On board vehicle media controller

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable network controller operable to cache media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a signal source.

1 . A vehicle, comprising:
 a microprocessor executable network controller operable to cache media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel and/or request by a media source.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein media is cached in response to a vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached in response to a vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 4 , wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the media is cached for a first on board vehicle input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second on board vehicle input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant, the first and second vehicle occupants being occupants of a common vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller receives a multimedia stream associated with an on board vehicle input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia stream is cached while the second media channel is provided to the on board vehicle input/output system. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein a media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors: whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 a microprocessor executable network controller caching media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel, and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a media source, wherein the media is cached for a first on board vehicle input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second on board vehicle input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant, the first and second vehicle occupants being occupants of a common vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein media is cached in response to the vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the media is cached in response to the vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the controller receives a multimedia stream associated with an on board vehicle input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia stream is cached while the second media channel is provided to the on board vehicle input/output system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors: whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transient, tangible computer readable medium comprising a microprocessor executable network controller on board a selected vehicle that, when executed, caches media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a vehicle state change, vehicle function, change in vehicle location, actual or expected change in a signal parameter associated with a selected channel, and/or request by the vehicle occupant and/or a media source, wherein the controller receives a multimedia stream associated with an on board vehicle input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant and wherein a first media channel but not a second media channel of the multimedia stream is cached while the second media channel is provided to the on board vehicle input/output system. 
     
     
         24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein media is cached in response to the vehicle state change and wherein the vehicle state change is one or more of the vehicle being placed into gear from a neutral or parked gear setting and the vehicle transitioning from a parked position to moving. 
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached in response to the vehicle function and wherein the function is executing a request from an on board input/output system corresponding to the vehicle occupant to cache media on a first channel while the input/output system is providing media on a second channel to the vehicle occupant and the input/output system changing from the first channel to the second channel causing automatically the media on the first channel to be cached while the input/output system is providing media on the second channel to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached in response to the change in vehicle location, wherein the vehicle location changes from a first vehicle location corresponding to a first set of laws to a second vehicle location corresponding to a second set of laws, and wherein the second set of laws restricts a media and/or communication session type and/or channel that may be provided to the vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         27 . The computer readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the media and/or communication session type and/or channel is one or more of text, audio, and video and wherein the vehicle occupant is the vehicle operator. 
     
     
         28 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached in response to the actual or expected change in signal parameter associated with a selected channel and wherein the signal parameter is the signal falling below a selected signal-to-noise ratio. 
     
     
         29 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein media is cached for a first media source while media from a second media source is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system. 
     
     
         30 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached in response to the request by the vehicle occupant and/or media source and wherein first media is cached while second media is provided to the vehicle occupant by an on board input/output system, the first and second media being from a common media source. 
     
     
         31 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the media is cached for a first on board vehicle input/output system associated with a first vehicle occupant but not for a second on board vehicle input/output system associated with a second vehicle occupant, the first and second vehicle occupants being occupants of a common vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein a media controller determines whether to cache the media by considering one or more of the following factors: whether a rule or user preference prevents caching, whether the media to be cached is SPAM, whether sufficient memory resources are currently available for media caching, whether the media to be cached constitutes a potential security breach event, and whether the media source is identified on a whitelist or blacklist. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the network controller caches media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a request by a media source. 
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the network controller caches media intended for a vehicle occupant in response to a request by a media source.