Interface device for transmitting information between input/output means

• US 6,629,183 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Salomaki, Ari, Theimer, Wolfgang, Gortz, Udo
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Tim
• Application Number:
  US09/422,784
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213-216, 701/219, 701/22-23, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 342/357.14, 342/367, 342/451, 342/457, 710/100, 710/305, 710/306, 710/300
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241

Abstract

The invention relates to an interface device (10) for transmitting information between input/output means (12, 13) and application units (11) in an information and/or communication system. In order, to be able to operate application units with different output/input means of a user interface without changing their input/output interface, the interface device comprises an interface circuit (14) and a storage device (15), connected to the interface circuit (14) for system data and input/output formats and structures, the interface circuit (14) processing input and/or output information to be transmitted in accordance with the stored system data as a function of the input/output means (12, 13) available with the aid of the stored input/output formats and structures, and outputting said information to the respective application unit (11) and/or to the input/output means (12, 13) available.

Claims

1. Interface device (10) for transmitting information between input/output means (12, 13) and application units (11) in an information and/or communication system, having

an interface circuit (14), and

a storage device (15), connected to the interface circuit (14) for system data and input/output formats and structures, the interface circuit (14) processing input and/or output information to be transmitted with the aid of the stored input/output formats and structures, in accordance with the stored system data as a function of the input/output means (12, 13) available and outputting said information to the respective application unit (11) and/or to the input/output means (12, 13) available.

2. Interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage device (15) has at least one further write-read access (17) via which further information, in particular system data, input/output formats and structures as well as user-specific data, can be written in from outside, and information already stored can be updated.

3. Interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage device (15) has an access device (18) for reading or for reading and writing data on an exchangeable storage means.

4. Interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interface circuit (14) has a structure interface (20) which is connected to the storage device (15), can be connected to application units (11.1, . . . 11.n) via unit interfaces (24.1 . . . 24.n) on the application side, and can be connected to the input/output means (12, 13) via at least one driver interface (21, 22, 23).

5. Interface device according to claim 4, characterized in that an appropriate driver interface (23, 22, 21) is provided both for optical and acoustic and for tactile/haptic input/output means (12, 13).

6. Interface device according to claim 4, characterized in that each driver interface (21, 22, 23) has adaptation means which can be used to adapt the input/output information in accordance with the characteristics of the assigned input/output means (12, 13).

7. An interface device for conveying information between one or more input/output devices and one or more application units, comprising:

a storage device for storing data about the input/output devices and application units, including input/output structures and formats; and

an interface circuit connected to the storage device for utilizing the data stored in the storage device to process and format the information for use by the one or more input/output devices or for use by the one or more application units.

8. The interface device of claim 7, wherein the interface circuit comprises:

one or more driver interfaces connected to the one or more input/output devices; and

a structure interface connected to the one or more driver interfaces and to the one or more application units, wherein the structure interface exchanges application information with the application units and exchanges user information through the device interfaces with the input/output devices.

9. The interface device of claim 7, wherein the storage device comprises an exchangeable medium.

10. The interface device of claim 7, wherein the storage device comprises a write read access for updating or adding data to the storage device.

11. The interface device of claim 7, wherein the interface circuit is operable to detect the input/output devices and to store data related to the input/output devices on the storage device.

12. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the interface circuit is connected to the storage device and utilizes the storage device data to format the application information sent to the application units and to format the user information sent to the input/output devices.