CONTROL OF AN EXTERNAL DRIVEBOX

• US 20140163881A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• 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: HUONKER, Michael, RUTSCHMANN, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,335,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/540
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system including an automotive navigation system; an external drive; a first bus for connecting the external drive with the automotive navigation system; a second bus, which is different from the first bus, for connecting the external drive with the automotive navigation system. The external drive is connectable to the automotive navigation system via the first bus and the second bus. The automotive navigation system is adapted to read data from the external drive via the first bus. The automotive navigation system is adapted to control and to monitor the external drive via the second bus.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an automotive navigation system;

an external drive;

a first bus for connecting the external drive with the automotive navigation system; and

a second bus, which is different from the first bus, for connecting the external drive with the automotive navigation system;

wherein the external drive is connectable to the automotive navigation system via the first bus and the second bus;

wherein the automotive navigation system is adapted to read data from the external drive via the first bus; and

wherein the automotive navigation system is adapted to control and to monitor the external drive via the second bus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to monitor the external drive via the second bus.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to at least one of (i) diagnose, via the second bus, whether or not a malfunction of the external drive has occurred, and (ii) diagnose, via the second bus, whether voltages provided via the first bus, are detectable in the external drive.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to one of (i) place, via the second bus, the external drive into a standby mode, and (ii) wake up, via the second bus, the external drive from standby mode.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to at least one of (i) update, via the second bus, the external drive, and (ii) load, via the second bus, firmware to the external drive, and (iii) load, via the second bus, firmware to the first bus.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the external drive is an optical drive suitable for reading optical disks such as one of a Blu-ray Disk (BD), DVD and CD, wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to at least one of (i) monitor, via the second bus, whether an optical disk is loaded by the external drive, and (ii) eject an optical disk.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the external drive comprises one or more of status indicators such as LEDs, mechanical or electronic interlock systems, motors;

and wherein the automotive navigation system is further adapted to monitor or control one or more of the status indicators, mechanical or electronic interlock systems, and the motors.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first bus is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus and wherein the second bus is one of a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus.

9. A method of controlling an external drive in a system comprising an automotive navigation system, the external drive, a first bus, a second bus, which is different from the first bus, the external drive being connectable to the automotive navigation system via the first bus and the second bus, the method comprising:

reading data from the external drive via the first bus; and

controlling and monitoring, by the automotive navigation system, the external drive via the second bus.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

diagnosing, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, at least one of (i) whether or not a malfunction of the external drive has occurred, and (ii) whether voltages provided via the first bus, are detectable in the external drive.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising performing one of (i) placing, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, the external drive into a standby mode and (ii) waking up, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, the external drive from standby mode.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising performing at least one of (i) updating, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, the external drive, (ii) loading, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, firmware to the external drive, and (iii) loading, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, firmware to the first bus.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising monitoring, by the automotive navigation system via the second bus, whether an optical disk is loaded by the external drive, or is adapted to eject an optical disk;

wherein the external drive is an optical drive suitable for reading optical disks such as Blu-ray Disk (BD), DVD or CD.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the external drive comprises one or more of status indicators such as LEDs, mechanical or electronic interlock systems, and motors;

the method further comprising monitoring or controlling the one or more of the status indicators, the mechanical or electronic interlock systems, and the motors.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first bus is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus and wherein the second bus is one of a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an automotive navigation system for providing navigation services for a user; and

an external drive for being connected to the automotive navigation system via a first bus and a second bus that is different from the first bus;

the automotive navigation system being configured to;

(i) read data from the external drive via the first bus and (ii) control and monitor the external drive via the second bus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the automotive navigation system is further configured to monitor the external drive via the second bus.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the automotive navigation system is further configured to at least one of (i) diagnose, via the second bus, whether or not a malfunction of the external drive has occurred, and (ii) diagnose, via the second bus, whether voltages provided via the first bus, are detectable in the external drive.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the automotive navigation system is further configured to one of (i) place, via the second bus, the external drive into a standby mode, and (ii) wake up, via the second bus, the external drive from standby mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first bus is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus and wherein the second bus is one of a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus.