In-vehicle apparatus and control method of in-vehicle apparatus

• US 9,507,497 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nezu, Yoshiyuki, Sasaki, Makoto, Yamazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US14/840,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/11 Graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/55 Remote controls
• 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 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus and a control method of an in-vehicle apparatus, which is applied to a multimedia terminal having, for example, a function of navigation equipment and a function of video playback so as to improve usability to a user in a case of accepting an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander. A touch panel menu screen suitable for an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander menu screen suitable for an operation through a remote commander are switched to be displayed so as to accept an operation by a user.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

circuitry configured to

control a display of a touch panel display to switch, in response to an operation by a user, between displaying a touch panel menu screen including one or more menu items arranged in a first layout and displaying a remote commander menu screen including one or more of the menu items arranged in a second layout different from the first layout, the one or more menu items in the second layout changing in a predetermined sequence in accordance with an operation of the remote commander;

accept a signal indicating an operation received from the user via either of the remote commander or the touch panel selecting one of the one or more menu items displayed in a currently displayed menu screen;

perform processing corresponding to the selected one of the one or more menu items;

perform processing corresponding to a first menu item of the one or more menu items in response to a touch operation received by the touch panel display selecting the first menu item in the remote commander menu screen; and

switch the display from displaying the remote commander menu screen to displaying the touch panel menu screen in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch panel display other than a portion in which the one or more menu items are displayed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout are different in size from the one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout includes same icon design as the one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout include at least one menu item that is not included in one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to switch the display from displaying the touch panel menu screen to displaying the remote commander menu screen in response to an operation of the remote commander.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display a cursor indicating a focused menu item in the second layout.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an external memory slot configured to communicatively connect to an external memory, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display content received from the external memory.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to output a signal for displaying content at an external display in response to at least one of a touch panel operation or a remote commander operation.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with another device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

communicate with a global positioning system (GPS) device; and

control the display based on an output of the GPS device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more menu items are displayed on the display.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout are the same in size from the one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

a selection of a menu item displayed in the remote commander menu screen is received via an input to the touch panel.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the touch panel is integrated into the display.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store computer-executable instructions, which when executed by circuitry of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

control a display of a touch panel display to switch, in response to an operation by a user, between displaying a touch panel menu screen including one or more of menu items arranged in a first layout and displaying a remote commander menu screen including one or more of the menu items arranged in a second layout different from the first layout, the one or more menu items in the second layout changing in a predetermined sequence in accordance with an operation of the remote commander;

accept a signal indicating an operation received from the user via either of the remote commander or the touch panel selecting one of the one or more menu items displayed in a currently displayed menu screen;

perform processing corresponding to the selected one of the one or more menu items

perform processing corresponding to a first menu item of the one or more menu items in response to a touch operation received by the touch panel display selecting the first menu item in the remote commander menu screen; and

switch the display from displaying the remote commander menu screen to displaying the touch panel menu screen in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch panel display other than a portion in which the one or more menu items are displayed.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout are different in size from the one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

the one or more of the menu items in the first layout include at least one menu item that is not included in one or more of the menu items in the second layout.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the electronic device to:

switch the display from displaying the touch panel menu screen to displaying the remote commander menu screen in response to an operation of the remote commander.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the electronic device to:

control the display to display a cursor indicating a focused menu item in the second layout.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the electronic device to:

control the display to display content received from an external memory communicatively coupled to an external memory slot of the electronic device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the electronic device to:

control a communication interface of the electronic device to output a signal for displaying content at an external display in response to at least one of a touch panel operation or a remote commander operation.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

the electronic device includes a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with another device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the electronic device to:

control the display based on an output of a global positioning system (GPS) device communicatively coupled to the circuitry.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

the one or more menu menus items are displayed on the display.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

a selection of a menu item displayed in the remote commander menu screen is received via an input to the touch panel.

26. An electronic device comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive a user input via a touch panel and a remote commander;

control a display to switch, in response to an operation by a user, between displaying a touch panel menu screen including one or more menu items arranged in a first layout and displaying a remote commander menu screen including one or more menu items arranged in a second layout different from the first layout, the one or more menu items in the second layout changing in a predetermined sequence in accordance with an operation of the remote commander;

perform processing corresponding to a first menu item of the one or more menu items in response to a touch operation received by the touch panel selecting the first menu item in the remote commander menu screen; and

switch the display from displaying the remote commander menu screen to displaying the touch panel menu screen in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch panel other than a portion in which the one or more menu items are displayed.

27. An electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a user input via a touch panel and a remote commander; and

means for controlling a display to switch, in response to an operation by a user, between displaying a touch panel menu screen including one or more menu items arranged in a first layout and displaying a remote commander menu screen including one or more menu items arranged in a second layout different from the first layout, the one or more menu items in the second layout changing in a predetermined sequence in accordance with an operation of the remote commander;

means for perform processing corresponding to a first menu item of the one or more menu items in response to a touch operation received by the touch panel selecting the first menu item in the remote commander menu screen; and

means for switching the display from displaying the remote commander menu screen to displaying the touch panel menu screen in response to a touch operation received at a portion of the touch panel other than a portion in which the one or more menu items are displayed.