Global and contextual vehicle computing system controls

• US 10,180,785 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Inventors: Dickow, Justin, Fischer, Joel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Samwel, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/271,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 715700-866
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A system may include global controls, each associated with a different one of a plurality of user interface screens of a vehicle; contextual controls, each associated with a command function available from a selected one of the plurality of user interface screens; and a vehicle processor configured to display a current one of the plurality of user interface screens, and update command functions associated with the contextual controls responsive to user input to the global controls. A method may include, responsive to receiving an indication of a user input press of a global control, updating command functions associated with contextual controls in accordance with command function available from a user interface screen associated with the global control; and upon receiving a user input release of the global control within a predetermined threshold period of time, navigating to the user interface screen associated with the global control.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display;

global controls, each associated with a different one of a plurality of user interface screens of a vehicle to be provided to the display;

contextual controls, each associated with a command function available from a selected one of the plurality of user interface screens; and

a vehicle processor configured to

provide a first one of the screens to the display,

responsive to receipt of a button press of a global control associated with a second one of the screens, transition the contextual controls to command functions available from the second one of the screens and display contextual navigation indications to illustrate the available command functions of the second one of the screens,

responsive to release of the global control within a predefined time period, provide the second one of the screens to the display,

responsive to continued button press of the global control beyond the predefined time period, continue to provide the first one of the screens to the display along with continued display of the contextual navigation indications to illustrate the available command functions of the second one of the screens, and

responsive to release of the global control beyond the predefined time period, transition the contextual controls back to command functions available from the first one of the screens.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to provide to the display, in an orientation consistent with that of the global controls, global navigation indications indicating a relationship between the global controls and associated user interface screens.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to provide to the display, in an orientation consistent with that of the contextual controls, the contextual navigation indications of the command functions currently associated with the contextual controls.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to:

receive an indication of a user input press of one of the contextual controls;

identify a command function currently associated with the one of the contextual controls; and

perform the command function.

5. A method comprising:

displaying a first screen;

responsive to a press of a global control corresponding to a second screen, updating command functions for contextual controls and contextual navigation indications to command functions of the second screen;

upon receiving a release of the global control within a predetermined threshold period of time, navigating to the second screen;

responsive to continued button press of the global control beyond the period of time, continue to provide the first screen to the display along with continued display of the contextual navigation indications to illustrate the available command functions of the second screen; and

upon receiving the release after the period of time, reverting the command functions to those of the first screen.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying, in an orientation consistent with that of the global control, global navigation indications indicating a relationship between the global control and associated user interface screens.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying, in an orientation consistent with that of the contextual controls, the contextual navigation indications of the command functions associated with the contextual controls for the user interface screen.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a user input press of one of the contextual controls;

identifying a command function currently associated with the one of the contextual controls; and

performing the command function.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined threshold period of time is one second.

10. A system comprising:

a vehicle processor configured to

provide a first screen to a vehicle display;

responsive to receiving an indication of a user input press of a global control of a steering wheel corresponding to a second screen, update command functions associated with contextual controls of the steering wheel and contextual navigation indications in accordance with command functions available from the second screen;

upon receiving a user input release of the global control within a predetermined threshold period of time, navigate the vehicle display to the second screen;

responsive to continued button press of the global control beyond the threshold period of time, continue to provide the first screen to the display along with continued display of the contextual navigation indications to illustrate the available command functions of the second screen; and

upon receiving the release after the period of time, revert the command functions to those of the first screen.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to display, in an orientation consistent with that of the global controls, global navigation indications indicating a relationship between the global controls and associated user interface screens.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to display, in an orientation consistent with that of the contextual controls, the contextual navigation indications of the command functions associated with the contextual controls.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to:

receive an indication of a user input press of one of the contextual controls;

identify a command function currently associated with the one of the contextual controls; and

perform the command function.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined threshold period of time is one second.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle display includes at least one of:

(i) a display of a head unit of the vehicle, (ii) a display within a gauge cluster of the vehicle, and (iii) a secondary display screen of the vehicle configured to be within view of a driver of the vehicle.