Control device and method for controlling in-vehicle infotainment system of vehicle, in-vehicle infotainment system, vehicle and computer program product

By combining wireless communication and attitude detection modules, the front and rear passenger interactive control of the vehicle infotainment system is realized, solving the problems of high cost, heavy weight, and inconvenient operation in the existing technology, and improving user experience and system efficiency.

CN121590288APending Publication Date: 2026-03-03MERCEDES BENZ GRP
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511982434.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-12-25
Publication Date
2026-03-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing vehicle infotainment systems have rear-seat controllers that are costly, heavy, inconvenient to operate, unable to enable interactive control between the front and rear seats, consume a lot of power, and lack user-friendly design.

Method used

It uses a wireless communication module to connect with the front and rear infotainment systems, and uses a posture detection module to detect the user's grip direction to switch control devices, simplifying operation and reducing costs and power consumption. It also uses a wearable operating system to improve convenience.

Benefits of technology

It enables easy switching between the front and rear infotainment systems, reduces costs and weight, improves ease of operation and user satisfaction, and reduces power consumption.

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Abstract

The invention relates to the field of vehicle intelligent driving cabins, in particular to a control device for controlling a vehicle-mounted infotainment system of a vehicle, which comprises a first wireless communication module for establishing first wireless connection with a first sub-infotainment system of the vehicle-mounted infotainment system; the second wireless communication module is used for establishing second wireless connection with a second sub-infotainment system of the vehicle-mounted infotainment system; the posture detection module is used for detecting the posture of the control equipment; and the control module is used for performing control switching between the first sub-infotainment system and the second sub-infotainment system based on the posture of the control equipment. The invention also relates to a corresponding method, an in-vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle and a computer program product. According to the invention, control switching between the front-row vehicle machine and the rear-row display screen can be realized by using the control equipment arranged in the rear row. In addition, the method has the advantages of being simple and convenient to operate, easy to switch control scenes, long in endurance, low in cost and the like.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent vehicle cockpits, and more specifically to a control device for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system. Furthermore, this invention also relates to a method for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system, a corresponding in-vehicle infotainment system, a corresponding vehicle, and a computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of vehicle intelligence, the vehicle cabin is no longer just a space to accommodate passengers, but an intelligent space that can provide a variety of interactive experiences.

[0003] In existing technology, a touchscreen infotainment display is typically installed next to the vehicle's dashboard, allowing front-seat occupants (driver or front passenger) to input infotainment options via the touchscreen. Rear-seat displays are also installed behind the front seats to provide entertainment options for rear-seat passengers.

[0004] The rear-seat infotainment system can be operated or controlled via a CCR (Command Center Rear). However, the CCR requires a built-in motor and a fixed charging port for mounting, charging, and signal communication. This results in high overall costs, the fixed charging port connection is prone to poor contact issues, and the CCR itself is heavy, making it inconvenient and lacking in user-friendliness for extended handheld operation.

[0005] In addition, most of the rear-seat control tablets currently used to operate the rear-seat infotainment system are based on the Android operating system, which results in significant power consumption.

[0006] Furthermore, existing physical controllers for operating rear-seat infotainment systems (such as rear-seat control tablets) can only achieve a single interaction method (only controlling the rear-seat infotainment system) and cannot achieve different control scenarios, such as controlling the front-seat infotainment system.

[0007] In rear-seat infotainment systems without a physical controller, control is achieved by touching the rear screen, which does not allow for remote control operation.

[0008] Therefore, there is still a need to improve existing technologies to address at least some of the aforementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Based on this, the present invention proposes an efficient solution that not only overcomes the shortcomings of existing technical solutions, but also enables particularly simple control scene switching through the control device of the present invention, reducing costs and weight, simplifying the operating system and making it easy to operate, thereby improving user acceptance and satisfaction with the product.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control device for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle is provided, the control device comprising: A first wireless communication module is configured to establish a first wireless connection with a first sub-infotainment system of the in-vehicle infotainment system; The second wireless communication module is configured to establish a second wireless connection with the second sub-infotainment system of the in-vehicle infotainment system; An attitude detection module, configured to detect the attitude of a control device; and A control module configured to switch control between the first sub-infotainment system and the second sub-infotainment system based on the attitude of the control device.

[0011] The basic concept of this invention is that the control device of the in-vehicle infotainment system is wirelessly connected to a first sub-infotainment system (e.g., a front-seat infotainment system) and a second sub-infotainment system (e.g., a rear-seat infotainment system), thereby enabling interactive control of both the front and rear infotainment systems through a single control device. Specifically, the control selection and switching between the front and rear infotainment systems is achieved through the corresponding posture of the control device, such as the direction in which the user (occupant) holds the device. This greatly simplifies the interaction with and control of the front infotainment system (e.g., the front-seat in-vehicle infotainment system) and the rear infotainment system (e.g., the rear-seat display screen), reduces costs and power consumption, improves ease of use, and thus increases user acceptance and satisfaction with the product and the vehicle.

[0012] Advantageous configurations of the technical solution of the present invention can be obtained from the following optional embodiments.

[0013] In one alternative embodiment of the control device according to the invention, the control device is arranged in the center armrest of the rear seat of the vehicle. This embodiment achieves a particularly simple arrangement of the control device.

[0014] In an optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the first sub-infotainment system is configured as a front-row infotainment system, and the second sub-infotainment system is configured as a rear-row infotainment system. Therefore, the control device of the present invention can realize interactive control with both the front-row and rear-row infotainment systems.

[0015] In one optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, a wearable operating system is installed in the control device, wherein the control device operates based on the wearable operating system. This embodiment uses a wearable operating system (Wear OS) instead of the traditional Android system, thereby simplifying system setup, improving ease of operation, and enabling the control device to operate for a longer period of time.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of the control device of the present invention, the control device further includes a power supply module and a charging interface module, wherein the charging interface module is configured to cooperate with a corresponding charging interface module provided in the center armrest of the rear seat of the vehicle to charge the power supply module.

[0017] In one optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the first wireless communication module is configured to be the same as or different from the second wireless communication module.

[0018] Within the scope of this invention, "same or different" construction is understood to mean that the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module are constructed based on the same or different communication protocols or the same or different communication methods.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of the control device of the present invention, the attitude includes the vertical attitude and the horizontal attitude of the control device.

[0020] Within the scope of this invention, "vertical attitude" should be understood as the control device being oriented in a geodetic coordinate system with its longitudinal direction generally along the vertical direction (e.g., the Z direction), and for example within an angle range of ±10 degrees relative to the vertical direction. "Horizontal attitude" should be understood as the control device being oriented in a geodetic coordinate system with its longitudinal direction generally perpendicular to the vertical direction (e.g., the Z direction), and for example within an angle range of ±10 degrees relative to the vertical direction.

[0021] According to an alternative embodiment of the control device of the present invention, the control device includes an operating surface and a housing, the operating surface being disposed on the housing, wherein the operating surface is substantially rectangular in shape.

[0022] In one optional embodiment of the control device according to the invention, an image detection module, such as a camera, is arranged in the operating surface. The image detection module is configured to detect the orientation of the occupant relative to the operating surface. This embodiment can additionally use the image detection module to determine the attitude of the control device, thereby avoiding unwanted control switching caused by occupant or user error.

[0023] In one alternative embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the operating surface is configured as a touch-sensitive operating surface. This embodiment simplifies the input of the operating surface.

[0024] In one alternative embodiment of the control device according to the invention, the operating surface is made of glass. This improves the aesthetics and overall feel of the control device.

[0025] In one alternative embodiment of the control device according to the invention, the housing is made of plastic, metal, wood, or other rigid materials. This improves the overall strength of the control device.

[0026] In an optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the first wireless communication module is configured as a Bluetooth module, and the second wireless communication module is configured as a WIFI module.

[0027] In an optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the attitude detection module is configured as a gravity sensor, which detects the tilt angle and direction of the control device.

[0028] In one optional embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the charging interface module is configured as a wireless charging interface. This embodiment achieves a flexible and simple charging method.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system is provided, the method being performed by a control device of the present invention according to one of the above embodiments, wherein the in-vehicle infotainment system includes a first sub-infotainment system and a second sub-infotainment system, and the method includes the following steps: Establish a first wireless connection between the control device and the first sub-infotainment system and a second wireless connection with the second sub-infotainment system; S120 Detect the attitude of the control device; S130 Based on the posture, control switching is performed between the first sub-infotainment system and the second sub-infotainment system.

[0030] According to an optional embodiment of the method of the present invention, if the attitude of the control device is detected to be vertical in step 120, then in step S130, control is switched to the first sub-infotainment system; if the attitude of the control device is detected to be horizontal in step 120, then control is switched to the second sub-infotainment system.

[0031] In an optional embodiment of the method according to the present invention, if the attitude of the control device is detected to be between a vertical and a horizontal attitude in step 120, a prompt, such as an audio prompt and / or a visual prompt, is output on the control device for manually selecting a sub-infotainment system. This embodiment enables user confirmation of switching through prompts, avoiding unwanted control switching due to accidental operation.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, the orientation of the occupant relative to the operating surface of the control device is additionally detected in step S120, and in step S130, control switching is additionally performed between the first sub-infotainment system and the second sub-infotainment system based on the orientation.

[0033] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an in-vehicle infotainment system for a vehicle, such as a passenger vehicle, is provided, particularly for a passenger vehicle, the in-vehicle infotainment system comprising a first sub-infotainment system, a second sub-infotainment system, and the control device of the present invention according to one of the above embodiments is provided.

[0034] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a vehicle, such as a passenger vehicle, particularly an autonomous vehicle, is provided, said vehicle including the in-vehicle infotainment system of the invention.

[0035] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are at least used to assist in implementing the method of the present invention for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system.

[0036] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, drawings, and description of the figures. Features and combinations of features mentioned in the foregoing description, as well as features and combinations of features mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or shown only in the figures, can be used not only in the corresponding specified combinations, but also in other combinations without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the following are also considered to be covered and disclosed by the invention: those not explicitly shown in the figures and not explicitly interpreted, but rather derived from and produced by combinations of separate features derived from the interpreted content. The following combinations of features are also considered to be disclosed: those that do not possess all the features of the originally drafted independent claims. Furthermore, the following combinations of features are considered to be disclosed, especially those exceeding or deviating from the feature combinations defined in the reference relationships of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The principles, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood below by referring to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1A schematic diagram showing the components of one embodiment of the control device for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system of the present invention is illustrated. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the control device for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system of the present invention in a vertical orientation is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the control device for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system of the present invention is shown in a horizontal orientation. Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the components of one embodiment of the in-vehicle infotainment system for a vehicle according to the present invention is illustrated; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the vehicle of the present invention is shown; and Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the method of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0039] In this specification, for convenience, terms such as "middle," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" are used to indicate orientation or positional relationships in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This is solely for the purpose of facilitating the description and simplification, and does not imply that the device or element referred to has a specific orientation, or is constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. The positional relationships of the constituent elements may be appropriately varied depending on the direction in which each constituent element is described. Therefore, the use of terms not limited to those described in the specification may be appropriately replaced as needed.

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the components of a control device 2 for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system 3 of a vehicle 1 according to the present invention is shown.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the control device 2 includes a first wireless communication module 21 and a second wireless communication module 22. The first wireless communication module 21 is used to establish a first wireless connection with a first sub-infotainment system 31 of the in-vehicle infotainment system 3. The second wireless communication module 22 is used to establish a second wireless connection with a second sub-infotainment system 32 of the in-vehicle infotainment system 3.

[0042] The first wireless communication module 21 and the second wireless communication module 22 are independent of each other and can be constructed in the same or different ways.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the first wireless communication module 21 is configured as a Bluetooth module, and the second wireless communication module 22 is configured as a Wi-Fi module. Therefore, the first wireless communication module 21 can connect to the first sub-infotainment system 31 via Bluetooth using appropriate Bluetooth protocols, such as HCI (Host Controller Interface), RFCOMM (Radio Frequency Communication), L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol), SDP (Service Discovery Profile), and ATT_GATT (Attribute Exchange over GATT). The second wireless communication module 22 can connect to the second sub-infotainment system 32 via in-vehicle Wi-Fi.

[0044] Alternatively, the first wireless communication module 21 can also be configured as a WIFI module, while the second wireless communication module 22 can be configured as a Bluetooth module.

[0045] In addition, the control device 2 also includes an attitude detection module 23, which is configured to detect the attitude of the control device 2. According to this embodiment, the attitude detection module 23 is constructed as a gravity sensor, which detects the tilt angle and direction of the control device 2. Therefore, the attitude detection module 23 can detect the vertical attitude, horizontal attitude, and tilted attitude or intermediate attitude between the vertical and horizontal attitudes of the control device 2.

[0046] In addition, the control device 2 also includes a control module 24, which receives detection data from the attitude detection module 23 and detects the connection status of the first wireless communication module 21 and the second wireless communication module 22 with the corresponding first sub-infotainment system 31 and second sub-infotainment system 32. When the first wireless communication module 21 is connected to the first sub-infotainment system 31 and the second wireless communication module 22 is connected to the second sub-infotainment system 32, the control module 24 performs control switching between the first sub-infotainment system 31 and the second sub-infotainment system 32 based on the attitude of the control device 2.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the control device 2 further includes a power module 25 and a charging interface module 26. The charging interface module 26 can be electrically connected to a corresponding charging interface module, for example, provided in the center armrest 4 of the rear seat of the vehicle 1, for charging the power module 25.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the charging interface module 26 is configured as a wireless charging interface. Therefore, the physical charging interface and corresponding physical electrical connection on the control device 2 are eliminated.

[0049] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, the control device 2 may also include an image detection module 29. The image detection module 29 is used to detect the orientation of the occupant 5 relative to the operating surface 27 of the control device 2.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the image detection module 29 is configured as a camera capable of recognizing and capturing the orientation of the occupant's face relative to the operating surface 27. Therefore, the control module 26 can determine, based on this orientation, whether the occupant genuinely wants to control the in-vehicle infotainment system or genuinely wants to switch between sub-infotainment systems 31, 32.

[0051] According to one embodiment, a wearable operating system (Wear OS) is installed in the control device 2. Therefore, the control device 2 operates based on the wearable operating system. Theoretically, the power endurance of the wearable operating system is three times that of the traditional Android operating system. Compared to the Android operating system used in existing vehicles, the control device 2 of this invention, which interacts and controls based on the wearable operating system, therefore has lower power consumption and longer battery life.

[0052] In addition, wearable operating systems have a lighter system architecture and are easier to operate.

[0053] According to an embodiment not shown, the control device 2 may further include a voice module for receiving voice signals from the occupant and converting them into control signals for controlling the in-vehicle infotainment system 3. Furthermore, the voice module may also output voice signals to the occupant, thereby enabling interaction with the occupant, such as providing prompts via voice commands.

[0054] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the control device 2 for controlling the in-vehicle infotainment system 3 of the present invention is shown in a vertical orientation.

[0055] According to this embodiment, the control device 2 includes an operating surface 27 and a housing 28, with the operating surface 27 disposed on and fixedly connected to the housing 28. Furthermore, the control device 2 has an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the operating surface 27 is substantially rectangular in shape and has a width of 45 mm to 60 mm and a length of 65 mm to 120 mm. According to one embodiment, the operating surface 27 is configured as a touch-sensitive operating surface and is made of glass. The housing 28 is made of plastic, metal, wood, or other rigid materials.

[0057] The operating surface 27 has an opening for receiving the image detection module 29, so that the image detection module 29 can detect the face of the occupant operating towards the operating surface 27.

[0058] exist Figure 2 As can also be seen on the operation surface 27, there are virtual switch keys 271, a sliding touch virtual area 272, virtual direction keys 273, virtual volume keys 274, and virtual channel keys 275. When the control device 2 is removed from the center armrest of the rear seat, it is activated by touching the virtual switch key 271. When activated, the first wireless communication module 21 and the second wireless communication module 22 automatically connect wirelessly to the corresponding sub-infotainment systems 31, 32.

[0059] When controlling the first sub-infotainment system 31, the occupant can select and control the corresponding infotainment options in the first sub-infotainment system 31 by touching and sliding the virtual touch area 272 with their finger.

[0060] The directional virtual keys 273 supplement or assist the sliding touch virtual area 272, allowing occupants to select desired infotainment options by navigating up, down, left, and right. The volume virtual keys 274 and channel virtual keys 275 correspondingly provide volume up and down, and channel up and down.

[0061] Depending on the system settings, different virtual keys or virtual zones can be configured to personalize the design according to user preferences.

[0062] exist Figure 2 In this context, control device 2 is in a vertical orientation. Therefore, the corresponding symbols in these virtual keys / areas correspond to the vertical orientation of control device 2.

[0063] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the control device 2 for controlling the in-vehicle infotainment system 3 of the present invention is shown in a horizontal orientation.

[0064] Figure 3 Control device 2 and Figure 2 The control device 2 is constructed in the same way. Figure 3 As can be seen, control device 2 is in a horizontal position. Correspondingly, the symbols for the virtual switch key 271, volume key 274, and channel key 275 correspond to this horizontal position (as shown in the image). Figure 2 contrast).

[0065] Here, the attitude of the control device 2 is detected by the attitude detection module 23 and the direction represented by the virtual key / zone is adapted in the wearable operating system through the corresponding logical architecture.

[0066] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the components of an embodiment of the in-vehicle infotainment system 3 of a vehicle 1 according to the present invention is illustrated.

[0067] The in-vehicle infotainment system 3 includes a first sub-infotainment system 31, a second sub-infotainment system 32, and the control device 2 of the present invention.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the first sub-infotainment system 31 is configured as a front-row infotainment system (or front-row in-vehicle infotainment system), which is located in the front of the vehicle 1, for example, next to the dashboard, and includes a display screen. The second sub-infotainment system 32 is configured as a rear-row infotainment system, which is located, for example, on the back of the front seats of the vehicle 1 and includes a rear-row display screen. The control device 2 can wirelessly connect to the front-row infotainment system via a first wireless communication module 21 (WIFI connection in this embodiment) and wirelessly connect to the rear-row infotainment system via a second wireless communication module 22 (Bluetooth connection in this embodiment).

[0069] According to this embodiment, the first sub-infotainment system 31 is also communicatively connected to the second sub-infotainment system 32, and can control the second sub-infotainment system 32 through the first sub-infotainment system 31.

[0070] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the vehicle 1 of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, vehicle 1 is a passenger vehicle.

[0071] exist Figure 5 Occupant 5 is shown. Occupant 5 is located in the rear seat of vehicle 2. Figure 5 As shown, a front-row infotainment system, including a display screen, is located next to the dashboard of vehicle 1. A rear-row infotainment system is located on the back of the front seats of vehicle 1 and includes a rear-row display screen. A control device 2 is located in the center armrest 4 of the rear seats and works in conjunction with the charging port in the center armrest 4 to charge the power module 25 of the control device 2.

[0072] According to another embodiment not shown, the rear-seat infotainment system may also be arranged in the ceiling inside the vehicle 1 at the rear of the front seats and exemplarily includes a projector and a projection screen.

[0073] Currently, occupant 5 removes control device 2 from the center armrest 4 of the rear seat and controls the corresponding sub-infotainment systems 31, 32. For example... Figure 5 As can be seen, occupant 5 is holding the control device 2 vertically.

[0074] Below, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5 Method 100 of the present invention is described.

[0075] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the method 100 of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the method 100 is performed by the control device 2 of the present invention and exemplarily includes steps S110 to S130.

[0076] In step S110, a first wireless connection is established between the control device 2 and the first sub-infotainment system 31, and a second wireless connection is established between the control device 2 and the second sub-infotainment system 32.

[0077] In this embodiment, the occupant 5 sits in the rear seat and removes the control device 2 from the center armrest 4 of the rear seat. The occupant 5 can activate the control device 2 by touching the virtual switch 271.

[0078] In another embodiment, the control device 2 can also be automatically activated when it is removed from the rear seat center armrest 4 and disconnected from the charging port in the rear seat center armrest 4. At this time, the first wireless communication module 21 of the control device 2 automatically establishes a WIFI connection with the first sub-infotainment system 31 (here, the vehicle's infotainment system), while the second wireless communication module 22 of the control device 2 automatically establishes a Bluetooth connection with the second sub-infotainment system 32 (here, the rear infotainment system).

[0079] In step S120, the attitude of the control device 2 is detected. Here, the attitude detection module 23 detects the tilt angle and direction of the control device 2 and transmits the attitude signal to the control module 24.

[0080] Also Figure 5 As shown, occupant 2 holds control device 2 and posture detection module 23 detects that control device 2 is in an upright position. Therefore, in step S130, control module 24 of control device 2 switches control to the first sub-infotainment system 31, or the front-row vehicle infotainment system, and occupant 5 selects the desired infotainment item, such as playing music or displaying navigation information, on the vehicle infotainment display screen by operating the corresponding function virtual keys on the control device 2's operating surface (see also...). Figure 2 ).

[0081] In another scenario, if the attitude detection module 23 detects that the control device 2 is in a horizontal position during step 120, control is switched to the second sub-infotainment system 32, or the rear-seat infotainment system. Accordingly, the occupant 5 selects desired infotainment items, such as playing videos or playing games, on the rear-seat display screen using the corresponding virtual function keys on the control device 2's control panel. (See also...) Figure 3 ).

[0082] In another embodiment, if the attitude detection module 23 detects in step 120 that the attitude of the control device 2 is between a vertical and a horizontal attitude, that is, the control device 2 is in a tilted attitude, then a prompt for manually selecting the sub-infotainment system, such as an audio prompt and / or a visual prompt, is output on the operation surface 27 of the control device 2. Therefore, the occupant 2 can clarify the need for control switching and perform reliable control switching by readjusting the attitude of the control device 2.

[0083] In another embodiment, in step S120, the orientation of the occupant 5 relative to the operating surface 27 of the control device 2 is additionally detected by the image detection module 29 of the control device 2. In this step S120, the image detection module 29 detects the orientation of the occupant 5's face toward the operating surface 27. If the occupant 5's face is detected to be facing the operating surface 27, then in step S130, a control switch is performed between the first sub-infotainment system 31 and the second sub-infotainment system 32 based on the posture of the control device 2 and additionally based on the orientation.

[0084] If the image detection module 29 does not detect the face of the occupant 5, or if the image detection module 29 detects that the face of the occupant 5 is not facing the operating surface 27, then even if the posture detection module 23 detects a vertical or horizontal posture of the control device 2, control switching to the corresponding sub-infotainment systems 31, 32 will not be performed. Therefore, this embodiment can further improve the reliability of control switching of the control device 2 and avoid erroneous switching due to occupant 5's misoperation or incorrect orientation of the control device 2.

[0085] This invention also protects a computer program product.

[0086] Other advantages and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not, in its broader sense, limited to the specific details, representative structures, and exemplary embodiments shown and described. Rather, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and substitutions without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A control device (2) for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system (3) of a vehicle (1), characterized in that, The control device (2) includes: A first wireless communication module (21) is configured to establish a first wireless connection with a first sub-infotainment system (31) of the in-vehicle infotainment system (3); The second wireless communication module (22) is configured to establish a second wireless connection with the second sub-infotainment system (32) of the in-vehicle infotainment system (3); Attitude detection module (23), configured to detect the attitude of control device (2); and The control module (24) is configured to switch control between the first sub-infotainment system (31) and the second sub-infotainment system (32) based on the attitude of the control device (2).

2. The control device (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control device (2) is arranged in the center armrest (4) of the rear seat of the vehicle (1); and / or The first sub-infotainment system (31) is configured as a front-row infotainment system, and the second sub-infotainment system (32) is configured as a rear-row infotainment system; and / or A wearable operating system is installed in the control device (2), and the control device (2) operates based on the wearable operating system.

3. The control device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control device (2) further includes a power module (25) and a charging interface module (26). The charging interface module (26) is configured to cooperate with a corresponding charging interface module provided in the center armrest (4) of the rear seat of the vehicle (1) to charge the power module (25).

4. The control device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first wireless communication module (21) is constructed in the same or different manner as the second wireless communication module (22); and / or The attitude includes the vertical attitude and the horizontal attitude of the control device (2).

5. The control device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The control device (2) includes an operating surface (27) and a housing (28), wherein the operating surface (27) is arranged on the housing (28) and the operating surface (27) is substantially rectangular in shape.

6. The control device (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that, An image detection module (29), such as a camera, is arranged in the operating surface (27). The image detection module (29) is configured to detect the orientation of the occupant (5) relative to the operating surface (27); and / or The operating surface (27) is configured as a touch-sensitive operating surface; and / or The operating surface (27) is made of glass; and / or The housing (28) is made of plastic, metal, wood or other hard materials.

7. The control device (2) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The first wireless communication module (21) is configured as a Bluetooth module, and the second wireless communication module (22) is configured as a WIFI module; and / or The attitude detection module (23) is configured as a gravity sensor, which detects the tilt angle and direction of the control device (2); and / or The charging interface module (26) is configured as a wireless charging interface.

8. A method (100) for controlling an in-vehicle infotainment system (3), said method being performed by a control device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The in-vehicle infotainment system (3) includes a first sub-infotainment system (31) and a second sub-infotainment system (32), and the method includes the following steps: S110 Establish a first wireless connection between the control device (2) and the first sub-infotainment system (31) and a second wireless connection with the second sub-infotainment system (32); S120 Detect the attitude of the control device (2); S130 Based on the posture, control switching is performed between the first sub-infotainment system (31) and the second sub-infotainment system (32).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, If the attitude of the control device (2) is detected to be vertical in step 120, then in step S130, control is switched to the first sub-infotainment system (31); if the attitude of the control device (2) is detected to be horizontal in step 120, then control is switched to the second sub-infotainment system (32).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, If the attitude of the control device (2) is detected to be between a vertical attitude and a horizontal attitude in step 120, then a prompt, such as an audio prompt and / or a visual prompt, is output on the control device (2) for manually selecting the sub-infotainment system.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, In step S120, the orientation of the occupant (5) relative to the operating surface (27) of the control device (2) is additionally detected, and in step S130, control switching is additionally performed between the first sub-infotainment system (31) and the second sub-infotainment system (32) based on the orientation.

12. An in-vehicle infotainment system (3) for a vehicle (1), such as a passenger vehicle (1), characterized in that, The in-vehicle infotainment system (3) includes: First Sub-Infotainment System (31); Second sub-infotainment system (32); and The control device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. A vehicle (1), such as a passenger vehicle (1), particularly an autonomous vehicle (1), characterized in that, The vehicle (1) includes the in-vehicle infotainment system (3) according to claim 12.

14. A computer program product comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, are used to assist in carrying out the method (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 11.