Motor vehicle with a control device for an extravehicular computer system

• US 9,248,743 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Enthaler, Achim, Roehder, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/404,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 983 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• 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 motor vehicle has a control device that is designed to change over an operating state of an extravehicular computer system for office applications between an active state, in which the computer system executes at least one piece of office application software, and a passive state, in which the computer system is deactivated.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a communication device to interchange data with an extravehicular computer system for office applications;

an operator input device having a first operating mode for operator control of at least one motor vehicle component by transmitting control signals to the at least one motor vehicle component, and having a second operating mode for operator control of the computer system by transmitting control signals to the computer system instead of to the at least one motor vehicle component; and

a control device to change over an operating state of the computer system based on an operator control action by a user on the operator input device, the computer system being changed between an active state, in which the computer system executes at least one piece of office application software, and a passive state, in which the computer system is deactivated, the control device changing the operating state of the computer system by transmitting a wake-up signal and/or a switch-off signal to the computer system via the communication device, the operator input device operating in the first and second operating modes respectively in the passive and active states of the computer system.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the computer system is at a location not reachable by the user, and

the operator input device replaces as an input device, a mouse and/or a keyboard of the computer system.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a connection device provides an operating voltage for the computer system,

the operating voltage is produced at an electrical port for the computer system based on the wake-up signal and/or the switch-off signal from the control device, and

the control device changes the operating state of the computer system by altering the operating voltage for the computer system.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrical port is arranged in a trunk of the motor vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a computer network interface, a USB interface or a Bluetooth interface.

6. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device independently detects an availability of the computer system, and the control device indicates availability of the computer system to the user via a display device.

7. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the operator input device comprises at least one a touchpad, a gesture recognition system, a keyboard, a control stalk, a steering wheel, a pedal, a rotary/push control, and a switch on an instrument of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an output device having first and second operating states, to output a signal from the at least one motor vehicle component to the user in the first operating state, to change over between the first and second operating states, to receive a signal from the computer system in the second operating state, and to output at least the signal from the computer system to the user in the second operating state.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the output device comprises at least one of a screen in a central console of the motor vehicle, a head-up display apparatus, a screen of a combined instrument, a display apparatus integrated in a front window or a side window of the motor vehicle, and a loudspeaker of the motor vehicle.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the second operating state, the output device displays a screen content comprising a screen output of the office application software of the computer system.

11. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein

the output device comprises a display screen, and

in the second operating state, the display screen presents the user with a desktop display, a text program display and/or an email program display for the computer system.

12. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the computer system is at a location not reachable by the user, and

the operator input device replaces as an input device, a mouse and/or a keyboard of the computer system.

13. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the operator input device and the output device provide Virtual Network Computing to the user.

14. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the user is a driver of the motor vehicle,

a driving device operates in an autonomous driving mode, in which longitudinal and transverse guidance for the motor vehicle is performed independently without any action from the driver, and

the control device switches the motor vehicle between a manual driving mode, in which the motor vehicle is driven by the driver, and an office work mode, which activates the autonomous mode of the driving device and activates the computer system.

15. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein in the office work mode, the control device also changes settings for at least one of a position of a driver'"'"'s seat, a position of a steering wheel, lighting in a passenger compartment, and a folding-back or retraction of a pedal.

16. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein when the office work mode is deactivated, the control device deactivates the computer system, deactivates the driving device and switches the motor vehicle to the manual driving mode.

17. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the autonomous mode of the driving device is activated in stop-and-go traffic, and

the control device deactivates the computer system, deactivates the driving device and switches the motor vehicle to the manual driving mode when the traffic breaks up.

18. A method for assisting a driver in accomplishing office work in a motor vehicle, comprising:

using a communication device to interchange data with an extravehicular computer system for office applications;

receiving an input from the driver at an operator input device, the operator input device having a first operating mode for operator control of at least one motor vehicle component of the motor vehicle and having a second operating mode for operator control of the computer system by transmitting control signals to the computer system instead of to the at least one motor vehicle component;

using a control device to change an operating state of the computer system based on an operator control action by the driver on the operator input device, the computer system being changed between an active state, in which the computer system executes at least one piece of office application software, and a passive state, in which the computer system is deactivated, the control device changing of the operating state of the computer system by transmitting a wake-up signal and/or a switch-off signal to the computer system via the communication device; and

conditioning the operator input device for the operator control of the computer system by switching the operator input device to the second operating mode when the computer system is switched to the active state.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer system comprises at least one of a laptop, a tablet personal computer, and a network computer with a cloud working environment.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer system is automatically deactivated by the control device if a predetermined shutdown criterion is met.