Method for operating a vehicle display and a vehicle display system

• US 8,494,723 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Strohmaier, Jason M., Yasuhara, Toshiyuki, Teramoto, Yuki, Sakai, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/701,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 702/22, 702/48, 348/E9.039, 348/E5.112, 348/565, 348/569, 348/564, 348/E5.102, 348/E5.1, 348/649, 348/563, 348/589, 348/705, 345/1.1, 345/173, 345/581, 345/902, 714/27, 714/37, 714/854, 715/854, 701/22, 701/24, 701/31.5, 701/48
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/151 Instrument output devices for configurable output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/11 Graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/151 Reconfigurable output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/152 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/186 Displaying Information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 : Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 : Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 : based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 : located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 : for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 : for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle display includes receiving from a user interface a request to modify a display screen of the vehicle display. In response to the received request to modify, the method can further include displaying a query on the display screen prompting an operator to choose a portion of the display screen that is to be modified. The method can further include receiving an input selection corresponding to a chosen portion of the display screen to be modified. The input selection can be received from the user interface into a control unit in communication with the vehicle display, which is in communication with the control unit. In response to the received input selection, the method can further include displaying an image on the chosen portion of the display screen in accordance with the received request to modify the display screen. A vehicle display system is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle display in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a display screen of the vehicle display in a single screen mode or in a dual screen mode, when in each mode the display screen presents at least one image associated with a respective vehicle system of a plurality of vehicle systems in communication with a control unit, which is in communication with the vehicle display, wherein each vehicle system is at least one of a built-in audio unit, a built-in video unit, an auxiliary port in communication with the control unit, a vehicle information system, a navigation system and an HVAC system;

receiving by the control unit a request from a user interface to modify the mode in which the display screen is operating;

in response to the received request to modify, displaying a query on the display screen prompting an operator to choose a portion of the display screen that is to be modified;

receiving an input selection corresponding to a chosen portion of the display screen to be modified, wherein the input selection is received from the user interface into the control unit; and

in response to the received input selection, displaying an updated image on the chosen portion of the display screen in accordance with the received request to modify the display screen.

2. A method for operating a vehicle display in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a display screen of the vehicle display in a single screen mode wherein the display screen presents an image associated with a first vehicle system of a plurality of vehicle systems in communication with a control unit, which is in communication with the vehicle display;

receiving by the control unit a request from a user interface to operate the display in a dual screen mode wherein the display screen presents at least two images, each image being associated with a respective vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems;

displaying a query prompting the operator to select a side of the display screen to add a second screen;

receiving by the control unit an input selection from the user interface, the input selection corresponding to a selected side of the display screen where the second screen is to be added; and

displaying a menu on the selected side of the display screen, wherein the menu includes the plurality of vehicle systems in communication with the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of vehicle systems includes at least one of the following:

a built-in audio unit, a built-in video unit, an auxiliary port in communication with the control unit, a vehicle information system, a navigation system and an HVAC system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving input corresponding to a second vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems that is to be associated with the second screen of the display screen; and

in response to received input corresponding to the second vehicle system, displaying a second image associated with the second vehicle system on the second screen of the display screen and displaying a first image associated with the first vehicle system on a first screen that is adjacent the second screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying a second image associated with the second vehicle system includes displaying images provided by the second vehicle system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying a second image associated with the second vehicle system includes displaying images provided by the control unit based on information derived from the second vehicle system.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first screen and the second screen are similar in size and dimensions.

8. A method for operating a vehicle display in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a display screen in a dual screen mode wherein the display screen presents a first image associated with a first vehicle system of a plurality of vehicle systems on a first screen of the display screen and presents a second image associated with a second vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems on a second screen of the display screen, wherein each vehicle system is at least one of a built-in audio unit, a built-in video unit, an auxiliary port in communication with the control unit, a vehicle information system, a navigation system and an HVAC system;

receiving by the control unit a request from the user interface to change the vehicle system that is associated with at least one of the first screen and the second screen of the display screen while in the dual screen mode;

displaying a query prompting the operator to select a screen of the display screen that is to change the vehicle system that is associated with the selected screen of the display;

receiving by the control unit an input selection from the user interface corresponding to the selected screen of the display screen that is to change; and

displaying a menu on the selected screen of the display screen, wherein the menu includes the plurality of vehicle systems.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving input corresponding to a selected vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems that is to be in communication with the selected screen of the display screen that is to change; and

in response to received input corresponding to the selected vehicle system, displaying an image associated with the selected vehicle system on the selected screen of the display screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying an image associated with the selected vehicle system includes displaying an image provided by at least one of the vehicle systems.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying an image associated with the selected vehicle system includes displaying an image provided by the control unit based on information derived from at least one of the vehicle systems.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first screen and the second screen are similar in size and dimensions.

13. A method for operating a vehicle display in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a display screen in a dual screen mode wherein the display screen presents a first image associated with a first vehicle system of a plurality of vehicle systems on a first screen of the display screen and presents a second image associated with a second vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems on a second screen of the display screen, wherein each vehicle system is at least one of a built-in audio unit, a built-in video unit, an auxiliary port in communication with the control unit, a vehicle information system, a navigation system and an HVAC system;

receiving by the control unit a request from a user interface to operate the display in a single screen mode while operating in the dual screen mode;

displaying a query prompting the operator to select the first screen or the second screen of the display screen to keep;

receiving an input selection for a selected screen of the display screen to keep; and

displaying an updated image on the display screen in the single screen mode, wherein the updated image is associated with the vehicle system that was associated with the selected kept screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying an updated image on the display screen includes displaying the updated image, which is provided by the vehicle system that was associated with the selected kept screen in the single screen mode.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying an updated image on the display screen includes displaying the updated image, which is provided by the control unit based on information derived from the vehicle system that was associated with the selected kept screen in the single screen mode.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a display area of the display screen when in the single screen mode is larger than a display area of the first screen or the second screen.

17. A vehicle display system including:

a display including a display screen, wherein the display is configured to present a first screen and a second screen adjacent the first screen on the display screen;

a control unit in communication with the display;

a user interface in communication with the control unit; and

a plurality of vehicle systems in communication with the control unit,

wherein the display and the control unit are configured to operate the display screen in a single screen mode where the first screen and the second screen are associated one of the plurality of vehicle systems operating as a single screen;

wherein the display and the control unit are configured to operate the display screen in a dual screen mode where the first screen is positioned adjacent the second screen and the first screen is associated with one of the plurality of vehicle systems and the second screen is associated with another of the plurality of vehicle systems;

wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the display to present an image associated with at least one of the plurality of vehicle systems and to present a prompt on the display screen in response to receiving a request from the user interface to change a respective mode in which the display screen is operating.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of vehicle systems includes at least two of a built-in audio unit, a built-in video unit, an auxiliary port in communication with the control unit, a vehicle information system, a navigation system and an HVAC system.