Multifunctional operating device for displaying a remote application in a vehicle

• US 10,388,249 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Beckmann, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulley, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/849,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20180114503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

In a method and devices, data for the display of an application on a screen is provided. In addition, information with regard to a degree of distraction of the application, e.g., information regarding user-interface elements, and/or information regarding a degree of distraction of a driver of a vehicle (110) is provided. As a function of this information and a driving situation of the vehicle, it is decided whether the application will be displayed on the screen.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an application in a vehicle, comprising:

providing data for displaying an application on a screen;

defining a threshold distraction value as a function of a driving situation of the vehicle;

providing information relating to a degree of application distraction based on user-interface elements of the application;

determining the degree of application distraction based on the provided information relating to the degree of application distraction, wherein the degree of application distraction is increased by applications requiring text input, and wherein the degree of application distraction is decreased by at least one of applications including highlighting of interactive elements or text, acoustical feedback, phonetic alphabet text input, and/or voice input;

wherein driver interaction with the application causes the degree of application distraction to be determined;

comparing the determined degree of application distraction to the threshold distraction value; and

if the determined degree of application distraction is less than the threshold distraction value, displaying the application on the screen, and if the determined degree of application distraction is more than the threshold distraction value, preventing the display of the application on the screen.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the degree of application distraction includes information about a user-interface of the application.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising calculating a size of user-interface elements as a function of a size and/or a resolution of the screen, the size of the user-interface elements indicating the degree of application distraction.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the displaying is implemented as a function of a size of user-interface elements, a number of user-interface elements, and/or a form of user-interface elements.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of the information relating to the degree of application distraction includes transmitting the information by a server to a client including the screen.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to a degree of application distraction includes a certificate of the application or information derived from the certificate.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the driving situation includes a moving vehicle, a stationary vehicle, a vehicle with ignition switched off, and/or a vehicle with ignition switched on.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of data for the display of an application includes transmitting the data by a server to a client including the screen.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of information and the display as a function of the information are only carried out when the application is an application foreign to the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the providing of data for the display of an application includes transmitting the data by a server to a client including the screen, and wherein it is determined that an application is an application foreign to the vehicle if the server is a server foreign to the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display is implemented as a function of a position of the screen in the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display is implemented as a function of a type of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying of the application on the screen includes displaying a warning as a function of the information relating to the degree of application distraction.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying of the application as a function of the information relating to the degree of application distraction includes querying to a user as to whether the application should be displayed, as a function of the degree of application distraction.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the degree of application distraction exceeds a first threshold value, displaying a warning on the screen, and if the degree of application distraction exceeds a second threshold value, restricting the display of the application.

16. A device, comprising:

a screen; and

an operating device adapted to receive data for displaying an application on the screen, to define a threshold distraction value as a function of a driving situation of the vehicle, to receive information relating to a degree of application distraction based on user-interface elements of the application, to determine the degree of application distraction based on the provided information relating to the degree of application distraction, wherein the degree of application distraction is increased by applications requiring text input, and wherein the degree of application distraction is decreased by at least one of applications including highlighting of interactive elements or text, acoustical feedback, phonetic alphabet text input, and/or voice input, to compare the determined degree of application distraction to the threshold distraction value, wherein driver interaction with the application causes the degree of application distraction to be determined; and

, if the determined degree of application distraction is less than the threshold distraction value, to display the application on the screen, and if the determined degree of application distraction is more than the threshold distraction value, to prevent the display of the application on the screen.

17. The device according to claim 16, further comprising a controller adapted to transmit the data for the display of the application and/or to transmit the information relating to the degree of application distraction.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the device is adapted to perform a method for displaying the application in a vehicle, the method including:

providing the data for displaying the application on the screen;

providing the information relating to the degree of application distraction; and

displaying the application on the screen as a function of the information relating to the degree of application distraction and the driving situation of the vehicle.

19. A device, comprising:

a controller adapted to transmit data to display an application on a screen of a client;

an evaluator adapted to evaluate information relating to a degree of distraction, wherein the evaluating includes determining (a) a degree of application distraction representing a degree to which the application is distracting based on user-interface elements of the application, wherein the degree of application distraction is increased by applications requiring text input, and wherein the degree of application distraction is decreased by at least one of applications including highlighting of interactive elements or text, acoustical feedback, phonetic alphabet text input, and/or voice input, and (b) a degree of driver distraction representing a degree to which the driver is distracted on the basis of at least one of a camera monitoring the direction of the driver'"'"'s vision, a steering angle sensor, and/or a pedal position sensor; and

a processor adapted to decide about the display of the application on the screen as a function of the information relating to the degree of distraction and a driving situation;

wherein the evaluator is adapted to determine the degree of distraction in response to driver interaction with the application.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the device is adapted to perform a method for displaying the application in a vehicle, the method including:

providing the data for displaying the application on the screen;

providing the information relating to the degree of distraction; and

displaying the application on the screen as a function of the information relating to the degree of distraction and the driving situation of the vehicle.

21. The device according to claim 19, wherein the degree of driver distraction is determined when the application is foreign to the vehicle.

22. A method for displaying an application in a vehicle, comprising:

providing data for displaying an application on a screen;

defining a threshold distraction value;

providing information relating to a degree of driver distraction on the basis of at least one of a camera monitoring the direction of the driver'"'"'s vision, a steering angle sensor, and/or a pedal position sensor;

determining the degree of driver distraction based on the provided information relating to the degree of driver distraction;

comparing the determined degree of driver distraction to the threshold distraction value; and

if the determined degree of driver distraction is less than the threshold distraction value, displaying the application on the screen, and if the determined degree of driver distraction is more than the threshold distraction value, preventing the display of the application on the screen;

wherein driver interaction with the application causes the degree of driver distraction to be determined.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the sensor information includes information from picture data of a camera and/or information of operating elements of the vehicle.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the degree of driver distraction is determined when the application is foreign to the vehicle.