Vehicle-mounted equipment, information unit, and vehicle-mounted information system

• US 6,996,468 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Kohno, Atsushi, Utsui, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/287,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/211, 701/216, 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 340988-995
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

When a car navigation unit receives a remotely inputted command transmitted from a personal digital assistant (PDA), the remotely inputted command is interpreted to generate display data. The display data is transmitted to the PDA.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted equipment comprising:

command generating means for generating commands corresponding to an input signal;

receiving means for receiving commands transmitted from an information unit;

data generating means for generating display data by interpreting a command when the command is output from said command generating means or when the command is received by said receiving means;

display means for, when the command is output from said command generating means, displaying a screen, based on the display data generated by said data generating means, wherein said data generating means generates display data including layout information of the screen; and

transmitting means for, when the command is received by said receiving means, transmitting the display data generated by said data generating means to the information unit, wherein the layout information produces a layout of the display data, including the layout of at least a map and a command interface, on a display means of the information unit that is substantially identical to a layout of the display data on said display means of said vehicle-mounted equipment.

2. The vehicle-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said data generating means generates a bitmap image as the display data.

3. The vehicle-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein, when said receiving means receives a specification indicative of processing capacity of the information unit upon receiving the command, said data generating means generates display data fitted for the information unit in consideration of the processing capacity of the information unit.

4. An information unit comprising:

command generating means for generating a command corresponding to an input signal;

communication means for transmitting the command output from said command generating means to a vehicle-mounted equipment, and for receiving display data transmitted from the vehicle-mounted equipment; and

display means for displaying a screen based on display data received by said communication means, wherein,

when said communication means receives display data including layout information of screen, said display means sets display position of the screen based on the layout information, and

the layout information produces a layout of the display data, including the layout of at least a map and a command interface, on the display means that is substantially identical to a layout of the display data on a display means of the vehicle-mounted equipment.

5. The information unit according to claim 4, wherein, when said communication means receives display data which is a bitmap image, said display means display the bitmap image without generating the screen data from the display data.

6. The information unit according to claim 4, wherein, when the command generated by said command generating means is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted equipment, said communication means transmits a specification indicative of processing capacity of said communication means to the vehicle-mounted equipment.

7. A vehicle-mounted information system comprising:

a vehicle-mounted equipment which, upon receipt of a command, generates display data by interpreting the command and transmits the display data; and

an information unit which transmits the command and which, upon receipt of the display data from said vehicle-mounted equipment, displays a screen based on the display data, wherein the display data includes layout information of the screen, the layout information producing a layout, including the layout of at least a map and a command interface, on the screen that is substantially identical to a layout of the display data on a display means of said vehicle-mounted equipment.

8. The vehicle-mounted information system according to claim 7, wherein, when an information processing unit with capabilities similar to those of said vehicle-mounted equipment is provided outside a vehicle including said vehicle-mounted equipment, said information unit receives, in place of said vehicle-mounted equipment, a command transmitted from said information unit, and transmits setting information of said information processing unit to said vehicle-mounted equipment.