Activating a function of a vehicle multimedia system

• US 20070153130A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Preissner, Olaf, Geiger, Erich, Rossger, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/705
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle multimedia system simplifies a user'"'"'s interaction with the system. A user may access a specific media unit by actuating a switch corresponding to a media unit. A preference unit detects the user'"'"'s selection of the media unit and selects an end item based on a programmed criterion. The preference unit may automatically activate the end item. The preference unit may be overridden by the user when a switch corresponding to the selected media unit is actuated multiple times. The preference unit may also manage data lists and data packets that store the information used for the criterion comparison.

Claims

1. A vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of media units in communication with the controller;

a display device in communication with the controller that displays hierarchically structured menus and end items;

a plurality of selection controls in communication with the controller that allow a user to choose multiple states of the system, and that select and activate the hierarchically structured menus and end items; and

a preference unit in communication with the controller, adapted to select an end item in response to an actuation of one of the selection controls, the end item chosen by the preference unit based on a programmed criterion.

2. The system of claim 1, where the preference unit is further adapted to activate the end item in response to actuation of one of the selection controls, the end item chosen by the preference unit based on a programmed criterion.

3. The system of claim 2, where the programmed criterion comprises one of a frequency of use of the end item or a most recently selected end item.

4. The system of claim 2, where the preference unit is further adapted to allow the user to configure the programmed criterion.

5. The system of claim 2, where the preference unit is adapted to deactivate the preference unit in response to a multiple actuation of one of the selection controls.

6. The system of claim 2, where the plurality of media units comprises an audio unit, a navigation unit, a video unit, or a telecommunications unit.

7. The system of claim 2, where the plurality of selection controls comprises a plurality of rotary knobs and a plurality of switches.

8. The system of claim 7, where one of the plurality of switches is adapted to select a menu corresponding to one of the plurality of media units.

9. The system of claim 7, where one of the plurality of switches is adapted to select and activate a variable function.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising a storage medium in communication with the controller that retains at least one data packet corresponding to the end item.

11. The system of claim 10, where the data packet comprises a number of former selections of an end item, or a date and a time of a last selection of the end item.

12. The system of claim 10, where the preference unit is adapted to delete a data packet.

13. A method of selecting a function of a vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

detecting an actuation of a selection control that is adapted to select a menu corresponding to at least one of a plurality of media units; and

selecting an end item corresponding to a function, based on a programmed criterion, comprising;

reading a data list corresponding to the media unit;

reading a data packet in the data list corresponding to an end item; and

displaying the end item based on information from the data packet.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating the end item based on the programmed criterion.

15. The method of claim 14, where the programmed criterion is one of a frequency of use of the end item or a most recently selected end item.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a multiple actuation of a selection control that is adapted to select a menu corresponding to at least one of a plurality of media units; and

displaying the menu.

17. The method of claim 14, where the information from the data packet comprises a number of former selections of the end item or a date and a time of a last selection of the end item.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising deleting at least one of the data packets.

19. A vehicle multimedia system, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of media units in communication with the controller;

a display device in communication with the controller that displays hierarchically structured menus and end items;

means for manually selecting and activating the menus and end items; and

means for automatically selecting and activating the end item based on a programmed criterion.