Method for controlling a multimedia system on a vehicle and device for implementing same

• US 8,738,222 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Conan, Herve, Rimlinger, Remi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/673,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A method for controlling a multimedia system on an automobile that includes at least one module for executing a multimedia function, having at least one operation state controlled by an action of the user on an interface. The multimedia system includes a prestart state in which at least one prescribed task of the module that does not require any action by the user is initiated, a detection mechanism monitors the occurrence of a vehicle opening or unlocking event, the module is temporarily set in the prestart state following the detection of the event, the module being capable, when in the prestart state, of being switched to the operation state when the user acts on the interface.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a multimedia system on an automobile including at least one module for executing a multimedia function, having at least one operation state controlled by an action of a user on an interface in the automobile and a prestart state, the method comprising:

initiating at least one prescribed task of the module that does not require any action by the user;

monitoring, by a detection unit, occurrence of a vehicle opening or unlocking event;

temporarily setting the module to the prestart state following the detection of the opening or unlocking event, the prestart state including synchronizing a link with a mobile device; and

switching from the prestart state, to the operation state when the user acts on the interface, the operation state including automatically providing information relating to the mobile device on the interface.

2. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after a prescribed maximum duration of the multimedia system in the prestart state with no action on the interface or without an engine of the vehicle being started, the multimedia system switches to another state in which it is switched off.

3. The control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the prescribed maximum duration in the prestart state has a value less than or equal to thirty minutes, or less than five minutes.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the automobile includes

a module comprising a screen, the prestart state includes switching the screen to a standby mode,

a module comprising a voice recognition device, the prestart state includes loading into a RAM memory of the system at least one voice recognition phonemes file from a memory storing the phonemes file,

a module comprising a road traffic information system, the prestart state includes recovery of traffic information stored a last time the module was switched off and dating from less than a predetermined duration,

a radio station reception tuner module, the prestart state includes scanning of received radio stations and preselection of at least one of the received radio stations,

a module comprising a vehicle reversing assistance camera, the prestart state includes switching on of the camera and/or of the module displaying an image from the camera,

an audio media playback module, the prestart state includes detection of file types contained in the medium and data associated therewith,

a module comprising a screen, the prestart state includes pre-reawakening of the screen,

a module comprising an audio amplification portion, the prestart state includes pre-reawakening of the audio amplification portion.

5. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multimedia system includes at least one device for presenting information in a form that is perceived by the user, wherein there is provided an operation state of the module that includes the sending of information from the module to the device so that the information is presented to the user, the prestart state including at least one task for activating the module with deactivation of the information presentation device so that it does not present information coming from the module.

6. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prestart state includes independent initialization of the module.

7. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prestart state includes automatic reception of external data by a wireless receiver of the system so that the data is used by the module.

8. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prestart state includes automatic loading, from a mass memory in which it is stored, of at least one application to a RAM memory.

9. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multimedia system includes at least one device for presenting information in a form that is perceived by the user, wherein at least one module includes a first operation state corresponding to a state of non-use, in which the module does not send information to the information presentation device so it is presented, and a second operation state, wherein the module sends information to the device so that the information is presented,

there is provided at least one interface respectively associated with each module to switch the module to the second operation state, and another interface for controlling starting and stopping of an engine of the vehicle,

the state of use or non-use that the module had when the engine of the vehicle was last stopped is stored in a memory,

the module switches from the prestart state to the first operation state when an other control interface is actuated to start the engine with a state of non-use stored as the last state in the memory,

the module switches from the prestart state to the second operation state when its associated interface is actuated or when the other control interface is actuated to start the engine with a state of use stored as the last state in the memory,

the module configured to switch between one and the other of the first and second operation states when its associated interface is actuated.

10. A device for controlling a multimedia system on an automobile to implement the control method as claimed in claim 1, the multimedia system including at least one module for executing a multimedia function, having at least one operation state controlled by an action of the user on an interface, comprising:

the detection unit detecting a vehicle opening or unlocking event;

a unit controlling the multimedia system, linked to the detection unit and configured to control the at least one module to temporarily switch it to the prestart state when the detection unit detects an opening or unlocking event, and is configured to control execution by the at least one module of at least one prescribed task that does not require any action by the user is initiated, wherein the prestart state includes synchronizing a link with a mobile device; and

a switching unit configured to switch the module from the prestart state to the operation state by action on the interface, the operation state including automatically providing information relating to the mobile device on the interface.

11. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after a prescribed maximum duration of the multimedia system in the prestart state with no action on the interface, the multimedia system switches to another state in which it is switched off.

12. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the automobile includes a module comprising a voice recognition device, the prestart state includes loading into a RAM memory of the system at least one voice recognition phonemes file from a memory storing the phonemes file.

13. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the automobile includes a module comprising a vehicle reversing assistance camera, the prestart state includes switching on of the camera and/or of the module displaying an image from the camera.