SUPPLEMENTING COMPACT IN-VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAYS

• US 20160035144A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Adimoolam, Satheesh, Ramanjaneya, Jagadish
• Application Number:
  US14/447,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20160035144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

A system and method of supplementing a compact in-vehicle information display using a handheld wireless device includes: receiving at the handheld wireless device a vehicle code that is generated by a vehicle and shown on the compact in-vehicle information display; automatically accessing a look-up table using the handheld wireless device and the vehicle code; identifying the vehicle code shown on the compact in-vehicle information display in the look-up table; obtaining an explanation of the vehicle code from the look-up table using the handheld device; and presenting the explanation via the handheld wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of supplementing a compact in-vehicle information display using a handheld wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining at the handheld wireless device an alphanumeric vehicle code that is generated by a vehicle and shown on the compact in-vehicle information display, wherein the alphanumeric vehicle code is obtained via a photograph captured by the handheld wireless device or obtained via manual input from a user;

(b) automatically accessing a look-up table using the handheld wireless device and the vehicle code;

(c) identifying the vehicle code shown on the compact in-vehicle information display in the look-up table;

(d) obtaining an explanation of the vehicle code from the look-up table using the handheld device; and

(e) presenting the explanation via the handheld wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld wireless device further comprises a smart phone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing the look-up table at a remote facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing the look-up table from a memory device located on the handheld wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of translating the explanation from one language to another language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the compact in-vehicle information display further comprises one or more segmented displays.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A method of supplementing a compact in-vehicle information display using a handheld wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing an image of an alphanumeric vehicle code shown on the compact in-vehicle information display using a camera included with the handheld wireless device;

(b) identifying the vehicle code from the image captured by the handheld wireless device;

(c) comparing the vehicle code shown on the compact in-vehicle information with entries in a look-up table;

(d) obtaining an explanation of the vehicle code from the look-up table; and

(e) presenting the explanation via the handheld wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the handheld wireless device further comprises a smart phone.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of accessing the look-up table at a remote facility.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of accessing the look-up table from a memory device located on the handheld wireless device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of translating the explanation from one language to another language.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the compact in-vehicle information display further comprises one or more segmented displays.