On-vehicle apparatus and content providing method

• US 8,185,267 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nezu, Yoshiyuki, Sasaki, Makoto, Yamazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US10/535,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,805 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 715/719, 715853-855, 345/1.1, 345/587, 345/594, 345/440.2, 345/173, 345/184, 345/553, 345/1.3, 345/3.1, 345/5, 345/30, 345/35, 345/50, 345/87, 345/90, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.16, 382106-108, 382/113
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

The present invention is applied to, for example, a multimedia terminal having a function of navigation equipment and a function of playing back video and switches a display from a map display to a source display also with source switching operators 13P, 13R. In addition, menus of upper and lower hierarchies are simultaneously displayed to accept operations through a touch panel and a remote commander. In addition to a press-operable main rotary operator, a press-operable sub rotary operator is provided on a side surface. Among operations accepted through the main rotary operator, only a specific operation relating to content processing is accepted through the sub rotary operator.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to display at least a map relating to geographic navigation of a user, said map based on a detected current position of the user, and video content from a plurality of sources, comprising:

a display configured

to switch, when displaying said map relating to said geographic navigation of the user, said map based on the detected current position of the user, the display of said map to a display of video content, when a source operator for switching said sources is operated;

to sequentially and cyclically switch, when displaying said video content, between playback target sources of said plurality of sources, when said source operator is operated;

to switch, when displaying said video content, the display of said video content to the display of said map, when a map operator for instructing displaying of said map is operated; and

to switch, when displaying said map, the display of said map to the display of said video content, when said map operator is operated,

wherein a first display bar is displayed on the display and includes information about said map and a second display bar is displayed on the display and includes video control information that is used to control said video content, and

the first display bar and the second display bar are displayed along an entire lower edge and an upper edge of the display, respectively or the first display bar and the second display bar are displayed along the entire upper edge and the lower edge of the display, respectively;

a setting unit configured to set one of a plurality of sizes of a region for displaying said map or one of a plurality of sizes of a region for displaying said video content in a dual screen display, and to accept a size from said plurality of sizes of the region for displaying said video content for each of said sources; and

a recording unit configured to record, whether or not an immediately preceding display was said dual screen display, and the immediately preceding display screen for each of said sources,

wherein the display is configured to form said dual screen display based on a setting corresponding to each source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the display of said map, the display of said video content and said dual screen display in which the display of said map and the display of said video content are arranged and sequentially and cyclically switched by an operation of a display switching operator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the second display bar is displayed on a touch screen, and when the display bar is touched, generates at least one control command to control the video content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second display bar displays a title of the video content being displayed on the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second display bar displays a play button, that when touched, plays the video content.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second display bar displays a switching menu that controls whether the second display bar is displayed on the display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said map relates to navigation of a vehicle.

8. A content providing method in an apparatus which displays at least a map relating to geographic navigation of a user, said map based on a detected current position of the user, and video content from a plurality of sources, said method comprising:

switching, when displaying said map relating to said geographic navigation of the user, said map based on the detected current position of the user, the display of said map to a display of video content, when a source operator for switching said sources is operated;

switching sequentially and cyclically, when displaying said video content, between playback target sources of said plurality of sources, when said source operator is operated;

switching, when displaying said video content, the display of said video content to the display of said map, when a map operator for instructing displaying of said map is operated;

switching, when displaying said map, the display of said map to the display of said video content, when said map operator is operated;

displaying a first display bar that displays information about said map;

displaying a second display bar that displays video control information that is used to control said video content, wherein the first display bar and the second display bar are displayed along an entire lower edge and an upper edge of the display of the display, respectively, or the first display bar and the second display bar are displayed along the entire upper edge and the lower edge of the display, respectively;

setting one size of a region for displaying said map from a plurality of sizes or one size of a region for displaying said video content from a plurality of sizes in a dual screen display;

accepting a size of the region for displaying said video content from the plurality of sizes for each of said sources;

displaying said dual screen display based on a setting corresponding to each source;

and

recording whether or not an immediately preceding display was said dual screen display, and the immediately preceding display screen for each of said sources.