Transferring data from a mobile device to a function of a vehicle.

Abstract

Methods for transferring data on a mobile device to a function of a vehicle, comprising: Determining the data to be transmitted for a function of a vehicle; Determining the position of the mobile device in relation to a location associated with the function of the vehicle; Determining the direction in which the assigned location is situated, starting from the position of the mobile device; Displaying a control element on a touch-sensitive display of the mobile device, wherein the control element includes an indication pointing in the direction of the associated location, starting from the position of the mobile device; Receiving an activation input from a user on the touch-sensitive display of the mobile device; In response to receiving the activation input: Transferring the data from the mobile device to the vehicle's function; where the clue is an arrow pointing in the direction of the associated location; where the activation input by the user is a swipe of a finger along the arrow.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for transmitting data from a mobile terminal to a function of a vehicle, a corresponding device and a corresponding computer program.

[0002] Today, there are already ways to connect a smartphone to vehicle functions. For example, analog audio signals can be played through the vehicle's speakers via a jack plug on the smartphone and a corresponding socket in the vehicle. The vehicle then acts as an amplifier. It is also known to connect a smartphone to the vehicle via Bluetooth, allowing music to be played through the speakers.

[0003] However, the user interfaces for these possibilities of information exchange between smartphone and vehicle functions could be designed more advantageously.

[0004] The documents DE 10 2004 003 755 A1, DE 10 2010 033 901 A1, EP 1 298 893 A2, DE 10 2010 002 861 A1, and EP 0 833 286 A2 disclose relevant prior art.

[0005] The task for the expert is therefore to provide an intuitive method for transmitting data from a mobile device to a function of a vehicle.

[0006] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1, a device according to claim 7, and a computer program according to claim 8. Advantageous further developments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] In one aspect, a method for transmitting data on a mobile device to a function of a vehicle comprises: determining the data to be transmitted to a function of a vehicle; determining the position of the mobile device relative to a location associated with the function of the vehicle; determining the direction in which the associated location is located from the position of the mobile device; displaying a control on a touch-sensitive display of the mobile device, the control comprising an indication pointing in the direction in which the associated location is located from the position of the mobile device; receiving an activation input of the control from a user on the touch-sensitive display of the mobile device; in response to receiving the activation input: transmitting the data from the mobile device to the function of the vehicle.The indication is an arrow pointing in the direction of the assigned location. More preferably, the activation input by the user is a swipe along the arrow. The user thus performs a swipe or swipe input in the direction of the assigned location, with the direction already specified by the arrow. The control element can also include text such as "send to car." Additionally, the arrow can be animated and represent a movement, particularly in the direction indicated by it.

[0008] The user is shown a hint, preferably a graphic hint, pointing in the direction of the location assigned to the function. This hint is intuitively related to what the user wants to achieve—namely, the transmission of data from the device to the vehicle's function. By spatially linking the transmission option, the input the user must perform for the transmission becomes easy and intuitive to understand.

[0009] One possible application scenario is that a passenger looks up an address on their smartphone while driving. This address is shown on the smartphone display along with a control element that indicates the direction in which the display in the vehicle's center console is located. By swiping or wiping in the displayed direction (the activation input), the address is passed on as an (intermediate) destination. Another example is that a user in the rear of the vehicle is watching a video on their mobile device. They are shown a control element with an indication of the direction in which the Rear Seat Entertainment display is located (for example, on the back of the front seat). By swiping in the displayed direction (on the display on the back of the front seat), the video is now shown on the Rear Seat Entertainment.

[0010] For a navigation system, the assigned location can be, for example, the display in the center console, for an audio system the nearest loudspeaker, and for rear seat entertainment the display on the back of the front seats.

[0011] In a further development, the method further comprises: determining the orientation of the mobile device, in particular the orientation of the longitudinal axis or transverse axis of the mobile device with respect to a horizontal plane and further in particular whether the mobile device is in portrait or landscape format (the horizontal plane is determined in relation to the earth or the earth's surface); taking the orientation of the mobile device into account when displaying the control element. Mobile devices can often be used in both landscape and landscape formats. In order for the information to be displayed to actually point in the direction of the assigned location, the orientation of the mobile device must be taken into account. The orientation determination can be fine and can also detect positions between pure portrait and landscape format and take this into account when displaying the information.Alignment can be done using a magnetometer or a gyroscope in the mobile device.

[0012] In another development, the method further comprises: determining the orientation of the vehicle, in particular the orientation of the longitudinal axis or transverse axis of the vehicle in relation to a horizontal plane; taking the orientation of the vehicle into account when displaying the control element. This variant is particularly advantageous if the mobile device does not itself determine whether it is held in portrait or landscape format, but only determines its absolute orientation in space (i.e. in relation to a horizontal plane). In this case, it is also necessary to determine the (absolute) orientation of the vehicle and compare it with the orientation of the device in order to correctly interpret the indication in the direction of the assigned location. In this way, the relative position of the device to the vehicle is determined and taken into account when displaying the control element and the indication. The relative position of the assigned location to the vehicle is also taken into account.The direction in which the hint is to be interpreted is then calculated relative to the display of the end device.

[0013] The method can provide for the mobile device to receive the position of the location assigned to the function, particularly from the vehicle itself. Using this information, which can also be permanently programmed or configured in the device, the device can then determine the direction in which the respective notification should be displayed. The position can also be retrieved via the internet, for example. The position can be specified relative to a coordinate system aligned with the vehicle.

[0014] Determining the position of the mobile device in relation to a location associated with the function of the vehicle can comprise the following: detecting a movement of the mobile device that indicates that a person carrying the mobile device is sitting down on a vehicle seat; detecting an occupancy of a vehicle seat using sensors, in particular using sensors in the vehicle seat or a camera; determining that the movement of the mobile device and the seat occupancy were detected from each other within a predetermined period of time; setting the position of the smartphone to the position of the vehicle seat. Thus, the essentially simultaneous movement of the smartphone that indicates that the person carrying the mobile device is sitting down and the occupancy of a vehicle seat detected by sensors are used to detect the occupancy of the vehicle seat. This information is then used to set the position of the smartphone to that of the seat.The information to be displayed is then based on this position.

[0015] In one further development, determining the position of the mobile device in relation to a location assigned to the function of the vehicle comprises the following: displaying an overview, for example in a bird's eye view, of the seats available in the vehicle; receiving an operating input from a user; assigning the user's operating input to a seat in the vehicle; setting the position of the mobile device to the position of the seat in the vehicle. This method for determining the position of the mobile device enables manual determination, for example by the user of the device. The determination is also intuitive for the user, since an overview of the seats available in the vehicle is displayed. Furthermore, this method for determining the position can also be used when the mobile device changes position, for example when being handed over to another occupant.In this case, the positioning can be triggered by the user manually calling a corresponding function in the end device.

[0016] If the mobile device changes its orientation, this must be taken into account. This can involve switching between portrait and landscape format. In any case, the change is taken into account when displaying the notification and the control element. Additionally or alternatively, a change in orientation can trigger a complete recalibration, in which both the vehicle and the mobile device redetermine their (absolute) orientation in space, as described above under further developments.

[0017] It may be possible that data transmission using the above methods is not possible for all vehicle functions. In this case, the mobile device receives the functions for which transmission is possible from the vehicle.

[0018] In addition, different roles or user classes can be assigned to the mobile device, according to which the execution of the procedure is permitted or denied for certain functions (access control). For example, roles for a taxi can be: chauffeur / taxi driver, passenger. Other roles can be passenger or owner. The passenger role can be permitted to execute the procedure only for a small or reduced range of functions, while the owner is granted the full range of functions. The procedure therefore involves querying a user role and determining the functions to which data may be transferred based on access permissions stored for the user role.

[0019] Likewise, for a role (e.g. passenger), it may be stipulated that the transmission of data by a mobile device with this role must be confirmed or approved by another device with a different role (e.g. owner or taxi driver).

[0020] In another aspect, a mobile device comprises communication means; a touch-sensitive display and an electronic computing unit; wherein the mobile device is configured to carry out one of the above methods that does not involve method steps performed in the vehicle. A mobile device can be, for example, a smartphone or a music player. The mobile device can have the necessary interfaces known in the art, such as Bluetooth, to communicate with the vehicle and its functions.

[0021] In another aspect, a computer program comprises instructions for executing one of the above-mentioned methods that do not relate to method steps performed in the vehicle. When the instructions are executed on a computer, in particular a smartphone, the computer program can cause the computer, or smartphone itself, to execute the aforementioned methods. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Fig. 1 schematically shows an exemplary application of the invention in the interior of a motor vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention. Seats 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are located in the interior of a motor vehicle 1. The driver's seat 2a with the steering wheel 4 is occupied by the driver 3a, and the front passenger seat 2b is occupied by the front passenger 3b. The front passenger 3b carries a smartphone 5, which he also carried on the front passenger seat 2b when boarding the vehicle.

[0023] The front passenger seat 2b is equipped with seat occupancy detection. When the front passenger 3b got into the vehicle and sat down on the front passenger seat 2b, this movement was detected by the smartphone 5 and the corresponding time was recorded. At the same time, the vehicle detected via the seat occupancy detection that a person was sitting down on the front passenger seat 2b and the corresponding time was recorded. After approaching each other, the vehicle and the smartphone 5 establish a connection, for example via Bluetooth. Using this connection, the vehicle and the smartphone 5 exchange information about the time at which the vehicle detected seat occupancy and the smartphone 5 recorded the sitting down movement. If the time difference between the recorded times remains below a threshold, the smartphone is assigned to the corresponding vehicle seat, in this case seat 3b.A method for assigning smartphones or mobile devices to seats is also described in German patent application number 10 2012 211731.8. Assigning the smartphone 5 to the vehicle seat 2b also determines the position of the smartphone. This position can be slightly in front of the actual position of the seat (for example, the center of gravity of the seat surface) to account for typical user behavior.

[0024] The vehicle also informs smartphone 5 via the connection that the center console display 6 is assigned as a location to a navigation system, i.e., a function of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle informs the smartphone of the position of the center console display 6 in coordinates relative to the vehicle. The format of the coordinate information and the agreement regarding the location of the coordinate origin are preprogrammed in the vehicle and smartphone 5.

[0025] The passenger 3b uses the smartphone 5 to find out a destination address that the driver 3a and the passenger 3b want to reach. The address is displayed on the touchscreen (in Fig. 1 by two short schematic lines of text). Furthermore, the smartphone 5 determines that this address can be sent to the navigation system. The smartphone 5 further determines its position relative to the center console display 6, which is done using the determined position within the vehicle and the received position of the display 6. Furthermore, the smartphone 5 determines whether it is in a longitudinal or transverse orientation. In the present case, the smartphone 5 is in a longitudinal orientation because the long sides of the smartphone 5 face the user and the smartphone is tilted slightly toward the user in accordance with the user's usual use (not shown in the drawing).

[0026] Based on the relative position to display 6 and the determined orientation, smartphone 5 displays an arrow pointing toward display 6. User 3b now moves their finger along the arrow, thereby activating the transmission of address data from the smartphone to the vehicle's navigation system, which is carried out via the connection between smartphone 5 and the vehicle. The navigation system adopts the transmitted address as the destination and performs a standard routing function.

Claims

[1] A method for transmitting data on a mobile terminal to a function of a vehicle, comprising: Determining the data to be transmitted to a function of a vehicle; Determining the position of the mobile device in relation to a location associated with the function of the vehicle; Determining the direction in which the assigned location is located based on the position of the mobile device; Displaying a control element on a touch-sensitive display of the mobile device, the control element comprising an indication pointing in the direction in which the associated location is located, based on the position of the mobile device; Receiving an activation input of the control element by a user on the touch-sensitive display of the mobile device; In response to receiving the activation input: transmitting the data from the mobile device to the function of the vehicle; where the clue is an arrow pointing in the direction of the assigned location; where the user's activation input is a swipe of a finger along the arrow. [2] Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Determining the orientation of the mobile terminal, in particular the orientation of the longitudinal axis or transverse axis of the mobile terminal with respect to a horizontal plane and further in particular whether the mobile terminal is in a portrait or landscape orientation; Consider the orientation of the mobile device when displaying the control element. [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Determining the orientation of the vehicle, in particular the orientation of the longitudinal axis or transverse axis of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane; Consider the orientation of the vehicle when displaying the control. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Receiving the position of the location assigned to the function on the mobile device. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the position of the mobile terminal with respect to a location associated with the function of the vehicle comprises: Detecting a movement of the mobile device that indicates that a person carrying the mobile device sits down on a vehicle seat; Detecting the occupancy of a seat of a vehicle using sensors, in particular using sensors in the seat of the vehicle or a camera; Determine that the movement of the mobile device and the seat occupancy have been detected within a predetermined period of time; Setting the position of the smartphone to the position of the vehicle seat. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the position of the mobile terminal with respect to a location associated with the function of the vehicle comprises: Display an overview of the seats available in the vehicle; Receiving an operator input from a user; Assigning the user's input to a seat in the vehicle; Setting the position of the mobile device to the position of the vehicle seat. [7] A mobile terminal comprising communication means; a touch-sensitive display and an electronic computing unit; wherein the mobile terminal is configured to carry out one of the methods according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 6. [8] A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out any of the methods according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 6.

Images