METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CUSTOMIZING INFORMATION PROJECTED FROM A PORTABLE DEVICE TO AN INTERFACE DEVICE

• US 20130073958A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Tom, Alfred C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method and system modifies a user interface (UI) of a portable device in communication with an interface device, where the UI is projected by a human-machine interface of the interface device to a user. The UI is modified by the portable device prior to being output to the interface device based on customized style information provided by the interface device. The interface device may be a vehicle interface device such as a head unit or infotainment system, and the portable device may be a smart phone, media player, or other computing device capable of displaying graphical information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

linking a portable device and an interface device, the portable device including an operating system defining the user interface, wherein the interface device includes a human-machine interface (HMI);

providing customized style information defined by the interface device to the portable device;

generating a customized interface via the portable device using the customized style information;

outputting the customized interface from the portable device to the interface device; and

presenting the customized interface on the interface device using the HMI.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting an application using the interface device, wherein the application is provided by the portable device and defines an application user interface;

generating a customized application interface using the customized style information and the portable device;

outputting the customized application interface from the portable device to the interface device; and

presenting the customized application interface to the interface device using the HMI.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the customized application interface further includes one of:

using the portable device operating system and the customized style information to generate the customized application interface; and

using the application and the customized style information to generate the customized application interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized style information includes at least one of a font size, a font color, a font style, text alignment, a color, a shape, a background style, a border, a margin, spacing, alignment, and size which is defined by the interface device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the HMI includes a display;

the user interface is a graphical user interface; and

generating the customized interface by customizing the graphical user interface of the portable device using the customized style information includes formatting the graphic elements of the user interface using the customized style information, wherein the formatting is performed by the portable device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured as a video provided by the portable device, the method further including;

modifying the video, wherein the portable device modifies the video using the customized style information to generate a customized video;

outputting the customized video from the portable device to the interface device; and

presenting the customized video using the HMI.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device is configured as a vehicle interface device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface device includes at least one of a head unit and a video projection screen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device is one of a smart phone, netbook, e-reader, personal digital assistant (PDA), gaming device, and media player.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the style information includes at least one of a style rule, a style selector, and a style sheet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the style information is defined by a modified cascading style sheet.

12. A system comprising:

a portable device defining a user interface, the portable device being configured to modify the user interface;

an interface device configured to provide customized style information, the interface device including a human-machine interface (HMI) configured to project the user interface of the portable device when the portable device and the interface device are linked;

a communication link configured to selectively link the portable device and the interface device; and

wherein when the portable device and the interface device are linked, the interface device provides the customized style information to the portable device, and the portable device modifies the user interface using the customized style information to generate a customized interface, wherein the customized interface is projected to the HMI via the interface device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the portable device further includes at least one of:

an operating system defining the user interface and configured to use the customized style information and the user interface to generate the customized interface; and

an application defining the user interface and configured to use the application user interface and the customized style information to generate the customized interface.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the customized style information includes at least one of a font size, a font color, a font style, text alignment, a color, a shape, a background style, a border, a margin, spacing, alignment, and size which is defined by the interface device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface device is configured as a vehicle interface device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface device includes at least one of a head unit and a video projection screen.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the portable device is one of a smart phone, netbook, e-reader, personal digital assistant (PDA), gaming device, and media player.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the style information is configured to include at least one of a style rule, a style selector, a style sheet, and a modified cascading style sheet.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a portable device defining a user interface and configured to modify the user interface using style information;

a vehicle interface device configured to provide customized style information, the vehicle interface device including a human-machine interface (HMI) configurable to present the user interface of the portable device when the portable device and the interface device are linked;

wherein the customized style information includes at least one of a font size, a font color, a font style, text alignment, a color, a shape, a background style, a border, a margin, spacing, alignment, and size which is defined by the interface device;

a communication link configured to selectively link the portable device and the interface device;

wherein when the portable device and the interface device are linked, the interface device provides customized style information to the portable device, and the portable device modifies the user interface using the customized style information to generate a customized interface which is presented to the HMI via the interface device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the portable device further includes at least one of:

an operating system defining the user interface and configured to use the customized style information and the user interface to generate the customized interface; and

an application defining the user interface and configured to use the application user interface and the customized style information to generate the customized interface.