Systems and methods for browsing a mobile device with an in-vehicle user interface

• US 9,336,827 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Helm, Sean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xia, Xuyang
• Application Number:
  US13/444,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

Systems and methods for browsing a mobile device are provided. Some embodiments may include determining a location of each of a plurality of media files on the mobile device. The plurality of media files may be organized according to a predetermined configuration and may include at least two identical media files at different locations in the predetermined configuration. Similarly, some embodiments may include receiving a request for a requested media file of the plurality of media files at the vehicle computing device and determining which of the at least two identical media files is more accessible. Still some embodiments may include navigating the mobile device to one of the at least two identical media files that is more accessible and play the requested media file through a vehicle audio system.

Claims

1. A method for browsing a mobile device with an in-vehicle user interface, comprising:

identifying the mobile device in proximity of a vehicle computing device;

linking the vehicle computing device with the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is registered with the vehicle computing device and stores a plurality of media files that are organized according to a predetermined configuration, wherein the vehicle computing device is physically integrated into a vehicle;

providing the in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors an interface of the mobile device and providing a location of each of the plurality of media files with regard to the predetermined configuration, wherein the interface of the mobile device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) with a plurality of options for accessing the plurality of media files via the mobile device;

providing a manual indexing option for indexing the plurality of media files from the mobile device onto the vehicle computing device only in response to a user command to index the plurality of media files;

in response to a selection of the manual indexing option and receiving the user command to index the plurality of media files, determining, by the vehicle computing device, the location of each of the plurality of media files with regard to the predetermined configuration to navigate the mobile device;

receiving a first request for a requested media file of the plurality of media files at the vehicle computing device;

determining a location of the requested media file in the predetermined configuration;

sending a control signal for the vehicle computing device to navigate the electronic program guide of the mobile device to the requested media file;

sending a second request to play the requested media file;

receiving the requested media file for playback; and

playing the requested media file through a vehicle audio system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a unique identifier for each of the plurality of media files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location of each of the plurality of media files comprises determining a navigation process for locating each of the plurality of media files on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media files includes at least two identical media files that are stored at different locations within the mobile device, the method further comprising:

determining which of the at least two identical media files is a more accessible media file; and

in response to receiving the request to play the requested media file, navigating the mobile device to the more accessible media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to play the requested media file includes a voice command from a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors a user interface provided by the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting an different mobile device and provide another in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors a mobile user interface provided by the different mobile device.

8. A system for browsing a mobile device with an in-vehicle user interface, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a hardware memory component that is coupled to the hardware processor and stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform at least the following;

identify the mobile device in proximity of a vehicle computing device;

link the vehicle computing device with the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is registered with the vehicle computing device and stores a plurality of media files that are organized according to a predetermined configuration and wherein the vehicle computing device is physically integrated with a vehicle;

provide an in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors an interface of the mobile device and provides the location of each of the plurality of media files with regard to the predetermined configuration, wherein the interface of the mobile device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) with a plurality of options for accessing the plurality of media files via the mobile device;

provide a multiple devices option for a user to select to determine a policy for handling indexing and utilization of content from the mobile device and another mobile device in communicative range with the vehicle computing device;

receiving the user command to index the plurality of media files, determining, by the vehicle computing device, the location of each of the plurality of media files with regard to the predetermined configuration to navigate the mobile device;

receive a first request for a requested media file of the plurality of media files at the vehicle computing device;

determine a location of the requested media file in the predetermined configuration;

send a control signal to navigate the EPG of the mobile device to the requested media file;

send a second request to play the requested media file;

receive the requested media file for playback; and

play the requested media file through a vehicle audio system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to determine a unique identifier for each of the plurality of media files.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the location of each of the plurality of media files comprises determining a navigation process for locating each of the plurality of media files on the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of media files includes at least two identical media files that are stored at different locations within the mobile device, and wherein the logic further causes the system to determine which of the at least two identical media files is a more accessible media file and, in response to receiving the request to play the requested media file, navigating the mobile device to the more accessible media file.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the request to play the requested media file includes a voice command from a user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to determine a priority if the other mobile device is detected in proximity of the vehicle computing device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to detect an different mobile device and provide another in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors user interfaces provided by the different mobile device.

15. A vehicle for browsing a mobile device with an in-vehicle user interface, comprising:

a vehicle audio system; and

a vehicle computing device that is physically integral to the vehicle and stores logic that, when executed by the vehicle computing device, causes the vehicle computing device to perform at least the following;

identify the mobile device in proximity of a vehicle computing device;

link the vehicle computing device with the mobile device, wherein an interface of the mobile device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) with a plurality of options for accessing the plurality of media files via the mobile device;

provide an automatic indexing option for the vehicle computing device to automatically index a plurality of media files from the mobile device onto the vehicle computing device upon a determination of a change in the plurality of media files;

in response to a selection of the automatic indexing option and receiving the user command to index the plurality of media files and a determination that the media files from the mobile device have changed, determine a location of each of a plurality of media files on the mobile device, wherein the plurality of media files are organized according to a predetermined configuration to navigate the mobile device, wherein the plurality of media files comprises at least two identical media files at different locations in the predetermined configuration and wherein the mobile device is registered with the vehicle computing device;

provide a vehicle electronic program guide (EPG) that functionally mirrors at least a portion of a mobile EPG provided by the mobile device;

receive a request for a requested media file of the plurality of media files at the vehicle computing device;

determine which of the at least two identical media files is more accessible;

navigate, by the vehicle computing device, the mobile EPG to one of the at least two identical media files that is more accessible; and

play the requested media file through the vehicle audio system.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to determine a unique identifier for each of the plurality of media files.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein determining the location of each of the plurality of media files comprises determining a navigation process for locating each of the plurality of media files on the mobile device.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the request to play the requested media file comprises a voice command from a user.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to provide an in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors a user interface provided by the mobile device.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to detect an different mobile device and provide another in-vehicle user interface that functionally mirrors a mobile user interface provided by the different mobile device.