coupled to the computing device. The method of claim 6 , wherein the UI includes at least one icon corresponding to an application hosted on the computing device.

8. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to communicate with a vehicle accessory system by performing the following steps, the steps comprising: In response to determining that a first connection to a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system cannot be established using a first set of Wi-Fi parameters: Initializes a Bluetooth link with the vehicle accessory system, receiving a second set of Wi-Fi parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network from the vehicle accessory system via the Bluetooth link, and A second connection to the Wi-Fi network is established according to the second set of Wi-Fi parameters.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further comprise, in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency band and (ii) the computing device is not communicating with any other computing device other than the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: Terminate the Bluetooth link.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the steps further comprise, in response to detecting that the second connection to the Wi-Fi network is inactive: Initialize the Bluetooth link.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further comprise, in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using a 5 GHz radio frequency band or (ii) the computing device is communicating with another computing device external to the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: The Bluetooth link is maintained.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further comprise after establishing a second connection to the Wi-Fi network: A user interface (UI) generated by the computing device is wirelessly streamed to the vehicle accessory system over the Wi-Fi network, wherein the vehicle accessory system utilizes at least a portion of the UI to generate output on a display device communicatively coupled to the vehicle accessory system.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the UI is different from a primary UI displayed on a second display device communicatively coupled to the computing device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the UI comprises at least one icon corresponding to an application hosted on the computing device.

15. A computing device configured to communicate with a vehicle accessory system, the computing device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform steps comprising: In response to determining that a first connection to a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle accessory system cannot be established using a first set of Wi-Fi parameters: Initializes a Bluetooth link with the vehicle accessory system, receiving a second set of Wi-Fi parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network from the vehicle accessory system via the Bluetooth link, and A second connection to the Wi-Fi network is established according to the second set of Wi-Fi parameters.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform steps comprising: in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band and (ii) the computing device is not communicating with any other computing device other than the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: Terminate the Bluetooth link.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform steps comprising: in response to detecting that the second connection to the Wi-Fi network is inactive: Initialize the Bluetooth link.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform steps comprising: in response to detecting that (i) the Wi-Fi network operates using a 5 GHz radio frequency band or (ii) the computing device is communicating with another computing device outside of the vehicle accessory system via Bluetooth: The Bluetooth link is maintained.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform steps comprising: after establishing a second connection to the Wi-Fi network: A user interface (UI) generated by the computing device is wirelessly streamed to the vehicle accessory system over the Wi-Fi network, wherein the vehicle accessory system utilizes at least a portion of the UI to generate output on a display device communicatively coupled to the vehicle accessory system.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the UI is different from a primary UI displayed on a second display device communicatively coupled to the computing device.

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