Portable user control device and method for vehicle information systems

• US 8,547,340 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sizelove, Steven, Rhoads, Cedric, Kirby, Brian, Lundquist, Christopher Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US12/210,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 725 74- 82
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A personal user control device suitable for use in cooperation with information systems, such as vehicle information systems, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The personal user control device provides a user-friendly interface system for interacting with the information system. Unlike conventional control devices, the user interface system includes no dedicated buttons and provides a customizable environment for interacting with the information system. When in communication with the information system, the personal user control device can automatically detect system status information, such as available system functionality, available viewing content, and/or a current system operation mode, of the information system and provides a user interface system that instinctively adapts for use with the information system in light of the detected system status information. The personal user control device thereby provides a versatile and intuitive manner for interacting with the information system.

Claims

1. A personal user control device suitable for use with a vehicle information system in communication with a content source, comprising:

a handheld housing for cooperating with an overlay housing of a detachable display overlay system having a user controller interface portion with at least one button region; and

a touchscreen display system for communicating with the vehicle information system and being disposed on said handheld housing, wherein, when the overlay housing cooperates with said handheld housing, the display overlay system and said touchscreen display system form a customized user interface system by mapping a predetermined function with a predetermined location of said touchscreen display system and initiating the predetermined function upon activation of a relevant button region associated with the predetermined location, and wherein said handheld housing cooperates with the overlay housing that is provided as a plurality of separate display overlay subsystems each forming an opening for receiving a selected portion of said handheld housing.

2. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said handheld housing is at least one of formed with an ergonomic shape, provided with an ergonomic grip, and at least partially disposed within an ergonomic cover assembly.

3. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said handheld housing is suitable for alternatively cooperating with overlay housings of a plurality of interchangeable display overlay systems for customizing the user interface system.

4. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said touchscreen display system presents the selected viewing content.

5. The personal user control device of claim 4, wherein the selected viewing content is streamed to the personal user control device.

6. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said touchscreen display system presents identifying indicia associated with the user controller interface portion, the identifying indicia being visible via the display overlay system.

7. The personal user control device of claim 6, wherein said touchscreen display system presents the identifying indicia once said touchscreen display system is activated.

8. The personal user control device of claim 1, further comprising an audio presentation system.

9. The personal user control device of claim 8, wherein said audio presentation system is selected from an audio system group consisting of an audio connector and an internal speaker system.

10. An information system suitable for installation aboard a passenger vehicle, comprising:

a headend system for providing overall system control functions for the information system and for communicating with a content source;

a content presentation system;

an access point;

a distribution system that communicates with said headend system, said content presentation system, and said access point; and

a personal user control device in accordance with claim 1 for communicating with said headend system via said access point and for selecting viewing content available from the content source for presentation via said content presentation system.

11. The information system of claim 10, wherein said content source is selected from a group consisting of a local content source that is at least partially integrated with said headend system and a remote content source that is distant from said headend system.

12. The information system of claim 11, wherein the remote content source provides Internet content to said information system for presentation via said content presentation system.

13. The information system of claim 10, wherein said access point includes a communication connector for coupling said personal user control device with said headend system via a communication cable assembly, and wherein said access point provides operating power to said personal user control device via the communication cable assembly.

14. The information system of claim 10, wherein said distribution system is selected from a group consisting of a wired distribution system and a wireless distribution system.

15. The information system of claim 10, wherein the information system is suitable for installation aboard an aircraft.

16. An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

a plurality of passenger seats arranged within the fuselage; and

a vehicle information system coupled with said fuselage and being characterized by claim 10, said vehicle information system including at least one personal user control device for selecting viewing content available from a content source for presentation via an associated content presentation system.

17. The information system of claim 10, wherein the selecting viewing content is alternatively presented by said content presentation system and the touchscreen display system of the personal user control system.

18. The information system of claim 10, further comprising an accelerometer for detecting a distance between said personal user control device and said content presentation system, said content presentation system adjusting a presentation of the selected viewing content in accordance with the distance.

19. The information system of claim 18, wherein said content presentation system increases an image size of a video portion of the selected viewing content as the distance between said personal user control device and said content presentation system increases and decreases the image size as the distance decreases.

20. The information system of claim 18, wherein said content presentation system increases a sound volume of an audio portion of the selected viewing content as the distance between said personal user control device and said content presentation system increases and decreases the sound volume as the distance decreases.

21. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said handheld housing is suitable for cooperating with the overlay housing of a selected display overlay system having a plurality of user controller interface portions each having a plurality of button regions, each of the button regions being respectively mapped to a relevant location of said touchscreen display system such that an associated function is initiated upon activation of the button region associated with the relevant location.

22. The personal user control device of claim 1, further comprising a device magnetic coupling system disposed within said handheld housing, said handheld housing cooperating with the overlay housing via a coupling of said device magnetic coupling system and an overlay magnetic coupling system of the overlay housing.

23. The personal user control device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge system, said handheld housing and the overlay housing being rotatably coupled via the hinge system.

24. The personal user control device of claim 23, wherein the hinge system disposes the display overlay system adjacent to a storage surface formed in said handheld housing when the display overlay system is not in use.

25. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein the display overlay subsystems receive opposite end regions of said handheld housing and extend at least partially across said touchscreen display system.

26. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said handheld housing cooperates with the overlay housing of a selected display overlay system having the user controller interface portion selected from a group consisting of a pushbutton switch, a rocker switch, a slider switch, a game pad, a rotatable switch, and a toggle switch.

27. The personal user control device of claim 26, wherein the selected display overlay system includes a switching system for activating a game mode of the personal user control device.

28. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein the overlay housing provides a recessed region for inhibiting the controller interface portion from extending beyond a selected surface of the overlay housing.

29. The personal user control device of claim 1, wherein said touchscreen display system presents a menu system of viewing content available from the content source, and wherein the display overlay system enables navigation of the menu system and selection of the available viewing content via said touchscreen display system for presentation via said touchscreen display system.

30. The personal user control device of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer for detecting an orientation of the personal user control device, said touchscreen display adjusting a presentation of the customized user interface in accordance with the orientation of the personal user control device.

31. A method for controlling vehicle information system in communication with a content source, comprising:

providing a personal user control device that includes;

a handheld housing for cooperating with an overlay housing of a detachable display overlay system having a user controller interface portion with at least one button region; and

a touchscreen display system for communicating with the vehicle information system and being disposed on said handheld housing; and

permitting the overlay housing to cooperate with said handheld housing;

mapping a predetermined function with a predetermined location of said touchscreen display system to form a customized user interface system; and

initiating the predetermined function upon activation of a relevant button region associated with the predetermined location, wherein said handheld housing cooperates with the overlay housing that is provided as a plurality of separate display overlay subsystems each forming an opening for receiving a selected portion of said handheld housing.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said mapping the predetermined function includes mapping a predetermined control function with the predetermined location of said touchscreen display system, and wherein said initiating the predetermined function includes initiating the predetermined control function upon activation of the relevant button region.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said initiating the predetermined control function includes transmitting a control signal from the personal user control device to the information system.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising enabling the information system to perform the predetermined control function and to transmit a return control signal to the personal user control device, the return control signal including a result of performing the predetermined control function.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said enabling the information system to transmit the return control signal includes providing at least one of a selected menu level within a hierarchical menu system and selected viewing content to the personal user control device.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein said mapping the predetermined function includes automatically detecting a system status of the information system such that the customized user interface system adapts to the detected system status.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said automatically detecting the system status includes detecting at least one of a system functionality, available viewing content, and a current operation mode of the information system.

38. A computer program product for controlling a vehicle information system via a personal user control device that includes a handheld housing for cooperating with an overlay housing of a detachable display overlay system having a user controller interface portion with at least one button region and a touchscreen display system for communicating with the vehicle information system and being disposed on the handheld housing, the computer program product being encoded on one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media and comprising:

instruction for mapping a predetermined function with a predetermined location of the touchscreen display system to form a customized user interface system when the overlay housing cooperates with the handheld housing; and

instruction for initiating the predetermined function upon activation of a relevant button region associated with the predetermined location, wherein said handheld housing cooperates with the overlay housing that is provided as a plurality of separate display overlay subsystems each forming an opening for receiving a selected portion of said handheld housing.