Controlling vehicle systems with mobile devices

• US 9,868,447 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baalu, Arvin, Vedantam, Shyam, Sundaram, Vishnu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/449,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 340438, 3404255
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/165 Videos and animations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/48 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/586 Wired data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5911 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/691 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• 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 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 : for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 : Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 : Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for an in-vehicle system and methods of controlling vehicle systems with a mobile device in communication with the in-vehicle system. In one embodiment, an in-vehicle system includes a display device and an interface system communicatively connected to one or more vehicle sensors. The interface system may be configured to receive sensor signals from the one or more vehicle sensors, transmit the sensor signals to a mobile device, receive control signals from the mobile device, and transmit the control signals to a target vehicle system, the control signals responsive to the one or more vehicle sensors.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle computing system comprising:

a display device integrated into a vehicle; and

a vehicle interface system communicatively connected to one or more vehicle sensors, one or more in-vehicle control elements, and a mobile device, the vehicle interface system configured to;

receive, at the vehicle interface system, user input data from one or more of the in-vehicle control elements;

transmit the received user input data from the vehicle interface system to the mobile device, bypassing any processor in the vehicle;

receive, at the vehicle interface system, display instructions from the mobile device, the display instructions including adjustments to an image displayed on the display device based on the received user input data;

transmit the display instructions to the display device while bypassing any processor in the vehicle;

adjust the image displayed on the display device using the display instructions that are transmitted to the display device;

receive, at the vehicle interface system, control instructions from the mobile device;

receive sensed data via an interconnect of the vehicle;

transmit the control instructions to a target vehicle system of the vehicle; and

adjust operation of the target vehicle system of the vehicle using the control instructions that are received from the mobile device and transmitted to the target vehicle system, wherein the control instructions include adjustments to operation of the target vehicle system based on the received sensed data.

2. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the control instructions are generated based on the received sensed data.

3. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display a static image when the vehicle interface system is not connected to the mobile device.

4. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 3, wherein the static image is an image saved in a storage device, the storage device being communicatively connected to the display device.

5. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the display device and the vehicle interface system do not include an operating system.

6. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a storage structure for receiving the mobile device, the storage structure having an integrated connector providing a communication link to the vehicle interface system.

7. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more in-vehicle control elements are physically and permanently positioned on the vehicle.

8. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 7, wherein the one or more in-vehicle control elements include at least one of a steering wheel control, a control element integrated in an instrument panel of the vehicle, and a microphone.

9. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 7, wherein the display device includes a touch screen and the one or more in-vehicle control elements include the touch screen.

10. A method of controlling vehicle systems of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, at a vehicle interface system communicatively connected to one or more vehicle sensors, one or more in-vehicle control elements, and a mobile device, user input data from one or more of the in-vehicle control elements;

transmitting the received user input data from the vehicle interface system to the mobile device, bypassing each processor in the vehicle;

receiving, at the vehicle interface system, display instructions from the mobile device, the vehicle display instructions including adjustments to an image displayed on a display device based on the received user input data;

transmitting the vehicle display instructions to the display device while bypassing each processor in the vehicle;

adjusting the image displayed on the vehicle display device using the display instructions that are transmitted to the display device;

receiving, at the vehicle interface system, control instructions from the mobile device;

receiving sensed data via an interconnect of the vehicle;

transmitting the control instructions to a target vehicle system of the vehicle; and

adjusting operation of the target vehicle system based on the control instructions that are received from the mobile device and transmitted to the target vehicle system, wherein the control instructions include adjustments to operation of the target vehicle system based on the received sensed data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the control instructions to the target vehicle system of the vehicle includes transmitting the control instructions to the target vehicle system via a Controller-Area Network (CAN) bus of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the user input data from the one or more of the in-vehicle control elements includes receiving the user input data from a touch screen of the vehicle display, wherein the vehicle display is integrated in the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the user input data from the one or more of the in-vehicle control elements includes receiving the user input data from a control element of the vehicle via a Controller-Area Network (CAN) bus.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the control instructions are generated based on the received sensed data.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises displaying a static image on the vehicle display when the interface system is not connected to the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the static image is an image saved in a storage device, the storage device being communicatively connected to the vehicle display.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the in-vehicle control elements are physically and permanently positioned on the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more of the in-vehicle control elements include at least one of a steering wheel control, a control element integrated in an instrument panel of the vehicle, and a microphone.