Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7515302?dq=7143430
Timestamp: 2014-11-22 21:50:27
Document Index: 353116671

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2003', 'application No. 2004100786557', 'application No. 10', 'Application No. 2003', 'application No. 2003', 'application No. 2004100786557']

Patent US7515302 - Information processing system - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn information processing system includes a management device mounted on a vehicle, and a terminal device outside the vehicle. The management device performs as follows: obtaining as identification information of a user a user ID and a password from the terminal device; selecting, based on the identification...http://www.google.com/patents/US7515302?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7515302 - Information processing systemAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7515302 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/941,987Publication dateApr 7, 2009Filing dateSep 16, 2004Priority dateSep 18, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1320441C, CN1598756A, DE102004044440A1, US20050075759Publication number10941987, 941987, US 7515302 B2, US 7515302B2, US-B2-7515302, US7515302 B2, US7515302B2InventorsSeiichi FurutaOriginal AssigneeDenso CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (19), Non-Patent Citations (5), Classifications (19), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetInformation processing systemUS 7515302 B2Abstract An information processing system includes a management device mounted on a vehicle, and a terminal device outside the vehicle. The management device performs as follows: obtaining as identification information of a user a user ID and a password from the terminal device; selecting, based on the identification information obtained, a display target of items and device information to be preferentially displayed on a display device of the terminal display; collecting device information corresponding to the display target from devices (e.g., door ECU) in the vehicle; and generating system information storing information relating to the items selected and the device information collected. The management device then causes, by sending the system information generated to the terminal device, the terminal device to hierarchically display the display target in a tree form on the display device of the terminal device.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-326619 filed on Sep. 18, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an information processing system for displaying, on a display device, information relating to devices mounted on a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, it is known that a data file, etc. is hierarchically displayed in a tree form. For example, an information processing device (personal computer or the like) stores a file system for managing by classifying a data file using a root directory and its lower layer sub-directory. In this device, when a symbol (icon) indicating a root directory that is displayed on a monitor is selected using a pointing device, a symbol indicating a sub-directory is displayed such that it branches from the symbol indicating the root directory. Further, when the symbol indicating the sub-directory is selected using the pointing device, names or the like of a data file that is stored in the sub-directory are displayed on the monitor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing system capable of changing a displaying form that displays information relating to in-vehicle devices depending on a situation of a user such as a vehicle owner or a service person. It is another object to provide an information processing system capable of easily importing, into an in-vehicle device, various data such as music data stored in a storage medium outside a vehicle. Further, it is another object to provide an information processing system enabling a user to easily manipulate an in-vehicle device based on information displayed on a display device outside the vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention is directed to an information processing system 1, a structure of which is shown in FIG. 1. The system 1 mainly includes an in-vehicle network 10 mounted in a vehicle and a terminal device 40 that is communicably connected with the in-vehicle network 10 that includes various in-vehicle devices (or devices within the vehicle).
Upon receiving a signal indicating a permission of use from the management device 37, the CPU 41 determines �YES� at S160 to thereby execute a log-in process shown in FIG. 4A (S170). By contrast, the CPU 41 determines that an authentication for the user fails (NO at S160), an error process is executed at S180. The process is then terminated.
Upon obtaining the device information from the obtaining point based on the above-described system definition file (S430), the CPU 38 of the management device 37 generates, based on the switch information according to the group of the user presently under the log-in process, system information including hierarchy information, a display item name, a device information kind, contents of the information obtained, and a process code of the group of the user, with respect to each item that can be displayed (S440). This system information is then sent to the terminal device 40. The CPU 38 of the management device 37 then terminates the log-in process. When the setting (permitted/unpermitted) of execution of the process is set to �unpermitted� in the relevant group, the process code is represented as �nil.� Similarly, when the setting (permitted/unpermitted) of display of the device information is set to �unpermitted� in the relevant group, the device information is represented as �nil.�
The CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 displays a symbol SB named �My Car� and its lower layered symbols SB named �Gateway,� �Body,� �Power Train,� �Safety,� �Entertainment,� such that the lower layered symbols branch from the symbol named �My Car� on the display device 47. Further, the hard disk drive 43 has a C drive/root directory, under which �My Music,� and �My Document� are located and displayed on the display device 47 such that they are located in the same column as that of �Gateway.�
When �Body� symbol is clicked by the pointing device or the like, a symbol of �Door Lock� is shown to be located under the symbol of �Body.� Further, a door state (�ON�/�OFF�) is shown as the device information of the door at the end of the item name of �Door Lock� within parentheses on the display device 47. Here, the system information corresponding to the item of �Door Lock� is described, e.g., as shown in FIG. 7C.
The symbol of �Audio� under �Entertainment� layer is clicked, so that a list of music data able to be reproduced by the audio device 34 is shown as the device information of the audio device 34 on the display device 47. Here, the system information corresponding to the item of �Music Data� is described, e.g., as shown in FIG. 7D.
Meanwhile, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 displays, based on the system information, items relating to the gateway device 19 under �Gateway�; items and device information both relating to the devices constituting the power train system network 13, under �Power Train�; further, items relating to the devices constituting the safety system network 17 such as ON/OFF state of the anti-theft device 25 as the device information, under �Safety.�
When �My music� symbol is clicked by the pointing device or the like, the symbols of data items stored under the directory �My Music� are displayed with respect to the individual data items as shown in FIG. 7B. In this embodiment, each time being clicked, layer names/item names in the lower layer are displayed; however, the entire layers can be hierarchically displayed in a tree structure from the beginning.
With respect to a user group whose setting (permitted/unpermitted) of display is set to is set to �permitted� in the entire items, all symbols of �Gateway,� �Body,� �Power Train,� �Safety,� and �Entertainment� are displayed on the display device 47, as shown in the left side in FIG. 8A. Further, manipulating the pointing device displays the items located under the relevant symbol and related device information.
By contrast, with respect to a user group whose setting (permitted/unpermitted) of display is set to is set to �unpermitted� in the items under each of items of �Gateway,� �Body,� �Power Train,� and �Safety� in the system definition file, information (display item name, device information) pertinent to the items is not included in the system information received. As shown in the right side in FIG. 8A, the display device 47 does not display: certain items whose display setting is set to �unpermitted�; their related device information; the symbols located in the layer higher than the certain items. Namely, on the display device 47, the items and device information whose display setting are set to �permitted,� and their higher-layered �Entertainment� are selectively displayed.
Upon starting the first request process, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 waits until a symbol of item displayed is clicked via the pointing device (S610). When it is determined that the symbol is clicked (YES at S610), the process code related with the symbol clicked is read out (S620). Here, when the process code is �nil,� it is determined to be �NO� at S630, which terminates the first request process.
By contrast, when the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 succeeds in reading out the process code, it is determined to be �YES� at S630, which generates a process request packet whose structure is shown in FIG. 9B (S640) to then send it to the management device 37 via the communications interface 44 (S650). This process request packet includes: a terminal code being a unique code previously assigned to the terminal device 40; a vehicle code being a unique code assigned to a vehicle accommodating the management device 37; the above-described authentication code and access code; and three codes of a device code, target code, and action code, the three which constitute the process code.
It is supposed that, with respect to a user group 1, a system definition file includes, as a process code of item displayed �Door Lock,� a process code causing the door ECU 23 to execute lock and unlock of the entire seat doors. Here, when a symbol of item displayed of �Door Lock� is clicked, the terminal device 40 generates a process request packet storing the process code of the user group 3 (CASE 1 in FIG. 10) described in the system information, causing the door ECU 23 to execute lock or unlock of the entire seat doors.
Further, it is supposed that, with respect to a user group 3, a system definition file includes, as a process code of item displayed �Door Lock,� a process code causing the door ECU 23 to execute lock and unlock of the entire seat doors and the trunk. Here, when a symbol of item displayed of �Door Lock� is clicked, the terminal device 40 generates a process request packet storing the process code of the user group 3 (CASE 2 in FIG. 10) described in the system information, causing the door ECU 23 to execute lock or unlock of the entire seat doors and the trunk.
Furthermore, it is supposed that, with respect to a user group 4, a system definition file includes, as a process code of item displayed �Door Lock,� a process code causing the door ECU 23 to monitor the states of the entire seat doors. Here, when a symbol of item displayed of �Door Lock� is clicked, the terminal device 40 generates a process request packet storing the process code of the user group 3 (CASE 3 in FIG. 10) described in the system information, causing the door ECU 23 to reply the states (lock and unlock) of the entire seat doors by monitoring them.
Upon starting the second request process, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 determines whether a symbol of a data file (e.g., ccc.mp3 in FIG. 7B) that is stored in the hard disk drive built in the terminal device 40 is dropped on a symbol of item displayed on the screen on the display device 47 (S710). When being dropped is determined (YES at S710), the process code related with the symbol of item displayed is read out from the system information (S720). Here, when the process code is �nil,� it is determined to be �NO� at S730, which terminates the second request process.
By contrast, when the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 succeeds in reading out the process code, it is determined to be �YES� at S730, which generates a process request packet having the above structure (S740) to then send it to the management device 37 via the communications interface 44 (S750). For example, a process request packet is generated and sent for causing the management device 37 to register the data file dropped into a given directory of the database device 36.
Thereafter, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 waits until a request signal for the data file is sent from the management device 37 (S760). Upon receiving the request signal for the file data via the communications interface 44 to thereby determine �YES� at S760, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 sends the relevant data file dropped to the management device 37 (S770), which then terminates the second request process.
For example, when receiving the process response packet including the ACK code in the response code as the response signal of the process request packet relating to the door lock/unlock, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 switches the device information displayed in the rightmost of �Door Lock� between �ON� and �OFF.�
Further, when receiving the process response packet including the ACK code in the response code as the response signal of the process request packet relating to confirming the state of the door, the CPU 41 of the terminal device 40 displays the device information (�ON� or �OFF�) in the rightmost of �Door Lock.�
For example, it is supposed that multiple user groups are prepared in the information processing system 1, such as �vehicle owner,� �guest,� �service person,� �maker� or the like for switching processes executed by a relevant device. The vehicle owner can be thereby prohibited from executing processes needing specialist knowledge such as setting highly professional device, while the service person or the maker can be allowed to perform a vehicle diagnosis, repairing, or the like by a remote operation. Further, the vehicle owner can be entitled to execute a remote operation for an air-conditioner or doors, which provides the user with the highly convenient information processing system 1.
Furthermore, in the information processing system 1, a data file (music data can be reproduced in an audio device 34 mounted on a vehicle) is stored in the hard disk drive 43 as a data storing unit included in the terminal device 40 that is located outside the vehicle. When the symbol of the data file is dropped on a symbol (�Music data�) under �My Car� on the screen of the display device 47 via the input device 49 such as a pointing device capable of drag-and-drop operation, the terminal device 40 uploads to the vehicle the data file corresponding to the symbol on which the symbol of the data file is dropped (S770). A given process using the data file is thereby executed by the device corresponding to the device code. For instance, the given process includes registering music data with a directory of the database device 36 that can be read from the audio device 34.
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