Vehicle user interface systems and methods

Abstract

A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for providing information to a portable electronic device for processing by the portable electronic device is shown and described. The control system includes a first interface for communicating with the portable electronic device and a memory device. The control system also includes a processing circuit communicably coupled to the first interface and the memory device, the processing circuit configured to extract information from the memory device and to provide the information to the first interface so that the first interface communicates the information to the portable electronic device. The processing circuit is further configured to determine the capabilities of the portable electronic device based on data received from the portable electronic device via the first interface and to determine whether or not to communicate the information to the portable electronic device based on the determined capabilities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for providing information to a portable electronic device for processing by the portable electronic device, the control system comprising:
 a first interface for communicating with the portable electronic device;   a memory device;   a processing circuit communicably coupled to the first interface and the memory device, the processing circuit configured to extract information from the memory device and to provide the information to the first interface so that the first interface communicates the information to the portable electronic device;   wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the capabilities of the portable electronic device based on data received from the portable electronic device via the first interface and to determine whether or not to communicate the information to the portable electronic device based on the determined capabilities.   
     
     
         2 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second interface for coupling to an audio input device mounted to the vehicle interior and for receiving voice information from a user;   wherein the processing circuit comprises a speech recognition module configured to convert the voice information received at the second interface into text characters;   wherein the information communicated to the portable electronic device comprises the text characters from the speech recognition module.   
     
     
         3 . The control system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third interface for providing display information to an electronic display device mounted to the vehicle interior;   wherein the processing circuit is further configured to enter a voice-typing mode of operation;   wherein, during the voice-typing mode of operation, the processing circuit is configured to cause the electronic display device to display the text characters from the speech recognition module;   wherein the processing circuit is further configured to magnify a recently converted text character relative to previously converted text characters on the electronic display device.   
     
     
         4 . The control system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to communicate the text characters to the portable electronic device in a format that causes the text characters to be entered into a text field displayed on the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The control system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to communicate the text characters to the portable electronic device in a format that causes the portable electronic device to provide the text characters to an application running on the portable electronic device, wherein the application is at least one of: text-messaging application, a calendaring application, a mobile commerce application, a web-browsing application, a gaming application, a navigation application, an e-mail application, a media application, and a notes application. 
     
     
         6 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the information is formatted for further processing by a software application of the portable electronic device;
 wherein the format is at least one of a WAP format, a WXML format, an HTML format, an XHTML format, and an XML format.   
     
     
         7 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second interface configured to receive vehicle or occupant status information from at least one of:
 (a) a global positioning system receiver, 
 (b) a compass, 
 (c) a seating sensor, 
 (d) an occupancy sensor, 
 (e) a light sensor, 
 (f) an oxygen sensor, 
 (g) an impact sensor, 
 (h) an accelerometer, 
 (i) a speed sensor, 
 (j) an emergency system, 
 (k) an air bag system, 
 (l) an engine control unit, 
 (m) a gyroscope, and 
 (n) a breathalyzer; 
   wherein the information communicated to the portable electronic device comprises the vehicle status or occupant information.   
     
     
         8 . control system of  claim 7 , wherein the information is at least one of:
 (a) formatted to be transmitted to a remote source from the portable electronic device, and   (b) transmitted to the portable electronic device with data for transmitting the vehicle status information to the remote source from the portable electronic device.   
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive information regarding a vehicle operational mode and wherein the information provided to the portable electronic device comprises a command to disable a feature of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 9 , wherein the operational mode is a driving mode and wherein the information provided to the portable electronic device comprises a command to disable at least one of:
 (a) a local display of the portable electronic device,   (b) a text messaging capability of the portable electronic device,   (c) an e-mail capability of the portable electronic device,   (d) a web-browsing capability, and   (e) a media application.   
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to cause a vehicle audio system or a vehicle display system to prompt the user for whether a feature corresponding to the disabled portable electronic device feature should be enabled or replicated by the control system; and
 wherein the processing circuit is configured to enable or replicate the feature based on received user input.   
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to send the command to the portable electronic device based on at least one of:
 (a) a speed of the vehicle,   (b) accelerometer information,   (c) compass information,   (d) global positioning system information, and   (e) vehicle error codes from an engine control unit.   
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an input for receiving vehicle subsystem information from at least one vehicle subsystem;   wherein the processing circuit is configured to utilize the vehicle subsystem information and the position information to calculate a precise vehicle location relative to the position information; and   wherein the information communicated to the portable electronic device comprises the precise vehicle location information.   
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to utilize locationing information received and/or determined by the portable electronic device in the calculation of the precise vehicle location. 
     
     
         15 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises at least one of:
 (a) software update information formatted for installation on the portable electronic device once received by the portable electronic device, and   (b) a command for the portable electronic device to obtain a software update from a remote source;   wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine whether or not the portable electronic device is in need of the software update based on at least one of the determined capabilities.   
     
     
         16 . The control system of Claim I, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to use data received from the portable electronic device to determine whether an update is available for the processing circuit and/or for another vehicle subsystem, and
 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to request the update from a remote source via the portable electronic device, receive the update via the first interface from the portable electronic device and the remote source, and to process the update;   wherein the portable electronic device is at least one of handheld personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a portable navigation device, and a mobile phone.