Systems and Methods for Altering an In-Vehicle Presentation

• US 20130279308A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Helm, Sean L., Pierfelice, Jeffery E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information

Abstract

Systems and methods for altering an in-vehicle presentation are provided. One embodiment includes receiving a media signal at a vehicle that includes content, providing an in-vehicle presentation of the content for viewing as the media signal is being received, and determining a triggering action to alter output of the in-vehicle presentation in a predetermined manner. Some embodiments include altering the in-vehicle presentation in the predetermined manner in response to receiving the triggering action, beginning recording of the content in response to altering the in-vehicle presentation, and providing an option to store the content that is being recorded.

Claims

1. A method for altering an in-vehicle presentation comprising:

receiving a media signal at a vehicle, the media signal including content;

providing an in-vehicle presentation of the content for viewing as the media signal is being received;

determining a triggering action to alter output of the in-vehicle presentation in a predetermined manner;

in response to determining the triggering action, altering the in-vehicle presentation in the predetermined manner;

in response to altering the in-vehicle presentation, beginning recording of the content; and

providing an option to store the content that is being recorded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the output of the in-vehicle presentation in the predetermined manner comprises at least one of the following:

pausing the in-vehicle presentation and lowering a maximum volume level of the in-vehicle presentation, adjusting a balance of speaker volume in the vehicle, and adjusting an equalizer setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering action comprises at least one of the following:

a identification of a location of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and an indication that a window of the vehicle is lowered, an indication that a fuel door of the vehicle is open, an indication that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing, and an indication that a phone call is taking place.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving an indication to store the content that is being recorded, store the content for later retrieval by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to altering the in-vehicle presentation, freezing an in-vehicle user interface associated with the in-vehicle presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an option to store at least a portion of the in-vehicle presentation at a point in time after altering the in-vehicle presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user option to define a potential indication for altering the in-vehicle presentation.

8. A system for altering an in-vehicle presentation, comprising:

a memory component that stores logic that, when executed by the system, causes the system to perform at least the following;

receive a media signal for presentation in a vehicle, the media signal including content;

provide an in-vehicle presentation of the content for viewing as the media signal is being received;

receive a first triggering action to pause output of the in-vehicle presentation;

in response to receiving the first triggering action, pause the in-vehicle presentation and begin recording the content;

receive a second triggering action to resume playback of the in-vehicle presentation at a point the in-vehicle presentation was paused; and

provide an option to playback the in-vehicle presentation at a faster pace than the an original pace of in-vehicle presentation until the playback reaches an end of the recorded content, wherein recording continues until the playback reaches the end of the recorded content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first triggering action comprises at least one of the following:

a identification of a location of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and an indication that a window of the vehicle is lowered, an indication that a fuel door of the vehicle is open, an indication that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing, and an indication that a phone call is taking place.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to perform at least the following:

provide an option to store the recorded content;

receive an user indication to store the recorded content; and

store the recorded content for later retrieval, wherein storing the recorded content comprises at least one of the following;

storing the recorded content locally and storing the recorded content remotely.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic further causes the system to provide an option to playback the recorded content that has been stored.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to provide a user interface to define the first triggering action and the second triggering action.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein in response to receiving the first triggering action, the logic further causes the system to perform at least the following:

determine a vehicle location;

in response to determining a vehicle location, determine whether a noise ordinance exists in the vehicle location; and

in response to determining that the noise ordinance exists in the vehicle location, pause the in-vehicle presentation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein in response to determining that the noise ordinance does not exist in the vehicle location, the logic further causes the system to determine whether a vehicle user has previously identified the vehicle location as a location for pausing the in-vehicle presentation.

15. A vehicle for altering an-in-vehicle presentation comprising:

an in-vehicle audio system; and

a vehicle computing device that stores logic that, when executed by the vehicle computing device, causes the vehicle computing device to perform at least the following;

receive a media signal, the media signal including content;

provide an in-vehicle presentation of the content for viewing, as the media signal is being received, wherein the in-vehicle presentation is subject to a maximum audio setting;

receive a first triggering action to lower the maximum audio setting of the in-vehicle presentation;

in response to receiving the first triggering action, lowering the maximum audio setting of the in-vehicle presentation, determine whether a current volume is greater than the maximum audio setting, and in response to determining that the current volume is greater than the maximum audio setting, lowering the current volume to the maximum audio setting; and

in response to receiving a second triggering action to return the maximum audio setting, return the maximum audio setting.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the first triggering action comprises at least one of the following:

a identification of a location of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and an indication that a window of the vehicle is lowered, an indication that a fuel door of the vehicle is open, an indication that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing, and an indication that a phone call is taking place.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to perform at least the following:

determine a vehicle location;

in response to determining a vehicle location, determine whether a noise ordinance exists in the vehicle location; and

in response to determining that the noise ordinance exists in the vehicle location, lowering the maximum audio setting for the in-vehicle presentation.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein in response to determining that the noise ordinance does not exist in the vehicle location, the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to determine whether a vehicle user has previously identified the vehicle location as a location for pausing the in-vehicle presentation.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to provide a user option to define a potential indication for altering the in-vehicle presentation.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein in response to altering the in-vehicle presentation, the logic further causes the vehicle computing device to freeze an in-vehicle user interface associated with the presentation.