In-vehicle configurable soft switches

• US 9,868,353 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grover, Joey Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US14/148,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 2, 4555561, 4555621, 455557, 455566
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/133 Multidirectional input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• 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 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio

Abstract

A computer-implemented method may include receiving input to a vehicle-associated computing system (VACS) touch-sensitive display, requesting adjustment to a powered state of an accessory device connected to a switch module; providing, responsive to the input, a command from a vehicle computing system to the switch module, running on the VACS, to adjust a controlled output of the switch module; and updating the user interface to reflect a result of the command.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

prompting, in a touch display of a vehicle, for label text to identify an accessory device detected due to a change in electrical properties of a controlled output of a switch module;

providing, responsive to touch input to the label text of the display requesting adjustment to a powered state of the accessory device, a command adjusting the controlled output; and

updating the display to reflect a result of the command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a status indication of the display associated with the accessory device to reflect the powered state of the accessory device upon adjustment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the display based on a response received from the switch module indicative of the result of the command to the switch module to adjust the controlled output.

4. The method of claim 1, the command specifying an action including one of to:

power on the accessory device, power off the accessory device, and toggle the powered state of the accessory device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the controlled output corresponding to the accessory device according to maintained information mapping switch control elements of the display to indications of controlled outputs of the switch module.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving input including at least one of:

input indicating text for a configurable label to describing the accessory device, input indicating the mapping of switch control elements of the display to indications of controlled outputs of the switch module, and input indicating to hide switch control elements for which no accessory devices are connected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch display includes at least one of a display of a nomadic device connected to a vehicle computing system or a display of the vehicle computing system.

8. A system comprising:

a switch module configured to;

utilize an active low design to provide switched ground wire connections to a plurality of accessory devices;

receive a command from a vehicle-associated computing system requesting adjustment to a powered state of one of the plurality of accessory devices connected to the switch module; and

adjust the powered state of the one of the plurality of accessory devices responsive to the command.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the switch module is further configured to provide a response to the vehicle computing system indicating a result of the command.

10. The system of claim 8, the command specifying an action including one of to:

power on the accessory device, power off the accessory device, and toggle the powered state of the accessory device.

11. The system of claim 8, the command specifying an action including one of to:

power on all of the plurality of accessory devices, power off all of the plurality of accessory devices, and toggle the powered state of all of the plurality of accessory devices.

12. The system of claim 8, the switch module including a controller with a plurality of controller signal outputs and a plurality of power control modules, such that each of the plurality of power control modules is connected to one of the controller signal outputs and one of the plurality of accessory devices to allow the controller to independently complete a ground connection between each of the plurality of accessory devices and ground.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle-associated computing system includes a nomadic device in communication with a vehicle computing system, wherein the command is provided to the vehicle computing system from the nomadic device.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display device of a vehicle-associated computing system configured to:

receive input requesting adjustment to the powered state of the accessory device connected to the switch module; and

update the display to reflect a result of the command.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause at least one controller to:

receive, from a switch module, an indication of detection by the switch module of a change in electrical properties of a controlled output of the switch module, the change indicative of an accessory device being connected to the controlled output;

provide a message in a user interface of a vehicle-associated computing system (VACS) touch-sensitive display requesting text to use as a label in the display for the accessory device;

receive input to the label in the display, requesting adjustment to a powered state of the accessory device;

provide, responsive to the input, a command from a vehicle computing system to the switch module, running on the VACS, to adjust a controlled output of the switch module; and

update the display to reflect a result of the command.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising updating a status indication of the display associated with the accessory device to reflect the powered state of the accessory device upon adjustment.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising updating the display based on a response received from the switch module indicative of the result of the command to the switch module to adjust the controlled output.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the command specifying an action including one of to:

power on the accessory device, power off the accessory device, and toggle the powered state of the accessory device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising identifying the controlled output corresponding to the accessory device according to maintained information mapping switch control elements of the display to indications of controlled outputs of the switch module.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising receiving input including at least one of:

input indicating text for a configurable label to describe the accessory device, input indicating the mapping of switch control elements of the display to indications of controlled outputs of the switch module, and input indicating to hide switch control elements for which no accessory devices are connected.