Systems and techniques for application multi-tasking

• US 10,289,260 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Feit, Steven, Miller, Ross, Smith, Michael, Conway, Matt, Milton, Sophie, Yun, Churu, Ewing, Ric
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US14/687,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25347 Multitasking machine control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

One or more embodiments of techniques or systems for application management are provided herein. For example, a system for application management may launch or execute multiple applications, such as a first application and a second application. The system for application management may provide a user with different ways of multi-tasking or ways to switch between applications, such as providing or generating home screen shortcuts for a most recently utilized application or a most frequently launched application. Additionally, the system for application management may enable multi-tasking or swapping of applications when a user double taps a home button, initiates a swipe gesture, hits a task swap button, speaks a voice command, etc. In this manner, application management is provided such that a user may engage in the use of multiple applications or switching between in a quick or efficient manner.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for application management, comprising:

a processing unit;

a vehicle interface component that is part of a vehicle and includes a home button, the interface component receiving one or more user inputs, wherein a first user input of one or more of the user inputs is a command to launch a first application of one or more applications, wherein a second user input of one or more of the user inputs is a command to launch a second application of one or more of the applications;

an application component executing a vehicle operating system associated with the vehicle, executing on the vehicle operating system, the first application in response to the first user input, and executing, on the vehicle operating system, the second application in response to the second user input, wherein the first application and the second application are applications configured for operation on the vehicle operating system;

a management component determining an updated view from a first view associated with the first application and a second view associated with the second application, wherein initiating determination of the updated view is based on a third user input of one or more of the user inputs, wherein the third user input is a double tap of the home button; and

a display component rendering the first application or the second application based on the updated view,

wherein the interface component, the application component, the management component, the display component, or one or more functions thereof are executed by the processing unit,

wherein a fourth user input of one or more of the user inputs is a single tap of the home button, wherein in response to the fourth user input, the management component determines a home screen view associated with the vehicle operating system and the display component renders the home screen view based on an amount of time a user has spent interacting with one or more of the applications, a launch order for the first and second applications, timestamps indicative of when the first and second applications were last launched, and a velocity of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a storage component storing one or more of the applications.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a customization component defining a customized user input based on one or more user selected actions, wherein the management component determines the updated view based on the customized user input.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component generates the home button.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a touchscreen comprising the interface component and the display component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the double tap of the home button is associated with a threshold tap time.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the fourth user input, the application component generates one or more shortcuts to one or more of the applications for the home screen view.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the application component tracks a launch order for one or more of the applications, an order of access for one or more of the applications, a previously launched application, a previously accessed application, or a frequency of access for one or more of the applications.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a communication component receiving one or more usage characteristics associated with one or more of the applications, wherein the display component renders the home screen view based on one or more of the usage characteristics.

10. A method for vehicle application management, comprising:

receiving a first user input indicative of a command to launch a first application;

launching the first application in response to the first user input;

receiving a second user input indicative of a command to launch a second application;

launching, on a vehicle operating system associated with a vehicle, the second application in response to the second user input;

designating the first application as a background application based on the second user input;

designating the second application as a current application based on the second user input, wherein the first application and the second application are applications configured for operation on the vehicle operating system;

receiving a third user input indicative of a command to switch from the current application to the background application, wherein the third user input is a double tap of a home button of a vehicle interface component that is part of the vehicle;

rendering the background application based on the third user input,

receiving a fourth user input consisting of a single tap of the home button and indicative of a command to render a home screen view associated with the vehicle operating system, and

rendering the home screen view based on the fourth user input and based on an amount of time a user has spent interacting with one or more applications, a launch order for the first and second applications, timestamps indicative of when the first and second applications were last launched, and a velocity of the vehicle,

wherein the receiving, the launching, the designating, or the rendering is implemented via a processing unit.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising defining the third user input based on one or more user selected actions.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the third user input is selection of a task swap button.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the third user input is a two finger swipe gesture.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the home screen view comprises one or more shortcuts to the first application or one or more shortcuts to the second application.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to execute:

receiving one or more user inputs, wherein a first user input of one or more of the user inputs is a command to launch a first application of one or more applications, wherein a second user input of one or more of the user inputs is a command to launch a second application of one or more of the applications;

running a vehicle operating system associated with the vehicle, executing on the vehicle operating system, the first application in response to the first user input, and executing, on the vehicle operating system, the second application in response to the second user input, wherein the first application and the second application are applications configured for operation on the vehicle operating system;

determining an updated view from a first view associated with the first application and a second view associated with the second application, wherein initiating determination of the updated view is based on a third user input of one or more of the user inputs, wherein the third user input is a double tap of a home button; and

rendering the updated view based on the third input,

wherein a fourth user input of one or more of the user inputs is a single tap of the home button,

wherein in response to the fourth user input, determining a home screen view associated with the vehicle operating system based on an amount of time a user has spent interacting with one or more of the applications, a launch order for the first and second applications, timestamps indicative of when the first and second applications were last launched, and a velocity of the vehicle and rendering the home screen view.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to execute defining a customized user input based on one or more user selected actions, and determining the updated view based on the customized user input.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to execute generating the home button.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the double tap of the home button is associated with a threshold tap time.