In-vehicle device for storing gadget

• US 8,626,374 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Miyake, Kenji, Masuda, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/805,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701/400, 345/660, 345/593
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed

Abstract

An in-vehicle device includes: a memory for storing a gadget corresponding to an icon, a display content of which is changed with time, wherein the gadget provides a process; a display having a screen, on which the icon is displayed; an operation receiver for receiving an operation to the icon; a controller for executing the process when the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon under a condition that the display displays the icon; and a driving condition information obtaining element for obtaining driving condition information of a vehicle. The controller controls the display to change a display mode of the icon based on the driving condition information when the display displays the icon.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device comprising:

a memory for storing a gadget corresponding to an icon, a display content of which is changed with time, wherein the gadget provides a process;

a display having a screen, on which the icon is displayed;

an operation receiver for receiving an operation to the icon;

a controller for executing the process when the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon under a condition that the display displays the icon; and

a driving condition information obtaining element for obtaining driving condition information of a vehicle, wherein the driving condition information includes vehicle speed information,

wherein the controller is further configured to

determine whether the display displays the icon, the display content of which is changed with time, on the screen,

control the display to change a display mode of the icon based on the driving condition information, when the controller determines that the display displays the icon, the display content of which is changed with time, on the screen,

determine from the vehicle speed information whether a vehicle speed is equal to or larger than a first predetermined speed, and

enlarge a display of the icon, when the vehicle speed is determined to be equal to or larger than the first predetermined speed and the display is determined to display the icon, the display content of which is changed with time, on the screen.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller further controls the display to change the display mode of the icon based on the vehicle speed information.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory stores the gadget together with class information,

wherein the class information represents whether the gadget belongs to a process restriction class, and

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display mode of the icon based on the driving condition information and the class information.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3,

wherein the process is restricted in a case where the gadget belongs to the process restriction class, and the vehicle runs even when the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon, and

wherein the controller executes the process without restriction in a case where the gadget does not belongs to the process restriction class, and the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon even when the vehicle runs.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display size of the icon, and

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display size of the icon based on the driving condition information.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display color of the icon, and

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display color of the icon based on the driving condition information.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display position of the icon, and

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display position of the icon based on the driving condition information.

8. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2,

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display mode of the icon when

the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or larger than the first predetermined speed,

wherein the controller controls the display to restore the display mode of the icon when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or smaller than a second predetermined speed after the display mode of the icon is changed, and

wherein the second predetermined speed is smaller than the first predetermined speed.

9. The in-vehicle device according to claim 8,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display size of the icon,

wherein the controller controls the display to enlarge the display size of the icon when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or larger than the first predetermined speed, and

wherein the controller controls the display to reduce the display size of the icon when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or smaller than the second predetermined speed after the display size of the icon is enlarged.

10. The in-vehicle device according to claim 8,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display color of the icon,

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display color of the icon to be an advancing color or an expansive color when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or larger than the first predetermined speed, and

wherein the controller controls the display to restore the display color of the icon when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or smaller than the second predetermined speed after the display size of the icon is enlarged.

11. The in-vehicle device according to claim 8,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display position of the icon,

wherein the controller controls the display to change the display position of the icon to be nearer an user of the in-vehicle device when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or larger than the first predetermined speed, and

wherein the controller controls the display to restore the display position of the icon when the controller determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or smaller than the second predetermined speed after the display size of the icon is enlarged.

12. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein the gadget consists essentially of a clock program, and the display content which is changed with time is a clock hand position or a clock numeral operated by the clock program.

13. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

wherein

the gadget is a graphical user interface gadget, and

the program corresponding to the gadget is activated by a touch to the icon on the display by a user of the in-vehicle device.

14. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to

cancel the change of the display mode of the icon, when the controller determines that the display does not display the icon, the display content of which is changed with time, on the screen.

15. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

the gadget that belongs to the process restriction class consists essentially of a browser, a text document edit, a mail, or a news site.

17. The in-vehicle device according to claim 12,

wherein the controller controls the display to displace the icon to a near side of a driver of a vehicle.

16. An in-vehicle device comprising:

a memory configured to store a gadget corresponding to an icon, a display content of which is changed with time, wherein the gadget provides a process;

a display having a screen, on which the icon is displayed;

an operation receiver configured to receive an operation to the icon;

a controller configured to execute the process when the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon under a condition that the display displays the icon and

a driving condition information obtaining element configured to obtain driving condition information of a vehicle,

wherein the control is configured to control the display to change a display mode of the icon based on the driving condition information, when the display displays the icon,

wherein the display mode of the icon includes a display position of the icon, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the display to change the display position of the icon which is already displayed on the display based on a vehicle speed.