Method for operating an infotainment system of a motor vehicle, and infotainment system for motor vehicle

• US 10,416,879 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Knittl, Thomas, Macoun, Vladimir, Bohrer, Lorenz, Koeberle, Carolin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shalu, Zelalem W
• Application Number:
  US15/523,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• 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 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for operating an infotainment system of a motor vehicle in which at least one data set stored on at least one mobile terminal is transmitted wirelessly to the infotainment system and received by the infotainment system as soon as a swipe gesture has been detected on the mobile terminal wherein the at least one data set is stored first in a buffer memory of the infotainment system and only then transmitted to a further memory of the infotainment system and then processed by means of the infotainment system when a predetermined confirmation action has been detected on-board. The invention also relates to an infotainment system for a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for operating an infotainment system of a motor vehicle in which a data set stored on a mobile terminal is transmitted wirelessly to the infotainment system and received by the infotainment system when a swipe gesture has been detected on the mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing the data set in a buffer memory of the infotainment system;

based on detecting a predetermined confirmation action on-board, transmitting the data set from the buffer memory to a further memory of the infotainment system and processing the data set using the infotainment system;

selecting a display device of the infotainment system in response to a determined direction of movement of a gesture detected as the predetermined confirmation action; and

displaying the data set using the display device,

wherein data sets in the buffer memory are deleted automatically when all vehicle occupants have left the motor vehicle and a predetermined time has elapsed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is automatically connected wirelessly to the infotainment system when the mobile terminal is within a predetermined range of the motor vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined confirmation action is at least one of a predetermined voice command or actuation of at least one predetermined control element on-board.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

based on detecting that a driver of the motor vehicle has performed the predetermined confirmation action, transmitting the data sets, which relate to predefined applications of the infotainment system, to the further memory and processing the data sets using the infotainment system.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a data set stored on a further mobile terminal to the infotainment system when a swipe gesture performed on the further mobile terminal has been detected.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the data sets in the buffer memory are grouped chronologically according, to their input into the buffer memory and/or according to respective applications of the infotainment system, and

the predetermined confirmation action refers to selected data sets from the data sets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data sets in the buffer memory are displayed by the display device as long as the data sets are in the buffer memory.

8. An infotainment system for a motor vehicle that is configured to receive a data set, stored on a mobile terminal, that is wirelessly transmitted from the mobile terminal when a swipe gesture carried out on the mobile terminal has been detected, the infotainment system comprising:

a buffer memory configured to store the data set;

a further memory configured to store the data set transmitted from the buffer memory based on a predetermined confirmation action being detected on-board; and

a display device configured to display the data set, the display device being selected to display the data set in response to a determined direction of movement of a gesture detected as the predetermined confirmation action,

wherein data sets in the buffer memory are deleted automatically when all vehicle occupants have left the motor vehicle and a predetermined time has elapsed.

9. The infotainment system according to claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal is automatically connected wirelessly to the infotainment system when the mobile terminal is within a predetermined range of the motor vehicle.

10. The infotainment system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined confirmation action is at least one of a predetermined voice command or actuation of at least one predetermined control element on-board.

11. The infotainment system according to claim 8, wherein:

the data sets in the buffer memory are grouped chronologically according to their input into the buffer memory and/or according to respective applications of the infotainment system, and

the predetermined confirmation action refers to selected data sets from the data sets.

12. The infotainment system according to claim 8, wherein the data sets in the buffer memory are displayed by the display device as long as the data sets are in the buffer memory.