Patent ID: 8400261
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. Interactive phone message control apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising: a communication link with a nomadic communication device carried by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is in the vehicle, the nomadic communication device having a message access function for retrieving text or voice messages sent to the driver; condition sensors for detecting vehicle operating conditions; a human-machine interface (HMI) including a configurable display apparatus selectively actuated to communicate a check-message inquiry to the driver, and an input device selectively manipulated by the driver to accept said check-message inquiry; a human-machine interface controller (HMI-controller) coupled to said communication link, said condition sensors and said HMI for sampling said condition sensors to identify prescribed vehicle operating conditions, actuating said configurable display apparatus to communicate said check-message inquiry when said prescribed vehicle operating conditions are identified, and activating said nomadic communication device via said communication link to retrieve said messages for presentation to the driver upon driver-manipulation of said input device to accept said check-message inquiry; temporal condition sensors; a driver model memory that stores historical data for a given driver, including temporal condition data in effect when the driver accepts said check-message inquires; and a correlator for correlating currently sensed temporal conditions with the temporal condition data stored in said driver model memory to develop an indication of driver receptivity to check-message inquiries under the currently sensed temporal conditions, and supplying the developed indication to said HMI-controller to conform the communication of said check-message inquiries to a historical preference of said given driver.