Vehicle-mounted apparatus, computer-readable medium storing application program installed in portable information terminal, use restriction method for application program, portable information terminal, and vehicle-mounted system

• US 9,487,122 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Kenichi, Marunaka, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Royit
• Application Number:
  US13/816,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 340 571- 574, 340/438, 340/670, 455/41.2, 455/418, 455/466, 455/550.1, 715747-748
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• 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: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted apparatus outputs caution or warning information to an occupant in a vehicle if the vehicle-mounted apparatus does not continually receive information that shows that an application that is presently being executed in a portable information terminal connected to the vehicle-mounted apparatus has an attribute of being permitted to be used during the moving of a vehicle in which the vehicle-mounted apparatus is mounted.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted apparatus to which a portable information terminal loaded with a plurality of application programs is connected, wherein the application programs include at least one safety-considered application that is configured to send an identification signal to the vehicle-mounted apparatus identifying itself as having an attribute of being permitted to be used during moving of a vehicle, the vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising:

a controller that is configured to output caution or warning information to an occupant in a vehicle, during moving of the vehicle, wherein

based upon the vehicle-mounted apparatus connected to the portable information terminal not continually receiving the identification signal from the portable information terminal from an application program that is presently being operated in a foreground of the portable information terminal, the controller is configured to determine that the application presently being operated in the foreground of the portable information terminal is not the at least one safety-considered application, and to output the caution or warning information as a result of the determination.

2. The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the caution or warning information includes information that use of the application program during the moving of the vehicle is not desirable or not permitted.

3. The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification signal sent from the portable information terminal is encrypted.

4. The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a vehicle speed sensor that detects speed of the vehicle in which the vehicle-mounted apparatus is mounted, wherein

the controller outputs the caution or warning information if it is determined that the vehicle is moving, based on a result of detection by the vehicle speed sensor.

5. The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a movable lid that covers a front surface of the portable information terminal; and

a lid-driving actuator that drives the lid, wherein output of the caution or warning information comprises driving the lid by using the lid-driving actuator so that the lid covers the portable information terminal.

6. An application program use restriction method that restricts use of a specific application program installed in a portable information terminal loaded with a plurality of application programs, wherein the portable information terminal is connected to a vehicle-mounted apparatus, wherein the application programs include at least one safety-considered application that is configured to send an identification signal to the vehicle-mounted apparatus identifying itself as having an attribute of being permitted to be used during moving of a vehicle, comprising:

outputting caution or warning information to an occupant in the vehicle, during moving of the vehicle, so that the occupant does not use an application program that is presently being executed in the portable information terminal, wherein

based upon the vehicle-mounted apparatus not continually receiving the identification signal from the portable information terminal from an application program that is presently being executed in a foreground of the portable information terminal, determining that the application presently being operated in the foreground of the portable information terminal is not the at least one safety-considered application, and then outputting the caution or warning information as a result of the determination,

wherein the caution or warning information that is output to the driver restricts the use of the application program that has been determined to not be the at least one safety-considered application from being executed in the foreground.