Flexible vehicle display

• US 8,694,177 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Quinn, Michael J., Lobaza, Anthony G., Vanitvelt, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US13/026,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 709/218, 709/232, 715/210, 715/700
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/184 Displaying the same information on different displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for displaying graphical content on a vehicle display includes a client module and a plurality of control modules. The client module is in communication with the vehicle display and the plurality of control modules. Each of the plurality of control modules include software for generating a graphical text data intended to be shown on the vehicle display. The graphical text data is formatted with a predetermined layout determined by the corresponding one of the plurality of control modules. The client module includes a control logic for showing the graphical generated by the at least one of the plurality of control modules on the vehicle display. The graphical text data shown on the vehicle display is formatted with the predetermined layout determined by the corresponding one of the plurality of control modules.

Claims

1. A communication data system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle display connected to the vehicle;

a plurality of control modules, wherein each of the plurality of control modules include software for generating a graphical text data intended to be shown on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data is formatted with a predetermined layout determined by a corresponding one of the plurality of control modules, and wherein the graphical text data includes a set of data signals that define at least one of a text layout, character font, size and color shown on the vehicle display; and

a client module connected to the vehicle, wherein the client module is in communication with the vehicle display and the plurality of control modules, wherein the client module includes;

a first control logic for monitoring the plurality of control modules for the set of data signals;

a second control logic for receiving the set of data signals; and

a third control logic for showing the graphical text data generated by the at least one of the plurality of control modules on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data shown on the vehicle display is formatted with the predetermined layout determined by the corresponding one of the plurality of control modules.

2. The communication data system of claim 1 wherein the set of data signals are in scripting language format, markup language format, and style sheet language format.

3. The communication data system of claim 2 wherein the client module includes a rendering engine and a combined layered application programming interface and scripting engine (API and scripting engine), and wherein the rendering engine receives the data signals in markup language format and style sheet language format, and wherein the API and scripting engine interacts with the data signals in scripting language format.

4. The communication data system of claim 2 wherein the data signals markup language format are in hypertext markup language (HTML), and the data signals in the style sheet language format are in cascading style sheet (CSS) format.

5. The communication data system of claim 2 wherein the client module executes markup language and scripting language based code.

6. The communication data system of claim 2 wherein the client module includes a memory, and wherein the memory stores localized markup language files.

7. The communication data system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle display includes selectable controls that receive user input, wherein the vehicle display generates user input data signals that are indicative of user input, and wherein the user input data signals are communicated to the client module.

8. The communication data system of claim 7 wherein the client module includes a fourth control logic for monitoring the vehicle display for the user input data signals.

9. The communication data system of claim 8 wherein the client module includes a fifth control logic for interacting with the user input data signals, and wherein the client module communicates control messages and data requests indicative of the user input data signals to at least one of the plurality of control modules.

10. The communication data system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of control modules is a vehicle control module, and wherein another one of the plurality of control modules is a remote electronic device.

11. The communication data system of claim 10 wherein the vehicle control module is one of a telematics module, an engine control module, and a transmission control module, and wherein the remote electronic device is one of a smartphone, a laptop computer, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The communication data system of claim 1 wherein the client module and at least one of the plurality of control modules are in communication with a vehicle network, and wherein the vehicle network sends data signals indicating diagnostic information generated by a vehicle system.

13. The communication data system of claim 12 wherein a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) network connection is used between the client module and at least one of the plurality of control modules and the vehicle network.

14. The communication data system of claim 1 wherein the client module is in communication with an off-board server, and wherein the off-board server provides an Internet connection, and wherein the off-board server generates a second set of graphical text data.

15. A method of displaying graphical content on a vehicle display, wherein a client module is provided in a vehicle, and wherein the client module is in communication with the vehicle display and a plurality of control modules, the method comprising:

monitoring the plurality of control modules for a set of data signals, wherein each of the plurality of control modules include software for generating a graphical text data intended to be shown on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data is formatted with a predetermined layout determined by a corresponding one of the plurality of control modules, and wherein the graphical text data includes the set of data signals that are in scripting language format, markup language format, and style sheet language format;

converting the set of data signals in markup language format and style sheet language format into data that is shown on the vehicle display;

executing the data signals in scripting language format, wherein the client module interfaces with the data signals in scripting language format received from the plurality of control modules; and

showing the graphical text data generated by the at least one of the plurality of control modules on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data shown on the vehicle display is formatted with the predetermined layout determined by the corresponding one of the plurality of control modules.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising storing localized markup language files in a memory of the client module.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating user input data signals that are indicative of user input, wherein the vehicle display includes selectable controls receive user input, and wherein the user input data signals are communicated to the client module.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising monitoring the vehicle display for the user input data signals.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising interacting with the user input data signals, wherein the client module communicates control messages and data requests indicative of the user input to at least one of the plurality of control modules.

20. A communication data system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle display connected to the vehicle;

a plurality of control modules, wherein each of the plurality of control modules include software for generating graphical text data intended to be shown on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data is formatted with a predetermined layout determined by a corresponding one of the plurality of control modules, and wherein the graphical text data includes a set of data signals in scripting language format, markup language format, and style sheet language format; and

a client module connected to the vehicle, wherein the client module is in communication with the vehicle display and the plurality of control modules, wherein the client module includes;

a first control logic for monitoring the plurality of control modules for the set of data signals;

a second control logic for converting the set of data signals in markup language format and style sheet language format into data that is shown on the vehicle display;

a third control logic for executing the data signals in scripting language format, wherein the client module interfaces with the data signals in scripting language format received from the plurality of control modules; and

a fourth control logic for showing the graphical text data generated by the at least one of the plurality of control modules on the vehicle display, wherein the graphical text data shown on the vehicle display is formatted with the predetermined layout determined by the corresponding one of the plurality of control modules.