Methods and systems for simulating a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit

• US 9,302,676 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagara, Wes A., Wingrove, Theodore C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US14/022,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/563 Vehicle displaying mobile device information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/569 Vehicle controlling mobile device functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved system that simulates a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit. The method comprises the steps of storing a plurality of user interfaces, wherein each of the plurality of user interfaces is affiliated with a platform, and determining if a smart device matches one of the plurality of platforms. If it is determined that the smart device matches one of the plurality of platforms, the method further comprises the steps of retrieving the user interface affiliated with the matched platform, and using the matched user interface on the vehicle head unit.

Claims

1. A method for simulating a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of user interfaces in at least one memory of a vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of user interfaces is affiliated with a respective platform;

detecting a first smart device and a second smart device in the vehicle;

determining if the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms;

after it is determined that the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms, identifying a first user of the first smart device and a second user of the second smart device;

determining if the first user and the second user are authorized;

after it is determined that the first user and the second user are authorized, retrieving the user interfaces affiliated with the respective matched platforms from the at least one memory;

displaying first and second avatars from the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platforms on the vehicle head unit;

determining if the first avatar or the second avatar is selected on the vehicle head unit; and

after it is determined that the first avatar or the second avatar is selected on the vehicle head unit, using the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform of the selected first avatar or the selected second avatar on the vehicle head unit to control the first smart device or the second smart device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying identifications of the first user and the second user with the first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a vehicle user interface on the vehicle head unit before determining if the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms.

4. A method for simulating a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of user interfaces in at least one memory of a vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of user interfaces is affiliated with a respective platform;

determining if a first smart device or a second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms;

after it is determined that the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms, displaying first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device;

after the first or the second avatar is selected, retrieving the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform from the at least one memory; and

after the first or the second avatar is selected, using the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform on the vehicle head unit to control the first smart device or the second smart device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of detecting the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle before determining if the first smart device and the second smart device match the respective one of the plurality of platforms.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of displaying a vehicle user interface on the vehicle head unit before determining if the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying the first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device further comprises displaying identifications of first and second users on the vehicle head unit.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to simulate a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of user interfaces in at least one memory of a vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of user interfaces is affiliated with a respective platform;

determining if a first smart device and a second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms;

after it is determined that the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms, identifying a first user of the first smart device and a second user of the second smart device;

determining if the first user and the second user are authorized;

after it is determined that the first user and the second user are authorized, displaying first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device;

after the first or the second avatar is selected, retrieving the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform from the at least one memory; and

after the first or the second avatar is selected, using the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform on the vehicle head unit to control the first smart device or the second smart device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle before determining if the first smart device and the second smart device match the respective platforms.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying a vehicle user interface on the vehicle head unit before determining if the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the displaying the first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device further comprises displaying identifications of the first and second users on the vehicle head unit.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to simulate a smart device user interface on a vehicle head unit, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of user interfaces in at least one memory of a vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of user interfaces is affiliated with a respective platform;

determining if a first smart device and a second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms;

after it is determined that the first smart device and the second smart device in the vehicle match the respective platforms, displaying first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device;

after the first avatar or the second avatar is selected, retrieving the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform from the at least one memory; and

after the first avatar or the second avatar is selected, using the user interface affiliated with the respective matched platform on the vehicle head unit to control the first smart device or the second smart device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting the first and second smart devices in the vehicle before determining if the first and second smart devices match the respective platforms.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying a vehicle user interface on the vehicle head unit before determining if the first and second smart devices in the vehicle match the respective platforms.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the displaying the first and second avatars on the vehicle head unit to allow control of the first smart device or the second smart device further comprises displaying identifications of the first and second users on the vehicle head unit.