Context-based mapping for physical vehicle control systems

Abstract

A system for linking functions to physical controls (e.g., buttons and / or a scroll wheel) of a vehicle based on a trigger. The vehicle incorporates a variety of vehicle systems. One or more physical controls are installed and configured to be operated by a vehicle user. An in-vehicle control system is coupled to the variety of vehicle systems. The in-vehicle control system is configured to: detect a state of one or more of the variety of vehicle systems; determine that the state satisfies a trigger for a context mapping; and, in response to determining that the state satisfies the trigger for the context mapping, link functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controls to the one or more physical controls.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 519,553, filed August 14, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and is hereby expressly incorporated herein in its entirety, as if fully set forth below, and for all applicable purposes. INTRODUCTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to vehicle controls, and more particularly to physical vehicle controls that are physically operated by a user. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure describes a system for linking functions to physical controls (e.g., buttons and / or a scroll wheel) of a vehicle based on a trigger. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a plurality of vehicle systems. One or more physical controls are mounted within the vehicle and configured to be operated by a user of the vehicle. An in-vehicle control system is coupled to the plurality of vehicle systems.The in-vehicle control system is configured to: detect a condition of one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems; determine that the condition satisfies a context mapping trigger; and in response to determining that the condition satisfies the context mapping trigger, associate functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controllers with the one or more physical controllers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 illustrates an example vehicle. Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B illustrate tilting a side mirror according to certain embodiments. Fig. 3 illustrates physical controls and computer-generated interfaces that may be subject to context-based mapping according to certain embodiments. Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B illustrate a graphical user interface for conveying context-based mapping to mirror tilt, according to certain embodiments. Fig. 5A through 5E illustrate example graphical user interfaces for communicating side mirror status and context-based mirror tilt mapping, according to certain embodiments. Fig. 6 is an exemplary method for performing context-based mapping to mirror tilt, according to certain embodiments. Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B illustrate the association of areas with particular garage door openers according to certain embodiments. Fig. 8 illustrates an example graphical user interface for conveying context-based mapping for garage door opening functions, according to certain embodiments. Fig. 9 illustrates an example method for providing context-based mapping for garage door opening functions, according to certain embodiments. Fig. 10 illustrates a variety of context-based associations according to certain embodiments. Fig. 11 illustrates components for providing context-based mappings by an in-vehicle control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0004] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary vehicle 102 having an in-vehicle control system 104. Unless otherwise noted, the functions and methods described herein may be performed by the in-vehicle control system 104. The in-vehicle control system 104 may be embodied as a general-purpose computing device (e.g., a computing device running a mobile operating system such as ANDROID) or other programmable logic device.

[0005] As depicted, vehicle 102 may be a passenger vehicle (e.g., a car, a truck, a pickup truck, a city utility vehicle (SUV), a minivan, a crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a truck, a tow truck) that may be used for transportation and may travel in one or more of rural environments, urban environments, and / or off-road or mountain environments. In one embodiment, vehicle 102 may be a gasoline-powered vehicle, which may be powered, for example, by an internal combustion engine (ICE) or other fuel-injected engine.

[0006] In certain embodiments, the vehicle 102 may, for example, be an electric vehicle (EV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or other vehicle 102 that may be partially or entirely powered by one or more electric motors (e.g., synchronous electric motors, permanent magnet synchronous electric motors (PMSMs), induction motors (IMs), line-start synchronous motors (LSSMs), line-start permanent magnet motors (LSPMMs), synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs)) that utilize energy stored in one or more batteries with which the vehicle 102 is equipped.

[0007] In some embodiments, vehicle 102 may include an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, suitable for operating, for example, according to Level 3 autonomous driving, Level 4 autonomous driving, Level 5 autonomous driving, or switching between different levels of autonomous driving functionality. Although the present embodiments are primarily discussed with reference to the embodiment of a personal transport vehicle 102, it should be understood that in other embodiments, vehicle 102 may be one of a fleet of similar vehicles 102 (e.g., a fleet of trucks, a fleet of police vehicles, a fleet of taxis, or a fleet of food service vehicles).

[0008] In certain embodiments, as further in Fig. 1, the vehicle 102 may include an in-vehicle control system 104. In certain embodiments, the in-vehicle control system 104 may include an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system or other in-vehicle control system that may be adapted to provide entertainment and information monitoring and control functions to a driver or one or more passengers of the vehicle 102. For example, in some embodiments, the in-vehicle control system 104 may include some combination of software, hardware, and middleware that may be adapted to allow the driver or one or more passengers of the vehicle 102 to, for example, stream media content (e.g.,Audio data, video data, image data, call log data, navigation maps, vehicle data, profile data of one or more drivers, weather data); the use of voice-based and touch-based control of various components and applications (e.g.Driving mode of the vehicle 102; camera angles and adjustments; mirror angles and adjustments; seat adjustments; external and internal lighting settings of the vehicle 102; turning the vehicle 102 ON or OFF; locking and unlocking the vehicle 102; opening and closing the windows; opening and closing the trunk, tailgate, or trunk lid; requesting updates from the vehicle 102; pairing with one or more personal electronic devices of the driver or other passengers of the vehicle 102; creating and modifying one or more driver profiles; controlling and managing the settings and functionality of one or more components of the vehicle 102 on the vehicle 102 and allowing the vehicle to exchange information over the air (OTA) between the vehicle 102 and one or more external devices (e.g.,between the vehicle 102 and one or more remote servers, between the vehicle 102 and one or more other vehicles, between the vehicle 102 and the one or more vehicle accessories).

[0009] How Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, and how further Fig. 1, the vehicle 102 may include side mirror assemblies 106. The side mirror assemblies 106 may include a housing 200 containing a mirror 202 and a mirror actuator 204. The mirror actuator 204 may have two or more rotational degrees of freedom. As explained in more detail below, the mirror actuator 204 may adjust the mirror 202 between a driving configuration ( Fig. 2A), which provides a view of vehicles traveling behind and beside the vehicle 102, and a downwardly tilted configuration ( Fig. 2B), which (compared to the driving configuration) provides a better view of the rear tire, curbs or other obstacles close to the ground (e.g., within 20 cm), and other parts of the vehicle around the rear tire. The downward-tilted configuration may be suitable for reversing, parallel parking, or other situations where such visibility is required, such as driving over rough terrain.

[0010] How Fig. 3, the interior of the vehicle 102 includes a steering wheel 300 that is rotated by the user to cause the vehicle 102 to turn by some or all of changing the angle of the front wheels, changing the angle of the rear wheels, and changing the relative speeds of the wheels on the right and left sides of the vehicle. The interior of the vehicle 102 includes an instrument panel, which in the illustrated embodiment includes or is implemented as an instrument panel display device 302 coupled to the in-vehicle control system 104. The in-vehicle control system 104 may display information related to the vehicle's status (speed, state of charge, drive state (drive, park, reverse)), navigation information (maps, directions, etc.), or other information.

[0011] The interior of the vehicle 102 may further include an infotainment display device 304. The infotainment display device 304 may be embodied as a touchscreen located on one side of the steering wheel 300. The in-vehicle control system 104 may therefore cause the infotainment display device 304 to display interfaces for controlling systems of the vehicle and to receive and execute inputs received via the interfaces from a driver or passenger.

[0012] The steering wheel 300 or another part of the vehicle 102 may include a control group 306 that has physical interface elements operable by the driver. In the illustrated embodiment, the control group 306 includes a left button 308 and a right button 310 that the driver can press with their thumb while holding the steering wheel. The control group 306 may include a scroll wheel 312, such as between the left button 308 and the right button 310. The scroll wheel 312 can be rotated with the driver's thumb to select between multiple options or, otherwise, from a range of values ​​(e.g., the volume of a sound system). In some embodiments, the scroll wheel 312 is also a button, the pressing of which can be detected and invokes the associated functionality. The buttons 308, 310 may be implemented as mechanical buttons that generate an output in response to physical pressing by the user.The buttons 308, 310 may also be implemented as capacitive buttons or other types of buttons that do not physically deform or bend when pressed. The scroll wheel 312 may also include an element that physically rotates in response to a force applied by a user, or it may be implemented as a touch-sensitive element capable of detecting a direction of movement and possibly a speed of movement of a user's finger across the touch-sensitive element and possibly detecting the pressure applied by the user's finger.

[0013] Control cluster 306 is merely an example. Other physical interface elements elsewhere inside vehicle 102 may have context-based mappings associated with them, in accordance with the approach described herein. In particular, control cluster 306 on the right side of steering wheel 300 is discussed in detail herein, with the understanding that a control cluster on the left side of steering wheel 300 may be used in a similar manner.

[0014] As discussed in detail below, the functions effected by control group 306 may be dynamically modified based on the context of the vehicle 102, referred to herein as "context mapping." In some embodiments, instrument panel display 302 includes a mapping indicator 314 that communicates to the driver the functions associated with the current context mapping of control group 306. It should be noted that although the functions associated with a particular context mapping are not associated with control group 306, the functions may be available elsewhere, such as by navigating user interfaces presented on infotainment display 304.

[0015] Fig. 4A illustrates an example user interface 400 that may be displayed on the instrument panel display device 302. The user interface 400 may include information such as the current gear state 402 of the vehicle 102 (reverse, neutral, forward, park), a speed 404 of the vehicle 102, and navigation information 406. The user interface 400 may also include a chart 408 or other representation of a state of the vehicle 102. Other information displayed in the user interface 400 may include the charge level of a battery, the amount of fuel remaining, the headlight state, whether adaptive cruise control is engaged, or other information about the state of the vehicle 102. In Fig. 4A, the assignment indicator 314 is blank and indicates no assignment for the control group 306. In such scenarios, the control group 306 may have no function or may have standard functions, such as controlling a sound system, air conditioning, or another system of the vehicle 102.

[0016] How Fig. 4B, the user interface 400 may be modified to display association information 410 in the association display 314 when the context of the vehicle 102 corresponds to a particular context association. The association information 410 may include text 412 or other graphical information (e.g., an icon) indicating some or all of the information about (a) the context of the vehicle that caused the association to be displayed and (b) the functions caused by the interaction with the control group 306. For example, in the illustrated example, the text 412 reads "Side Mirror Tilt," indicating that an interaction with the control group 306 causes one or both side mirrors 202 to tilt toward or away from the downward-tilted configuration, as discussed above.

[0017] The mapping information 410 may include text or icons that convey the function of some or all of the buttons 308, 310, and the scroll wheel 312 of the control group 306. For example, icon 414 indicates that pressing the left button 308 tilts or untilts the left mirror 202, and icon 416 indicates that pressing the right button 308 tilts or untilts the right mirror 202. In the illustrated mapping information 410, no context-based mapping is associated with the scroll wheel 312, so an area of ​​the mapping indicator 314 corresponding to the scroll wheel 312 is left blank or grayed out, or otherwise does not include an icon or other information indicating a context-based mapping.The in-vehicle control system 104 may, while the context-based association is in effect, either (a) associate no functionality with the scroll wheel 312 or (b) associate a default function with the scroll wheel 312. For example, if there is no context-based association for pressing the scroll wheel 312, pressing the scroll wheel 312 may apply the brakes of a trailer connected to the vehicle 102.

[0018] How Fig. 5A through 5E, in some embodiments, the association information 410 may convey the state of a component of the vehicle 102 associated with a context-based association. For example, the association information 410 may include symbols 500 indicating that one or both mirrors 202 are in the downward tilt configuration ( Fig. 5A), symbols 502 indicating that one or both mirrors 202 are currently being moved into the downward tilted configuration ( Fig. 5B), symbols 504 indicating that one or both mirrors are currently in the drive configuration ( Fig. 5C), or symbols 506 indicating that one or both mirrors 202 are being moved back to the driving configuration ( Fig. 5D). The mapping information 410 may indicate, in addition to the current state of each mirror 202, whether auto-tilt of one or both mirrors 202 is enabled ("A"). As explained in more detail below, auto-tilting may include transitioning a mirror 202 to the downward-tilted configuration without a corresponding user command, such as in response to the vehicle 102 shifting into reverse.

[0019] Fig. 6 illustrates an example method 600 that may be used to select a context-based mapping of the control group 306 for controlling the tilt of the mirrors 202 ("the tilt context mapping") and respond to user interactions with the control group 306. The method 600 may be executed by the in-vehicle control system 104.

[0020] The method 600 includes, in step 602, detecting a transition of the vehicle 102 into a reverse gear state. The transition into reverse gear is an example of a trigger for the tilt context mapping. Other triggers may also be used for scenarios where the downward tilt configuration could be advantageous. Such scenarios may include, for example, one of the following or a combination of two or more of the following scenarios: speeds and steering wheel movements corresponding to parallel parking, location of the vehicle at or near (e.g., within a vehicle length or width) a parallel parking space. In another example, a sharp turn of the steering wheel 300 (e.g., a change in steering angle of over 15 degrees) at slow vehicle speeds (e.g.,less than 6 miles per hour) automatically cause the downward tilting configuration for the mirror on the side into which the vehicle 102 is turning.

[0021] In response to detecting that the vehicle 102 has shifted into reverse, the method 600 includes evaluating, at step 604, whether the settings of the on-vehicle control system 104 require automatic tilting of one or both of the mirrors 202. If so, at step 606, each mirror requiring automatic tilt is tilted from the drive configuration to the downward tilt configuration.

[0022] The method 600 may include, in step 608, evaluating whether a context assignment having a higher priority than the propensity context assignment has been triggered. As described further below with reference to Fig. As explained in more detail in Figure 11, there are many context mappings with different trigger conditions, several of which may be met simultaneously. The context mapping with the higher priority is therefore selected to determine the functions associated with control group 306 and the mapping information 410 displayed in mapping display 314.

[0023] If no higher priority context mapping has been triggered, the mapping information 410 for the bias context mapping is displayed in step 610 in the mapping display 314 (see Fig. 4B and related description) and the tilt context mapping is activated. While the tilt context mapping is active, user inputs are received at control group 306 and processed according to the tilt context mapping. For example, when the tilt context mapping is active: • pressing button 308 causes the left mirror 202 to tilt into the downward tilt configuration when the left mirror is in the drive configuration. • pressing button 308 causes the left mirror 202 to tilt into the drive configuration when the left mirror is in the downward tilt configuration. • pressing button 310 causes the right mirror 202 to tilt into the downward tilt configuration when the right mirror is in the drive configuration. • pressing button 310 causes the right mirror 202 to tilt into the drive configuration when the right mirror is in the downward tilt configuration.

[0024] The tilt context mapping may remain active until either (a) the vehicle 102 is determined to be transitioning out of the reverse gear state at step 612, or (b) a higher priority mapping is determined to be active at step 608. A transition out of the reverse gear state may be detected in response to the vehicle 102 shifting into a drive mode other than the reverse gear state. A transition out of the reverse drive mode may be detected in response to the vehicle moving in a forward direction above a threshold speed, such as 6 mph or another predefined speed. For example, the downward tilt configuration may be useful for parallel parking, which involves moving forward and backward at low speeds, so the downward tilt configuration may be useful in both directions.Likewise, constantly switching between the downward tilt configuration and the drive configuration during parallel parking would be confusing. Until the system detects that the vehicle is shifting out of reverse, the tilt context mapping can be reactivated if no higher-priority context mapping is active.

[0025] If it is determined in step 612 that the vehicle is transitioning out of reverse mode, the method 600 may include evaluating in step 614 whether any of the mirrors 202 are currently in the downward tilt configuration. If so, each mirror in the downward tilt configuration is returned to the drive configuration in step 616. The method 600 may then include removing the tilt context assignment in step 618 so that the assignment information 410 for the tilt context assignment is no longer displayed in the assignment display 314. The functions associated with the control group 306 may then either (a) be reset to the default functions or (b) be set as the functions associated with another currently triggered context assignment, along with displaying the assignment information 410 for the other context assignment.

[0026] How Fig. 7A, in some embodiments, a context mapping links control of one or more garage door openers (GDOs) 700a, 700b to the control group 306 ("the GDO context mapping"). For example, a user may specify the location and size of an area 702a, 702b associated with a particular GDO 700a, 700b. For example, while the vehicle 102 is in front of or behind a garage door 704a, 704b being opened by a GDO 700a, 700b, a user may indicate that the current location 706a, 706b of the vehicle 102 (such as a GPS coordinate detected by a GPS receiver of the vehicle control system 104) is associated with that GDO 700a, 700b. The in-vehicle control system 104 may determine a size of the area 702a, 702b in response to a user input, such as a radius of a circular area centered at the current location 706a, 706b.In this way, the user can achieve a desired time for opening a garage door 704a, 704b upon arrival. As can be seen from . Fig. 7A, the areas 702a, 702b of two or more GDOs 700a, 700b may overlap. In other scenarios, a single area 702a is defined and does not overlap any other areas 702b, as in Fig. 7B shown.

[0027] The in-vehicle control system 104 may be configured to control each GDO 700a, 700b. The manner in which the in-vehicle control system 104 couples to each GDO 700a, 700b to enable such control may be according to any approach known in the art. Furthermore, the in-vehicle control system 104 may analyze data received from a particular GDO 700a, 700b, e.g., codes, to determine a make and / or model of the GDO 700a, 700b. The in-vehicle control system 104 may also determine a state of the GDO 700a, 700b, e.g., a state in a pairing process. In some embodiments, instructions, images, and other information for different makes and models of GDOs may be loaded into the in-vehicle control system 104.Accordingly, the in-vehicle control system 104 may display instructions and / or images, such as on the infotainment display 304, to guide the user during a pairing process. For example, the in-vehicle control system 104 may cause the display of an image of a GDO highlighting the buttons to be pressed and including text or other types of information to instruct the user how to perform the pairing.

[0028] How Fig. 8, and still Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B, if the vehicle 102 is within an area 702a, 702b of at least one GDO 700a, 700b for which an area 702a, 702b has been configured, the GDO context mapping may become active, provided that a higher priority context mapping is not also triggered.

[0029] The GDO context mapping information 410 may include text 800 indicating that the GDO context mapping is active ("Garage"). The text 800 may indicate (a) an identifier of a single GDO 700a, 700b corresponding to the area 702a, 702b in which the vehicle 102 is located, such that the GDO context mapping has been triggered, or (b) an identifier of a selected GDO 700a, 700b from among multiple GDOs 700a, 700b for which the vehicle 102 is located in a corresponding area 702a, 702b. For example, "Home - L" in the illustrated example, where the region 702a corresponds to a left garage door 704a and the overlapping region 702b corresponds to a right garage door 704b ("Home - R").

[0030] The mapping information 410 may include an icon 802 or other indicator indicating that the button 308, when pressed, causes the GDO context mapping to exit. The mapping information 410 may include an icon 804 or other indicator indicating that the button 310, when pressed, causes the opening (if currently closed) or closing (if currently open) of a single GDO 700a, 700b in whose area 702a, 702b the vehicle 102 is located, or the selected GDO 700a, 700b of multiple GDOs 700a, 700b in whose areas 702a, 702b the vehicle 102 is located.

[0031] If the vehicle 102 is located within the areas 702a, 702b of multiple GDOs 700a, 700b, the mapping information 410 may include an icon 806 (e.g., a down or up arrow) indicating that scrolling the scroll wheel 312 will select a different GDO 700a, 700b than the one currently selected for control by pressing the button 310.

[0032] If there is no user interaction with the scroll wheel 312, the selected GDO 700a, 700b may be the most recently used GDO 700a, 700b, a default GDO 700a, 700b explicitly specified by the user, or a GDO 700a, 700b selected based on other criteria. For example, an image from a forward-facing camera of the vehicle 102 may be used to identify the exact garage door 704a, 704b in front of which the vehicle 102 is located, and then the GDO 700a, 700b for that garage door 704a, 704b may be selected. For example, one or more reference images may be captured with one or more cameras of the vehicle 102 when a region 702a, 702b is defined for a GDO 700a, 700b. During use, one or more test images from one or more cameras may be compared to the reference images for one or more GDOs 700a, 700b.The one or more test images that are most similar to reference images can be identified and the GDO 700a, 700b that corresponds to the one or more most similar reference images is selected as the selected GDO 700a, 700b.

[0033] How Fig. 9, a method 900 may be executed by the in-vehicle control system 104. The method 900 may include, in step 902, evaluating whether the vehicle 102 is located in at least one area 702a, 702b defined for at least one GDO 700a, 700b. If not, the method 900 may terminate. Likewise, if a context assignment having a higher priority than the GDO context assignment is currently active, the method 900 may end regardless of whether the vehicle 102 is located in at least one area 702a, 702b defined for at least one GDO 700a, 700b. If the vehicle 102 is located in at least one area 702a, 702b and no higher priority context assignment has been triggered, the GDO context assignment may become active. The activation of the GDO context mapping may be accompanied by an acoustic signal.

[0034] If it is not determined that the vehicle 102 is not located in multiple areas 702a, 702b in step 904, the method 900 may, in step 906, include displaying the mapping information 410 for the GDO context mapping and the GDO 700a, 700b corresponding to the area 702a, 702b in which the vehicle 102 is located, as described above with reference to Fig. 8 described.

[0035] If it is determined in step 904 that the vehicle 102 is located in multiple areas 702a, 702b, the method 900 may include, in step 908, identifying a most recently used GDO 700a, 700b of the GDOs 700a, 700b for which the multiple areas 702a, 702b are defined. In step 910, the mapping information 410 for the most recently used GDO 700a, 700b is displayed, as described above with reference to Fig. 8. As mentioned above, other criteria may be used in step 908 to select the selected GDO 700a, 700b. Furthermore, the mapping information 410 displayed in step 910 may include the indicator 418 indicating that the user has the ability to select among the multiple GDOs 700a, 700b for which the multiple areas 702a, 702b are defined. The method 900 may further include, in step 912, activating the scroll wheel 312 such that interaction with the scroll wheel 312 causes switching to a different GDO 700a, 700b, which is then controlled by interaction with the button 310.

[0036] The example described above refers to a vehicle 102 arriving in one or more areas 702a, 702b. The vehicle 102's departure from one or more areas 702a, 702b may also trigger the GDO context assignment. The method 900 therefore functions as described above, except that the departure from one or more areas 702a, 702b satisfies the condition of step 902, and in step 904, it may be evaluated whether the vehicle has left multiple areas 702a, 702b simultaneously (e.g., within 1 second).

[0037] How Fig. 10, the tilt context mapping and the GDO context mapping described above are only examples of context mappings that can be used to select the functions performed by control group 306. Fig. 10 illustrates examples of mapping information 410 and corresponding functions that may be associated with different contexts.

[0038] For example, the association information 410 labeled "Mobile Phone" may correspond to a "Mobile Phone Context Association" where button 308 causes a call to end, button 310 causes a call to answer or place, and scroll wheel 312 may be used to scroll through contacts or another set of values. The mobile phone context association may be triggered by detecting a phone call received or sent from a mobile phone connected to a BLUETOOTH transceiver or other interface of vehicle 102.

[0039] The mapping information 410 labeled "lowering" may correspond to a "lowering context mapping" in which the scroll wheel 312 may be used to cancel or control lowering (lowering the vehicle 102 to its lowest ride height) in response to a trigger for the lowering context mapping, e.g., when the vehicle 102 is placed in park.

[0040] The mapping information 410 labeled "Left Mirror" and "Right Mirror" may correspond to a "mirror adjustment context mapping," where button 308 causes a mirror 202 to rotate left, button 310 causes a mirror 202 to rotate right, and scroll wheel 312 causes a mirror 202 to rotate up or down according to the direction of rotation of scroll wheel 312. The mirror adjustment context mapping and the selection of which of the right or left mirrors is adjusted may be triggered by other user input, such as a voice command or the selection of a user interface element using infotainment display device 304.

[0041] Fig. Figure 11 illustrates components and data structures that may be used by the in-vehicle control system 104 to detect the triggering of a context association and to select between multiple triggered context associations. For example, the in-vehicle control system may be coupled to components of the vehicle 102, such as a BLUETOOTH transceiver 1100, a GPS receiver 1102, a powertrain 1104 of the vehicle 102, or other systems 1106 of the vehicle 102. The in-vehicle control system 104 may use information received from the components to determine whether a context association is triggered.

[0042] The in-vehicle control system 104 may further be configured with context mapping triggers 1108. The context mapping triggers 1108 define conditions that must be met to trigger a particular context mapping. For example, a context mapping trigger 1108 may include a geofence 1110, e.g., an area such that a context mapping trigger is invoked when the vehicle, as determined from the output of the GPS receiver 1102, is within the area, as described above with reference to Fig. 7A, Fig. 7B, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 described approach.

[0043] A context mapping trigger 1108 may include a detected state 1112 of a cellular phone or other device connected to the in-vehicle control system 104, such as using the BLUETOOTH transceiver 1100. The state 1112 may include pairing the device, receiving a call, placing a call, or another action performed using the cellular phone.

[0044] A context mapping trigger 1108 may include a detected condition 1114 of the powertrain 1104 of the vehicle 102, such as engaging a particular gear, engaging a particular drive mode (general purpose, economy, sport, off-road, etc.), or traveling above or below a particular speed. For example, as described above, engaging the vehicle 102 in reverse may trigger the tilt context mapping.

[0045] The context mapping trigger 1108 may include other triggers 1116 tied to the state of another system of the vehicle 102 or a value detected by one of the sensors of the vehicle 102.

[0046] Each of the context mapping triggers 1108 has a corresponding key mapping 1118. The key mapping 1118 may define one or both of the following properties: (a) the functionality associated with the keys 308, 310, and the scroll wheel 312 of the control group 306, and (b) the mapping information 410 to be displayed in the mapping display 314 when the context mapping associated with a particular context mapping trigger 1108 is active.

[0047] The in-vehicle control system 104 may further be configured with priorities 1120 for selecting which of multiple simultaneously triggered context assignments should be activated. The term "simultaneously triggered" as used herein may be understood to mean that the conditions for triggering the multiple context assignments are all currently met, regardless of when the conditions were first met.

[0048] Priorities 1120 may include security priorities 1122. Security priorities 1122 may be defined to promote security and may take precedence over other priorities. Accordingly, a context mapping having a security priority 1122 may be activated even though a context mapping without a security priority 1122 or with a lower security priority is simultaneously triggered.

[0049] Priorities 1120 may include default priorities 1124. Default priorities 1124 may be defined by a designer of vehicle 102 to increase user convenience and avoid confusion. Accordingly, a context mapping having a default priority 1124 may be activated even though a context mapping with a lower default priority 1124 has been triggered simultaneously.

[0050] Priorities 1120 may include user priorities 1126. User priorities 1126 may be selected by a user of vehicle 102 based on the user's preferences. Accordingly, a context association having a user priority 1126 may be activated even though a context association having a lower user priority 1126 or any default priority 1124 has been triggered simultaneously.

[0051] Priorities 1120 are an example of logic for selecting among concurrently triggered context mappings. Other logic may also be used, which may be specific to the context mappings themselves. For example, triggering the tilt context mapping in response to user driving inputs that might indicate parallel parking may be ignored in favor of the GDO context mapping when the vehicle 102 is within one or more areas 702a, 702b defined for one or more GDOs 700a, 700b.

[0052] In another example, safety considerations in first vehicle states, e.g., high vehicle speeds, may require that one context mapping be assigned a higher priority, while in second vehicle states, e.g., lower vehicle speeds, the priority of the context mapping is lowered so that another context mapping may have a higher priority.

[0053] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for illustrative purposes. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein has been chosen to explain the principles of the embodiments, practical application, or technical improvement over current technologies, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0054] In the foregoing, reference is made to the embodiments illustrated in this disclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure may extend beyond the specifically described embodiments. Rather, any combination of the features and elements, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments, is contemplated for implementing and practicing the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the embodiments disclosed herein may have advantages over other possible solutions or over the prior art, the embodiments may have some advantages or no particular advantage. Therefore, the aspects, features, embodiments, and advantages discussed herein are merely illustrative.

[0055] Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which may be generally referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0056] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described by explanatory text, flowcharts, computer system block diagrams, and / or machine logic block diagrams included in embodiments of computer program products (CPPs). In any flowchart, depending on the technology, the operations may be performed in a different order than that depicted in a particular flowchart. For example, again depending on the technology, two operations depicted in consecutive flowchart blocks may be performed in reverse order, as a single integrated step, concurrently, or in an at least partially temporally overlapping manner.

[0057] An embodiment of a computer program product ("CPP embodiment" or "CPP") is a term used in the present disclosure to describe any group of one or more storage media (also called "media") encapsulated together in a group of one or more storage devices that collectively enclose machine-readable code corresponding to instructions and / or data for performing computer operations specified in a particular CPP claim. A "storage device" is any tangible device capable of retaining and storing instructions for use by a computer processor.The computer-readable storage medium may be, without limitation, an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, an electromagnetic storage medium, a semiconductor storage medium, a mechanical storage medium, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Specific types of storage devices that include these media are: floppy disk, hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, mechanically encoded devices (such as punched cards or pits / lands formed in a major surface of a disk), or any suitable combination of the foregoing.A computer-readable storage medium, as used in this disclosure, refers to non-transitory storage and not to transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide, light pulses traveling through a fiber optic cable, electrical signals transmitted through a wire, and / or other transmission media. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, data is typically moved at certain times during normal operation of a storage device, such as during access, defragmentation, or garbage collection, but the storage device remains non-transitory during these operations because the data remains non-transitory while stored.

[0058] While the foregoing refers to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of protection is determined by the following claims. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 63 / 519,553

[0001]

Claims

[1] System comprising: a vehicle comprising a plurality of vehicle systems; one or more physical controls installed in the vehicle and configured to be operated by a user of the vehicle; and an in-vehicle control system coupled to the plurality of vehicle systems, the in-vehicle control system configured to: Detecting a condition of one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems; Determining that the condition satisfies a trigger for a context assignment; and in response to determining that the condition satisfies the context mapping trigger, associating functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controllers with the one or more physical controllers. [2] The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device mounted in the vehicle, wherein the in-vehicle control system is further configured to display on the display device mapping information conveying the functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controls. [3] The system of claim 1, wherein: the trigger is a first trigger and the context assignment is a first context assignment; and the control system is further configured to: Determining that the state satisfies a second trigger for context mapping; Evaluating a first priority associated with the first context mapping relative to a second priority associated with the second context mapping; (a) determining that the first priority is higher than the second priority; and in response to (a) linking functions defined for the one or more physical controllers by the first context mapping. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical controls include a scroll wheel. [5] The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical controls include a scroll wheel and buttons positioned on either side of the scroll wheel. [6] The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical controls are mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle. [7] The system of claim 1, wherein the context mapping causes the one or more physical controls to control the tilting of the mirrors. [8] The system of claim 7, wherein the trigger is placing the vehicle in a reverse drive state. [9] The system of claim 7, wherein the trigger is detecting the execution of a parallel parking of the vehicle. [10] The system of claim 1, wherein the context mapping causes the one or more physical controls to control a vehicle height of the vehicle. [11] The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger is placing the vehicle in a park powertrain state. [12] The system of claim 1, wherein the context mapping causes the one or more physical controls to control the transmission of a signal that controls a garage door opener. [13] The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger is detecting that the vehicle is within a geofence associated with the garage door opener. [14] The system of claim 1, wherein the context mapping causes the one or more physical controls to control the selection of multiple garage door openers. [15] The system of claim 14, wherein the trigger is detecting that the vehicle is within multiple geofences associated with the multiple garage door openers. [16] The system of claim 1, wherein the context mapping causes the one or more physical controllers to control the operation of a mobile phone connected to the in-vehicle control system. [17] The system of claim 16, wherein the trigger is detecting receipt of a telephone call. [18] A method of operating a vehicle, comprising: Detecting, by a control system, a condition of one or more of a plurality of vehicle systems; Determining, by the control system, that the condition satisfies a trigger for context assignment; and in response to determining that the condition satisfies the context mapping trigger, linking, by the control system, functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controllers to the one or more physical controllers. [19] The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying, by the control system, mapping information on a display device in the vehicle that conveys the functions defined by the context mapping for the one or more physical controls. [20] The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more physical controls are mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

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