Method for enabling, and causing, stored settings of controls for functions of a radio head unit in an automotive vehicle to be re-programmed

Abstract

A method for re-programming a radio head unit in an automotive vehicle by a special “app” in a personal cellular (wireless) telephone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In an automotive vehicle which has a radio head unit having 1) a radio receiver for receiving wireless signals that carry audio content, 2) circuitry for extracting audio content from the wireless signals and for delivering extracted audio content to an audio system for transmission as audio into an occupant space of an automotive vehicle, and 3) controls having stored settings for functions of the radio head unit,
 a method comprising:   in a cellular telephone which has a touch-screen, opening a re-programming app for enabling stored settings of controls for functions of the radio head unit to be re-programmed using icons presented on the touch-screen, which when touched, enable the cellular telephone to re-program settings of controls for functions of the radio head unit and to save re-programmed settings of controls for functions of the radio head unit;   the method further comprising touching icons to cause a setting of a control for a selected function to be re-programmed and the re-programmed setting to be saved.   
     
     
         2 . The method set forth in  claim 1  further comprising,
 pairing the cellular telephone with the radio head unit to enable wireless communication, 
 when the radio head unit detects that the saved re-programmed setting differs from the current corresponding setting in the radio head unit, causing the radio head unit to replace the current corresponding setting in the radio head unit by the saved re-programmed setting. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method set forth in  claim 1  in which the icons comprise 1) a first icon for selecting, for re-programming, a setting of a control for a selected function, 2) a second icon for re-programming the setting of a control for a selected function, and 3) a third icon for saving a re-programmed setting of a control for a selected function,
 the method further comprising, 
 touching the first icon to cause a setting of a control for a selected function to be selected for re-programming, 
 after that setting has been selected by touching the first icon, touching the second icon to cause that setting to be re-programmed, 
 and after that setting has been re-programmed, touching the third icon to cause the re-programmed setting to be saved. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method set forth in  claim 3  in which the radio head unit can receive wireless radio signals from multiple radio frequency bands, and the method further comprises,
 touching the first icon to cause the touch-screen to present multiple radio frequency bands, then touching the touch-screen to select one radio frequency band for display on the touch-screen including display of the second icon as a control of a selected function of the one radio frequency band, touching the second icon to cause the setting of a control of a selected function of the one radio frequency band, and then touching the third icon to cause the re-programmed setting to be saved. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method set forth in  claim 3  in which the radio head unit can receive audio content from multiple audio devices, and the method further comprises,
 touching the first icon to cause the touch-screen to present multiple audio devices, then touching the touch-screen to select one audio device for display on the touch-screen including display of the second icon as a control of a selected function of the one audio device, touching the second icon to cause the setting of a control of a selected function of the one audio device to be re-programmed, and then touching the third icon to cause the re-programmed setting to be saved.