Patent ID: 7983206
Filing Date: 2011-07-19
Classification: G08G,H04L

Abstract:
1. An integrated system for interactive communication and multimedia support in a vehicle, the system comprising: a plurality of peripheral devices, each of the peripheral devices configured to be installed in the vehicle and to operate independently from the other peripheral devices; a central control unit configured to be installed in the vehicle and having a communication interface, the communication interface including first and second communication platforms that are different from each other and configured to communicate with the plurality of peripheral devices via at least one of the first and second communication platforms, each communication platform configured to support direct, bi-directional, and selective communication between each of the peripheral devices; the communication interface configured to allow one of the peripheral devices having one of the first and second communication platforms, to directly, bi-directionally, and selectively communicate with another one of the peripheral devices having a different one of the first and second communication platforms, wherein the central unit comprises a Human-Machine Interface (“HMI”) module configured to interface between a user and the system, a storage unit configured to store multimedia content, and a control module configured to control operations of the system, and wherein the central unit is configured to receive a command from one of the peripheral devices and the HMI, wherein the command comprises one of unicast, multicast, and broadcast commands, and wherein the central unit is further configured to unicast, multicast, or broadcast multimedia content based on the command, and wherein the peripheral devices comprise a plurality of video display units, and wherein at least one of the video display units comprises an HMI module configured to interface between a user and the video display unit, a control module configured to control operations of the video display unit, and an integrated communication module configured to communicate with the communication interface, and wherein the integrated communication module of the video display unit is configured to communicate with a low-power, high-speed (“LPHS”) internal wireless and wired signals.