On-vehicle device

• US 8,527,112 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Higashiyama, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/211,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

An on-vehicle device with a storage unit that includes a transfer unit that transfers data stored in the storage unit to another on-vehicle device of equal capability that is also equipped with a storage unit. In the on-vehicle device, the transfer unit is configured by a data transfer jack provided to each of the on-vehicle device and the another on-vehicle device, and a data transfer cable for connecting the transfer jacks.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first storage unit; and

a transfer unit that transfers data, including navigation data, between the first storage unit and a second storage unit of another device, and receives a power supply for the device through a data transfer cable, wherein

the device has a navigatioin function.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller connected to the first storage unit, wherein the controller and the first storage unit are powered by the power supply received by the transfer unit through the data transfer cable.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer cable is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit is a hard disk that stores the data including the navigation data.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the device has an audio function, and

data transferred by the transfer unit includes audio data.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the audio data transferred by the transfer unit is transferred when the audio function is used.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein power for the first storage unit, in transferring data between the first storage unit and the second storage unit, is provided only by the power supply received through the data transfer cable.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data transferred by the transfer unit includes map data.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data transferred by the transfer unit is stored data that is customized by a user through a navigation system.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data transferred by the transfer unit is stored data that is customized by a user.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data includes marks on a map.

33. The device according to claim 8, wherein the map data transferred by the transfer unit is transferred when the navigation function is used.

13. A device comprising:

first storage means for storing data, including navigation data;

transfer means for transferring the data between the first storage means and a second storage means for storing data of another device by a data transfer cable; and

power receiving means for receiving power for the first storage means from the another device via the data transfer cable, wherein

the device has a navigation function.

14. The device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a controller connected to the first storage means, wherein the controller and the first storage means are powered by the power received by the power receiving means via the data transfer cable.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the data transfer cable is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first storage means includes a hard disk.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein:

the device has an audio function, and

the data transferred by the transfer means includes audio data.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the transfer means transfers the audio data when the audio function is used.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein power for the first storage means, in transferring data between the first storage means and the second storage means, is provided only by the power receiving means via the data transfer cable.

20. The device according to claim 13, wherein the navigation data transferred by the transfer means includes map data.

21. The device according to claim 13, wherein the transfer means and the power receiving means include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit.

22. The device according to claim 13, wherein the navigation data includes marks on a map.

34. The device according to claim 20, wherein the transfer means transfers the map data when the navigation function is used.

23. A method comprising:

transferring data between a first storage unit of a first device and a second device by a data transfer cable, wherein the first device has a navigation function and the data includes navigation data; and

receiving power from the second device at the first device, for the transferring of data, via the data transfer cable.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the receiving of power includes supplying power to a controller of the first device and the first storage unit of the first device via the data transfer cable.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the data transfer cable is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein:

the first device has an audio function, and

the data transferred in the transferring of data includes audio data.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the transferring is performed when the audio function is used.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein power for the first storage unit, in the transferring of data between the first storage unit and the second device, is provided only via the data transfer cable.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the navigation data transferred in the transferring of data includes map data.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the transferring is performed when the navigation function is used.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein the transferring of the data between the first storage unit and the second device and the receiving of power from the second device at the first device are performed via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit of the first device.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the navigation data includes marks on a map.