In-vehicle-device control system varying manipulation item display

• US 6,998,971 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Yuji, Koshobu, Nobuaki, Kawai, Takayoshi, Kamiya, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US10/436,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/945, 340/971, 340/438, 340/461, 340/984, 340/459, 701/1, 701/36
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A manipulation display area and an operation state display area are disposed in a display. The manipulation display area is divided into a constant area and a variable area. The constant area includes manipulation items to be most frequently selected by a user, while the variable area includes manipulation items to be altered according to use condition. Thereby the user can easily reach a necessary manipulation item among a lot of the manipulation items.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle-device control system, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a plurality of manipulation items, wherein the displaying means includes a variable area where a first part of the manipulation items that are variable are displayed, and a constant area where a second part of the manipulation items that are constant are displayed;

selecting means through which the user selects a necessary manipulation item displayed on the displaying means, wherein the necessary manipulation item is included in any one of the first part and the second part of the manipulation items;

signal outputting means for outputting a manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item selected by the selecting means;

controlling means for controlling the in-vehicle device to operate based on the manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item outputted by the signal outputting means;

altering means for altering the first part of the manipulation items in the variable area based on a use condition for the first part of the manipulation items;

wherein the use condition for the first part of the manipulation items includes selection frequency at which each of the first part of the manipulation items is selected by the user, and

wherein the altering means re-arranges the first part of the manipulation items based on the selection frequency;

the in-vehicle-device control system further comprising;

prohibiting means for prohibiting the first part of the manipulation items from being re-altered when a predetermined condition is inadequate,

wherein prohibiting of the first part of the manipulation items from being re-altered is released when at least one of two predetermined conditions are adequate,

wherein one of the two predetermined conditions is that an elapsed period from preceding altering of the first part of the manipulation items exceeds a predetermined period, and

wherein the other of the two predetermined conditions is that difference in number of times of the selection frequency from the preceding altering of the first part of the manipulation items exceeds a predetermined number of times.

2. An in-vehicle-device control system controlling an in-vehicle device for serving a user in a vehicle, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a plurality of manipulation items, wherein the displaying means includes a variable area where a first part of the manipulation items that are variable are displayed, and a constant area where a second part of the manipulation items that are constant are displayed;

selecting means through which the user selects a necessary manipulation item displayed on the displaying means, wherein the necessary manipulation item is included in any one of the first part and the second part of the manipulation items;

signal outputting means for outputting a manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item selected by the selecting means;

controlling means for controlling the in-vehicle device to operate based on the manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item outputted by the signal outputting means;

altering means for altering the first part of the manipulation items in the variable area based on a use condition for the first part of the manipulation items;

prohibiting means for prohibiting the first part of the manipulation items from being re-altered when predetermined condition is inadequate;

wherein prohibiting of the first part of the manipulation items from being re-altered is released when at least one of two predetermined conditions are adequate,

wherein one of the two predetermined conditions is that an elapsed period from preceding altering of the first part of the manipulation items exceeds a predetermined period, and

wherein the other of the two predetermined conditions is that difference in number of times of selection frequency, at which each of the first part of the manipulation items is selected by the user, from the preceding altering of the first part of the manipulation items exceeds a predetermined number of times.

3. An in-vehicle-device control system controlling an in-vehicle device for serving a user in a vehicle, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a plurality of manipulation items, wherein the displaying means includes a variable area where a first part of the manipulation items that are variable are displayed, and a constant area where a second part of the manipulation items that are constant are displayed;

selecting means through which the user selects a necessary manipulation item displayed on the displaying means, wherein the necessary manipulation item is included in any one of the first part and the second part of the manipulation items;

signal outputting means for outputting a manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item selected by the selecting means;

controlling means for controlling the in-vehicle device to operate based on the manipulation signal corresponding to the necessary manipulation item outputted by the signal outputting means; and

altering means for altering the first part of the manipulation items in the variable area based on a use condition for the first part of the manipulation items;

altering the second part of the manipulation items.