Controlling navigation software on a portable device from the head unit of a vehicle

Abstract

A mapping between controls of the head unit of a vehicle and functions of a navigation service application running on a portable device is received. Subsequently, an indication that one of the controls has been actuated is received via a communication link between the portable device and the head unit. A function is selected from among the functions of the navigation service application in accordance with the received mapping and the received indication. The selected function of the navigation software application then is executed. In this manner, the navigation service application is safely and efficiently controlled via the head unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a head unit of a vehicle, the head unit including:   a processing unit,   a plurality of controls, and   a short-range network interface to communicate with portable devices; and   a portable device including:
 one or more processors, 
 a user interface, 
 a short-range network interface to communicate with the head unit via a short-range communication link, and 
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that implement a navigation service application executable on the one or more processors, the navigation service application supporting a plurality of user-selectable functions; 
   the system configured to:   for each of the plurality of controls actuated at the head unit, receive a selection of a respective one of the plurality of functions of the navigation service application,   generate a mapping between the plurality of controls of the head unit and the plurality of functions of the navigation service application, and   subsequently to generating the mapping and in response to a control actuated at the head unit, invoke a function of the navigation service application corresponding to the actuated control, in accordance with the generated mapping.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the head unit is configured to store the generated mapping between the plurality of controls of the head unit and the plurality of functions of the navigation service application. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the head unit is configured to request that the navigation service application provide a listing of the plurality of functions to the head unit. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein portable device is configured to:
 execute, by the one or more processors, a companion application as a task separate from a task of the navigation service application, and   receive the request for the listing of the plurality of functions from the portable device at the companion application.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein to invoke the function of the navigation service application, the head unit is configured to transmit a selection of the function to the portable device via the short-range communication link. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein portable device is configured to:
 execute, by the one or more processors, a companion application as a task separate from a task of the navigation service application,   receive the selection of the function of the navigation service application at the companion application, and   transmit, from the companion application to the navigation service application, a request to invoke the selected function.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the portable device is configured to generate the mapping and store the generated mapping between the plurality of controls of the head unit and the plurality of functions of the navigation service application. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein to generate the mapping between the plurality of controls of the head unit and the plurality of functions of the navigation service application, the portable device is configured to:
 execute, by the one or more processors, a companion application as a task separate from a task of the navigation service application,   receive, at the companion application, a corresponding control actuation event for each of a plurality of controls actuated at the head unit, and   receive, at the companion application via the user interface of the portable device, a selection of a respective function of the navigation service application for each of the plurality of controls.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the portable device is configured to:
 obtain navigation data that specifies a sequence of instructions for travelling between a source to a destination, wherein each of the instructions describes a respective maneuver at a corresponding geographic location, wherein invoking the function includes providing a next instruction in the sequence of instructions.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the portable device is configured to provide the next instruction in the sequence of instructions in response to a next track button being actuated at the head unit. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the portable device is configured to receive the navigation data from a navigation server via a long-range communication link. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functions of the navigation software application includes one or more of (i) start navigation, (ii) cancel navigation, (iii) provide next instruction, and (iv) provide previous instruction. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of controls includes one or more of (i) volume up, (ii) volume down, (iii) next track, and (iv) previous track buttons. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions implement an application programming interface (API) invoked by a companion application configured to communicate with a navigation service application, wherein the companion application and the navigation service application execute as separate tasks on the one or more processors of the portable device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to receive the selections of respective functions of the navigation service application via the user interface of the portable device. 
     
     
         16 . A method for controlling navigation service applications via head units of vehicles, the method comprising:
 communicatively coupling a portable device and a head unit of a vehicle via a short-range communication link;   generating a mapping between a plurality of controls of the head unit and a plurality of functions of a navigation service application executing on the portable device to utilize the plurality of controls of the head unit as an external input device of the portable device, including receiving, for each of a plurality of controls actuated at the head unit, a selection of a respective one of the plurality of functions of the navigation service application;   storing the generated mapping at the head unit or the portable device;   subsequently to generating the mapping, detecting that one of the plurality of controls is actuated at the head unit;   selecting a function from among the plurality of functions of the navigation service application corresponding to the actuated control, in accordance with the created mapping; and   executing, by one or more processors of the portable device, the selected function of the navigation service application.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising request, by the head unit, that the navigation service application provide a listing of the plurality of functions to the head unit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 executing, on the portable device, a companion application as a task separate from a task of the navigation service application, and   receiving the request for the listing of the plurality of functions from the portable device at the companion application.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein selecting the function corresponding to the actuated control includes selecting the function at the head unit and , the transmitting the selection of the function to the portable device via the short-range communication link. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 executing, on the portable device, a companion application as a task separate from a task of the navigation service application,   receiving the selection of the function of the navigation service application at the companion application, and   transmitting, from the companion application to the navigation service application, a request to invoke the selected function.