On-vehicle apparatus and content providing method

• US 20060025920A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Satoshi, Sasaki, Makoto, Nezu, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

The present invention is applied to, for example, a multimedia terminal having a function of navigation equipment and a function of playing back video and switches a display from a map display to a source display also with source switching operators 13P, 13R. In addition, menus of upper and lower hierarchies are simultaneously displayed to accept operations through a touch panel and a remote commander. In addition to a press-operable main rotary operator, a press-operable sub rotary operator is provided on a side surface. Among operations accepted through the main rotary operator, only a specific operation relating to content processing is accepted through the sub rotary operator.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle apparatus which displays at least a map relating to navigation and video content from a plurality of sources, characterized in that:

in a state of displaying said map, when a source operator for switching said sources is operated, the display of said map is switched to a display of video content,

in a state of displaying said video content, when said source operator is operated, the display of the video content is switched by sequentially and cyclically switching playback target sources in said plurality of sources,

in a state of displaying said video content, when a map operator for instructing displaying of said map, the display of said video content is switched to the display of said map, and

in a state of displaying said map, when said map operator is operated, the display of said map is switched to the display of said video content.

2. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

the display of said map, the display of said video content and a dual screen display in which the display of said map and the display of said video content are arranged are sequentially and cyclically switched by an operation of a display switching operator.

3. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that:

setting of a size of a region for displaying said map and/or a size of a region for displaying said video content in said dual screen display is accepted, and

said dual screen display is formed depending on said setting.

4. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that:

said setting is accepted for each of said sources, and

said dual screen display is formed depending on a setting corresponding to each source.

5. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that:

whether or not an immediately preceding display was said dual screen display is recorded and held for each of said sources,

upon displaying of each source by said source operator, said video content or said dual screen display is selectively displayed depending on the record.

6. An in-vehicle apparatus which accepts a selection from a hierarchical menu to provide content in accordance with an operation through a touch panel and an operation through a remote commander, characterized in that:

said remote commander includes;

a focus switching operator which switches a focus in a menu of a same hierarchy;

a hierarchy upward operator which instructs switching of the focus to an upper hierarchy; and

a selecting operator which instructs selecting of a focused menu, said in-vehicle apparatus displays an upper hierarchy menu relating to said hierarchical menu and a lower hierarchy menu corresponding to a selection among said upper hierarchy menu simultaneously,

in the operation through said touch panel,

a selection regarding both of said upper hierarchy menu and said lower hierarchy menu configured to be displayed simultaneously, and

a display of said lower hierarchy menu is switched to a menu corresponding to a selected upper hierarchy menu in accordance with a selection of said upper hierarchy menu, and

in the operation through said remote commander,

after switching the focus from said lower hierarchy to the upper hierarchy corresponding thereto by an operation of said hierarchy upward operator, the focus is switched in said upper hierarchy menu by an operation of said focus switching operator, and

the display of said lower hierarchy menu to a display of a menu corresponding to said upper hierarchy menu focused by an operation of said selecting operator.

7. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that:

in a case where said upper hierarchy or lower hierarchy menu is beyond display in a displayable area, a menu instructing scrolling is additionally displayed, in the operation through said touch panel, said menu beyond display is displayed by scrolling by an operation of said menu instructing scrolling, and

in the operation through said remote commander, said menu beyond display is displayed by scrolling by the operation of said focus switching operator.

8. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that:

said focus switching operator and said selecting operator function as a press-operable rotary operator,

the operation of said focus switching operator is a rotational operation of said rotary operator, and

the operation of said selecting operator is a pressing operation of said rotary operator.

9. An in-vehicle apparatus having at least a navigation function and a content provision function and switching action by an operation of a remote commander, characterized in that:

said remote commander includes;

a main rotary operator which is at least press-operable and a main backward operator which instructs to go back to an original condition from a condition set by said main rotary operator, provided on a main operation surface; and

a sub rotary operator which is at least press-operable and a sub backward operator which instructs to go back to an original condition from a condition set by said sub rotary operator, provided on a side surface of said main operation surface, and

said in-vehicle apparatus;

displays a menu relating to switching action between said navigation function and said content provision function to accept operations of said main rotary operator and said main backward operator, and

accepts an operation relating to said content provision function among the operation accepted via said main rotary operator and said main backward operator also via operations of said sub rotary operator and said sub backward operator.

10. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that:

said content is music content, and

the music content to be provided to a user is switched by the operation of said sub rotary operator.

11. The in-vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that:

a list of music content providable to said user is displayed by a pressing operation of said sub rotary operator, and

a focus is switched in said list by a rotational operation of said sub rotary operator while said list is displayed, and the music content focused is provided to said user by a pressing operation of said sub rotary operator.

12. An content providing method in an apparatus which displays at least a map relating to navigation and video content from a plurality of sources, said method characterized in that:

in a state of displaying said map, when a source operator for switching said sources is operated, the display of said map is switched to a display of video content,

in a state of displaying said video content, when said source operator is operated, the display of the video content is switched by sequentially and cyclically switching playback target sources in said plurality of sources,

in a state of displaying said video content, when a map operator for instructing displaying of said map, the display of said video content is switched to the display of said map, and

in a state of displaying said map, when said map operator is operated, the display of said map is switched to the display of said video content.

13. A content providing method in which a selection from a hierarchical menu is accepted to provide content in accordance with an operation through a touch panel and an operation through a remote commander, characterized in that:

said remote commander includes;

a focus switching operator which switches a focus in a menu of a same hierarchy;

a hierarchy upward operator which instructs switching of the focus to an upper hierarchy; and

a selecting operator which instructs selecting of a focused menu,

said content providing method allows to display an upper hierarchy menu relating to said hierarchical menu and a lower hierarchy menu corresponding to a selection among said upper hierarchy menu simultaneously,

in the operation through said touch panel,

a selection regarding both of said upper hierarchy menu and said lower hierarchy menu configured to be displayed simultaneously, and

a display of said lower hierarchy menu is switched to a menu corresponding to a selected upper hierarchy menu in accordance with a selection of said upper hierarchy menu, and

in the operation through said remote commander,

after switching the focus from said lower hierarchy to the upper hierarchy corresponding thereto by an operation of said hierarchy upward operator, the focus is switched in said upper hierarchy menu by an operation of said focus switching operator, and

the display of said lower hierarchy menu to a display of a menu corresponding to said upper hierarchy menu focused by an operation of said selecting operator.

14. A content providing method in an apparatus having at least a navigation function and a content provision function and switching action by an operation of a remote commander, characterized in that:

said remote commander includes;

a main rotary operator which is at least press-operable and a main backward operator which instructs to go back to an original condition from a condition set by said main rotary operator, provided on a main operation surface; and

a sub rotary operator which is at least press-operable and a sub backward operator which instructs to go back to an original condition from a condition set by said sub rotary operator, provided on a side surface of said main operation surface, and

said in-vehicle apparatus;

displays a menu relating to switching action between said navigation function and said content provision function to accept operations of said main rotary operator and said main backward operator, and

accepts an operation relating to said content provision function among the operation accepted via said main rotary operator and said main backward operator also via operations of said sub rotary operator and said sub backward operator.