ON-VEHICLE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM, DISPLAY METHOD AND DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20090177392A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Komaba, Hayato
• Application Number:
  US12/337,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177392A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

An on-vehicle electronic system and method provides a more simple operation to confirm and search audio data displayed on a navigation image. The on-vehicle electronic system may include: a navigation unit configured to perform a road guidance function; an audio reproduction unit configured to reproduce audio data; a display; and a display control unit. The display control unit may be configured to display a navigation image for a guidance function on the display when the road guidance function is executed, as well as an audio image related to the audio data currently being reproduced or to be reproduced by the audio reproduction unit on the navigation image for a predetermined period of time when an audio reproduction function is executed while the road guidance function is being executed by the navigation unit.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle electronic system comprising:

a navigation unit configured to perform a road guidance function;

an audio reproduction unit configured to reproduce audio data;

a display; and

a display control unit configured to display a navigation image for a guidance function on the display when the road guidance function is executed, and display an audio image related to the audio data currently being reproduced or to be reproduced by the audio reproduction unit on the navigation image for a predetermined period of time when an audio reproduction function is executed while the road guidance function is being executed.

2. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the audio image at predetermined time intervals.

3. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the audio image in response to blank sections in the audio data.

4. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the audio image in a semitransparent state.

5. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit includes an attribute data acquisition unit that acquires attribute data from the audio data currently being reproduced or to be reproduced by the audio reproduction unit, and a creation unit that creates the audio image based on the acquired attribute data.

6. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit includes a display position determination unit that determines a position on the display that does not overlap with intersections or a guidance route on the navigation image, and wherein the audio image is displayed at the position determined by the display position determination unit.

7. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit includes a priority comparison unit that compares a predetermined priority for displaying the audio image to a predetermined priority for displaying the navigation image, and when the priority for displaying the audio image is determined to be higher than the priority for displaying the navigation image by the priority comparison unit, the display control unit displays the audio image.

8. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 7, wherein, when the priority for displaying the audio image is determined to be lower than the priority for displaying an intersection guidance image by the priority comparison unit, the display control unit does not display the audio image.

9. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 7, wherein, when the priority for displaying the audio image is determined to be lower than the priority for displaying an input screen of a navigation function, the display control unit does not display the audio image.

10. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit further includes a detection unit for detecting whether the audio image currently being displayed has been selected, and wherein the display control unit displays a search screen for the audio data on the display in response to the detection by the detection unit.

11. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 10, wherein the audio image includes at least a first display area for displaying first attribute data and a second display area for displaying second attribute data, and wherein the detection unit detects whether either of the first and the second display areas is selected, and the display control unit displays a search screen associated with the selected first or the second attribute data in response to the selection of the first or the second display area.

12. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes a display color of the audio image in accordance with a background color of the navigation image.

13. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that receives at least one of television and radio broadcasts, wherein the audio unit reproduces the audio data of the received television or radio broadcast, and the display control unit displays the audio image related to the audio data associated with the television or radio broadcast currently being received or to be received by the receiving unit on the navigation image for a given period.

14. The on-vehicle electronic system according to claim 13, wherein the display control unit includes an attribute data acquisition unit that acquires attribute data from an electronic program guide received by the receiving unit, and a creation unit that creates the audio image based on the attribute data.

15. A method of displaying an audio image related to audio data on a navigation image in an on-vehicle electronic system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a navigation image on a display;

reproducing audio data; and

displaying an audio image related to the audio data currently being reproduced or to be reproduced by an audio reproduction unit for a predetermined period of time on the navigation image.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the audio image is repeatedly displayed at predetermined time intervals.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the audio image is displayed each time the audio data being reproduced is changed.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying a search screen for the audio data on the display, when the audio image is selected.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the search screen is selected in response to the selection of attribute data contained in the audio image.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the audio image is displayed at a position that does not overlap with a guidance route and intersections on the navigation image.