VEHICLE MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM AND VEHICLE

• US 20140160667A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: VAN VELZEN, Edgar, HEISINGER, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,857,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0252 for personal computers, e.g. laptops, notebooks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to a vehicle multimedia system comprising a portable device and a docking station. The portable device is configured for being releasably mounted in the docking station and comprises data storage for storing multimedia data. A first interface of the portable device and a third interface of the docking station are configured for establishing data connection between the docking station and the portable device. The docking station further comprises a second interface configured for establishing data connection with a vehicle head unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

a portable device configured for being releasably mounted in a docking station of the vehicle multimedia system and comprising;

a data storage for storing multimedia data,

a first interface configured for establishing data connection with the docking station,

the docking station configured for said releasably mounting of the portable device and comprising;

a second interface configured for establishing data connection with a vehicle head unit, and

a third interface configured for establishing data connection with the portable device.

2. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the portable device further comprises:

a fourth interface being configured for establishing a data connection with a home entertainment system.

3. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 2,

wherein at least a part of the fourth interface is covered by the docking station when the portable device is mounted in the docking station.

4. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the docking station further comprises:

a converter being configured for (i) receiving a data signal based on a first data connection standard via one of the second interface and the third interface, (ii) converting the data signal to a second data connection standard, and (iii) transmitting the converted data signal via the other one of the third interface or the second interface.

5. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 4,

wherein the data signal is selected from the group consisting of:

raw file data;

multimedia stream;

video and audio signal;

control data signal;

analogue audio signal; and

analogue video signal.

6. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 4,

wherein the converter is configured to receive a data signal based on the first data connection standard via the third interface, wherein the first data connection standard is at least one of a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) data connection standard;

and

wherein the converter is further configured to transmit the converted data signal based on the second data connection standard via the second interface, wherein the second data connection standard is a Media Orientated System Transport (MOST) data connection standard.

7. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first interface of the portable device and the third interface of the docking station are configured to operate according to at least one data connection standard selected from the group consisting of:

Universal Serial Bus (USB), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), Ethernet, General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO), and Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA).

8. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the data storage of the portable device comprises storage device selected from the group consisting of:

BluRay Disc, Compact Disc, Hard Disc Drive, and flash memory.

9. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the docking station further comprises:

locking means being configured to receive and fixedly mount and, in response to a user actuation, release the portable device.

10. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the second interface and the third interface of the docking station and the first interface of the portable device are configured to enable data access to the data storage of the portable device as an integrated data storage of the vehicle head unit.

11. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the portable device further comprises:

a processor configured for selecting a first mode of operation when data connection is established between the portable device and the docking station via the first interface and a second mode of operation when data connection is established between the portable device and a home entertainment system via a fourth interface,

wherein, depending on the selected first or second mode of operation, at least one of the first interface and the fourth interface of the portable device is configured to operate using a first predefined data communication standard or a second predefined data communication standard for data communication.

12. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 11,

wherein in the first mode of operation the first interface is configured to operate according to a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standard, and

wherein in the second mode of operation the fourth interface is configured to operate according to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard.

13. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 1,

wherein the first interface and the third interface operate according to a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standard, and

wherein the second interface operates according to a Media Orientated System Transport (MOST) standard.

14. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 2,

wherein the fourth interface operates according to at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard and a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standard.

15. A vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

a docking station; and

a portable device for being releasably mounted to the docking station and including;

a data storage for storing multimedia data,

a first interface configured to establish a data connection with the docking station,

wherein the docking station includes a second interface being configured to establish a data connection with a vehicle head unit and a third interface being configured to establish data connection with the portable device.

16. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 15,

wherein the portable device further comprises:

a fourth interface being configured for establishing a data connection with a home entertainment system.

17. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 16,

wherein at least a part of the fourth interface is covered by the docking station when the portable device is mounted in the docking station.

18. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 15,

wherein the docking station further comprises:

a converter being configured for (i) receiving a data signal based on a first data connection standard via one of the second interface and the third interface, (ii) converting the data signal to a second data connection standard, and (iii) transmitting the converted data signal via the other one of the third interface or the second interface.

19. The vehicle multimedia system of claim 15,

wherein the second interface and the third interface of the docking station and the first interface of the portable device are configured to enable data access to the data storage of the portable device as an integrated data storage of the vehicle head unit.

20. A vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

a docking station including a first interface for establishing a data connection with a vehicle head unit and a second interface for establishing a data connection with a portable device,

wherein the docking station is configured to releasbly receive the portable device, and

wherein the portable device includes data storage for storing multimedia data and a portable device interface for establishing a data connection with the docking station.