Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7126581?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-03-31 12:26:24
Document Index: 586206389

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60']

Patent US7126581 - Multimode multizone interface - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe interface uses a combination of controls. Mode independent controls retain essentially the same function throughout all modes and features and mode dependent controls vary based on the active mode or feature. The arrangement of the mode controls, the soft controls and the display is designed to facilitate...http://www.google.com/patents/US7126581?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7126581 - Multimode multizone interfaceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7126581 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/991,786Publication dateOct 24, 2006Filing dateNov 18, 2004Priority dateJun 13, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20050172230Publication number10991786, 991786, US 7126581 B2, US 7126581B2, US-B2-7126581, US7126581 B2, US7126581B2InventorsMike T. Burk, Jerry A. Rathje, Daisuke Iino, Larry CraigOriginal AssigneePanasonic Automotive Systems Company Of AmericaExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (10), Classifications (14), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMultimode multizone interface
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/523,220 entitled �Multi-Media Multi-Mode Interface� filed Nov. 18, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/461,100 entitled �Interface for a Multifunctional System� and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/461,836 entitled �Multimode Interface� both filed Jun. 13, 2003 and both claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,214 entitled �Telematics Display for Efficient User Interaction� filed Jun. 13, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,586 entitled �Dual Display for Simultaneous Graphics and Textual Display� filed Jun. 13, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,588 entitled �Direct Access for Vehicle Controlled Information Acquisition� filed Jun. 13, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,217 entitled �Geographical Fencing for Vehicles� filed Jun. 13, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,337 entitled �Multimedia Information Provision for Mobile Media Players� filed Jun. 13, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,838 entitled �Nested Navigational System for Providing Flexible GPS Monitoring and Navigation� filed Jun. 14, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/389,023 entitled �Preset Navigational Positions for Tracking Device� filed Jun. 14, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,824 entitled �Navigational Information Based on Reverse Number Look Up� filed Jun. 14, 2002; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/388,698 entitled �Entertainment System for Automotive Applications Including GPS and Telematics� filed Jun. 14, 2002; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/389,048 entitled �Telematics Systems� filed Jun. 14, 2002, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Users typically interact with computer systems by viewing data on display screens and selecting or inputting commands into the system. The display screens can typically display text, graphics, or a combination of text and graphics. Some systems use text to speech (�TTS�) engines to provide auditory information to the user.
The rapid growth of the computer industry has introduced numerous functions into computer systems, particularly mobile computing systems. Vehicular computing systems have become increasingly more complex. In addition to radio tuners, compact disc (�CD�) players, and cassette players, vehicular multimedia systems include navigational systems, communications systems and DVD players. The increase in multifunctional capability in mobile computing systems generally requires complex interfaces that require longer user-system interaction.
FIGS. 21A�21G illustrate exemplary display screens for adjusting audio controls in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
A variety of display arrangements are possible. In one embodiment, the first display area corresponds to one type of display, such as a Vacuum Fluorescent Display (�VFD�), and the second display area corresponds to a second type of display, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (�LCD�). In another embodiment a single display is used that provides a first display area and a second display area. In yet another embodiment, the second display area is positioned on the instrument panel. In some embodiments, only a single display area is used. If so, then the information displayed on the single display can be text information or a combination of text and graphical information. If only a single display area is used, then the display area may display the information described herein as associated with the first display area, the second display area or a combination of the information displayed on the two display areas.
The system can read and use play lists recorded on the disc. If a play list is present, then the sort mode is determined by the play list. If there are multiple play lists, then the user can select a play list by selecting the list modifier that corresponds to play list so that the play lists are presented to the user in a list. The default is to play the play list that would appear first in an alphabetical list. The user can scroll through the play lists using a pair of soft controls, such as soft controls 140 and 142, or the select control. If there are no pre-recorded play lists, then the list modifier defaults to �all� and an alphabetical list of tracks is presented to the user.
The user can create a custom play list using the lists and the list modifiers. Typical list modifiers include album, artist, genre, play list, and all. The user selects one of the modifiers and then creates a custom play list by selecting from the appropriate list. An example would be to organize the tracks by �genre� and play only tracks in the �rock� genre. To create a play list with only rock selections, the user selects the list modifier for �genre� and then selects �rock� from the list. The play list is generated based on the content of all the track tags and play lists on the disc. However, if the �all� modifier is selected, then the user can select from a sort list that includes alphabetical, artist, album and genre. If alphabetical is selected, then all of the tracks on the disc are played in alphabetical order. If artist, album or genre is selected, then the tracks are alphabetized first by artist, album or genre and then by tracks. If the user selects a pre-recorded play list or creates a custom play list, then that play list becomes the default for the disc.
In another embodiment, a marked location is associated with multiple preset controls. In this embodiment, the number of marked locations is not limited to the number of preset controls. For example, ten preset controls (0�9) can be used to identify one hundred marked locations by associating each location with a two-digit number (00�99) that is specified using the preset controls. Both embodiments may be available within the same system. If so, then the user selects one embodiment in the mark mode setup.
Some multifunctional systems can provide different entertainment to different zones of a vehicle. In one embodiment, there are three zones, a front zone, a right rear zone and a left rear zone. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is applicable to any number or configuration of zones. The terms �primary zone� and �front zone� are used interchangeably herein, as are the terms �secondary zone� and �rear zone�.
Soft controls 1130, 1132, 1134 and 1136, and preset controls 1137 a�1137 f are proximate to the display area. For the multizone embodiments, the terms �soft control� includes �preset control�. The soft controls can be placed along various sides of the display, including, but not limited to, the right and left side and the bottom of the display, as shown in FIG. 11. The current function of a soft control is indicated by a label, symbol or icon shown on the display adjacent to the soft control. If the soft control is not functional in a particular mode, then the display is blank next to the soft control. For example, FIG. 11 illustrates that soft control 1130 is used to toggle between AM radio and FM radio, soft control 1132 is used to enable/disable scanning for the selected radio band and the preset controls 1137 a�1137 f are used for radio presets. The display area next to soft controls 1134 and 1136 is blank since those soft controls are not functional in the active mode.
The primary user can control the secondary zones via the zone control 1120. When a secondary zone is selected via the zone control, information regarding the active mode for the selected secondary zone is displayed. The display includes a zone indicator that identifies the selected zone. In one embodiment, the display color is �reversed� to indicate that the information corresponds to a secondary zone. If there are multiple secondary zones, then the display also includes a zone identifier, such as �LEFT�. FIG. 13 illustrates a display with reversed color and a zone identifier.
When a secondary zone is selected via the zone control, the primary user and the secondary user can both control the active mode for the selected secondary zone. The terms �primary user�, �driver� and �front seat passenger� are used interchangeably herein, as are the terms �secondary user� and �rear seat passenger�. If the primary user activates and holds the zone control while controlling one of the secondary zones, then the active mode for the primary zone switches to the active mode for the selected secondary zone.
As an alternative to using the zone control, the primary user can select the active mode of one of the secondary zones using the appropriate mode control. For example, if the front zone is listening to a CD and the right rear zone is listening to satellite radio, then the driver can select the right rear zone by selecting the mode control for satellite radio. If so, then information regarding the satellite radio mode is displayed, as shown in FIG. 14. In one embodiment, the color of the display is not reversed, as it is when the zone control is used. Instead a zone indicator is flashed on the display to indicate that the displayed mode corresponds to another zone. For example, �RIGHT� is the zone indicator shown in FIG. 14. When a secondary zone is selected via one of the mode controls, the primary user and the secondary user can both control the active mode for the selected secondary zone. Another way that the primary user and the secondary user share control of the active mode for the primary zone is if the secondary user selects the active mode for the primary zone as the active mode for the secondary zone. If so, then the primary user and the secondary user share control of the active mode.
If one of the secondary zones is using the broadcast content mode, then the first activation of the mode control 1104, 1106 allows the primary user to �listen in�, i.e. to play the audio for the active mode for the secondary zone through the primary zone speakers, and displays the bank of presets last used by the primary zone. The second activation of the broadcast content mode control, selects the station last listened to by the primary zone and continues to display the last bank of presets used by the primary zone. The third activation of the broadcast content mode control advances through the banks of presets for the primary zone.
In one embodiment if one of the secondary zones is listening to the single disc player and the other secondary zone is listening to the multiple disc player, then when the stored content mode control is activated, the primary zone �listens in� on the single disc player. If the stored content mode control is activated a second time, then the primary zone �listens in� on the multiple disc player. Repeatedly activating the stored content mode control toggles between the single disc player and the multiple disc player.
In an alternative embodiment with two stored content mode controls, the operation of the stored content mode controls more closely follows the operation of the other mode controls when a secondary zone is listening to the mode source. If one of the secondary zones is using the stored content mode, then the first activation of the mode control allows the primary user to �listen in� to the stored content being played in the secondary zone. The second activation of the stored content mode control, restarts the disc last listened to by the primary zone from the point where it was previously stopped (or restarts the disc from the beginning if the disc has been changed).
FIG. 17 illustrates a display for the stored content mode when the mode source is a single disc player and includes information indicating the current selection 1702, the disc type 1704, the active mode 1706, and play controls 1708. The active play controls are outlined. For example, the active controls are �random� and �play� in FIG. 17. In addition, the display includes a zone indicator 1710 that indicates that the right rear zones shares the mode source.
As previously described the functions associated with the soft controls vary based on the current mode. In addition to supporting mode specific functions, the soft controls also support certain mode independent functions, such as audio controls. As shown in FIGS. 21A�G the soft controls control the settings for fade, balance, bass, midrange, treble, center channel and subchannel. The user selects the audio control adjust by selecting the corresponding preset control. The other soft controls are used to adjust the settings for the audio control.
FIG. 21A illustrates the adjustment of the fade control. The display indicates the active audio control by showing the preset control label in reverse color 2106 and providing one or more audio control indicators 2108 and 2110. Soft controls, such as 2130 and 2132 are used to adjust the fade towards the front of the vehicle or towards the rear of the vehicle. The display shows the current settings for the selected audio control via both text and graphics. For example, FIG. 21A indicates that the current fade setting is biased two points toward the front by the text �F 2� and by the bar 2102 which extends past the center point 2104 towards the end of the bar labeled �FRONT.�
Exemplary displays for adjusting the balance, bass, midrange, treble, center channel and sub channel are shown in FIGS. 21B�21G respectively. In one embodiment, the center channel and sub channel controls share a single preset control. In this embodiment, repeatedly activating the preset toggles between the center channel and the sub channel.
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