In-Car Information System, In-Car Device, and Information Terminal

• US 20130190978A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoNavigare LLC
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Abe, Noriyuki, Kato, Ryohei, Nara, Norikazu, Suzuki, Hidetaka, Okamoto, Kimio
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

An information terminal includes: an operation assignment information storage unit that stores operation assignment information; an actuation information reception unit that receives from an in-car device actuation information; an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information and the actuation information, assigns some among a plurality of operations in the information terminal to each of one or more actuations among a plurality of types of actuation that can be inputted with an actuation unit provided to the in-car device respectively, according to priority levels; an actuation signal reception unit that receives an actuation signal outputted from the in-car device; and a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts the actuation signal into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations.

Claims

1. An in-car information system comprising a portable type information terminal and an in-car device, wherein:

the information terminal comprises;

an operation assignment information storage unit that, for a plurality of operations on the information terminal, stores operation assignment information that includes information related to priority levels of assignments to the plurality of operations;

an actuation information reception unit that receives from the in-car device actuation information related to a plurality of types of actuation that can be inputted with an actuation unit provided to the in-car device;

an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information and the actuation information, assigns some among the plurality of operations to each of one or more actuations among the plurality of types of actuation respectively, according to the priority levels;

an actuation signal reception unit that receives an actuation signal outputted from the in-car device; and

a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts the actuation signal into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations;

and the in-car device comprises;

an actuation information transmission unit that transmits the actuation information to the information terminal; and

an actuation signal output unit that, in response to actuation of the actuation unit by the user, outputs the actuation signal to the information terminal.

2. An in-car information system according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation assignment information further includes information related to recommended classification, specifying a recommended classification of actuation for each operation;

the actuation information includes information related to the classifications of the actuations; and

on the basis of the operation assignment information and the actuation information, the assignment unit preferentially assigns to the actuations, operations for which the classifications of the actuations are set as recommended classifications.

3. An in-car information system according to claim 1, wherein:

the information terminal further comprises an actuation correspondence information transmission unit that transmits, to the in-car device, actuation correspondence information related to the result of assignment by the assignment unit; and

the in-car device further comprises an actuation correspondence information reception unit that receives the actuation correspondence information from the information terminal.

4. An in-car information system according to claim 3, wherein:

the actuation correspondence information includes information about operations assigned by the assignment unit to actuations, and information about icons denoting the operations; and

on the basis of the actuation correspondence information, the in-car device displays icons denoting operations assigned to actuations in display regions of a display monitor that are determined in advance for the actuations respectively.

5. An in-car information system according to claim 3, wherein:

the actuation correspondence information includes information about operations assigned by the assignment unit to actuations, and information as to whether or not the operations are permitted while the vehicle is in motion; and

the in-car device determines operations that are prohibited while the vehicle is in motion on the basis of the actuation correspondence information, and makes ineffective the actuations that are assigned to the prohibited operations when the vehicle is in motion.

6. An in-car information system according to claim 4, wherein:

the actuation correspondence information includes information about operations assigned by the assignment unit to actuations, and information as to whether or not the operations are permitted while the vehicle is in motion; and

the in-car device determines operations that are prohibited while the vehicle is in motion on the basis of the actuation correspondence information, and, when the vehicle is in motion, makes ineffective the actuations that are assigned to the prohibited operations and also changes the display mode for the icons denoting the prohibited operations to a mode that is different from a display mode when the vehicle is stopped.

7. An in-car information system comprising a portable type information terminal and an in-car device, wherein:

the information terminal comprises;

an operation assignment information transmission unit that, for a plurality of operations upon the information terminal, transmits to the in-car device operation assignment information that includes information related to priority levels of assignments to the plurality of operations; and

an operating command reception unit that receives operating commands outputted from the in-car device;

and the in-car device comprises;

an operation assignment information reception unit that receives the operation assignment information from the portable terminal;

an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information, assigns some among the plurality of operations respectively to each of one or more actuations among a plurality of types of actuation that can be inputted by an actuation unit provided to the in-car device, according to the priority levels;

a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts an actuation signal corresponding to an actuation by the user upon the actuation unit into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations; and

an operating command output unit that outputs, to the information terminal, the operating command converted from the actuation signal by the conversion unit.

8. An in-car information system according to claim 7, wherein:

the operation assignment information further includes information related to recommended classification, specifying a recommended classification of actuation for each operation; and

on the basis of the operation assignment information, the assignment unit preferentially assigns to the actuations, operations for which the classifications of the actuations are set as recommended classifications.

9. An in-car information system according to claim 7, wherein:

the operation assignment information further includes information about icons that denote operations; and

on the basis of the results of assignment in the operation assignment information, the in-car device displays icons denoting operations assigned to actuations in respective display regions of a display monitor that are determined in advance for those actuations.

10. An in-car information system according to claim 7, wherein:

the operation assignment information further includes information as to whether or not the operations are permitted while the vehicle is in motion; and

the in-car device determines operations that are prohibited while the vehicle is in motion on the basis of the results of assignment in the operation assignment information, and makes ineffective the actuations that are assigned to the prohibited operations when the vehicle is in motion.

11. An in-car information system according to claim 9, wherein:

the operation assignment information further includes information as to whether or not the operations are permitted while the vehicle is in motion; and

the in-car device determines operations that are prohibited while the vehicle is in motion on the basis of the results of assignment in the operation assignment information, and, when the vehicle is in motion, makes ineffective the actuations that are assigned to the prohibited operations and also changes the display mode for the icons denoting the prohibited operations to a mode that is different from a display mode when the vehicle is stopped.

12. (canceled)

13. An in-car device that is capable to be connected to a portable type information terminal and to which is provided an actuation unit to which a plurality of types of actuation can be inputted, and comprising:

an operation assignment information reception unit that, for a plurality of operations on the information terminal, receives from the portable terminal operation assignment information that includes information related to priority levels of assignments to the operations;

an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information, assigns some among the plurality of operations to each of one or more actuations among the plurality of types of actuation respectively, according to the priority levels;

a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts an actuation signal corresponding to actuation of the actuation unit by the user into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations; and

an operating command output unit that outputs to the information terminal the operating command that has been converted from the actuation signal by the conversion unit.

14. A portable type information terminal that is capable to be connected to an in-car device, and comprising:

an operation assignment information storage unit that, for a plurality of operations, stores operation assignment information that includes information related to priority levels of assignments to the operations;

an actuation information reception unit that receives from the in-car device actuation information related to a plurality of types of actuation that can be inputted with an actuation unit provided to the in-car device;

an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information and the actuation information, assigns some among the plurality of operations to each of one or more actuations among the plurality of types of actuation respectively, according to the priority levels;

an actuation signal reception unit that receives an actuation signal outputted from the in-car device; and

a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts the actuation signal into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations.

15. A portable type information terminal that is capable to be connected to an in-car device, and comprising:

an operation assignment information transmission unit that, for a plurality of operations, transmits to the in-car device operation assignment information that includes information related to priority levels of assignments to the operations; and

an operating command reception unit that receives operating commands outputted from the in-car device.

16-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An in-car information system comprising a portable type information terminal and an in-car device, wherein:

the information terminal comprises a communication control unit for controlling communication performed with the in-car device, and a software execution unit for executing software that is stored in advance;

the in-car device comprises an actuation input unit for inputting actuation by the user, an information transmission unit that transmits to the information terminal information corresponding to the actuation inputted by the actuation input unit under control of the communication control unit, and a notification unit that issues notification to the user, on the basis of information transmitted from the information terminal under control of the communication control unit;

the software includes an application that can be executed by the information terminal;

the communication control unit, along with transmitting to the in-car device menu screen information for displaying upon the in-car device a menu screen that includes an icon corresponding to the application, also receives an application execution command transmitted from the information transmission unit by the user selecting the icon upon the menu screen by actuating the actuation input unit of the in-car device;

the software execution unit puts the application into the running state in response to the application execution command received by the communication control unit;

the notification unit issues the notification by displaying the menu screen upon the display monitor, on the basis of the menu screen information transmitted by the communication control unit;

the information transmission unit transmits to the information terminal an application execution command for putting into the running state the application that corresponds to the icon that has been selected upon the menu screen by the user actuating the actuation input unit;

the information terminal is any one of a first information terminal in which the software execution unit is only capable of executing one of the applications at a time and a second information terminal in which the software execution unit is capable of executing a plurality of the applications at the same time;

if the information terminal is the first information terminal, then, before putting the application into the state of running on the software execution unit, the information terminal stops the transmission of the menu screen information and the reception of the application execution command by the communication control unit; and

if the information terminal is the second information terminal, then, even when putting the application into the state of running on the software execution unit, the information terminal does not stop the transmission of the menu screen information and the reception of the application execution command by the communication control unit.

20-41. -41. (canceled)

42. An in-car information system comprising a portable type information terminal and an in-car device, wherein:

the information terminal comprises a software execution unit for executing software stored in advance;

the in-car device comprises an actuation input unit for inputting actuation by the user, an information transmission unit that transmits to the information terminal information corresponding to the actuation inputted with the actuation input unit, and a notification unit that issues notification to the user;

the software includes an application that can be executed by the information terminal;

the information terminal further includes a screen output unit that outputs to the in-car device a menu screen including an icon that corresponds to the application;

on the basis of information transmitted from the information transmission unit, the software execution unit puts into the running state the application corresponding to the icon that has been selected upon the menu screen by the user actuating the actuation input unit of the in-car device;

the notification unit issues the notification by displaying the menu screen that has been outputted by the screen output unit;

the in-car device is any one of a first in-car device that comprises a video signal input unit for inputting a video signal from the exterior, and a second in-car device that does not comprise the video signal input unit;

the information terminal further comprises a first decision unit that decides whether the in-car device is the first in-car device or the second in-car device;

if it has been decided by the first decision unit that the in-car device is the first in-car device, the screen output unit converts the menu screen to the video signal and outputs it to the video signal input unit; and

if it has been decided by the first decision unit that the in-car device is the second in-car device, the screen output unit outputs information specifying the contents of the menu screen to the in-car device.

43. An in-car information system according to claim 42, wherein:

the portable terminal further comprises a second decision unit that decides whether or not the application that has been put into the state of running on the software execution unit has a screen display function;

if it has been decided by the second decision unit that the application has a screen display function, the screen output unit converts a screen corresponding to the application to a video signal that it outputs to the in-car device; and

if it has been decided by the second decision unit that the application does not have a screen display function, the screen output unit outputs image information corresponding to the application to the in-car device.

44-47. -47. (canceled)