In-vehicle apparatus and control method of in-vehicle apparatus

• US 9,753,610 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nezu, Yoshiyuki, Sasaki, Makoto, Yamazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basom, Blaine T.
• Application Number:
  US13/679,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 715746
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• 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 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus and a control method of an in-vehicle apparatus, which is applied to a multimedia terminal having, for example, a function of navigation equipment and a function of video playback so as to improve usability to a user in a case of accepting an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander. A touch panel menu screen suitable for an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander menu screen suitable for an operation through a remote commander are switched to be displayed so as to accept an operation by a user.

Claims

1. A method performed by an information processing system, the method:

displaying, on a touch-panel display of the information processing system, a first layout for touch panel operation and a second layout, which is different from the first layout, for a remote control operation;

switching between the first layout and the second layout in response to an operation by a user, wherein

in the first layout, menu options are displayed simultaneously and at least one of the menu options can be selected in response to an input received at the touch-panel display, and

in the second layout, each of the menu options are switched on the touch-panel display in a predetermined sequence in response to a first remote control operation and the switched each of the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a second remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch panel display; and

switching the touch-panel display from displaying the second layout to the first layout in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch-panel display other than a portion in which each of the menu options are displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the menu options is for viewing video content recorded on a recording medium, and

the method further comprises switching the touch-panel display to display a third layout for viewing the video content based on a selection of the display object for displaying the video content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the third layout includes menu options for controlling viewing the video content, and

the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch-panel display.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by an information processing system, cause the information processing system to:

display, on a touch-panel display, a first layout for touch panel operation and a second layout, which is different from the first layout, for a remote control operation;

switch between the first layout and the second layout in response to an operation by a user, wherein

in the first layout, menu options are displayed simultaneously and at least one of the menu options can be selected in response to an input received at the touch-panel display, and

in the second layout, each of the menu options are switched on the touch-panel display in a predetermined sequence in response to a first remote control operation and the switched each of the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a second remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch panel display; and

switch from displaying the second layout to displaying the first layout in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch-panel display other than a portion in which each of the menu options are displayed.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

display display objects corresponding to the menu options in a first size in the first layout; and

display display objects corresponding to each of the menu options in a second size in the second layout, the second size being different from the first size.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein

the menu items are represented by display objects that each correspond to an individual image.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

switch from displaying the first layout to displaying the second layout in response to an operation by the user received via a remote control operation.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

switch from displaying the second layout to displaying the first layout in response to an operation by the user received via the touch-panel display.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

detect a user selection of one of the plurality of menu options received at the touch-panel display at a position corresponding to the one of the plurality of menu options when the touch-panel displays the second layout.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the information processing system comprises:

the touch-panel display;

a global positing system (GPS) unit configured to detect a position of the information processing system; and

a communication interface.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

receive audio information from an external device, the audio information being generated by the external device based on a broadcast signal received by the external device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

receive image data from an external device, the image data being generated by the external device based on a broadcast signal received by the external device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer-program instructions further cause the information processing system to:

transmit image data corresponding to one of the menu options to an external device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein

at least one of the menu options is for viewing video content recorded on a recording medium, and

the computer-program instructions further cause the touch-panel display to switch to displaying a third layout for viewing the video content based on a selection of the menu options for displaying the video content.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein

the third layout includes menu options for controlling viewing the video content, and

the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch-panel display.

16. An information processing system comprising:

circuitry configured to control a touch-panel display to switch, in response to an operation by a user, between displaying a first layout for touch panel operation and a second layout, which is different from the first layout, for remote control operation, wherein

in the first layout, menu options are displayed simultaneously and one of the menu options can be selected in response to an input received at the touch-panel display,

in the second layout, each of the menu options are switched on the touch-panel display in a predetermined sequence in response to a first remote control operation and the switched each of the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a second remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch panel display, and

the circuitry is configured to control the touch-panel display to switch from displaying the second layout to displaying the first layout in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch-panel display other than a portion in which each of the menu options are displayed.

17. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

control the touch-panel display to display display objects corresponding to the menu options in a first size in the first layout; and

control the touch-panel display to display display objects corresponding to each of the menu options in a second size in the second layout, the second size being different from the first size.

18. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

the menu options are represented by display objects that each correspond to an individual image.

19. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the touch-panel display to switch from displaying the first layout to displaying the second layout in response to an operation by the user received via a remote control operation.

20. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the touch-panel display to switch from displaying the second layout to displaying the first layout in response to an operation by the user received via the touch-panel display.

21. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

the circuitry is configured to detect a user selection of one of the plurality of menu options received at the touch-panel display at a position corresponding to the one of the plurality of menu options when the touch-panel displays the second layout.

22. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

the touch-panel display;

a global positing system (GPS) unit configured to detect a position of the information processing system; and

a communication interface.

23. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

an interface configured to receive audio information from an external device, the audio information being generated by the external device based on a broadcast signal received by the external device.

24. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

an interface configured to receive image data from an external device, the image data being generated by the external device based on a broadcast signal received by the external device.

25. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

an interface configured to be connected to an external device, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the interface to transmit image data corresponding to one of the menu options to the external device.

26. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

at least one of the menu options is for viewing video content recorded on a recording medium, and

the circuitry is configured to control the touch-panel display to switch to displaying a third layout for viewing the video content based on a selection of the menu option for displaying the video content.

27. The information processing system of claim 26, wherein

the third layout includes menu options for controlling viewing the video content, and

the menu options are configured to be selectable by both a remote control operation and a touch operation at the touch panel display.