In-vehicle information terminal

• US 9,407,749 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sugahara, Takahiro, Shimotani, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): NEFF, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/414,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system

Abstract

An object is to provide a technique capable of displaying appropriate information on a passenger display unit used for a passenger other than a driver. An in-vehicle information terminal includes an in-vehicle device I/F and a controller. The in-vehicle device I/F is capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device having RSE monitors, and is capable of obtaining terminal position information indicating positions of communication terminals in a vehicle. The controller associates the RSE monitors and the communication terminals with each other, based on pre-registered display unit position information indicating the positions of the RSE monitors in the vehicle, and the terminal position information obtained by the in-vehicle device I/F.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle information terminal which is capable of communicating with a communication terminal, the in-vehicle information terminal comprising:

an in-vehicle device interface which is capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device having a passenger display unit used for a passenger other than a driver, and which is capable of obtaining terminal position information indicating a position of said communication terminal in a vehicle; and

a controller which associates said passenger display unit and said communication terminal with each other, based on pre-registered display unit position information indicating a position of said passenger display unit in said vehicle, and said terminal position information obtained by said in-vehicle device interface, wherein

said in-vehicle device interface is capable of communicating with a second in-vehicle device having a driver display unit used for a driver, the driver display unit being separate from the passenger display unit,

when said communication terminal associated with said passenger display unit receives an incoming call, said controller controls a display of said passenger display unit associated with the communication terminal through said in-vehicle device interface and also controls a display of said driver display unit through said in-vehicle device interface; and

when said communication terminal associated with said passenger display unit receives an Incoming call, said controller causes said passenger display unit and said driver display unit to display incoming call information, according to setting contents related to each display.

2. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the setting contents related to said display of said passenger display unit and setting contents related to said display of said driver display unit are allowed to be individually set.

3. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 2, wherein the setting contents related to said display include display contents, and a size and a position of the display contents.

4. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 2, wherein said setting contents of said passenger display unit and said driver display unit are allowed to be stored for each said communication terminal.

5. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of associating said one passenger display unit with a plurality of said communication terminals.

6. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said terminal position information is automatically obtained by communication.

7. An in-vehicle information terminal which is capable of communicating with a communication terminal, the in-vehicle information terminal comprising:

an in-vehicle device interface which is capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device having a driver display unit used for a driver and communicating with a second in-vehicle device having a passenger display unit used for a passenger other than the driver, and which is capable of obtaining terminal position information indicating a position of said communication terminal in a vehicle; and

a controller which associates said communication terminal with either the driver display unit or the passenger display unit based on pre-registered display unit position information indicating a position of said passenger display unit and said driver display unit in said vehicle, and said terminal position information obtained by said in-vehicle device interface, wherein

when a communication terminal associated with a passenger display unit receives an incoming call, said controller displays incoming call information on said passenger display unit associated with the communication terminal through said in-vehicle device interface and also displays incoming call information on said driver display unit through said in-vehicle device interface, according to setting contents related to each display unit, and

the passenger display unit being separate from the driver display unit.