VEHICLE-MOUNTED DEVICE, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE-MOUNTED DEVICE AND PROGRAM THEREFOR

• US 20110258267A1
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Tojima, Akira, Shirakawa, Junichi, Ishizuka, Nobuhiro, Tozaki, Akihiro, Murayama, Ken, Shioda, Takehiko, Minoshima, Kunihiro, Kusumoto, Nobuo, Hashimoto, Kazunori, Daioku, Shuji
• Application Number:
  US12/998,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted device or the like is provided by which a content of an electronic mail can be notified by a driver without disturbing safety driving. A vehicle-mounted device 10 has: a communication unit 110 which communicates with a portable device having an electronic mail function; an electronic mail obtaining unit 120 which obtains from the portable device 30 an electronic mail received by the portable device 30; a mail output length calculation unit 150 which calculates mail output length which is output length of the obtained electronic mail text; a destination setting unit 180 which sets a destination; and a text output unit 220 which displays or outputs audibly the electronic mail text based on the mail output length calculated by the mail output length calculation unit 150 and a predetermined condition corresponding to the destination set by the destination setting unit 180.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted device comprising:

an electronic mail obtaining unit that obtains an electronic mail from a portable device having an electronic mail function;

a text output unit that displays or outputs audibly the obtained electronic mail text; and

an output completion information sending unit that sends output completion information indicating a mail ID of the output electronic mail to the portable device;

wherein the output completion information is information that renders the electronic mail corresponding to the mail ID in an already-read state in accordance with receiving the output completion information by the portable device.

2. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the output completion information is information that renders an output completed portion of the electronic mail corresponding to the mail ID in the already-read state.

3. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 further comprising a mail output length calculation unit that calculates mail output length which is output length of the obtained electronic mail text;

and a destination setting unit that sets a destination;

wherein the text output unit that displays or outputs audibly the electronic mail text based on the mail output length calculated by the mail output length calculation unit and a predetermined condition corresponding to the destination set by the destination setting unit.

4. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3 further comprising a required time calculation unit that calculates required time for driving from a current position to the set destination, wherein the predetermined condition is the required time calculated by the required time calculation unit.

5. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3 further comprising a route guidance unit that guides a route to the set destination, wherein the route guidance unit has a guidance information output unit that displays or outputs audibly guidance information at predetermined output timing and the predetermined condition is the output timing of the guidance information.

6. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 5, wherein the text output unit outputs the electronic mail text before or after the guidance information when output of the electronic mail text overlaps with the output timing of the guidance information.

10. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3, wherein the text output unit displays or outputs audibly a remaining portion other than output completed portion of the electronic mail after arriving at the destination when the electronic mail text output has not been completed by the arrival to the destination.

11. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 10, wherein the text output unit begins to output from a beginning of a sentence or a paragraph to which an initial letter of the remaining portion belongs when the remaining portion of the electronic mail is output.

12. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3 further comprising an importance degree discrimination unit that discriminates importance degree of the electronic mail, wherein the text output unit displays or outputs audibly the electronic mail text based on the mail output length, the predetermined condition and the importance degree discriminated by the importance degree discrimination unit.

13. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 12, wherein the importance degree discrimination unit discriminates the importance degree of the electronic mail based on at least one pieces of information among a priority flag added to the electronic mail, a sender'"'"'s address and existence/nonexistence for breaking a seal confirmation.

14. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3 further comprising a mail output length discrimination unit that discriminates whether the calculated mail output length exceeds predetermined output length, wherein the text output unit displays or outputs audibly only a beginning portion of the electronic mail text when the mail output length exceeds the predetermined output length.

15. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 14 further comprising an output instruction unit that instructs to output a remaining portion other than the beginning portion of the electronic mail text, wherein the text output unit displays or outputs audibly the remaining portion when the output instruction unit instructs.

16. An information communication system comprising the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 and the portable device.

7-9. -9. (canceled)

17. A method for controlling a vehicle-mounted device having an electronic mail obtaining function, the vehicle-mounted device executing steps of:

obtaining an electronic mail;

calculating mail output length that is output length of the obtained electronic mail text;

setting a destination; and

outputting by displaying or outputting audibly the electronic mail text based on the mail output length by calculating the mail output length and a predetermined condition corresponding to the destination by setting the destination.

18. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for causing a computer to perform each step in the communication control method of the communication device as set forth in claim 17.