Systems, methods and articles for providing communications and services involving automobile head units and user preferences

Abstract

Network communications, Web-based services and customized services using the Web-based services may be provided to drivers and users via the automobile head unit in the vehicle and via their mobile device. The automobile head unit in the vehicle and the mobile device are communicatively linked via a short range wireless connection. Also, these devices may communicate over a network such as a cellular network to a service provider that provides entertainment and informational services to the mobile device and the head unit of the vehicle. The user's profile and preferences are able to follow the user to various locations and into vehicles because this information is stored at a server accessible by the user's mobile device, and in some embodiments, also the head unit. The mobile device may provide services to the head unit if it does not have wider network connectivity over the short range wireless connection.

1 . A method for electronically providing services to an automobile head unit comprising:
 receiving, by a computer processor of a server, a request from a remote device, the remote device associated with an authenticated user and distinct and separate from the server;   identifying, by the computer processor of the server, a remote automobile head unit associated with the request, the remote automobile head unit distinct and separate from the server and distinct and separate from the remote device of the authenticated user; and   in response to the request, causing the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to preferences that are stored on the remote device and associated with the authenticated user or another authenticated user, the causing of the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to the stored preferences including electronically providing, by the computer processor of the server, services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit based on one or more of: the request, the authenticated user, the another authenticated user, and the remote device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote automobile head unit is associated with the another authenticated user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote device is a mobile device having a handheld form factor or a computer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the corresponding preferences of the identified user are associated with one or more applications that execute on the remote device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 storing on the remote device, by the computer processor of the server, the identified user preferences of the authenticated user, to enable the remote device to cause one or more other identified remote automobile head units to operate according to the preferences of the authenticated user. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 electronically providing, by the computer processor of the server, the services or information to another identified remote automobile head unit to cause the another identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to the identified user preferences of the authenticated user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information provided includes the identified user preferences. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote device is a mobile device located geographically remote from the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote device is a mobile device and the receiving the request from the remote device includes receiving the request from the mobile device which had received the request from the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronically providing the services or information via the server to the identified remote automobile head unit includes electronically providing data to a mobile device of the user enabling the mobile device to provide the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronically providing the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit includes electronically providing the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit via a wireless telecommunications receiver of the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein electronically providing the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit via the wireless telecommunications receiver of the identified remote automobile head unit includes providing the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit by the server using a cellular service to communicate data to provide the services or information to the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronically providing the services or information via the server to the identified remote automobile head unit includes providing one or more of: services or information according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user or other authenticated user; services or information to remotely control or configure the vehicle by the authenticated user; services or information to remotely and automatically configure settings of the vehicle according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to remotely and automatically access and provide third party subscription services of the authenticated user via the identified remote automobile head unit; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to automatically play or display music related information, identified music preferences or particular music selections according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to display or automatically play sports related information, identified preferences or previous selections according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to display or automatically play weather related information, identified preferences or previous selections according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to display or automatically play news related information, identified preferences or previous selections according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to automatically play or display Internet search engine related information according to a profile, identified preferences or previous selections of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to provide Web browser functionality to the authenticated user; services or information to remotely configure user interface settings or identified preferences of the identified remote automobile head unit according to according to a profile, previous selections or identified preferences of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to automatically display a customized user interface according to a profile, previous selections or identified preferences of the authenticated user; services or information to cause the identified remote automobile head unit to automatically configure navigation system settings according to a profile, previous selections or identified preferences of the authenticated user; services or information related to geographical locations or points of interest of the authenticated user enabling the automobile head unit to use the geographical locations or points of interest in conjunction with a navigation system; services or information to enable a pairing between the identified remote automobile head unit and the remote device of the authenticated user based on the identifying the remote automobile head unit associated with the request; services or information to facilitate transfer of information between the remote device and the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         14 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer processor-readable storage medium having computer processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computer processor to:
 receive a request from a remote device, the remote device associated with a user;   identify a remote automobile head unit associated with the request, the remote automobile head unit distinct and separate from the remote device; and   in response to the request, cause the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to preferences of the user that are stored on the remote device, the causing of the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to the preferences including identifying the preferences to the remote automobile head unit.   
     
     
         15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the computer processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to authenticate the user before causing the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to the preferences. 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the remote device is a mobile device or a computer. 
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the remote device is a mobile device of the user, wherein the preferences are associated with the mobile device, and wherein the identifying of the preferences to the remote automobile head unit includes communicating the preferences of the user from the mobile device to the remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the computer processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:
 enable the remote device to cause one or more other identified remote automobile head units to operate according to the preferences of the user.   
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14 , wherein the remote device is a computer associated with the user, and wherein the identifying of the preferences to the remote automobile head unit includes communicating, by a server that includes the computer processor, the user preferences from the computer to the identified automobile head unit. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14 , wherein the causing of the identified remote automobile head unit to operate according to the preferences further includes communicating a background image from the remote device to the identified automobile head unit. 
     
     
         21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the remote device is located geographically remote from the identified remote automobile head unit. 
     
     
         22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14 , wherein the identifying of the preferences to the identified remote automobile head unit includes communicating the preferences from an authorized mobile device or from a server to the identified automobile head unit. 
     
     
         23 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer processor-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computer processor to:
 send a request associated with a user and a remote automobile head unit;   in response to the sent request, receive an indications of authorization of the user; and   cause the remote automobile head unit to operate according to user preferences that are stored on a remote device of a user based on the received indications of authorization of the user, the remote device of the user being distinct and separate from the remote automobile head unit.   
     
     
         29 . The article of manufacture of  claim 28  wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computer processor to:
 authenticate the user before the sending the request associated with the user and the remote automobile head unit. 
 
     
     
         30 . The article of manufacture of  claim 28  wherein the sending the request associated with the user and the remote automobile head unit includes sending the request to a remote server.