AUXILIARY DEVICE TO ENHANCE NATIVE IN-VEHICLE SYSTEMS BY ADDING INTERFACES AND COMPUTATIONAL POWER

• US 20160197783A1
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/01/2015
• 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: HORT, Christian, HUBER, Andreas, VOGT, Herbert, SUNDARAM, Vishnu, SLUMP, David, SURHIGH, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,374,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention provides a removable device, adapted to connect to a head unit of a vehicle and comprising: a first communication module configured for bi-directional communication of data with the head unit; a second communication module configured for bi-directional communication of data with a wireless network, in particular a mobile telecommunication network; a memory unit storing an application programming interface (API) implementing at least a first protocol for the communication with the head unit via the first communication module; and a control unit comprising at least one processing unit adapted to execute the API; wherein the control unit is configured to provide at least one service to the head unit via the first communication module.

Claims

1. A removable device, adapted to connect to a head unit of a vehicle and comprising:

a first communication module configured for bi-directional communication of data with the head unit;

a second communication module configured for bi-directional communication of data with a wireless network, in particular a mobile telecommunication network;

a memory unit storing an application programming interface (API) implementing at least a first protocol for the communication with the head unit via the first communication module; and

a control unit comprising at least one processing unit adapted to execute the API, wherein the control unit is configured to provide at least one service to the head unit via the first communication module.

2. The removable device according to claim 1, wherein the memory unit is further configured to store at least one application, and wherein the API further implements at least one of a set of routines and a set of tools for the execution of the at least one application on the at least one processing unit.

3. The removable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to provide the at least one service to the head unit via the first communication module by executing the at least one application using the API.

4. The removable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to provide a runtime environment for mobile apps.

5. The removable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to provide a Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) service to the head unit via the first communication module.

6. The removable device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third communication module configured for bi-directional communication of data with a mobile communication device;

wherein the control unit is further configured to provide the at least one service to the head unit via the first communication module based on data received via the third communication module.

7. The removable device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the group of:

a decoding unit configured to decode data, in particular video data, received from the wireless network and/or the head unit;

an encoding unit configured to encode data to be transmitted to the head unit and/or the wireless network;

an authentication unit configured to perform an authentication process with the head unit via the first communication module; and

a power supply element, in particular a power supply connector, configured to receive power supplied by the vehicle.

8. The removable device according to claim 1;

wherein the first communication module comprises a first connector, in particular a USB and/or an HDMI connector, and/or a wireless antenna, in particular a Bluetooth antenna, a Wi-Fi antenna or a multi-band antenna, adapted to connect the removable device with the head unit.

9. Use of the removable device according to claim 1 to provide a runtime environment for mobile apps to a head unit of a vehicle, wherein the mobile apps are executed using the API stored on the memory unit of the removable device;

and wherein control signals are transmitted from the head unit to the removable device.

10. A method for providing at least one service to a head unit of a vehicle, comprising the following steps:

establishing a first connection between a removable device and the head unit for bi-directional communication of data via a first communication module of the removable device;

establishing a second connection between the removable device and a wireless network, in particular a mobile telecommunication network, for bi-directional communication of data via a second communication module of the removable device; and

providing the at least one service to the head unit via the first communication module using a control unit of the removable device.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

executing an application programming interface (API) implementing at least a first protocol for the communication with the head unit via the first communication module, on at least one processing unit of the control unit;

wherein the at least one service is in particular provided by executing the API.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing at least one application on a memory unit of the removable device;

wherein the at least one service is provided to the head unit by executing the at least one application using the API.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a third connection between the removable device and a mobile communication device for bi-directional communication of data via a third communication module of the removable device;

wherein the at least one service is provided to the head unit via the first communication module based on data received via the third communication module.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of the group of:

decoding data, in particular video data, received from the wireless network and/or the head unit, by the removable device;

encoding data to be transmitted to the head unit and/or the wireless network, by the removable device; and

performing an authentication process between the head unit and the removable device via the first communication module.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing a Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) service to the head unit via the first communication module.