Mirroring deeplinks
First Claim
1. An in-vehicle system for providing a user with access to functionality of a mobile device, the system comprising:
- a head unit for providing information and entertainment to the driver, having;
a processor;
an in-vehicle display;
in-vehicle software applications accessible to the user via the in-vehicle software applications;
a non-transitory data storage on which is stored computer code which, when executed on the processor, causes the head unit to provide a user interface for the in-vehicle software applications; and
user interface software that configures the user interface with a graphical scheme native to the head unit;
a communication interface providing communication between the head unit and a mobile device;
means for providing deep links to the head unit, wherein each of the deep links identifies a mobile software application stored on the mobile device and an application context available within the identified mobile software application;
means for enabling a user to select at least one of the deep links from within a user interface screen provided on the in-vehicle display using one of the in-vehicle software applications;
means for establishing a communication session using a mirroring protocol connection between the one of the in-vehicle software applications on the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the selected deep link; and
software for mirroring, under control of the mobile software application on the mobile device, an application context on the in-vehicle display which is also rendered on a display of the mobile device, wherein the mirrored application context is the application context identified by the selected deep link,wherein the selected deep link includes encoded required actions that a mobile application should automatically take upon launch to arrive at a specific application context of interest without requiring the user to navigate through intervening screens to arrive at the specific application context of interest,wherein the application context rendered on the display of the mobile device and mirrored on the in-vehicle display under the control of the mobile software application running on the mobile device is displayed on the in-vehicle display along with a navigation icon,wherein the mobile applications on the mobile phone advertise services that can be provided to in-vehicle software of the head unit, and the head unit requests content from the mobile applications,wherein, in response to the request for content, the mobile applications deliver content to the head unit in accordance with a HMI protocol so as to communicate selected items of information to the head unit encapsulated in fields in accordance with a schema, whereby the head unit parses the received information according to the schema,wherein selection of the navigation icon by the user triggers the head unit to terminate the mirroring protocol connection between the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the deep link to return control to the head unit to provide the user interface for the in-vehicle software application on the in-vehicle display, andwherein the data format set forth by the HMI protocol enables mobile applications to transmit deep links to the head unit, the HMI protocol is implemented as an XML interface, and the schema defining the XML interface include fields encapsulating deep links so as to enable specific application contexts from within mobile applications to be accessible via mirroring.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An in-vehicle system for providing a driver with access to functionality of a mobile device that includes a head unit with an in-vehicle display for providing infotainment to the driver, software that configures the user interface with a graphical scheme native to the head unit, and a software interface by which the head unit can receive deep links from the mobile device. Deep links identify application contexts available within the mobile software applications, and are made available to a user from within in-vehicle software applications. When a user selects a deep link from within an in-vehicle software application, the deep link is followed and the appropriate application context is rendered by mobile device. The application context is then mirrored onto the in-vehicle display, where a driver can view and interact with it using mirroring technology.
26 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An in-vehicle system for providing a user with access to functionality of a mobile device, the system comprising:
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a head unit for providing information and entertainment to the driver, having; a processor; an in-vehicle display; in-vehicle software applications accessible to the user via the in-vehicle software applications; a non-transitory data storage on which is stored computer code which, when executed on the processor, causes the head unit to provide a user interface for the in-vehicle software applications; and user interface software that configures the user interface with a graphical scheme native to the head unit; a communication interface providing communication between the head unit and a mobile device; means for providing deep links to the head unit, wherein each of the deep links identifies a mobile software application stored on the mobile device and an application context available within the identified mobile software application; means for enabling a user to select at least one of the deep links from within a user interface screen provided on the in-vehicle display using one of the in-vehicle software applications; means for establishing a communication session using a mirroring protocol connection between the one of the in-vehicle software applications on the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the selected deep link; and software for mirroring, under control of the mobile software application on the mobile device, an application context on the in-vehicle display which is also rendered on a display of the mobile device, wherein the mirrored application context is the application context identified by the selected deep link, wherein the selected deep link includes encoded required actions that a mobile application should automatically take upon launch to arrive at a specific application context of interest without requiring the user to navigate through intervening screens to arrive at the specific application context of interest, wherein the application context rendered on the display of the mobile device and mirrored on the in-vehicle display under the control of the mobile software application running on the mobile device is displayed on the in-vehicle display along with a navigation icon, wherein the mobile applications on the mobile phone advertise services that can be provided to in-vehicle software of the head unit, and the head unit requests content from the mobile applications, wherein, in response to the request for content, the mobile applications deliver content to the head unit in accordance with a HMI protocol so as to communicate selected items of information to the head unit encapsulated in fields in accordance with a schema, whereby the head unit parses the received information according to the schema, wherein selection of the navigation icon by the user triggers the head unit to terminate the mirroring protocol connection between the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the deep link to return control to the head unit to provide the user interface for the in-vehicle software application on the in-vehicle display, and wherein the data format set forth by the HMI protocol enables mobile applications to transmit deep links to the head unit, the HMI protocol is implemented as an XML interface, and the schema defining the XML interface include fields encapsulating deep links so as to enable specific application contexts from within mobile applications to be accessible via mirroring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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6. An in-vehicle system for providing access to functionality of a mobile device, the system comprising:
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a head unit having; a processor; an in-vehicle display; in-vehicle software applications accessible to a user via the in-vehicle display; and a non-transitory data storage on which is stored computer code which, when executed on the processor, causes the head unit to provide a user interface on the in-vehicle display; a communication interface providing communication between the head unit and a mobile device; software implementing a protocol by which the mobile device registers deep links with the head unit, wherein each of the deep links identifies a mobile software application stored on the mobile device and an application context within the identified mobile software application; a user control by which a user can select at least one deep link from within a user interface screen provided on the in-vehicle display by one of the in-vehicle software applications; and software implementing a mirroring protocol to establish a mirroring protocol connection to render, on the in-vehicle display, the application context identified by the selected deep link, wherein the selected deep link includes encoded required actions that a mobile application should automatically take upon launch to arrive at a specific application context of interest without requiring the user to navigate through intervening screens to arrive at the specific application context of interest, wherein the mobile applications on the mobile phone advertise services that can be provided to in-vehicle software of the head unit, and the head unit requests content from the mobile applications, wherein, in response to the request for content, the mobile applications deliver content to the head unit in accordance with a HMI protocol so as to communicate selected items of information to the head unit encapsulated in fields in accordance with a schema, whereby the head unit parses the received information according to the schema, wherein the application context rendered on the display of the mobile device and mirrored on the in-vehicle display under the control of the mobile software application on the mobile device is displayed on the in-vehicle display along with a navigation icon, wherein selection of the navigation icon by the user triggers in-vehicle software to terminate the mirroring protocol connection between the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the deep link to return control to the head unit to provide the user interface for the in-vehicle software application on the in-vehicle display, and wherein the data format set forth by the HMI protocol enables mobile applications to transmit deep links to the head unit, the HMI protocol is implemented as an XML interface, and the schema defining the XML interface include fields encapsulating deep links so as to enable specific application contexts from within mobile applications to be accessible via mirroring. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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16. A method for providing functionality of a mobile device to an in-vehicle system, the method comprising:
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providing a user interface on a head unit display, configuring the user interface in accordance with a graphical scheme implemented by in-vehicle software; receiving a communication in accordance with a software protocol from a mobile device, wherein the communication provides a deep link that identifies a mobile software application stored on the mobile device and an application context within the mobile software application; enabling a user to select the deep link from within a user interface screen provided on the in-vehicle display by one of the in-vehicle software applications while interacting with in-vehicle software via the in-vehicle display; establishing a communication session using a mirroring protocol connection between the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the selected deep link; and rendering under control of the mobile software application on the mobile device, the application context identified by the deep link on the head unit display, wherein the deep link includes encoded required actions that a mobile application should automatically take upon launch to arrive at a specific application context of interest without requiring the user to navigate through intervening screens to arrive at the specific application context of interest, wherein the mobile applications on the mobile phone advertise services that can be provided to in-vehicle software of the head unit, and the head unit requests content from the mobile applications, wherein, in response to the request for content, the mobile applications deliver content to the head unit in accordance with a HMI protocol so as to communicate selected items of information to the head unit encapsulated in fields in accordance with a schema, whereby the head unit parses the received information according to the schema, wherein the application context rendered on the display of the mobile device and mirrored on the in-vehicle display under the control of the mobile software application on the mobile device is displayed on the in-vehicle display along with a navigation icon, wherein selection of the navigation icon by the user triggers in-vehicle software to terminate the mirroring protocol connection between the head unit and the mobile software application identified by the deep link to return control to the head unit to provide the user interface for the in-vehicle software application on the in-vehicle display, and wherein the data format set forth by the HMI protocol enables mobile applications to transmit deep links to the head unit, the HMI protocol is implemented as an XML interface, and the schema defining the XML interface include fields encapsulating deep links so as to enable specific application contexts from within mobile applications to be accessible via mirroring. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification