The present invention relates to the technology field of in-vehicle entertainment host devices, and more particularly to an in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable.
With advanced development of mobile communication technologies of 4G and 5G, automobile entertainment device having multi functions of multimedia playing, touchable operation and vehicle navigation has become one of the standard devices integrated in an automobile (car). For facilitating driver be able to use the application programs (apps) installed in his smartphone by operating the automobile entertainment device or display the images, audios and/or videos stored in his smartphone by a display screen of the automobile entertainment device, Google company has proposed a specific system called Android Auto that allows the display screen of the automobile entertainment device to display content of the driver's smartphone. It is known that, Apple Inc. has also proposed a system similar to the Android Auto, called Apple CarPlay.
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As explained in more detail below, the forgoing communication channel 3x can be a wireless transmission interface or a wired transmission interface. On the other hand, for facilitating the data transmission between an external electronic device and the automobile entertainment device 1x, the commercial automobile entertainment device 1x is commonly equipped with two or more USB connectors (i.e., the device connection unit 15x). However, it is a pity that, once there is one USB connector is electrically connected with the driver's iOS smartphone 2x, the CarPlay operation interface 1Cx will be shown on the display screen of the display unit 11x. In such case, the main controller unit 10x of the commercial automobile entertainment device 1x is unable to access the external electronic device (e.g., USB flash drive) that is electrically connected to another one USB connector of the automobile entertainment device 1x. Moreover, in case of there are two iOS smartphones respectively connected to two USB connectors of the automobile entertainment device 1x, only one of the two iOS smartphones be allowed to map its Apps on the CarPlay operation interface 1Cx that is shown on the display screen of the display unit 11x.
From above descriptions, it is understood that, how to make the automobile entertainment device 1x having functionality of operation interface switchable will become an important issue for the manufacturers of the automobile entertainment device 1x. When the automobile entertainment device 1x is designed to have functionality of operation interface switchable, users is allowed to select any one of two iOS smartphones that are electrically connected to the automobile entertainment device 1x to map Apps on the CarPlay operation interface 1Cx that is shown in the display screen of the automobile entertainment device 1x. In view of that, inventors of the present application have made great efforts to make inventive research and eventually provided an in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable.
The primary objective of the present invention is to disclose an in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable, wherein the system comprises an in-vehicle host electronic device and a hub having a host-to-host transmission function. After at least two mobile electronic devices are coupled to the hub, the in-vehicle host electronic device firstly prioritizes a communication order between the two mobile electronic devices, and then lets a display unit show an operation interface (like CarPlay operation interface) corresponding to the mobile electronic device that is prioritized with a first ranked communication order. Moreover, in case of a peripheral electronic device being coupled to the hub as well as the display unit being showing the operation interface, the in-vehicle host electronic device is allowed to access a peripheral electronic device through the hub.
Moreover, the in-vehicle host electronic device lets the display unit show a manual menu providing a plurality of device selecting options, thereby optionally making the operation interface executing unit let one operation interface according to one of multi mobile electronic devices that are electrically connected to the hub be shown on the display unit after one corresponding device selecting option from the manual menu device list is pressed.
In order to achieve the primary objective of the present invention, inventors of the present invention provides an embodiment of the in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable, comprising:
In one embodiment, there is a device information recording unit provided in the in-vehicle host electronic device, and the device information recording unit being configured for establishing a device list and a plurality of device connection records after the first mobile electronic device, the peripheral electronic device, and a second mobile electronic device having a second operating system are respectively coupled to the first downstream port, the second downstream port, and a third downstream port in the plurality of downstream ports.
In a practicable embodiment, the device list comprising a plurality of device information comprising USB address, number of times of connecting with the first hub, and operating system version.
In one embodiment, the hub function module comprises an USB signal transmitting unit and an USB/NCM protocol conversion unit.
In one embodiment, there is a priority sequencing unit provided in the in-vehicle host electronic device, and the priority sequencing unit is configured for prioritizing a communication order between the first mobile electronic device and the second mobile electronic device after the first mobile electronic device and the second mobile electronic device are coupled to the first downstream port and the third downstream port based on the device list and the device connection records.
In a practicable embodiment, the in-vehicle host electronic device lets the display unit show a manual menu according to the device list, such that a plurality of device selecting options corresponding to the first mobile electronic device coupled to the first downstream port and the second mobile electronic device coupled to the third downstream port are shown in the manual menu, thereby optionally making the operation interface executing unit enable the first operation interface according to the first mobile electronic device or a second operation interface according to second mobile electronic device to be shown on the display unit after one corresponding device selecting option from the device list is pressed.
In one embodiment, in case of the first mobile electronic device and the second mobile electronic device being respectively coupled to the first downstream port and the third downstream port, the first hub lets the first mobile electronic device that is prioritized with a first ranked communication order be communicated with the first USB host unit through the USB/NCM protocol conversion unit of the hub function module and the upstream port thereof, such that the operation interface executing unit lets the first operation interface according to the first mobile electronic device be shown on the display unit.
In one embodiment, in case of the first operation interface being normally working, the first hub allowing the in-vehicle host electronic device to access the peripheral electronic device through the USB signal transmitting unit and the second downstream port.
In a practicable embodiment, the first hub is integrated in the in-vehicle host electronic device, and each of the plurality of downstream ports is an electrical connector exposed out of a front panel of the in-vehicle host electronic device.
In another one practicable embodiment, the first hub and the in-vehicle host electronic device are two devices independent from each other.
In one embodiment, the in-vehicle entertainment system further comprises a second hub having a host-to-host transmission function, wherein the second hub also comprises one upstream port coupled to the first USB host unit, one hub function module coupled to the upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports coupled to the hub function module, and the second hub is coupled to one of the plurality of downstream ports of the first hub by the upstream port thereof.
In a practicable embodiment, the in-vehicle host electronic device further comprising a second USB host unit, and the in-vehicle entertainment system further comprises a second hub having a host-to-host transmission function, wherein the second hub also comprises one upstream port coupled to the first USB host unit, one hub function module coupled to the upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports coupled to the hub function module, wherein the second hub is coupled to the second USB host unit of the in-vehicle host electronic device by the upstream port thereof
In one embodiment, an external display device with a touch screen is allowed to be electrically connected to the in-vehicle host electronic device. In case of a third mobile electronic device having a third operating system is coupled to one of the downstream ports of the second hub, the operation interface executing unit lets a third operation interface according to the third mobile electronic device be shown on a display screen of the display device.
In a practicable embodiment, each of the first operating system, the second operating system and the third operating system is selected from the group consisting of iOS operating system and Android operating system.
The invention as well as a preferred mode of use and advantages thereof will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
To more clearly describe an in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable disclosed by the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings hereinafter.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first hub 2 comprises:
an upstream port 21 coupled to the first USB host unit 11, a hub function module 22 coupled to the upstream port 21 and a plurality of downstream ports (23a, 23b, 23c) coupled to the hub function module 22. In which, an amount number of the plurality of downstream ports is N (N≥2). For example,
Continuously referring to
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Particularly, there is a priority sequencing unit 16 provided in the in-vehicle host electronic device 1. According to the present invention, after the first mobile electronic device 3a and the second mobile electronic device 3b are coupled to the first downstream port 23a and second downstream 23b, a device list and a plurality of device connection records are established by the device information recording unit 15, and the priority sequencing unit 16 is enabled to prioritize a communication order between the first mobile electronic device 3a and the second mobile electronic device 3b based on the device list and the device connection records. Therefore, in case of the first mobile electronic device 3a and the second mobile electronic device 3b are respectively coupled to the first downstream port 23a and the third downstream port 23c, the first hub 2 lets the first mobile electronic device 3a that is prioritized with a first ranked communication order be communicated with the in-vehicle host electronic device 1, such that the operation interface executing unit 13 lets a first operation interface 1C according to the first mobile electronic device 3a be shown on the display unit. Therefore, by operating the first operation interface 1C, images, audios and/or videos stored in the first mobile electronic device 3a (e.g., iOS smartphone) can be displayed by the display unit 12. Moreover, because some of application program installed in the first mobile electronic device 3a would be mapped from the first mobile electronic device 3a onto the first operation interface 1C, users are allowed to use some of apps installed in his first mobile electronic device 3a (e.g., iOS smartphone) by operating the operation interface 1C.
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It is worth mentioning that, because the first hub 2 has a host-to-host transmission function, the first hub 2 allows the in-vehicle host electronic device 1 to access the peripheral electronic device 4 through the USB signal transmitting unit 2232 of the hub function module 22 and the second downstream port 22b thereof during the first operation interface 1C being normally working.
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For example, during some of application program installed in the first mobile electronic device 3a being mapped on the first operation interface 1C, users are allowed to press “phone B” from the manual menu 1U, so as to make the operation interface executing unit 13 lets a second operation interface (2C) according to the second mobile electronic device 3b be shown on the display unit 12. Therefore, by operating the second operation interface (2C), images, audios and/or videos stored in the second mobile electronic device 3b (i.e., user's another one smartphone) can be displayed by the display unit 12. Moreover, because some of application program installed in the second mobile electronic device 3b would be mapped on the second operation interface users are also allowed to use some of apps installed in second mobile electronic device 3b by operating the second operation interface (2C).
In a practicable embodiment, both the first operating system and the second operating system can be an iOS operating system or an Android operating system. In other words, if the first mobile electronic device 3a and the second mobile electronic device 3b are an iOS smartphone and an Android smartphone, respectively, the forgoing first operation interface is CarPlay operation interface, and the forgoing second operation interface is Android Auto operation interface.
By such arrangement, after an external display device 7 with a touch screen being electrically connected to the in-vehicle host electronic device 1 as well as a third mobile electronic device 5a having a third operating system and a fourth mobile electronic device 5b having a fourth operating system are respectively coupled to two of the downstream ports of the second hub 2a, a device list and a plurality of device connection records are established by the device information recording unit 15, and the priority sequencing unit 16 is enabled to prioritize a communication order between the third mobile electronic device 5a and the fourth mobile electronic device 5b based on the device list and the device connection records. As a result, the operation interface executing unit 13 lets a second operation interface 7C according to the third mobile electronic device 5a be shown on the display unit 12 because the third mobile electronic device 5a is prioritized with a first ranked communication order by the priority sequencing unit 16.
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Therefore, through above descriptions, all embodiments and their constituting elements of the in-vehicle entertainment system having functionality of operation interface switchable according to the present invention have been introduced completely and clearly. The above description is made on embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit scope of the present invention, and all equivalent implementations or alterations within the spirit of the present invention still fall within the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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110109513 | Mar 2021 | TW | national |