Vehicle customization and personalization activities

Abstract

A vehicle control and interconnection system comprises a vehicle interconnection component and a supervisory controller. The vehicle interconnection component communicably couples to a portable electronic processing device and to native electronic peripherals of a corresponding vehicle, including a display. The supervisory controller provides control information to at least one native electronic peripheral to implement a customized vehicle configuration such that a corresponding peripheral or group of peripherals respond to control commands from the vehicle interconnection component in a coordinated manner. Also, the portable electronic processing device is programmed via a software download to implement a user interface that interacts with the display of the corresponding vehicle to provide information to the vehicle operator where at least part of the processing is carried out on the portable electronic processing device. Yet further, software modifications are wirelessly received via a transceiver and are processed through the vehicle interconnection component.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A vehicle control system, comprising:
 a vehicle interface that enables communication with vehicle-installed electronic components of a vehicle; and   a controller that communicates with the vehicle-installed electronic components via the vehicle interface to implement a customized vehicle configuration associated with a designated vehicle mode, the controller programmed to:
 establish control information based upon the designated vehicle mode, wherein the control information is loaded into two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to coordinate performance characteristics thereof, and to affect operation of the vehicle in the designated vehicle mode; and, 
 detect a change in an operating condition, wherein:
 the controller generates dynamically modified control information based upon the designated vehicle mode and the detected change in the operating condition; and 
 the modified control information is loaded into at least one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to change the operation thereof, while maintaining operation of the vehicle according to the designated vehicle mode. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises off road driving;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise an electronic vehicle subsystem controlling a vehicle powertrain;   the operating condition is sensed by a sensor on the vehicle, which is coupled to the controller; and   the modified control information is loaded into the electronic vehicle subsystem controlling the vehicle powertrain.   
     
     
         23 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises over the road driving;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise an electronic vehicle subsystem controlling a vehicle powertrain;   the operating condition is sensed by a GPS system coupled to the controller designating a change in grade;   the modified control information is loaded into the electronic vehicle subsystem controlling the vehicle powertrain to adjust torque.   
     
     
         24 . The vehicle control system of  claim 23 , wherein the modified control information is loaded when the GPS system detects that the vehicle is approaching the change in grade. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicle control system of  claim 23 , wherein the modified control information is loaded when the GPS system detects that the vehicle is approaching a hill that the vehicle must climb. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises over the road driving;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise an electronic vehicle subsystem controlling a vehicle powertrain;   the operating condition is sensed by a GPS system coupled to the controller designating a change in grade;   the modified control information is loaded into the electronic vehicle subsystem controlling the vehicle powertrain to adjust energy consumption.   
     
     
         27 . The vehicle control system of  claim 26 , wherein the modified control information is loaded when the GPS system detects that the vehicle is approaching the change in grade. 
     
     
         28 . The vehicle control system of  claim 26 , wherein the modified control information is loaded when the GPS system detects that the vehicle is approaching a hill that the vehicle must climb. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises driving in rain;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise an electronic vehicle subsystem controlling a vehicle brakes;   the operating condition is sensed by a sensor on the vehicle, which detects rain on the windshield; and   the modified control information is loaded into the electronic vehicle subsystem controlling the vehicle brakes to compensate for possible slippery conditions.   
     
     
         30 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises driving in rain;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise a vehicle dynamics controller;   the operating condition is sensed by a sensor on the vehicle, which detects rain on the windshield; and   the modified control information is loaded into the vehicle dynamics controller to compensate for possible slippery conditions.   
     
     
         31 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises over the road driving;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise a vehicle dynamics controller;   the operating condition is comprises an alarm transmitted by a roadside transmitter and received by the controller, the alarm informing the controller of potential icy road conditions; and   the modified control information is loaded into the vehicle dynamics controller to compensate for possible slippery conditions.   
     
     
         32 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the designated vehicle mode comprises a tow mode;   a select one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components comprise a select one of a vehicle suspension controller and a powertrain controller;   the operating condition is sensed by a sensor; and   the modified control information is loaded into the select one of the vehicle suspension controller and the powertrain controller to compensate for the tow mode.   
     
     
         33 . The vehicle control system of  claim 32 , wherein the controller sets the designated tow mode by detecting that a vehicle payload has changed. 
     
     
         34 . The vehicle control system of  claim 32 , wherein the operating condition is a change in an environmental condition affecting driving the vehicle. 
     
     
         35 . The vehicle control system of  claim 32 , wherein the operating condition is a change in an operating condition of the vehicle while driving the vehicle. 
     
     
         36 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21 , wherein the operating condition comprises at least one of a sensed environmental condition, an inferred environmental condition, a sensed vehicle operating condition, an inferred vehicle operating condition, and a measured vehicle performance characteristic. 
     
     
         37 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21  further comprising a system security and diagnostics processor that verifies that a specific configuration requested by or required by a select one of the vehicle-installed electronic components is authorized and configured to execute properly within the vehicle control system. 
     
     
         38 . The vehicle control system of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a two-way communication device communicably coupled to the system controller, where the system controller receives via the two-way communication device, from a data center, a set of travel related services that are specific to an individual, where the set of travel related services include trip information for a trip and are received into the control system; 
 wherein: 
 the system controller communicates with the vehicle-installed electronic components to identify operational characteristics of the vehicle based upon the loaded set of travel related services and at least one vehicle sensor; and 
 the system controller periodically performs an operation to modify at least one vehicle subsystem in response to receiving the personalized information, while the vehicle is active during the trip. 
 
     
     
         39 . A vehicle control system, comprising:
 a vehicle interface that enables communication with vehicle-installed electronic components of a vehicle; and   a supervisory controller that communicates with the vehicle-installed electronic components via the vehicle interface to implement a customized vehicle configuration associated with a designated vehicle mode, the controller programmed to:
 implement a mission controller to establish control information based upon the designated vehicle mode, wherein the control information is loaded into two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to coordinate performance characteristics thereof, and to affect operation of the vehicle in the designated vehicle mode; and, 
 implement a mode controller to detect a change in an operating condition, wherein:
 the supervisory controller communicates dynamically modified control information based upon the designated vehicle mode and the detected change in the operating condition, via the vehicle interface; and 
 the modified control information is loaded into at least one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to change the operation thereof, while maintaining operation of the vehicle according to the designated vehicle mode. 
 
   
     
     
         40 . A method of customizing a vehicle driving experience, the method comprising:
 receiving by a system controller of a vehicle, from a driver of a vehicle interacting with a vehicle control, an input designating a vehicle mode;   setting by the system controller communicating with vehicle-installed electronic components via a vehicle interface, a customized vehicle configuration associated with the designated vehicle mode, by:
 establishing control information based upon the designated vehicle mode; 
 loading the control information into two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to coordinate performance characteristics thereof, and to affect operation of the vehicle in the designated vehicle mode; 
 detecting a change in an operating condition; 
 generating dynamically modified control information based upon the designated vehicle mode and the detected change in the operating condition; and 
 loading the modified control information into at least one of the two or more vehicle-installed electronic components to change the operation thereof, while maintaining operation of the vehicle according to the designated vehicle mode.