Abstract:
A vehicle display device is provided with a communications interface, which couples the vehicle display device to portable input devices inside the vehicle. The portable input devices are thus provided with the ability to control the display device and what is displayed thereon. The communications interface also enables the portable input device to control vehicle subsystems such as a climate control system, entertainment system and the like. Portable input devices equipped with sensors have sensor-generated information displayed on the vehicle display device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Vehicle manufacturers are equipping many of their vehicle infotainment systems with dashboard mounted display devices. Some of them have pressure-sensitive display, while others do not. 
     With the convergence of consumer and automotive environments, vehicle manufacturers are trying to incorporate consumer-related applications into their vehicles. These applications are much like the applications designed for a smart phone that rely on capacitive touch screen and sensors embedded in the phone to interact with the applications. 
     A problem with prior art infotainment systems is that the display devices used with them might not be touch sensitive. Displays which are touch sensitive may not have capacitive touch functionality. Moreover, a dashboard-mounted display might be out of reach from the driver&#39;s seat, preventing a driver from interacting with the display by touch. 
     Some vehicles that have infotainment systems might not have the sensors built in the vehicle required for the applications to work. Vehicles that have already been shipped and not designed for these applications cannot be retrofitted easily or cost-effectively because they would need to add the sensors and/or touch screen input devices. 
     An apparatus that can overcome the shortcomings of existing infotainment systems would be an improvement over the prior art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a depiction of a motor vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a dashboard of a motor vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an apparatus configured to receive control signals from a remote, hand-held communications device; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart depicting a method of controlling a vehicle information apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a vehicle  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the vehicle  100  has a dashboard  200  comprised of various controls and displays. The controls include a transmission shift lever  202 , air conditioning outlet vents  204 , a headlight control switch  206 , a parking brake release lever  208  amongst others not shown. The displays include a speedometer  210 , a transmission quadrant indicator  212 , a fuel gage  214  and a display screen  220  amongst others. 
     The display screen  220  is preferably embodied as a back-lit liquid crystal display having a pressure-sensitive membrane, not visible in  FIG. 2 , by which icons or softkeys displayed on the screen under computer control can be actuated using techniques and methods well-known in the art. 
     A problem with pressure sensitive or resistive screens used in the prior art is that they are only able to detect one finger of a user at a time. Such screens are generally used for the display of softkeys and icons the actuation of which controls a vehicle function as would otherwise take place by a switch closure. 
     Many vehicles are now manufactured with entertainment systems. These systems can include global positioning systems (GPS), video players and display devices, and wireless communications devices. Many of the functions or components in such multi-media systems would be easier to control using a capacitive touch screen, such as those found on portable computer devices that include tablet, personal computers such as the iPad® and in virtually every so called smart phone. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an apparatus  300  for a vehicle  100 , the apparatus  300  providing a control link between a multi-media system in a vehicle and having a display device  220  and a remote located, hand-held input device. 
     The apparatus  300  in  FIG. 3  is comprised of the aforementioned vehicle-mounted display device  220 . The display device  220  is coupled to a computer  302  by a display bus  304 . The computer  302  executes program instructions stored in a memory device  306 . The memory device  306  is depicted in  FIG. 3  as being coupled to the computer  302  via a bus  308  however, the memory  306  and the computer  302  can be co-resident on the same silicon die, as those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize.  FIG. 3  depicts a communications interface  310 . The communications interface  310  is couple to the computer  302  via a control bus identified by reference numeral  312 . 
     The computer  302  reads program instructions stored in the memory  306  and executes those instructions. The program instructions in the memory  306  cause the computer  302  to perform a variety of functions including displaying various images on the display device  220  but also to communicate with the communications interface  310 . The communications interface  310  is configured to provide to the computer  302  via the bus  312  information-bearing signals that the communications interface  310  receives from one or more portable input devices one of which is shown in  FIG. 3  and identified by reference numeral  314 . 
     In one embodiment, the portable input device  314  is a smart phone, such as the iPhone® which is comprised of a capacitive touch screen but which is also provided with radio communications equipment by which an information bearing radio frequency signal  316  can be sent to the apparatus  300  from the portable input device  314 . In one embodiment, the portable input device  314  and the communications interface  310  are configured to communicate with each other using these so called Bluetooth communications standard or derivatives thereof. In another embodiment, the portable input device  314  and the communications interface  310  communicate with each other with one or more communications standards published by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (I.E.E.E.) 802.11(a),(b),(g),(n) and derivatives thereof. 
     Programs executing on the portable input device  314  are already in existence that recognize tactile inputs to a display screen  318  on the portable input device  314 . The inputs to the display screen  318  include but are not limited to gestures using two fingers by which the image displayed on the screen  318  can be enlarged or magnified, scrolled or reduced in size. Other inputs to the display screen  318  and which are supported by existing applications include handwriting recognition. Existing applications executed on the portable input device  314  imbue the display screen  318  with characteristics identical or substantially identical to the capacitive touch pads commonly found on laptop computers. Such pads include the ability to scroll and execute “clicks” by a user placing a fingertip or other object against the display screen  318  sliding it along the screen surface and tapping the screen service respectively. 
     Radio frequency communications equipment inside the portable input device  314  and well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art, transmit information-bearing radio frequency signals  316  to an antenna  320  within the apparatus  300 . Signals received at the antenna  320  are recovered by the communications interface  310 . Information in the radio frequency signals  316  is recovered and forwarded to the computer  302  via the bus  312 . The computer  302  then interprets the commands entered at the display screen  318  and actuates the vehicle-mounted display device  220  accordingly. 
       FIG. 3  shows that the computer  302  is connected to another bus identified by reference numeral  322 . The bus  322  is a vehicle bus network, known to some in the art as a controller area network. The vehicle bus network  322 , like any other bus which is a set of parallel conductors in a computer system that form a main transmission path, the vehicle bus network  322  couples the computer  302  to one or more vehicle components that are controlled or controllable by the computer. 
     The vehicle components that are controlled by the computer as depicted in  FIG. 3  include a vehicle climate control system  324 . In other embodiments, the apparatus  300  and the computer  302  are coupled to a broadcast radio receiver  326  which is controlled by the computer  302 . Interior lighting modules  328 , an electronic odometer  330 , a vehicle security system  332  and in some embodiments a driver&#39;s seat controller  334  are coupled to the vehicle bus network  322  and therefore controllable through inputs to the vehicle-mounted display  220 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method of controlling a vehicle information display apparatus. The method finds particular application to the apparatus depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
     As a first step, the method includes receiving signals that the communications interface  310 . Such signals can include those from the aforementioned portable input device  314 , however, they can also include signals from other devices. Such other devices can include but are not limited to a global positioning system device, a text-to-speech converter, a voice recognition engine in a smart phone or other wireless device, a camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor, a compass and a near field communications sensor. These input signals can be from distinct devices, or all coming from a single device. 
     Upon receipt of a signal, such as the radio frequency signal  316  at the communications interface  310 , the communications interface  310  extracts a command or user input from the received signal as shown in step  404 . At step  406  an extracted command or user input is forwarded to the computer  406  for execution as if the sensors were designed into the vehicle during production. 
     As stated above, the computer  302  executes program instructions stored in the memory device  306  by which it receives commands or inputs from the user interface  310  and processes them or executes them accordingly. 
     In step  408  of  FIG. 4 , the method depicts the processing of a command or user input. Such processing would include of course the display of map information from a GPS system on the display device  220 . It would also include the display of turn by turn directions. 
     In other embodiments, wherein the portable device  314  is another type of interface, program instructions in the memory  306  would cause the computer  302  to display images or video from a camera; text after being converted from handwriting by either the portable device  314  or software in the memory  306 . 
     In other embodiments, the input device  314  can include voice recognition capability provided by a smart phone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor, a compass or near field communications sensor. Information from such sensors that is received by the communications interface  310  is processed by the computer  302  and appropriately displayed or activated on the display device  220 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the communications interface  310  is comprised of a radio frequency transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in the WI-FI spectrum, Bluetooth or other short-range communications system. In an alternate embodiment, the communications interface  310  provides a universal serial bus or USB interface. Still other embodiments include the communications interface that provides Ethernet, media-oriented systems transport or most communications, RS232, Fire Wire and HDMI or High-Definition Multi-media Interface. 
     In yet another embodiment, the communications interface  310  receives an audio signal as either a digital signal such as a MP 3  file, an analogue signal or a digital representation thereof. The analogue signal once provided to the computer  302  is processed by the computer  302  into an audible signal and output from a speaker  338 . 
     Referring again to both  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , one or more cradles  336 , which are connected to interior panels couple an input device electrically to the computer  302  and mechanically to the vehicle  100 . Cradles  336  for cellular telephones are well-known in the art. Further description of them is omitted for brevity. 
     In another embodiment shown in  FIG.2 , a second cradle  336 , substantially identical to the first cradle  336  is provided by which two smart phones or two other input devices can provide inputs to the computer  302  via the communications interface  310 . In such an embodiment the two input devices in the two cradles  336  can both effectuate control of a program running on the computer from programs stored in memory device  306 . An example of such a program would be a game, a navigations system or an audio playback device by which two or more passengers could interact with each other via the communications interface  310 . 
     The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only. The true scope of the invention is set forth in the appurtenant claims.