Vehicle Infotainment Display Partitioning With Dynamic Control Overlay

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle information systems face challenges in simultaneously displaying graphical outputs from functional systems and IVI systems on a central touch-sensitive display screen without impairing user experience or system functionality, particularly due to compatibility issues and limited display space.

Innovation Solution

A method where the system partition generates a graphical control element that can be minimized or maximized by user interaction, allowing for efficient use of the display area while ensuring high availability and robustness, with the hypervisor dynamically allocating resources to optimize both system and IVI partition functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the system partition displays graphical control elements on the central display screen, then system functionality is maintained, but the display area available for IVI outputs is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem functionalityVSAvoiddisplay area for IVI outputs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The graphical control element is designed to dynamically change its display state between minimized and maximized based on user interaction. When minimized, it occupies minimal display area allowing IVI outputs to utilize the entire screen. When maximized, it provides full system control functionality. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to switch between prioritizing display area and prioritizing system functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The graphical control element is positioned in a specific local area of the display screen rather than occupying the entire display area. This localized placement allows the majority of the display screen to be dedicated to IVI outputs while still providing access to system control functions in the designated local region.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate display areas are allocated for system and IVI outputs, then both functions are available, but display space is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional availabilityVSAvoiddisplay space utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The graphical control element is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a system control interface when maximized and as a minimal overlay when minimized to allow IVI content to occupy the entire display area. This universal design allows a single display area to serve multiple functions at different times, eliminating the need for separate dedicated display areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the display configuration based on operational requirements. The graphical control element transitions between minimized and maximized states, allowing the display space to be fully utilized for IVI content when system control is not needed, and to provide system control functionality when required, without permanent allocation of separate display areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4171985B1Method for operating a vehicle information system
Publication Date: 2024.08.07 AUDI AG
  • EP4171985B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4171985B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4171985B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for operating an information system of a vehicle, in which a processor sub-system of a system on a chip of an information system of a vehicle performs a system partition of the system on a chip and a vehicle infotainment partition of the system on a chip; a functional system of the system partition produces a graphical operating element and locates it in a composition plane of a main compositor of the information system, which plane is at the front relative to a user's sight line, and a touch-sensitive display screen which is functionally connected to the system on a chip and is arranged centrally in the vehicle displays a display content which is provided by the main compositor and comprises the graphical operating element. The invention also relates to an information system for a vehicle.