IN-VEHICLE TABLET

• US 20130157647A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KOLODZIEJ, Kris
• Granted Patent: US 9,162,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/119 Icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1472 Multi-touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/569 Vehicle controlling mobile device functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5894 SIM cards
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/834 Docking arrangements
• 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 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/65 Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive
• 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: G08G 1/096716 : where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 : where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 : where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 : including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 : including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 : including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 : for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

A portable telematics device can be a tablet or a mobile device. The tablet and mobile device can combine to run applications via a communication link and form a link with a vehicle and/or another mobile device. The tablet can also have a telematics component which has a display component displaying a selected program icon from the mobile station on the tablet and a control component. The control component can be configured to prevent a use of all program icons on the mobile station. Further, it can allow a use of the selected program icon on the tablet, which can activate a related program on the mobile station. The display component can display at least an output of the related program on the tablet.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

at least one machine readable storage medium; and

programming instructions embodied in said at least one medium for execution by a tablet and a mobile station, wherein the programming configures said tablet and mobile station to be capable of performing functions for communications between the tablet and the mobile station, the functions comprising;

configuring the tablet and the mobile station for use in a vehicle, comprising the functions of;

establishing a communication link between the tablet and the mobile station while within the vehicle;

displaying a selected program icon from the mobile station on the tablet using the communication link;

preventing a use of all program icons on the mobile station using the communication link;

permitting a use of the selected program icon on the tablet using the communication link;

activating a program related to the selected program icon on the mobile station using the communication link; and

displaying at least an output of the program on the tablet using the communication link.

2. The article of claim 1, further comprising the function of disabling the configuring functions when the vehicle is stopped.

3. The article of claim 1, further comprising the function of establishing a second communication link between the tablet and the vehicle.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the related program is only on the mobile station.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the configuring function further comprises the function of:

disabling a first feature of the related program; and

allowing a second feature of the related program to be accessed through the tablet over the communication link.

6. A portable telematics system for use in a vehicle, including a tablet and a mobile station, comprising:

a communication link between the tablet and the mobile station while both are within the vehicle;

a display component displaying a selected program icon from the mobile station on the tablet using the communication link; and

a control component configured to, using the communication link;

prevent use of all program icons on the mobile station; and

allow use of the selected program icon on the tablet, which activates a related program on the mobile station,

wherein the display component displays at least an output of the related program on the tablet.

7. The portable telematics device of claim 6, wherein the control component is configured to be disabled when the vehicle is stopped.

8. The portable telematics device of claim 6, further comprising a second communication link between the tablet and the vehicle,

wherein the second communication link is configured to allow information about the vehicle to be accessed by the tablet.

9. The portable telematics device of claim 6, wherein the related program is only on the mobile station.

10. The portable telematics device of claim 6, wherein the control component is further configured to:

disable a first feature of the related program; and

allow a second feature of the related program to be accessed through the tablet over the communication link.

11. A method of controlling a mobile station from a tablet in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication link between the tablet and the mobile station in the vehicle;

displaying a selected program icon from the mobile station on the tablet using the communication link;

preventing a use of all program icons on the mobile station using the communication link;

permitting a use of the selected program icon on the tablet using the communication link;

activating a program related to the selected program icon on the mobile station using the communication link; and

displaying at least an output of the program on the tablet using the communication link.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of disabling the displaying, preventing, permitting, and activating steps when the vehicle is stopped.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of establishing a second communication link between the tablet and the vehicle,

wherein the second communication link is configured to allow information about the vehicle to be accessed by the tablet.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the program related to the selected program icon is only on the mobile station.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

disabling a first feature of the related program; and

accessing a second feature of the related program through the tablet, over the communication link.

17. The portable in-vehicle telematics device of claim 15, wherein the master tablet is at least acting as a telematics device and the slave mobile station is not acting as part of the telematics device.

18. The portable in-vehicle telematics device of claim 15, wherein the slave mobile station comprises one of a laptop, a smart phone, and a tablet.

16. A portable in-vehicle telematics master tablet, including a slave mobile station, comprising:

a communication link between the master tablet and the slave mobile station in the vehicle; and

a control component on the master tablet configured to;

selectively prevent a use of at least one program icon on the slave mobile station using the communication link; and

selectively allow a use of a selected program icon on the tablet, which activates a related program on the slave mobile station using the communication link,

wherein the selective allowance further disables at least one feature of the related program using the communication link.