Patent Application
20200249823
The present disclosure relates to user interfaces, such as those user interfaces on a mobile device or a vehicle multimedia system.
User interfaces may be utilized to activate execution of applications. As a user loads more applications on their device or system, organization may be necessary of the applications. The applications may require reorganization to better suit a user over time.
According to one embodiment a multimedia system in a vehicle, comprising a display configured to output information related to a user interface of the multimedia system, wherein the user interface includes one or more icons indicative of an application of the multimedia system, and a processor in communication with the display and programmed to in response to a first input from a user, allow an arrangement of the one or more icons on the user interface and adjust an original size of the icons to a smaller size, and in response to a second input from a user, set the arrangement of the one or more icons and adjust the smaller size icons to the original size icons, and output the original size icons on the display.
According to one embodiment, a method of arranging icons on a user interface, comprising outputting on display one or more icons of the user interface, wherein the one or more icons are organized in a first arrangement, receiving a first input from a user, shrinking the one or more icons from an original size of the icon to a smaller size of the icon, in response to the first input, allowing arrangement of the one or more icons on the user interface in response to the first input, setting a second arrangement of the one or more icons, and output the original size icons with the second arrangement on the display.
According to one embodiment, a user interface of a device comprising a display configured to output information related to a user interface of the device, wherein the user interface includes one or more icons indicative of an application of the device, and a processor in communication with the display and programmed to in response to a first input from a user, allow an arrangement of the one or more icons on the user interface and adjust an original size of the icons to a smaller size, set the arrangement of the one or more icons and adjust the smaller size icons to the original size icons, and output the original size icons on the display with the arrangement.
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Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
A user interface may include a “HOME” screen or many different screens. Some systems may allow for re-ordering of application icons that are listed on a HOME screen or multiple screens. The embodiment disclosed below may allow for screen resizing when the application icons are reduced in size. For example, when the interface allows for the apps to be reordered, the screen icons may reduce in size by 25%. This may allow for passengers to perform the editing operation faster because the drag distance is shorter. It also may be intuitive to the user to understand that the screen has entered the re-ordering mode/screen since such an embodiment communicates that the system has entered in such a special mode. The app order that is set may be saved with a profile associated with a user. There may be an option to change the app size to a larger icon that allows people to see the icons easier in case they have bad vision.
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The position detector 20 may receive signals transmitted from satellites for a global positioning system (GPS). The position detector 20 may include a GPS receiver (GPS RECV) 21, a gyroscope (DIST SENS) 22, and a distance sensor (DIST SENS) 23. The GPS receiver 21 may detect a position coordinate and an altitude of the present position of the vehicle. The gyroscope 22 outputs a detection signal corresponding to an angular velocity of a rotational motion applied to the vehicle. The distance sensor 23 outputs a traveling distance of the vehicle. The navigation controller 10 calculates the present position, a direction, and a velocity of the vehicle based on signals output from the GPS receiver 21, the gyroscope 22, and the distance sensor 23. Further, the present position may be calculated in various methods based on the output signal from the GPS receiver 21. For example, a single point positioning method or a relative positioning method may be used to calculate the present position of the vehicle.
The HMI 30 or user interface 30 includes a touch panel and may include mechanical key switches. The touch panel is integrally set with the display screen 50 on the display screen or located away from the display such as in front of an arm rest. The mechanical key switches are arranged around the display screen 50. When the navigation apparatus 3 provides a remote-control function, operation switches for the remote control function are arranged in the HMI 30. The HMI 30 may also include a voice recognition system that utilizes voice prompts to operate various vehicle functions. The HMI 30 may also include a haptic device or similar device that allows a user to control and operate the system. The HMI 30 may also include a voice recognition system, remote touchpad, or utilize a stylus pen.
The storage 40, in which the applications and map data is stored, inputs various data included in the map data to the navigation controller 10. The various data includes road data, facility data, point-of-interest (POI) data, address book data, and guidance data. The road data is indicative of a road connection status, and includes node data, which indicates a predetermined position such as an intersection, and link data, which indicates a link that connects adjacent nodes. The facility data is indicative of a facility on the map. The guidance data is used for route guidance. Address book data may be utilized to store custom contacts, locations, and other information (e.g. home or work). POI data may be utilized to identify a POI's location, contact information, category information, review (e.g. Zagat or Yelp) information, etc. Examples of a POI may be a McDonald's under the category of a fast-food restaurant; Starbuck's under coffee shop, a Holiday Inn under the category of hotel, etc. Other POI examples may include, hospitals, dealerships, police stations, cleaners, etc. POIs may be independent business or corporate businesses. The storage 40 may be configured to be rewritable in order to update various applications, software, operating system, and the user interface of the vehicle. For example, a hard disk drive (HDD) and a flash memory may be used as the storage 40.
The display screen 50 may be a color display apparatus having a display surface such as a liquid crystal display. The display screen 50 displays various display windows according to video signal transmitted from the navigation controller 10. Specifically, the display screen 50 displays a map image, a guidance route from a start point to a destination, a mark indicating the present position of the vehicle, and other guidance information. The display screen 50 may also be a touch screen interface that allows for a user to interact with an operating system, software, or other applications via interaction with the screen. The audio output device 60 may output audible prompts and various audio information to the user. With above-described configuration, the route guidance can be performed by displaying viewable information on the display screen 50 and outputting audible information with the audio output device 60.
The communication device 70 may communicate data with the “cloud,” for example, a data center 5. Specifically, the navigation apparatus 3 may be wirelessly coupled to a network via the communication device 70 so that the navigation apparatus 3 performs the data communication with the data center 5. The communication device 70 may be an embedded telematics module or may be a Bluetooth transceiver paired with mobile device 90 utilized to connect to remote servers or the “cloud.” The communication device 70 may be both a Bluetooth communication or another form of wireless (or wired) communication.
The server 5, which is remote from the vehicle, mainly includes a data center controller (CENTER CONT) 80. Similar to the navigation controller 10, the data center controller 80 mainly includes a well-known microcomputer, which has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input/output interface and a bus line for coupling the CPU, the ROM, the RAM and the I/O interface. The data center controller 80 includes a communication device (COMM DEVC) 81, a first storage (FIR STORAGE) 82. The communication device 81 of the data center 5 performs the data communication with the navigation apparatus 3. Specifically, the data center 5 is wirelessly coupled to the network via the communication device 81 so that the data center 5 performs the data communication with the navigation apparatus 3.
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At step 203, the system may monitor the user actions on the user interface. Such actions may include activation of the various functions in the vehicle or on a mobile device. However, the system and interface may have a “HOME” screen that includes icons indicative of applications. The system may also have various other screens (e.g. additional pages of icons) that include icons indicative of applications, that upon activation of the icon, the application may launch. The system may also have a specific command (e.g. specified user input) that will allow the icons to be reordered. The system may monitor for such actions.
At step 205, the system may determine if it has received input from a user (e.g. user himself or device controlled by a user) that activates the ability for the user interface to reorder the icons indicative of the application. In one example, a “press-and-hold” command may be an activation hold (e.g. “press”) of an icon for a time (e.g. 1.5 seconds) and then a release. In one embodiment, a press-and-hold of the icon on the display may be a physical press of a finger of the user. Upon release of the “hold,” activation or initiation of a function may occur in such an interface. A press-and hold of the icon may also be a press-and-hold of a mouse-like interface, a haptic device, stylus pen, remote pad interface, etc. For example, a user may press and hold on a haptic device that allows interaction of the user interface via movement of the haptic device. Upon release of the “hold,” activation or initiation of a function (e.g. the shrinking/re-arrangement interface of the application) may be initiated. There may also be an embodiment that allows the input for activation of the rearrangement mode to be from a voice recognition command. In such an embodiment, the user may initiate a voice recognition engine and speak a command to act as the input to activate the ability for the user interface to reorder the icons. Such a command may be speech from the user saying “REORDER APPLICATIONS,” “ACTIVATE REARRANGEMENT MODE,” etc.
At step 207, the user interface may have received the activation of the reorder interface which may shrink the size of the icons and allow for the icons to be reordered. The icons may be reordered by allowing a user to drag the icons across a display or screen of the system. The “drag” may refer to a press, hold, and drag via a touch input or other device controlled by a user. In an embodiment, the system may have sounds associated with a “drag” of the application icon to notify the user that the icon is being re-arranged. The system may also allow for the removal of applications (e.g. deleting the applications) in such a mode, which would inherently change some arrangement of the icons since any deletion will result in less icons being displayed.
At step 209, the user interface may output a “FINISH” button/switch and/or indicator allowing the user to know the system is in a rearrangement mode. There may be a “FINISH” button that allows a user to set the changes made during the rearrangement mode and exit the rearrangement mode to normal use. The “FINISH” button may include any text or icon, rather simply saying “FINISH” or “FINISHED.” For example, there may be a “HOME” button or a button with a symbol of a HOME. The system may also notify the user of entering the rearrangement mode by outputting an indicator (e.g. a title) or by change a color of the screen or border. In another embodiment, the system may notify a user they are in edit mode or rearrangement mode utilizing a chime or another sound. For example, an audible voice may state and output that the interface is in an “edit mode.”
At step 211, the system may analyze if the user finished reordering the applications. The reordering may be completed by utilizing a button press of the “FINISH” button/switch. The system processor or controller may be programmed to identify when such a button or switch has been activated. In another embodiment, the system may not require activation of such a “FINISH” button/icon/switch but may timeout after a certain threshold time is exceeded. Such a threshold time may be relatively long threshold amount (e.g. 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, etc.). In yet another embodiment, the system may utilize a voice recognition command to finish the reorder. A user may speak the command (e.g. occupant says “REARRANGEMENT COMPLETE” or “FINISHED REORDERING”, or other commands, etc.).
At step 213, the system may restore the size of the icons and then lock-in the locations of the icons for use in response to the second input received indicating the user is complete with the rearrangement. Thus, the reordering may be complete, and the interface will allow activation of icons under normal operation, as opposed to the rearrangement. In other words, the system may exit the rearrangement mode and set the new icon's arrangement and enter into normal-operation mode.
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A second screen 307 may be shown as part of the user interface. In an embodiment, the second screen may be in response to a first input from a user. The first input may be a press and hold of one of the icons 305. In response to the input from the user, the icons may shrink in size, as shown by the smaller icons 313. The smaller icons 313 may take up a smaller screen area 309 during the second screen. The smaller icons 313 may stay small and allow for arrangement until a timeout period or a second input. The timeout period may be a threshold hold time of no interaction from a user on the user interface. The threshold time may be set by a time, such as 1 second, 2 seconds, 1.5 seconds, etc. The second screen 307 may also show an indicator 309 that notifies the user that the icons may be arranged. For example, the indicator 309 may display that the screen can be edited. For example, the indicator 309 may be text that displays “EDIT MODE.”
A third screen 314 of the screen flow diagram shows that a motion 315 from the input may allow the application icons to be rearranged. The third screen 314 may show an indicator 309, such as text that displays “Edit Mode.” In one scenario, the system may be utilized in a vehicle with safety measures that only allows the re-ordering of the application when the vehicle speed is below a certain threshold speed (e.g. 5 MPH). In another scenario, the system may allow reordering of the icons at any speed if the system detects that a passenger is operating the user interface. Such detection may be utilized by cameras or seat sensors. When the smaller icons 313 are being rearranged, the system may move the smaller icons in a fixated area of the grid 309 to show where the smaller icons 313 will be arranged when the rearrangement is complete.
A fourth screen 316 exemplifies that the user may be finished editing the arrangement of the smaller size icons. The screen 316 may be a moment of the user interface where a user has finished arranging the smaller icons 313, but has not let the user interface know it is done with the arrangement. The user may be able to finish the arrangement by pressing a “HOME” icon 317. The “HOME” icon 317 may also include different text or a symbol than “HOME,” as explained above. As indicated in
A fifth screen 318 may allow the system to snap the grid in place and restore the icons to the original screen size. As shown on the fifth screen 318, the rearranged application icons 321 may be restored. The fifth screen may have a screen area 319 for the icons 321 that have been rearranged. The screen area 319 may be the same size as the screen area 303 for the first screen 301. Upon the system snapping the re-arranged application icons (normal size) 321, a user may be able to activate the icons for loading. If the user chooses to rearrange the applications, the system would revert back to the second screen 307.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.
