Graphical interface components for in-dash automotive accessories
First Claim
1. An automobile computer accessory comprising:
- a computer;
an operating system executable by the computer, to support multiple user-installable applications each of which having a corresponding application icon; and
an operator interface, coupled to the computer, that is mountable for viewing by an operator of an automobile to display the application icons, the operator interface having a fixed focus position, wherein any application icon that is scrolled by a user to the fixed focus position becomes focused, the focused application icon being activateable to select the application corresponding to the focused application icon.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automobile computer system having a computer that runs an open platform operating system configured to support multiple applications, including applications that can be installed by a user. The system includes an operator interface that is mountable for viewing by an operator of an automobile. A plurality of application icons are scrollable across the visual operator interface by a user. The application icons correspond to applications supported by the operating system. The operator interface has a fixed focus position, wherein any application icon that is scrolled to the fixed focus position becomes focused and can be activated to select the application corresponding to the focused application icon. In some cases, icons are activated by leaving them focused for a predetermined timeout period. The system also includes a visual control that is available to application programs. The control includes any specified combination of items of the following types: (a) an edit item having a variable that is editable in response to a user select command; (b) an adjustable item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands; (c) a selection item that opens a secondary control in response to a user select command; and (d) a combination item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands, the combination item opening a secondary control in response to a user selection command.
283 Citations
62 Claims
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1. An automobile computer accessory comprising:
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a computer;
an operating system executable by the computer, to support multiple user-installable applications each of which having a corresponding application icon; and
an operator interface, coupled to the computer, that is mountable for viewing by an operator of an automobile to display the application icons, the operator interface having a fixed focus position, wherein any application icon that is scrolled by a user to the fixed focus position becomes focused, the focused application icon being activateable to select the application corresponding to the focused application icon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
a start key that initiates the operator interface and scrolls through the application icons of the operator interface;
a plurality of directional navigation keys that scroll through the application icons in different directions.
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4. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a start key that initiates the operator interface and scrolls through the application icons of the operator interface;
a plurality of directional navigation keys that scroll through the application icons in different directions;
wherein leaving the focus on a particular icon for a predetermined timeout activates the focused icon.
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5. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons, wherein a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application.
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6. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising a start key and a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons, wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application.
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7. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a start key that initiates the operator interface and scrolls through the application icons of the operator interface;
wherein leaving the focus on a particular icon for a predetermined timeout activates the focused icon;
a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons;
wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application without waiting for the predetermined timeout.
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8. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a start key that initiates the operator interface and scrolls through the application icons of the operator interface;
a plurality of directional navigation keys that scroll through the application icons in different directions;
wherein leaving the focus on a particular icon for a predetermined timeout activates the focused icon;
a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons;
wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application without waiting for the predetermined timeout.
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9. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a start key that scrolls through the application icons;
a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons;
wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application.
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10. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a start key that scrolls through the application icons;
a plurality of numeric shortcut keys on the operator interface, the numeric shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons;
wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application; and
wherein the operator interface indicates which numeric shortcut key corresponds to a particular application icon whenever that application icon is focused.
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11. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a plurality of shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons, wherein a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application;
wherein the operator interface allows the user to establish the correspondence between shortcut keys and application icons.
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12. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a plurality of numeric shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons, wherein a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application;
the application icons being ordered on the operator interface in accordance with their numeric shortcut keys.
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13. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein the application icons are scrollable across the operator interface in a sequentially repetitive fashion.
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14. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a plurality of numeric shortcut keys on the operator interface, the shortcut keys corresponding to respective ones of the application icons, wherein a particular shortcut key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application; and
the application icons being scrollable across the operator interface in a sequentially repetitive fashion.
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15. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein the fixed focus position is centered relative to any visible application icons.
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16. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein the operator interface indicates focus by a changed color of the focused application icon.
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17. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein the operator interface displays a textual name of the application corresponding to the currently focused application icon.
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18. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising a general status enunciator that is presented by the operator interface when one of the application programs has information for presentation to the user.
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19. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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a general status enunciator that is presented by the operator interface when one of the application programs has information for presentation to the user;
an application-specific status enunciator that is presented in conjunction with said one of the application programs that has information for presentation to the user.
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20. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein the focused application icon is activateable by a key and by a voice command.
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21. An automobile computer accessory as recited in claim 1, wherein:
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the focused application icon is activateable by a voice command; and
the operator interface textually displays voice command corresponding to the currently focused application icon.
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22. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory, comprising:
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one or more audio entertainment applications;
one or more navigational applications;
one or more system utility applications;
an operator interface that is mountable for viewing by an operator of an automobile;
a plurality of application icons that are scrollable on the visual operator interface by a user, the application icons corresponding to different ones of the applications;
the operator interface having a fixed focus position that is centered relative to any visible application icons, wherein any application icon that is scrolled to the fixed focus position becomes focused;
wherein the operator interface indicates focus by a change color of the focused application icon;
the operator interface having a plurality of keys, including a start key, a selection key, a plurality of directional navigation keys, and a plurality of numeric keys;
wherein the selection key activates the focused application icon to select the application corresponding to the focused application icon;
wherein the start key scrolls through the application icons;
wherein the directional navigation keys scroll through the application icons in different directions;
wherein the numeric keys correspond to respective ones of the application icons; and
wherein pressing the start key followed by a particular numeric key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
leaving the focus on a particular application icon for a predetermined timeout activates the focused icon;
pressing a numeric key activates the corresponding application icon to select the corresponding application without waiting for the predetermined timeout.
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26. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, wherein the operator interface allows the user to establish the correspondence between numeric keys and application icons.
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27. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, wherein the application icons are ordered on the operator interface in accordance with their corresponding numeric keys.
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28. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, wherein the operator interface displays a textual name of the application corresponding to the currently focused application icon.
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29. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, further comprising:
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a general status enunciator that is presented by the operator interface when one of the application programs has information for presentation to the user;
an application-specific status enunciator that is presented in conjunction with said one of the application programs that has information for presentation to the user.
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30. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, wherein the focused application icon is activateable by a voice command.
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31. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 22, wherein:
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the focused application icon is activateable by a voice command; and
the operator interface textually displays voice command corresponding to the currently focused application icon.
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32. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions for implementing an operator interface in an automotive accessory, the instructions being executable to perform steps comprising:
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scrolling a plurality of application icons in response to user scroll commands, wherein the application icons correspond to different applications in the automotive accessory;
focusing on any application icon that is scrolled to a fixed focus position; and
activating the application corresponding to the focused application icon in response to a user selection command. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory, comprising:
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an operating system having interfaces that are exposed for use by application programs;
a plurality of application programs supervised by the operating system;
an operator interface that is mountable for viewing by an operator of an automobile, the operating interface being of a limited size;
the operating system having a control interface that is exposed for use by application programs, the control interface having functions that are callable to create and use a visual control for display and entry of parameters;
the visual control having a plurality of items that are vertically scrollable through a fixed focus position; and
the visual control being configurable to contain any one or more of the following types of items;
an edit item having a variable that is editable in response to a user select command;
an adjustable item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands;
a selection item that opens a secondary control in response to a user select command; and
a combination item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands, the combination item opening a secondary control in response to a user selection command. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
the visual control includes a first indicator graphic along with any focused selection item and any focused combination item;
the visual control includes a second indicator graphic along with any focused adjustable item and any focused combination item.
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50. An in-dash automotive entertainment and computer accessory as recited in claim 39, wherein each item is configurable by an application program to include an indicator graphic that graphically indicates a property of the item.
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51. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that implement an operating system for an automotive computing platform, the instructions defining an application program interface to the operating system having functions that are callable by an application program to create and use a visual control for display and entry of parameters, the visual control having a plurality of items that are vertically scrollable through a fixed focus position, the visual control being configurable by the application program through the application programming interface to contain any one or more of the following items:
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an edit item having a variable that is editable in response to a user select command;
an adjustable item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands;
a selection item that opens a secondary control in response to a user select command; and
a combination item having a variable that is changeable through a series of predefined values in response to user adjustment commands, the combination item opening a secondary control in response to a user selection command. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
the visual control includes a first indicator graphic along with any focused selection item and any focused combination item;
the visual control includes a second indicator graphic along with any focused adjustable item and any focused combination item.
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62. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 51, wherein each item is configurable by an application program to include an indicator graphic that graphically indicates a property of the item.
Specification