INFORMATION-ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR OPERATION THEREOF

• US 20170336931A1
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: KLAUCKE, Christian, KHNAPFEL, Ulf
• Application Number:
  US15/534,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/11 Graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/148 Input by voice
• 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 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

An information entertainment system for a motor vehicle, includes a display unit for displaying at least one function, which can be activated or is activated by a user, and/or a piece of content of the information entertainment system to an occupant of the motor vehicle. The system also includes a control unit, for controlling the display unit and the function, having an interface for the information technological coupling a portable additional device to the control unit. The control unit supplements the function displayed on the display unit with a switching function after the coupling of the additional device and, upon activation of the switching function, to display a function of the additional device using the display unit. At least the switching function can be represented as a superordinate function covering other pieces of content displayed on the display unit to simplify integration of a third-party information entertainment system into a motor vehicle.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. An information entertainment system for a motor vehicle, the information entertainment system comprising:

a display unit configured to display at least one function, of the information entertainment system that is activatable by a user, or a piece of content of the information entertainment system to an occupant of the motor vehicle;

a control unit configured to control the display unit and the at least one function information entertainment system;

an interface configured for communicatively coupling a portable additional device to the control unit,

wherein the control unit is further configured to supplement the displayed at least one function of information entertainment system with a switching function after the coupling of the additional device and configured to display, upon activation of the switching function, a function of the additional device that is activatable by the user via the display unit,

wherein at least the switching function is displayed as a superordinate function covering other pieces of content displayed on the display unit regardless of their nature.

11. The information entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the at least one function of the information entertainment system and the switching function are represented as superordinate functions covering other pieces of content displayed on the display unit regardless of their nature.

12. The information entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured, when the switching function is activated, to no longer display a function of the information entertainment system corresponding to a displayed function of the additional device via the display unit.

13. The information entertainment system of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to deactivate the at least one function of the information entertainment system corresponding to a displayed function if the at least one function of the information entertainment system corresponding to the displayed function is activated before the activation of the switching function.

14. The information entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured, upon deactivation of the activated switching function, to no longer display the function of the additional device, and to deactivate the function of the additional device if it is activated.

15. The information entertainment system of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured, upon deactivation of the switching function, to reactivate the at least one function of the information entertainment system that was deactivated by the activation of the switching function.

16. The information entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured, upon activation of the switching function, to replace a piece of display content provided by the information entertainment system and displayed by the display unit with a piece of display content provided by the additional device.

17. The information entertainment system of claim 16, wherein

an entirety of the piece of display content provided by the information entertainment system is replaced by the display content provided by the additional device, and

the display content provided by the additional device comprises a display of a back-replacement function activatable by the user, the triggering of which replaces the display content provided by the additional device on the display unit with the display content provided by the information entertainment system.

18. The information entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the portable additional device is a smartphone.

19. A method for operating an information entertainment system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

displaying, to an occupant of the motor vehicle via a display, a function of the information entertainment system that is activatable by a user or a piece of content of the information entertainment system;

controlling, via a control unit, the display and the activateable function;

communicatively coupling a portable additional device to the control unit via an interface;

supplementing the activateable function displayed on the display with a switching function after the coupling of the additional device; and

displaying, upon activation of the switching function, a function of the additional device that is activatable by the user,

wherein the switching function is represented as a superordinate function covering other pieces of content displayed on the display regardless of their nature.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when the switching function is activated, the method further comprises:

no longer displaying a function of the information entertainment system corresponding to a displayed function of the additional device via the display unit.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

deactivating the at least one function of the information entertainment system corresponding to a displayed function if the at least one function of the information entertainment system corresponding to the displayed function is activated before the activation of the switching function.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein upon deactivation of the activated switching function the method further comprises:

no longer displaying the function of the additional device and deactivating the function of the additional device if it is activated; and

reactivating the at least one function of the information entertainment system that was deactivated by the activation of the switching function.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein upon activation of the switching function, the method further comprises:

replacing a piece of display content provided by the information entertainment system and displayed by the display unit with a piece of display content provided by the additional device.