Motor vehicle multimedia system having animated display

• US 6,781,610 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Os, Marcel Van, Verbeek, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/716, 345/717, 345/719, 345/764, 345/767, 345/771, 345/781, 345/788, 345/798-802, 345/810, 345/815, 345/821-824, 345/835, 345/836, 345/839-841, 345/848, 345/849, 345/852-855, 345/660, 345/473, 345/173, 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Disclosed is a motor vehicle multimedia system comprising: a display apparatus; a control unit for actuating the display apparatus; and a selection apparatus for a first plurality of selection areas display on the display apparatus; wherein selecting one of the plurality of selection areas using the selection apparatus retrieves a submenu visible via an animation wherein the size and/or position of at least some of the plurality of displayed first selection areas are continuously altered to create a display space for displaying a submenu comprising one or more additional selection areas.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle multimedia system comprising:

a display apparatus;

a control unit for actuating the display apparatus; and

a selection apparatus for selecting from among a first plurality of selection areas displayed on the display apparatus, wherein each of the selection areas relates to a particular feature of the system;

wherein selecting one of the plurality of selection areas using the selection apparatus retrieves a submenu visible via an animation wherein the size and/or position of at least some of the plurality of displayed first selection areas are continuously altered to create a display space for displaying a submenu comprising one or more additional selection areas; and

wherein upon display of the submenu, each of the first selection areas, when animated, is animated independently of the other selection areas.

2. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unselected first selection areas are moved out of a display area on the display apparatus by the selected selection area.

3. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected selection area is first enlarged in a first phase of the animation in order to move the unselected selection areas out of the display area on the display apparatus, and is reduced in size in a second phase of the animation in order to create the display space for displaying the additional selection areas of the submenu.

4. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the unselected first selection areas is reduced, but the unselected first selection areas continue to be selectable using the selection apparatus.

5. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection areas comprise symbols in 3D display for identifying the selection areas.

6. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the 3D symbols are put into rotary motion by the animation.

7. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the animation continuously changes the color of at least one of the plurality of first selection areas.

8. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection apparatus is integrated into the display apparatus.

9. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display apparatus comprises a touch-sensitive screen.

10. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multimedia system can be retrospectively fit into the motor vehicle.

11. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more modules selected from the group consisting of a navigation module, a map display module, a telephone module, a radio module, a CD playback module, a DVD playback module, a cassette playback module and an Internet module.

12. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multimedia system is part of a motor vehicle onboard computer.

13. A method for arranging selection areas on a display apparatus in a motor vehicle multimedia system comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of selection areas, wherein each of the selection areas relates to a particular feature of the system;

starting an animation phase;

during an animation phase, continuously altering the size and/or position of at least some of the displayed selection areas in order to create display space for displaying further selection areas for a submenu for the selected selection area, wherein upon display of the submenu, each of the displayed selection areas, when animated, is animated independently of the other displayed selection areas; and

producing the selection areas of the submenu in an animation on the display apparatus.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the selection areas comprise symbols in 3D display for identifying the selection areas.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the 3D symbols are put into rotary motion during the animation phase.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein unselected first selection areas are continuously pushed out of the display area on the display apparatus by the selected selection area during the animation phase.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the selected selection area is first enlarged in a first phase of the animation in order to push the unselected selection areas out of the display area on the screen, and is reduced in size in a second phase of the animation in order to create the display space for displaying the selection areas of the submenu.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the unselected selection areas are continuously made smaller during the animation phase, but remain selectable even after the animation phase is complete.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the symbol for identifying the selected selection area is continuously masked out during the animation phase.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of continuously change the color of at least one selection area during the animation phase.