INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA CONTROL MODULE

• US 20090195513A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pfenninger, Adam J., Berg, Frederick J., Dybalski, Ronald H., Bennett, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US12/026,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/563 Vehicle displaying mobile device information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/569 Vehicle controlling mobile device functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/577 Mirror link with mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/583 Data transfer between instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5911 Bluetooth
• 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 3/1423 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 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

An interactive control module communicates with one or more portable electronic devices to control the portable electronic devices. The interactive control module includes a touch screen display that displays a virtual image of the portable electronic device. A user enters a command into the touch screen display by touching a virtual control feature corresponding to an actual control feature of the portable electronic device. The interactive control module then executes the command by either transmitting the command to the portable electronic device or by executing files downloaded from the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable electronic device with an interactive control module in communication with the portable electronic device and having a touch screen display, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of the portable electronic device;

accessing data from the portable electronic device;

displaying a virtual image of the portable electronic device on the touch screen display wherein the virtual image includes a virtual control feature replicating a control feature on the portable electronic device;

inputting a command into the touch screen display; and

executing the command.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of inputting a command into the touch screen display includes touching the virtual control feature to manipulate an orientation of the virtual image of the portable electronic device on the touch screen display.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of executing the command includes the step of transmitting the command to the portable electronic device.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of accessing data from the portable electronic device includes accessing data identifying the type and model of the portable electronic device.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interactive control module includes a memory and the step of accessing data from the portable electronic device includes copying files from the portable electronic device to the memory of the interactive control module.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of detecting the portable electronic device is further defined as detecting a plurality of portable electronic devices.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of displaying a virtual image of the portable electronic device is further defined as simultaneously displaying on the touch screen display a virtual image of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices detected.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 further comprising the step of selecting a single virtual image from the plurality of virtual images displayed on the touch screen display.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said step of displaying the virtual image of the portable electronic device further includes enlarging the virtual image of the portable electronic device selected from the plurality of virtual images displayed on the touch screen display.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interactive control module includes a support and wherein said step of executing the command includes the step of transmitting the command to the support.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the interactive control module includes a communication system and wherein said step of executing the command includes utilizing the communication system of the support.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the support includes a vehicle.

13. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the support includes a table-top base.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a shortcut on the touch screen display of commonly inputted commands.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of displaying a shortcut on the touch screen display is further defined as displaying a plurality of shortcuts on the touch screen display.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of sizing each the plurality of shortcuts relative to all other of the plurality of shortcuts.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of sizing each of the plurality of shortcuts relative to all other of the plurality of shortcuts is further defined as sizing each of the plurality of shortcuts relative to all other of the plurality of shortcuts based on a usage rate of the plurality of shortcuts.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said step of sizing each of the plurality of shortcuts relative to all other of the plurality of shortcuts includes enlarging the shortcuts having a higher usage rate relative to all other of the plurality of shortcuts.

19. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interactive control module and the portable electronic device include a wireless communication system and wherein said step of accessing data from the portable electronic device includes the step of wirelessly communicating between the interactive control module and the portable electronic device.