In-vehicle device, control method thereof, and remote control system

• US 9,020,695 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Nagai, Yasushi, Shimizu, Atsushi, Matsumoto, Takashi, Hirota, Takayuki, Yamaguchi, Takashi, Oohara, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/764,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• 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: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

An input/output limitation information storage unit stores input/output limitation information in which limitation processing for limiting operation input to the application and display output from the application is prescribed by associating the limitation processing with the application. A determination unit acquires a vehicle state of a vehicle, and determines the limitation processing to be applied to the operation input to the application and the display output from the application on the basis of the application running on the terminal device, the vehicle state, and the input/output limitation information. The limitation unit performs the limitation processing determined by the determination unit for the operation input detected by the input control unit and transmitted to the communication control unit, and the display output received by the communication control unit and transmitted to the output control unit.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, connected to a terminal device, and configured to enable operation and display of an application running on the terminal device, the in-vehicle device comprising:

an input control unit configured to detect operation input;

an output control unit configured to control display output;

a communication control unit configured to receive display output from the terminal device connected, and transmit operation input to the terminal device;

an input/output limitation information storage unit configured to store input/output limitation information in which limitation processing for limiting operation input to the application and display output from the application is prescribed by associating the limitation processing with the application;

a determination unit configured to acquire a vehicle state of the vehicle, and determine the limitation processing to be applied to the operation input to the application and the display output from the application on a basis of the application running on the terminal device, the vehicle state, and the input/output limitation information; and

a limitation unit configured to perform the limitation processing determined by the determination unit for the operation input detected by the input control unit and transmitted to the communication control unit, and the display output received by the communication control unit and transmitted to the output control unit,

wherein the input/output limitation information includes first input/output limitation information in which limitation processing with respect to a combination of a specific application running on the terminal device and a model of a specific in-vehicle device is prescribed, and

the input/output limitation information includes second input/output limitation information to be applied to a combination of an application and a model of an in-vehicle device, which is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine limitation processing for the application on a basis of the first input/output limitation information when a combination of the application running on the terminal device and the in-vehicle device itself is prescribed in the first input/output limitation information,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the limitation processing for the application on a basis of the second input/output limitation information when the combination of the application and the in-vehicle device itself is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information, and

wherein the communication control unit is configured to notify the terminal device of identification information identifying the model of the in-vehicle device itself when connected to the terminal device, acquire first input/output limitation information corresponding to the combination of the application running on the terminal device and the in-vehicle device from the terminal device, and record the first input/output limitation information in the input/output limitation information storage unit.

2. A method of controlling an in-vehicle device having an input control unit configured to detect operation input, an output control unit configured to control display output, and a communication control unit connected to a terminal device, and configured to enable operation and display of an application running on the terminal device, the method of controlling an in-vehicle device comprising:

storing, in an input/output limitation information storage unit, input/output limitation information in which limitation processing for limiting operation input to the application and display output from the application is prescribed by associating the limitation processing with the application;

acquiring, through a determination unit, a vehicle state of the vehicle;

determining, through the determination unit, the limitation processing to be applied to the operation input to the application and the display output from the application on a basis of the application running on the terminal device, the vehicle state, and the input/output limitation information;

performing, through a limitation unit, the limitation processing determined by the determination unit for the operation input detected by the input control unit and transmitted to the communication control unit, and the display output received by the communication control unit and transmitted to the output control unit,

wherein the input/output limitation information includes first input/output limitation information in which limitation processing with respect to a combination of a specific application running on the terminal device and a model of a specific in-vehicle device is prescribed, and

the input/output limitation information includes second input/output limitation information to be applied to a combination of an application and a model of an in-vehicle device, which is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information;

determining, by the determination unit, the limitation processing for the application on a basis of the first input/output limitation information when a combination of the application running on the terminal device and the in-vehicle device itself is prescribed in the first input/output limitation information;

determining, by the determination unit, the limitation processing for the application on a basis of the second input/output limitation information when the combination of the application and the in-vehicle device itself is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information; and

notifying, through the communication control unit, the terminal device of identification information identifying the model of the in-vehicle device itself when connected to the terminal device;

acquiring, through the communication control unit, first input/output limitation information corresponding to the combination of the application running on the terminal device and the in-vehicle device from the terminal device; and

recording, through the communication control unit, the first input/output limitation information in the input/output limitation information storage unit.

3. A remote control system comprising:

a terminal device configured to run an application; and

an in-vehicle device having an input control unit configured to detect operation input, an output control unit configured to control display output, and a communication control unit connected to the terminal device, installed in a vehicle, configured to store input/output limitation information in which limitation processing for limiting operation input to the application and display output from the application is prescribed by associating the limitation processing with the application, detect a vehicle state of the vehicle, and perform the limitation processing, which is determined on the basis of the application running on the terminal device, the vehicle state, and the input/output limitation information, for the operation input detected by the input control unit and transmitted to the communication control unit, and the display output received by the communication control unit and transmitted to the output control unit, where the input/output limitation information includes first input/output limitation information in which limitation processing with respect to a combination of a specific application running on the terminal device and a model of a specific in-vehicle device is prescribed, and the input/output limitation information includes second input/output limitation information to be applied to a combination of an application and an in-vehicle device, which is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information,

wherein the in-vehicle device is configured to determine limitation processing for the application on the basis of the first input/output limitation information when a combination of the application running on the terminal device and a model of the in-vehicle device itself is prescribed in the first input/output limitation information,

wherein the in-vehicle device is configured to determine the limitation processing for the application on the basis of the second input/output limitation information when the combination of the application and the model of the in-vehicle device itself is not prescribed in the first input/output limitation information, and

wherein the in-vehicle device is configured to notify the terminal device of identification information identifying the model of the in-vehicle device itself when connected to the terminal device, acquire first input/output limitation information corresponding to the combination of the application running on the terminal device and the model of the in-vehicle device from the terminal device, and record the first input/output limitation information.

4. The remote control system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a server configured to hold input/output limitation information, in which limitation processing corresponding to a combination of the in-vehicle device and the application is prescribed, and connected to the terminal device through a network, wherein

in a case where the terminal device does not hold the first input/output limitation information corresponding to the combination of the application running on the terminal device itself and the model of the in-vehicle device when the identification information of the in-vehicle device is notified, the terminal device is configured to notify the server of the identification information of the in-vehicle device and identification information of the application, acquire the input/output limitation information, in which the limitation processing corresponding to the combination of the in-vehicle device and the application is prescribed, and notify the in-vehicle device of the input/output limitation information as the first input/output limitation information.