Flexible modular screen apparatus for mounting to, and transporting user profiles between, participating vehicles

• US 9,880,731 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Peggy, Wang, Jianfeng, Qi, Jimmy
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom
• Application Number:
  US15/267,964
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper

Abstract

A modular flexible-screen apparatus allowing a user to transport personal preferences or settings between participating vehicles of transportation. The user can carry the preference-holding screen apparatus to and from the same vehicle, and between other vehicles the user owns, and/or to shared, taxi, or rental vehicles.

Claims

1. A modular flexible-screen apparatus, for controlling functions of a host vehicle based on a stored user profile, comprising:

a flexible display screen configured to conform to a shape of a driver-area component of the host vehicle;

a hardware-based processing unit connected communicatively with the flexible display screen; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage component comprising;

a user-profile module comprising the user profile, the user profile including preferences related to functions of the host vehicle;

a user-interface module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, provides user output to, and receives user input from, a user of the modular flexible-screen apparatus; and

a vehicle-control module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit;

determines a host-vehicle-control instruction based on the user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sends the host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the host vehicle.

2. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the apparatus is for controlling functions of multiple host vehicles based on the stored user profile;

the flexible display screen is configured to conform to shapes of driver-area components of each host vehicle; and

the non-transitory computer-readable storage component comprises an apparatus-connection module that, when connected to the driver-area component of any subject host vehicle, established a communication channel with the subject host vehicle for providing the host-vehicle-control instruction to the subject host vehicle.

3. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 wherein the driver-area component is selected from a group consisting of:

a steering wheel of the host vehicle;

a gear shift of the host vehicle;

an instrument-cluster hood or cover of the host vehicle; and

a dashboard component of the host vehicle.

4. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plug being:

connected communicatively with the hardware-based processing unit; and

sized, shaped, and positioned at the apparatus to, for use of the apparatus on the host vehicle, connect directly to a matching port of the driver-area component of the host vehicle, without intervening components between the plug and the port.

5. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a body comprising the flexible screen, wherein the body is sized and shaped to, when bent, fit snugly within an apparatus compartment in the driver-area component of the host vehicle.

6. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mounting material or structure configured and positioned at the apparatus to promote temporary attachment of the apparatus to the driver-area component of the host vehicle.

7. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user-interface module, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, receives an enablement signal from a host-vehicle switch and changes the apparatus between an on mode and an off mode, or between a sleep mode and an awake mode based on the enablement signal.

8. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user-interface module, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit, receives a control signal from a host-vehicle apparatus-operation interface and changes visual output of the apparatus based on the control signal.

9. The modular flexible-screen apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a body comprising the flexible screen, wherein the body is sized and shaped to attach to a user wrist for transporting the apparatus when the apparatus is not in use on the host vehicle.

10. A method, for controlling functions of a host vehicle using a modular flexible-screen apparatus based on a user profile stored at the apparatus, the method comprising:

bending, by a flexible display screen of the apparatus, to conform to a shape of a driver-area component of the host vehicle;

connecting, by the apparatus, after the bending, physically to the driver-area component;

receiving, by a hardware-based processing unit of the apparatus executing a user-interface module of the apparatus, user input by way of the flexible display screen;

determining, by the processing unit executing a host-vehicle control module of the apparatus, a host-vehicle-control instruction based on the user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sending, by the apparatus, the host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the host vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the host vehicle, the driver-area component, and the host-vehicle-control instruction are a first host vehicle, a first driver-area component, and a first host-vehicle-control instruction;

the method further comprises;

bending, by the flexible display screen, to conform to a shape of a second driver-area component of a second host vehicle;

receiving, by the hardware-based processing unit of the apparatus executing the user-interface module of the apparatus, after the apparatus has been attached to the second vehicle, second user input by way of the flexible display screen;

determining, by the processing unit executing the host-vehicle control module of the apparatus, a second host-vehicle-control instruction based on the second user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sending, by the apparatus, the second host-vehicle-control instruction to the second host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the second host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the bending, the connecting, the communication channel, the receiving, the determining, the user input, the host-vehicle-control instruction, and the sending are a first bending, a first connecting, a first communication channel, a first receiving, a first determining, a first user input, a first host-vehicle-control instruction, and a first sending;

the method further comprises;

establishing, by an apparatus-connection module of the apparatus, after the first bending, and before the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, a communication channel with the host vehicle for providing the host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle;

closing, by the apparatus-connection module, after the establishing, the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, the communication channel established with the host vehicle;

disconnecting, by the apparatus, physically from the driver-area component of the host vehicle;

bending, in a second bending, by the flexible display screen of the apparatus, to conform to the shape of the driver-area component of the host vehicle;

establishing by the apparatus-connection module of the apparatus, after the second bending, a second communication channel with the host vehicle for providing a second host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle;

receiving, by the hardware-based processing unit executing the user-interface module of the apparatus, a second user input by way of the flexible display screen;

determining, by the processing unit executing the host-vehicle control module of the apparatus, the second host-vehicle-control instruction based on the second user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sending, by the apparatus, the second host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the host vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the driver-area component is selected from a group consisting of:

a steering wheel of the host vehicle;

a gear shift of the host vehicle;

an instrument-cluster hood or cover of the host vehicle;

or

a dashboard component of the host vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising connecting, by the apparatus, communicatively with the host vehicle by way of a plug of the apparatus connecting directly to a matching port of the driver-area component of the host vehicle, without intervening components between the plug and the port.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a body comprising the flexible screen, wherein the body is sized and shaped to, when bent, fit snugly within an apparatus compartment in the driver-area component of the host vehicle; and

connecting the apparatus physically to the driver-area component comprises fitting the body snugly within the apparatus compartment.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving, by the hardware-based processing unit executing the user-interface module, one or both of:

an enablement signal from a host-vehicle switch and changing the apparatus between an on mode and an off mode, or between a sleep mode and an awake mode based on the enablement signal; and

a control signal from a host-vehicle apparatus-operation interface and changing visual output of the apparatus based on the control signal.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the apparatus comprises a body comprising the flexible screen, wherein the body is sized and shaped to attach to a user wrist for transporting the apparatus when the apparatus not in use on the host vehicle; and

the method further comprises bending, by the body, to attach to the user wrist for transporting the apparatus when not in use on the host vehicle.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage device, for use at a modular flexible-screen apparatus to control functions of a host vehicle based on a user profile, comprising:

a user profile comprising one or more preferences related to host-vehicle operation;

a user-interface module that, when executed by a hardware-based processing unit, after the apparatus is bent to conform to a shape of a driver-area component of the host vehicle and connected physically to the driver-area component, receives user input by way of a flexible display screen of the apparatus; and

a host-vehicle control module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit;

determines a host-vehicle-control instruction based on the user input and at least one of the preferences of the user profile; and

initiates sending of the host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the host vehicle.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 18 wherein:

the bending, the connecting, the receiving, the determining, the user input, the communication channel, the host-vehicle-control instruction, and the sending are a first bending, a first connecting, a first receiving, a first determining, a first user input, a first communication channel, a first host-vehicle-control instruction, and a first sending;

the non-transitory computer readable storage device further comprises an apparatus-connection module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit;

establishes, after the first bending, and before the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, a communication channel with the host vehicle for providing the first host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle;

closes, after the establishing, the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, the first communication channel established with the host vehicle; and

establishes, after the closing, after the apparatus is disconnected physically form the driver-area component of the vehicle, and after the apparatus is reconnected to the driver-area component, a second communication channel;

the user-input module, when executed by the processing unit, receives, by way of the flexible screen, a second user input; and

the host-vehicle control module, when executed by the processing unit;

determines a second host-vehicle-control instruction based on the second user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sends the second host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the host vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 18 wherein:

the host vehicle, the driver-area component, and the host-vehicle-control instruction are a first host vehicle, a first driver-area component, and a first host-vehicle-control instruction;

the non-transitory computer readable storage device further comprises an apparatus-connection module that, when executed by the hardware-based processing unit;

establishes, after the first bending, and before the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, a communication channel with the host vehicle for providing the first host-vehicle-control instruction to the host vehicle;

closes, after the establishing, the first receiving, the first determining, and the first sending, the first communication channel established with the host vehicle; and

establishes, after the closing, after the apparatus is disconnected physically form the driver-area component of the vehicle, and after the apparatus is reconnected to a second driver-area component of a second host vehicle, a second communication channel with the second host vehicle;

the user-input module, when executed by the processing unit, receives, by way of the flexible screen, a second user input after the second communication channel is established between the apparatus and the second host vehicle; and

the host-vehicle control module, when executed by the processing unit;

determines a second host-vehicle-control instruction based on the second user input and at least one preference of the user profile; and

sends the second host-vehicle-control instruction to the second host vehicle for corresponding implementation at the second host vehicle.