Vehicle-mounted equipment, information unit, and vehicle-mounted information system

• US 20040204822A1
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Kohno, Atsushi, Utsui, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

When a car navigation unit receives a remotely inputted command transmitted from a personal digital assistant (PDA), the remotely inputted command is interpreted to generate display data. The display data is transmitted to the PDA.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted equipment comprising:

command generating means for generating a command corresponding to an input signal;

receiving means for receiving a command transmitted from an information unit;

data generating means for generating display data by interpreting the command when the command is outputted from said command generating means or when the command is received by said receiving means;

display means for, when the command is outputted from said command generating means, displaying a screen, based on the display data generated by said data generating means; and

transmitting means for, when the command is received by said receiving means, transmitting the display data generated by said data generating means to said information unit.

2. The vehicle-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said data generating means generates display data inclusive of layout information of the screen.

3. The vehicle-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said data generating means generates a bitmap image as the display data.

4. The vehicle-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein, when said receiving means receives specification indicative of a processing capacity of said information unit at the time of receiving the command, said data generating means generates display data fitted for said information unit in consideration of a processing capacity of said information unit.

5. An information unit comprising:

command generating means for generating a command corresponding to an input signal;

communication means for transmitting the command outputted from said command generating means to a vehicle-mounted equipment, and for receiving display data transmitted from said vehicle-mounted equipment; and

display means for displaying a screen based on display data received by said communication means.

6. The information unit according to claim 5, wherein, when said communication means receives display data inclusive of layout information of the screen, said display means sets a display position of the screen based on the layout information.

7. The information unit according to claim 5, wherein, when said communication means receives display data which is bitmap image, said display means displays the bitmap image without generating the screen data from the display data.

8. The information unit according to claim 5, wherein, when the command generated by said command generating means is transmitted to said vehicle-mounted equipment, said communication means transmits specification indicative of processing capacity of said communication means to said vehicle-mounted equipment.

9. A vehicle-mounted information system comprising:

a vehicle-mounted equipment which, upon receipt of a command, generates display data by interpreting the command and transmits the display data; and

an information unit which transmits a command corresponding to an input signal and which, upon receipt of the display data from said vehicle-mounted equipment, displays a screen based on the display data.

10. The vehicle-mounted information system according to claim 9, wherein, when an information processing unit with capabilities similar to those of said vehicle-mounted equipment is provided outside a vehicle, said information unit receives, in place of said vehicle-mounted equipment, a command transmitted from said information unit, and transmits setting information of said information processing unit to said vehicle-mounted equipment.