Method for operating an electronic device of a motor vehicle and a corresponding electronic device

Abstract

Method for operating an electronic device (1) of a motor vehicle, wherein the electronic device (1) has several functional units (6) which each provide at least one specific functional element (7), wherein the functional units (6) are connected to an interface unit (3), characterized in that the interface unit (3) creates an assignment list between the provided functional elements (7) and the respective providing functional unit (6) and connects several functional elements (7) on request to provide a functional group (8) by means of at least one communication device (5) and that at least one of the functional units (6) provides several functional elements (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating an electronic device of a motor vehicle, wherein the electronic device comprises several functional units, each providing at least one specific functional element. The invention further relates to an electronic device. State of the art

[0002] Methods of the type mentioned above are known from the prior art. They serve to operate the electronic equipment, which is, for example, assigned to a motor vehicle. The electronic equipment is, for example, a telematics device, in particular an infotainment or entertainment system, or is at least a component of such a system. The electronic equipment may have a display and control unit through which a user can interact with the electronic equipment or its components. The display and control unit serves, on the one hand, to display information and, on the other hand, to receive user input.

[0003] The electronic device typically has a functional unit that implements at least one of its functions, such as playing back entertainment media. Currently, there are two methods for connecting the display and control unit to this functional unit: manual and semantic. The manual method is customer- and task-specific and is currently used in most series development of entertainment systems in the automotive sector. A data pool is one example of the manual method. In contrast to the manual method, the semantic method enables the automatic connection of the display and control unit to the functional unit. Multiple display and control units can also be connected to the functional unit.

[0004] It is already known for entertainment devices to connect, for example, a data storage device, allowing the entertainment device to access and play back media stored on the data storage device. It is also known to connect a media player to the entertainment device, whereupon a functional unit in the form of a (software) application is transferred from this media player to the entertainment device and subsequently integrated into it as a plug-in service. However, this also means that only complete functional units, such as the described plug-in service, can be integrated. Integrating a single functionality during the operation of the electronic device is not possible.While it is possible to connect multiple display and control units to the functional unit, the display and control unit cannot be assigned to multiple functional units without being specifically designed for this purpose. Furthermore, no user selection option for the electronic device is implemented. Finally, only the source code of an entire functional unit can be released, not the source code of a single functionality within that unit.

[0005] German patent application DE 10 2011 075 066 A1 discloses a method for establishing an interface with a vehicle data processing system via multiple data transport channels. A connection can be established between a data processing system and two or more devices that transmit data using different communication protocols. In one embodiment, a transport manager can send the data to a safety manager. The transport manager can facilitate communication between the device and the safety manager. The data manager can store system data available to applications in a database structure.

[0006] US patent 2006 / 0287787 A1 discloses a method for communication between a driver and multiple integrated and non-integrated applications in a vehicle, in particular applications originally present in the vehicle and those subsequently installed. Communication with the applications is facilitated by an application manager.

[0007] From DE 101 59 477 A1, an information system for vehicles is known that is connected to components via a data bus and has output means for displaying information relating to the components and input means for controlling the components. A menu is provided for control, which offers several equipment variants for a vehicle, whereby only those menu items are applicable whose components are present in the respective vehicle configuration and / or are error-free. Disclosure of the invention

[0008] In contrast, the method for operating an electronic device with the features mentioned in claim 1 has the advantage that a flexible combination of different functionalities is possible. Furthermore, a user selection option can be implemented. This is achieved according to the invention by connecting the functional units to an interface unit that creates an assignment list between the provided functional elements and the respective providing functional unit and, upon request, selects several functional elements, in particular several functional units, to provide a

[0009] A functional group is connected by means of at least one communication device. The electronic device thus has several functional units, for example in the form of (software) applications or software packages, which are executed separately on different devices. Particularly preferably, each functional unit is assigned its own processing unit, whereby these processing units can also be mobile or portable. Alternatively, the functional unit can also be formed by the processing unit, with the interface unit preferably establishing a circuit connection via the communication device to the functional unit or to and / or between several functional units.

[0010] Each functional unit provides at least one of several functional elements, which are advantageously at least mostly different. These functional elements can be referred to as subservices and are therefore preferably an integral part of the respective functional unit. An application, i.e., one of the functional units, can thus be logically decomposed into its functionalities, which can be semantically described as functional elements or subservices. Such a functional unit can be composed of several functional elements with predefined requirements and different functionalities. Preferably, each functional unit provides a different functionality or a different functional element.

[0011] The functional units are now connected to the interface unit. This unit coordinates the functional units and their functional elements by creating the assignment list. This list contains all functional units that are connected to or assigned to the electronic device. In addition, the assignment list includes the functional elements provided by each functional unit. Conversely, an assignment list can also be provided that lists the provided functional elements and additionally includes information about which functional unit(s) each functional element is located in. Using the interface unit, multiple functional elements can now be connected together as needed to create the functional group.The functional group consists of functional elements, which are preferably assigned to different functional units. The functional group can therefore comprise several functional units, although not all functional units of the electronic device are necessarily grouped together in the functional group.

[0012] The functional group essentially corresponds to another functional unit or application, which, however, is composed of the functional elements of several functional units. Accordingly, the integration or assembly of the functional group with various functional elements is possible not only during development but also during the operation of the electronic device. This now makes it possible for a supplier of one of the functional units to release not the entire functional unit, but only the individual functional element of that functional unit. In particular, this involves releasing an application with an interface or connection point.

[0013] The functional units are connected via the communication device. It may be provided that at least one of the functional units, or the display and control unit, includes the interface unit. However, the interface unit can also exist as a separate element, in particular as a further (software) application within the electronic device.

[0014] A further development of the invention provides that the interface unit simultaneously provides several functional groups. The interface unit is therefore not limited to combining the provided functional elements into a single functional group, although this is of course also possible. Rather, several functional groups can preferably be assembled, which can, in particular, partially or completely utilize the same functional elements of the same functional units. It is thus possible to assemble several functional groups with the same functionality, which accordingly utilize the same functional elements of the same functional units. Naturally, it is also possible to assemble functional groups with completely different functionality, which accordingly share only individual functional elements or no functional elements at all.

[0015] A further development of the invention provides that several of the functional units provide the same functional element, and the interface unit selects one of these functional units to provide the functional element for the functional group. It is therefore not necessary for the functional units to provide different functional elements, although this can nevertheless be provided. Preferably, any functional units can be assigned to the electronic device, and these functional units can also have identical functional elements with the same functionality. The assignment list of the interface unit thus contains several identical functional elements. It is therefore possible to replace a defective functional unit and / or a defective functional element with another functional unit or a different functional element at runtime.For example, if a functional element that provides internet radio functionality is not available or at least not fully available due to a poor internet connection, a functional element that provides broadcast reception functionality can be used automatically, in particular a corresponding functional element of a head unit.

[0016] Accordingly, when the corresponding functionality is requested, the interface unit can select one of these functional elements or one of the functional units providing the functional element to provide the functional group. This is particularly advantageous when done through interaction with the user of the electronic device. The user can specify which functional unit should be used preferentially. For example, it can be provided that the user specifies the preferred functional unit, and the interface unit uses this unit when the functional element is first requested. However, if several functional groups with the same functional element are to be provided simultaneously, the interface unit can subsequently select a different functional unit, rather than the preferred one, to provide the additional functional group.In this way, multiple selection of a single functional element of one of the functional units is avoided, so that any computational load that may occur is distributed evenly.

[0017] A further development of the invention provides that at least one of the functional units provides several functional elements, preferably all functional units provide several functional elements. The functional units therefore do not each consist of only a single functional element, although this is of course also possible. Preferably, each of the functional units provides a plurality of functional elements, which can subsequently be used by the interface unit to provide the functional group. Preferably, all functional units have several functional elements.

[0018] A further development of the invention provides that, upon connecting to the interface unit, the functional unit provides information about the provided functional element to the interface unit. Each functional unit is connected to the interface unit, for example, via a communication device, in particular a bus system or the like. To create the mapping list, the interface unit requires information about the provided information element and also about the functional unit providing the functional element. Therefore, the functional unit should provide or transmit corresponding information, in particular concerning the provided functional element, to the interface unit. The mapping list can then be created from this information.

[0019] A further development of the invention provides that the provided functional element is executed on the functional unit, in particular on a computing unit assigned to the functional unit. Each functional element is a component of one of the functional units, so that the latter is a collection of functional elements. For example, the functional element is an application with several subservices representing the functional units. The computing unit assigned to the functional unit is provided for executing the functional element or functional units. It is particularly preferred that each functional unit is assigned its own computing unit.

[0020] A further development of the invention provides that the functional elements connected to provide the functional group communicate with each other exclusively via the communication device connecting the respective functional units, in particular a bus system. The functional units are connected to each other via the communication device. It is now provided that the functional elements themselves are not transmitted between the functional units and the interface unit. Rather, all communication between the functional elements, which are grouped together to form the functional group, is to take place via the communication device that connects the functional units. Thus, only an exchange of (non-executable) data between the functional elements is provided.In contrast, the (executable) functional elements are not transmitted via the communication device, but remain in the respective functional unit, i.e., they only exist within it.

[0021] A further development of the invention provides that at least one of the functional units is located on a smartphone, a tablet, a storage device, a distributed computing system, a navigation device, an entertainment device, or a display and control device. Such devices typically have a processing unit on which the functional unit can reside or be executed. Preferably, each of the functional units is located on a device that is wirelessly connected to the interface unit. The smartphone, for example, provides a telecommunications service for an internet connection and / or an address book service, each in the form of a functional element. The navigation device, for example, provides a POI service (Point of Interest) and / or a navigation service, again each as a functional element.

[0022] A further development of the invention provides that at least one of the functional units includes a communication device for establishing a communication connection, in particular a wireless one. The communication connection, or telecommunications connection, can be, for example, a point-to-point connection, in particular a telephone connection or the like, or a network connection, for example, an internet connection. Establishing the telecommunications connection via the communication device and transmitting data via it are also provided as a telecommunications service in the form of a functional element. The communication connection can be established either wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0023] The invention further relates to an electronic device of a motor vehicle, in particular for carrying out the method according to the foregoing, wherein the electronic device comprises several functional units, each of which provides at least one specific functional element. It is provided that the functional units are connected to an interface unit configured to create an assignment list between the provided functional elements and the respective providing functional unit and, upon request, to connect several functional elements, in particular several functional units, to provide a functional group by means of at least one communication device. The method used in this context can be further developed according to the foregoing.The advantages resulting from such an electronic device have already been discussed, so reference is made to the preceding statements in this regard.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, without limiting the invention. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an electronic device of a motor vehicle with several functional units located on different devices, an interface unit and a display and operating device, and Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a method for operating the electronic equipment.

[0025] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an electronic device 1. This device consists of a display and control unit 2, an interface unit 3, and a plurality of devices 4, which are connected to the interface unit 3 via a communication device 5. Each device 4 is assigned at least one functional unit 6, which provides at least one functional element 7 (not shown here). Therefore, either one or more functional units 6 can be provided. The functional unit 6 is, for example, a (software) application that is executed on a processing unit of the respective device 4. The functional elements 7 are, for example, an integral part of the functional units 6 and thus cannot be executed separately from them.

[0026] The interface unit 3 can be provided either by one of the devices 4 or by the display and control unit 2. However, it can also exist as a separate unit, as shown here. Likewise, the display and control unit 2 can also be considered a device 4, which provides a further functional unit 6. This unit can display output on a screen of the display and control unit 2 and / or receive user input.

[0027] It is therefore clear that the functional units 6, together with the respective device 4, can be located at any location. In particular, the devices 4 are physically separated from each other and also from the interface unit 3 and are connected to each other by means of the communication device 5, preferably wireless. The display and control unit 2 can, as shown here, have a display and an input device. This input device can be a keyboard or touchscreen. Alternatively or additionally, voice input or the like can be provided. In addition, the display and control unit 2 can also have a processing unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit).

[0028] To operate the electronic device 1, the interface unit 3 is designed to create an assignment list between the functional elements 7 provided by the functional units 6 and the respective providing functional unit. This assignment list thus provides a central overview of the functional elements 7 available in the electronic device 1. This is particularly important when the functional units 6 can be added to and removed from the electronic device 1, i.e., they are only temporarily connected to it. For example, the functional unit 6 resides on a device 4, which is mobile and carried by a user, such as a smartphone. The device 4 will therefore not be permanently connected to the interface unit 3.

[0029] Upon request, the interface unit 3 can now connect several function elements 7 to provide a function group 8 (not shown here) via the communication device 5. This means that the interface unit 3 selects from the assignment list those function elements 7 that are necessary to achieve a specific functionality of the function group 8. Subsequently, these function elements 7 are connected to each other via the communication device 5, which is, for example, a bus system. The function elements 7 themselves are not transmitted via the communication device 5. Rather, only user data is exchanged between the function elements 7.

[0030] For this purpose, interface unit 3 comprises several components 9 to 14. Component 9 ("Service Description") serves, for example, to categorize the functional elements 7 according to their semantic and ontological description. Component 9 therefore contains all relevant information about the functional elements 7, in particular what functionality the functional element 7 offers, where and when the functional element 7 was added to the electronic device 1, who created the functional element 7, and so on. Component 10 ("Service Registry") serves to register a new functional element 7, previously unknown to interface unit 3, in component 9 with a unique service ID. In doing so, the non-functional properties and the functional description of the functional element 7 are disclosed to the electronic device 1.In component 11 ("Service Decomposition"), when functional group 8 is requested, it is broken down into its required functionalities. This reveals all functionalities and, consequently, all functional elements 7 necessary to assemble functional group 8. Subsequently, component 12 ("Service Discovery") determines the functional unit 6 that will provide each functional element 7 to functional group 8. It is possible that multiple functional elements 7 may be found that provide the same functionality. Component 13 ("Service Composition") then combines the functional elements 7 that provide the desired functionalities into functional group 8.If several functional elements 7 with the same functionality exist, a single functional element 7 can be selected from these, either according to the wishes of a user of the electronic device 1 or according to predefined system criteria. Component 14 ("Service Grounding") is then available for necessary grounding tasks. Grounding refers to establishing a connection ("mapping") between a semantic and a syntactic description of the functional elements 7. Grounding is thus the interface between a semantic model and the executable environment (for example, Java).

[0031] The Fig. Section 2 describes the functionality of the electronic device 1 using a function group 8, which is intended to provide the user with a navigation service. For the description of the function elements 7, the Web Service Modeling Ontology (WSMO) for a Sematic Web is used, for example. The Web Service Modeling Language (WSML), Java, and / or the Web Service Execution Environment (WSMX) can be used as the description language and executable environment. Fig.Figure 2 illustrates the procedure using a WSMO model. Function group 8, which is intended to provide the navigation service, consists, for example, of non-functional properties and functional descriptions with executable semantics. A model 15 ("Choreograph") describes an interaction between the display and control unit 2 or a user 17 and function group 8, while a model 16 ("Orchestration") describes an interaction between function group 8 and the functional elements 7.

[0032] The following describes how the functional group 8 is assembled from the distributed functional elements 7. First, in a preliminary step, the functional group 8 is decomposed into the required functionalities using component 11 ("Service Decomposition") or model 16. In this example, these are, for instance, a POI service, an address book service, a vocalization service, and a route planning service. Subsequently, component 12 ("Service Discovery") is used to search for functional elements 7 that provide these functionalities. In this example, functional element 18 provides the POI service, functional element 19 the address book service, functional element 20 a communication connection or telecommunications connection, functional element 21 the vocalization service, and functional element 22 the route planning service.Functional element 18 is provided by a first of the functional units 6 (tablet), functional element 19 by a second of the functional units 6 (distributed computer system), functional elements 20 and 21 by a third of the functional units 6 (smartphone), and functional element 22 by a fourth of the functional units 6 (navigation device). If the functional units 6 provide several functional elements 7 with the same functionality, the interface unit 3 decides, for example according to user specifications, which of the functional elements 7 should be used.

[0033] Finally, in a third step, the selected functional elements 7 are interconnected via the communication device 5 using component 13 (“Service Composition”) or model 16. Simultaneously, further measures can be taken to correct any errors that may have occurred and to better adapt the functional group 8 formed from the functional elements 7 to given requirements. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the user receives personalized navigation functionality with the functional group 8.

Claims

[1] Method for operating an electronic device (1) of a motor vehicle, wherein the electronic device (1) comprises several functional units (6) which each provide at least one specific functional element (7), wherein the functional units (6) are connected to an interface unit (3), characterized by , that the interface unit (3) creates an assignment list between the provided functional elements (7) and the respective providing functional unit (6) and, on request, connects several functional elements (7) to provide a functional group (8) by means of at least one communication device (5) and that at least one of the functional units (6) provides several functional elements (7). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that the interface unit (3) simultaneously provides several functional groups (8). [3] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that several of the functional units (6) provide the same functional element (7) and the interface unit (3) selects one of these functional units (6) to provide the functional element (7) to the functional group (8). [4] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that all functional units (7) provide several functional elements (6). [5] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that when connecting to the interface unit (3) the functional unit (6) provides information about the provided functional element (7) to the interface unit (3). [6] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the provided functional element (7) is performed on a computing unit assigned to the functional unit (6). [7] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the functional elements (7) connected to provide the functional group (8) communicate with each other exclusively via the communication device (5) connecting the respective functional units (6). [8] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one of the functional units (6) is located on a smartphone, a tablet, a storage device, a distributed computing system, a navigation device, an entertainment device or a display and control device (2). [9] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one of the functional units (6) has a communication device for establishing a wireless communication link. [10] Electronic device (1) of a motor vehicle for carrying out the method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic device (1) has several functional units (6) which each provide at least one specific functional element (7), wherein the functional units (6) are connected to an interface unit (3), characterized by , that the interface unit (3) is designed to create an assignment list between the provided functional elements (7) and the respective providing functional unit (6) and, on request, to connect several functional elements (7) to provide a functional group (8) by means of at least one communication device (5) and that at least one of the functional units (6) provides several functional elements (7).

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