Method, apparatus, computer and mobile device for display and vehicle having the apparatus

• US 9,383,961 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Dusterhoff, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US14/122,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• 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 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

There can be provided a display duplication apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus can comprise an input connected to receive a display signal from a portable device and a first display configured to display an invitation for input to define a selected interface region from a display output of the portable device. The first display is further configured to display an invitation for to input define a target display location of the vehicle and the apparatus can further comprise a plurality of displays configured to display a selected interface region at a defined target display location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of replicating a display output of a mobile device onto a display of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving the display output from the mobile device to display as a single screen duplicate in the vehicle;

activating a region selection interface configured to receive at least one input defining a plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate, the single screen duplicate of the received display output of the mobile device is divided into the plurality of selected interface regions;

activating a target selection interface configured to receive an input defining a target display location within the vehicle; and

outputting at least one of the plurality of selected interface regions to the vehicle for display on the target display location;

wherein the activating a region selection interface causes displaying of either an interface that invites an input to select a template for division of the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions or an interface that invites an input to divide the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions,

wherein the target display location includes two or more selected from the group comprising;

an instrument panel, a mirror, a console display, a head-up display, and a rear seat screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the mobile device into the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving comprises establishing a data connection between the mobile device and the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data connection comprises one or more selected from the group comprising a wired data connection and a wireless data connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the activating steps is carried out by a processor of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a display duplication process from the mobile device to a processor of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving an input selecting a template, comparing the received input to a plurality of available templates and determining a most likely intended template.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating a region selection interface further comprises causing an interface to invite an input to select one of the regions of the selected template.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating a region selection interface further comprises calculating, based upon receipt of an input to divide the display output into regions, a set of available regions of the display output.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the calculating comprises comparing the received input to a present display division of the display output and determining a most likely intended division.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the activating a region selection interface further comprises requesting an input to select one of the available regions of the plurality of selected interface regions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating a target selection interface comprises causing an interface to invite an input to select an available target display location within the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the available target display locations are dependent upon the plurality of selected interface regions.

14. The method claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a vehicle condition; and

selectively suspending the display of the selected interface region on the target display location in dependence upon the detected vehicle condition.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes one or more selected from the group comprising:

a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a portable navigation device, and a tablet computing device.

16. A display duplication apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an input connected to receive a display signal from a mobile device, the display signal including a display output of the mobile device to display as a single screen duplicate in the vehicle; and

a first display configured to display an invitation for input to define a plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate, the single screen duplicate of the display output of the mobile device is divided into the plurality of selected interface regions;

wherein the first display is further configured to display an invitation for input to define a target display location of the vehicle; and

a plurality of displays configured to display at least one the plurality of selected interface regions at the defined target display location of the vehicle

wherein the invitation for input to define a plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate is either an interface that invites an input to select a template for division of the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions or an interface that invites an input to divide the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions,

wherein the plurality of displays comprises two or more selected from the group comprising;

an instrument panel, a mirror, a console display, a head-up display, and a rear seat screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of displays includes the first display.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the input is configured to receive the mobile device into the vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the input is configured to establish a data connection between the mobile device and the vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the input is configured to receive a display signal via one or more selected from the group comprising a wired data connection and a wireless data connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a processor configured to cause a selected region to be displayed on one or more of the plurality of displays.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the display signal from the input, and to cause the selected region to be displayed on the one or more of the plurality of displays responsive to input received via a user input device.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface is configured to receive the display signal in the form of a display duplication stream from the mobile device to a processor of the vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, further configured to, responsive to the apparatus receiving an input selecting a template, compare the received input to a plurality of available templates and determining a most likely intended template.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first display is further configured to display an invitation for input to define a selected interface region from the display output of the mobile device by displaying an interface to invite an input to select one of the regions of the selected template.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, further configured to, based upon receipt of an input to divide the display into regions, calculate a set of available regions of the display.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the calculating comprises comparing the received input to a present display division of the mobile device display and determining a most likely intended division.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first display is further configured to display an invitation for input to define a selected interface region from a display output of the mobile device by displaying an interface to request an input to select one of the available regions of the plurality of selected interface regions.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first display is further configured to display an invitation for to input define a target display location of the vehicle by displaying an interface to request an input to select an available target display location within the vehicle.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the available target display locations are dependent upon the plurality of selected interface regions.

31. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a condition dependent control configured to selectively suspend display of a selected interface region at a defined target display location of the vehicle in dependence upon a vehicle condition.

32. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mobile device includes one or more selected from the group comprising:

a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a portable navigation device, and a tablet computing device.

33. A vehicle comprising:

a device interface configured to provide a data connection to a mobile device received in the vehicle;

a head unit configured to communicate with a received mobile device via the device interface and to establish a display duplication data stream from the mobile device to the head unit to display as a single screen duplicate in the vehicle;

a plurality of displays, each connected to receive a data input from the head unit for display on the display; and

an input device connected to the head unit and configured to transmit an input received thereby to the head unit;

wherein;

the head unit is further configured to cause one of the displays to display a user interface section inviting input via the input device to define a plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate, the single screen duplicate of a display output of the received mobile device is divided into the plurality of selected interface regions, the display output being received as the single screen duplicate from the received mobile device;

the head unit is further configured to cause one of the displays to display a user interface section inviting input via the input device to define a target display location on two of the plurality of displays; and

the head unit is further configured to forward data relating to the plurality of selected interface regions to the display that includes the target display location

wherein the user interface section is either an interface that invites an input to select a template for division of the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions or an interface that invites an input to divide the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions,

wherein the two of the plurality of displays comprises;

an instrument panel, a mirror, a console display, a head-up display, and a rear seat screen.

34. A computer for a vehicle, the computer comprising:

a mobile device data connection input configured to communicate with a connected mobile device;

a display output configured to output display buffer content;

an input device connection configured to receive input signals;

wherein the computer is configured to;

receive a mobile device display data stream representing a display output of the mobile device via the mobile device connection input to display as a single screen duplicate in the vehicle;

output, via the display output, data describing a user interface element to request display division input;

receive a display division input via the input device connection, the display division input defines a plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate of the display output of the mobile device;

determine a display division based upon the received display division input by dividing the single screen duplicate of the display output from the received mobile device display data stream into the plurality of selected interface regions;

output via the display output data describing a user interface element to request target display input;

receive a target display input via the input device connection;

output at least one of the plurality of selected interface regions of the single screen duplicate of the display output of the received mobile device to a target display via the display output

wherein the user interface element to request display division input is either a user interface element that invites an input to select a template for division of the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions or a user interface element that invites an input to divide the single screen duplicate into the plurality of selected interface regions,

wherein the target display includes two or more selected from the group comprising;

an instrument panel, a mirror, a console display, a head-up display, and a rear seat screen.