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.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation application of and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/505,916, filed Aug. 18, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,848,862, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-244867, filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Aug. 25, 2005, the entire contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to on-vehicle devices and, more specifically, to an on-vehicle device equipped with a storage unit. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Vehicles are generally equipped with an on-vehicle audio device to the portion of an installment panel or a console panel. Users can have fun listening to music by the audio device reproducing CDs (compact disks), for example, and by speakers or others incorporated in doors outputting the reproduced audio. Assuming that the audio device is equipped therein with a large-capacity memory exemplified by a hard disk or others, the users write and store their favorite music data into the hard disk, and the music becomes available for the users to listen when the written music data is reproduced through reproduction of the hard disk. 
     With a vehicle navigation device incorporated on the installment panel or the console panel, and with a display unit of the vehicle navigation device indicating the position of the vehicle by an arrow or others on the map, the users can know correctly the route to the destination. If such a vehicle navigation device is equipped with a large-capacity memory exemplified by a hard disk or others, it becomes possible to input any data customized by the users&#39; preferences, e.g., marks on the map, and address book. 
     If such a vehicle audio device or a vehicle navigation device is replaced with a new one respectively, it means that the data written on the hard disk of the current device will be discarded. If the data is to be transferred to a recording medium of the new vehicle audio device or vehicle navigation device, before such data transfer, the data on the hard disk of the current device will have to be once moved to any other recording medium, e.g., any portable storage unit of CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory), semiconductor memory, or others. 
     If the data is to be discarded on the hard disk of the current device, it is necessary to take the trouble to write the data again to the hard disk of the new device. If the data is to be moved to any portable recording medium, in accordance with some capacity of the memory, the need arises to use the recording medium repeatedly for several times for moving the data. Such a trouble caused by moving the data is considered a drawback. 
     Patent Document 1 (JP-A-2004-94755) describes a data transfer device that is configured to include: a unit for reading only control information and any predetermined portion required for data access on a storage device; and a unit for transferring thus read control information and predetermined portion to another storage device for writing and copying thereto. Such a data transfer device implements high-speed transfer of a large amount of data while preventing head seeking or others from frequently occurring. This is achieved by reading and transferring only the control information and any predetermined portion of the storage device for writing them into another storage device being a transfer destination, and by copying only the control information and the predetermined portion needed for data access with no concern for files on the storage device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The problem with such a data transfer device is that the data transfer is limited to between computers sharing the transfer function of the same protocol exemplified by a general-purpose communications protocol such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or NFS (Network File System) protocol, and the data transfer is not about transferring customized data in on-vehicle devices. 
     Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2003-330872) 
     There is thus a need for an on-vehicle device with which, when exchanging the current on-vehicle device for a new one, data writing can be easily performed from a storage unit of the current on-vehicle device to a storage unit of the new on-vehicle device. 
     There is another need for an on-vehicle device with which, when exchanging a current vehicle audio device for a new one, writing of customized data can be easily performed from a storage unit of the current vehicle audio device to a storage unit of the new vehicle audio device. 
     There is still another need for an on-vehicle device with which, when exchanging a current vehicle navigation device for a new one, transferring of customized data can be easily performed from a storage unit of the current vehicle navigation device to a storage unit of the new vehicle navigation device. 
     There is still another need for an on-vehicle device with which, when exchanging the current on-vehicle device for a new one, there is no more need to write again users&#39; preferred data or customized data to a storage unit of the new on-vehicle device. 
     There is still another need for an on-vehicle device with which, when exchanging the current on-vehicle device for a new one, there is no more need to make a power supply and to remove the current on-vehicle device from the vehicle to transfer user-customized data stored in a storage unit of the current on-vehicle device to a storage unit of the new on-vehicle device. 
     These needs of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the technical scope and embodiments of the present invention. 
     The present invention is directed to an on-vehicle device with a storage unit, including 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 devices, and a data transfer cable for connecting the transfer jacks. 
     In the on-vehicle device, the data transfer cable may make a power supply for driving at least the storage unit of another on-vehicle device, or may be of USB (Universal Serial Bus) type. The on-vehicle device may be provided with an operation unit for data transfer, and when the operation unit is operated, the transfer unit may start the data transfer. The on-vehicle device may be provided also with a display unit, and when the transfer unit completes data transfer, the display unit may make a display telling that the data transfer is completed. In the on-vehicle device, the storage unit may be a hard disk. The on-vehicle device may be a vehicle audio device, or a vehicle navigation device. 
     A preferable embodiment of the present invention is directed to an on-vehicle device, e.g., vehicle audio device or vehicle navigation device, equipped with a large-capacity memory, e.g., hard disk. The on-vehicle device is provided with a data transfer unit exemplified by USB connection or others. With the on-vehicle device, information data including music data, map data, or others can be exchanged with a large-capacity memory, e.g., hard disk, of another on-vehicle device by the data transfer unit, e.g., USB connection. With such an on-vehicle device, for data acquisition from a hard disk of a current on-vehicle device, USB connection provides a power supply for data acquisition so that a new on-vehicle device is no more required to have any other power supply, e.g., battery. 
     The on-vehicle device equipped with a large-capacity memory such as hard disk originally carries therein a lot of data, including music customized to match user&#39;s tastes, marks on the map, registration data, and others. If the user decides to exchange his or her current on-vehicle device for a new one, the user has to discard the data in the current on-vehicle device or take the trouble to transfer the huge amount of data to the new on-vehicle device, and this is considered a burden on the user. Such a burden is favorably eased with an USB connection, for example, enabling data transfer in the hard disk. This thus saves the trouble of installing the data again, and the user can listen to music as always with the exchanged new on-vehicle device. If power supply is made through the USB connection for data transfer, there is no more need to newly provide a battery or others for power supply. With the current on-vehicle device remain equipped in the vehicle, data transfer can be thus performed to a new on-vehicle device which receives power supply through USB connection. 
     The present invention is mainly directed to an on-vehicle device with a storage unit, including 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 devices, and a data transfer cable for connecting the transfer jacks. 
     For exchange of a current on-vehicle device for a new one, the on-vehicle device configured as above enables to transfer the data stored in the storage unit of the current on-vehicle device to the storage unit of the new on-vehicle device via the transfer unit, which is configured by the data transfer jack and the data transfer cable. As such, any information written to the storage unit of the current on-vehicle device can be transferred for writing to the storage unit of the new on-vehicle device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the operation of exchanging on-vehicle devices; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the front panel of an on-vehicle device; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a vehicle audio device; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing the operation in the vehicle audio device at the time of data transfer; and 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a vehicle navigation device. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is described by embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  shows the principle of data transfer in an on-vehicle device in an embodiment of the present invention, i.e., shows data transfer when a current on-vehicle device  10  is exchanged for a new on-vehicle device  15 . The on-vehicle device  10  configured by a vehicle audio device is driven by a battery  11 , and is equipped in a vehicle  12 . That is, the vehicle audio device  10  is driven by the battery  11  for vehicle use. This on-vehicle device  10  is provided therein with a hard disk, and a user writes his or her favorite music to this hard disk. The data in such a hard disk of the current on-vehicle device  10  can become available, by an USB cable  16 , for the new on-vehicle device  15  equipped also with a hard disk. At the time of such data acquisition, the USB cable  16  makes a power supply from the current on-vehicle device  10  to the new on-vehicle device  15  so that there is no more need to connect the battery  11  or any other power supply to the new on-vehicle device  15 . 
     If the current on-vehicle device  10  of  FIG. 1  is exchanged for the new on-vehicle device  15 , it generally means that the data on the hard disk of the current on-vehicle device  10  will be discarded, or the data will be transferred via any portable recording medium, e.g., CD-ROM or semiconductor memory. If the data is discarded, the need arises to enter again another data or record again any music. If with a recording medium, the data transfer has to be made repeatedly for several times for moving the data, and this is a burden on the user. 
     If a data transfer unit taken charge of data transfer or others is activated through USB connection, power supply can be made through the USB connection. If with such power supply, with the current on-vehicle device  10  remain equipped in the vehicle, and with the current on-vehicle device  10  driven by the battery  11  by starting the engine of the vehicle, the data can be transferred to the hard disk of the new on-vehicle device  15 . If an on-vehicle monitor is equipped, the user may know the progress of data transfer by a signal coming from the current on-vehicle device  10  to the monitor to indicate whether the data transfer is started or ended. After the data transfer is completed, the current on-vehicle device  10  is removed, and the new on-vehicle  15  connected with the battery  11  is equipped to the vehicle. This favorably saves the user&#39;s trouble, i.e., entering again the data after the previous data is discarded, or transferring the data using a recording medium. The user thus can listen to music in the vehicle as always with the exchanged new on-vehicle device. Note here that the new on-vehicle device often has the format or protocol including the functions of the current on-vehicle device. Therefore, even if the format or protocol is updated to some degree, the data transfer is not interrupted. 
       FIG. 2  shows a front panel  18  of the current on-vehicle device  10  configured by a vehicle audio device. This front panel  18  includes a display panel  19 , and the lower portion of the display panel  19  is provided with a plurality of operation switches  20 . On the left side of the display panel  19  of the front panel  18 , a data transfer button  22  is attached, and on the right side thereof, an USB jack  23  is attached. 
       FIG. 3  shows the system configuration of such a vehicle audio device  10 , and this vehicle audio device is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  26  for control application. The CPU  26  is connected with both a disk player  27  that outputs audio source data, and a D/A (Digital/Analog) converter  28 . On the output end of the D/A converter  28 , an amplifier  30  is connected via an electronic volume  29 , and an output of the amplifier  30  is directed to a speaker  31 . The vehicle audio device  10  is equipped with a hard disk  32  for writing thereinto any user-preferred music or others. 
     The front panel  18  of the vehicle audio device  26  is attached with the display panel  19  of  FIG. 2 , and is connected to the CPU  26 . The data transfer button  22  provided on the side of the display panel  19  is connected to the CPU  26 . On the left side portion of the display panel  19 , an USB jack  35  is connected. This USB jack  35  is connected to an USB jack  36  of the new on-vehicle device  15  via the USB cable  16 . The USB jack  36  is connected to a CPU  37 , and the CPU  37  is connected to a hard disk  38 . 
     By referring to  FIG. 4 , described next is the data transfer operation when the current vehicle audio device  10  of such a configuration is removed and is exchanged for the new vehicle audio device  15 . First of all, the USB cable  16  is used to establish a connection between the USB jack  35  of the current vehicle audio device  10  and the USB jack  36  of the new vehicle audio device  15 . When the data transfer button  22  of the front panel  18  is then depressed, the CPU  26  issues a command for data writing, i.e., data in the hard disk  32  of the current vehicle audio device  10  is written to the hard disk  38  of the new vehicle audio device  15  via the USB jacks  35  and  36  and the USB cable  16 . During such data writing, The CPU  26  makes a display telling that the data transfer is now in progress at the lower portion of the display panel  19 . The CPU  26  determines whether the data transfer is completed or not, and when determining that the data transfer is through, the CPU  26  makes a display telling that the data transfer is now completed at the lower portion of the display panel  19 . With such a display, the user can acknowledge that the data transfer is done from the hard disk  32  of the current vehicle audio device  10  to the hard disk  38  of the new vehicle audio device  15 , and thus the user accordingly removes the USB cable  16 . 
     With an USB connection using the USB cable  16 , the maximum current value can be generally kept to 500 mA so that the CPU  37  and the hard disk  38  of the new vehicle audio device  15  can be both driven. This thus enables data transfer from the current vehicle audio device  10  to the new vehicle audio device  15  with no specific power supply to the new on-vehicle device  15 . 
     By referring to  FIG. 5 , described next is another embodiment in which the on-vehicle devices  10  and  15  are both a vehicle navigation device. The vehicle navigation device  10  is equipped with a CPU  41 , which is connected with a positioning device  42 , and a map data disk player  43 . The CPU  41  exercises control over a driver  44 , which makes the display panel  45  display thereon the position of the vehicle on the map. For such display, the output of the map data disk player  43  is overlaid with the position information of the positioning device  42 . The CPU  41  is equipped with a hard disk  46  for storage of any customized marks on the map, registration data, and others. 
     The vehicle navigation device is equipped with a front panel  48  on which a data transfer button  49  and an USB jack  50  are provided. The USB jack  50  is connected to an USB jack  52  of the new vehicle audio device  15  by an USB cable  51 . The USB jack  52  of the new vehicle navigation device  15  is connected with both a CPU  53  and a hard disk  54 . 
     Also with such a configuration, as shown in  FIG. 5 , after the USB cable  51  establishes a connection between the USB jack  50  of the current vehicle navigation device  10  and the USB jack  52  of the new vehicle navigation device  15 , by depressing the data transfer button  49  on the front panel  48 , any customized data can be transferred with ease from the hard disk  46  of the current vehicle navigation device  10  to the hard disk  54  of the new vehicle navigation device  15  via the USB cable  51  in the procedure of the flowchart of  FIG. 4 . Once the data transfer is completed as such, the current on-vehicle device  10  is removed from the vehicle and the new vehicle navigation device  15  is equipped at the same position. The new vehicle navigation device  15  then makes navigation displays using the data, as it is, that has been written in the hard disk  46  of the current vehicle navigation device  10 . 
     While the invention has been described in detail by the shown embodiments, the foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not restrictive. It is understood that numerous other modifications and variations can be devised without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the data to be transferred from the hard disk  32  of the current on-vehicle device  10  to the hard disk  38  of the new on-vehicle device  15  is not restrictive to the data as described in the foregoing, and may vary in type. The invention is not restrictive to the vehicle audio device or the vehicle navigation device, and is surely applicable widely to various other types of on-vehicle device. 
     The present invention is applicable to audio devices and navigation devices all for vehicle use. 
     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.