Human machine interface method and device for cellular telephone operation in automotive infotainment systems

• US 20060262103A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Jie, Hu, Hongxing
• Application Number:
  US11/438,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262103A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• 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: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A system for controlling cellular telephone from within a vehicle, includes a cell phone interface disposed within the vehicle and configured to establish data communication with a cellular telephone disposed within the vehicle. A touchpad supplies input from a vehicle occupant including at least motion vectors. A control unit coupled to the cell phone interface effects data communication with the cellular telephone via the cell phone interface at least in part in response to the motion vectors.

Claims

14-1. The system of claim 1, wherein said cell phone interface is a Bluetooth connection.

26. A method for controlling cellular telephone from within a vehicle, comprising:

establishing data communication with a cellular telephone disposed within the vehicle;

supplying input from a vehicle occupant including at least motion vectors; and

effecting data communication with said cellular telephone at least in part in response to the motion vectors.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying to the occupant at least one of:

(a) status of a user input operation accomplished by one or more of the motion vectors;

or (b) contents of the cell phone.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising recognizing a hand drawn character based on the motion vectors and selectively interacting with the cellular telephone based on the hand-drawn characters supplied by the vehicle occupant.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising searching contents of the cellular telephone by the user drawn character.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising searching the contents by constraining recognition of a speech input supplied by the occupant to a portion of the contents identified by the user drawn character.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising constraining recognition of the speech input to a further portion of the contents identified by input supplied by the occupant in order to scroll through the portion of the contents identified by the user drawn character.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising searching contents of the cell phone in response to input received from the vehicle occupant.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising searching a particular portion of cell phone contents in response to input selecting to search that particular portion.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising automatically employing one of plural search methods in response to selection of a type of contents to search.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

displaying a range of numerical digits to the vehicle occupant with a focus on one of the digits being shifted across the range by one or more of the motion vectors;

employing a display property to indicate the focus to the vehicle occupant;

using the focus to select digits for concatenation in a dialing sequence; and

using the dialing sequence to operate the cellular telephone.

36. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

displaying menu navigation choices and phonebook choices to the user; and

performing navigation in response to the motion vectors.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying media content stored in at least one of:

(a) the cellular telephone;

(b) a media player attached to a vehicle audio system;

or (c) a media storage system integrated with the vehicle audio system.

38. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

obtaining visual media from the cell phone via said device interface; and

displaying the visual media via a primary display of a vehicle navigation system of the vehicle.

39. A system for displaying video media within a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle entertainment system having a head end controlling operation of a video media display device disposed within the vehicle;

a device interface disposed within the vehicle and configured to establish data communication with a media device disposed within the vehicle; and

a user interface responsive to input from an occupant of the vehicle to browse visual media available via the media device and to commence delivery of the video media from the media device to the video media display device via said device interface and said head end.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said head end delivers the video media via a primary display of a vehicle navigation system of the vehicle.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein said user interface obtains a copy of index data from the media device via said device interface and browses the copy in response to the input from the occupant of the vehicle by displaying filtered portions of the copy on at least one of the display device of the head end or a secondary display device of the head end.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein said user interface employs said device interface to interactively query the media device for filtered index data and receive filtered data from the media device, and displays the filtered data on at least one of the visual display device of the head end or a secondary display device of the head end.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein said device interface is a wired connection.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said wired connection is a docking station for the media device.

45. The system of claim 39, wherein said device interface is a wireless connection.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

47. The system of claim 39, wherein said media device stores the visual media thereon in persistent computer memory.

48. The system of claim 39, wherein said media device obtains the visual media by streaming wireless connection.