Generating Navigation User Interfaces for Third-Party Applications

Abstract

In some implementations, a mobile device can generate graphical user interfaces (GUIs) on behalf of third-party applications for presentation by vehicle infotainment systems. The mobile device can obtain configuration information for the vehicle system. The mobile device (e.g., operating system) can be configured with various GUI templates that define the layout of various user input controls. The third-party application can provide a template identifier and map data to the operating system. The mobile device can generate a GUI for the third-party application specifically for display by the vehicle system based on the identified template, the map data, and the configuration information for the vehicle system. The mobile device can then send the generated GUI to the vehicle system and the vehicle system can present the GUI on a display of the vehicle system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a graphical user interface (GUI) generator on a mobile device from a navigation application of the mobile device, a request to present a particular GUI on a display screen of a vehicle system;   identifying, by the vehicle GUI generator, a GUI template that corresponds to the particular GUI;   generating the particular GUI based on the identified GUI template;   determining, by the vehicle GUI generator, a safe area of the particular GUI that is available to the navigation application for presenting map features;   providing, by the vehicle GUI generator to the navigation application, information defining the safe area within the particular GUI to the navigation application;   receiving data for one or more map features from the navigation application for the particular GUI;   rendering the one or more map features in the safe area of the particular GUI; and   causing the vehicle system to present the particular GUI including the one or more map features in the safe area.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the safe area comprises:
 determining a second area of the particular GUI where one or more other GUI elements are to be presented;   determining that the safe area of the particular GUI is distinct from the second area; and providing information for the safe area of the particular GUI to the navigation application.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more other GUI elements correspond to one or more of a mobile device function or a vehicle system function that are distinct from at least one functionality of the navigation application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more map features from the navigation application include a route, a point of interest, and a map view corresponding to a first map area. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a base view layer that includes the one or more map features; and   generating the particular GUI by rendering the base view layer over a system user interface (UI) layer and a template overlay layer over the base view layer.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the system UI layer includes a first plurality of graphical elements representing a plurality of first-party applications or third-party applications to be presented by the vehicle system, and wherein the template overlay layer includes a second plurality of graphical elements representing user input controls for interacting with the one or more map features of the navigation application. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the template overlay layer is transparent where there are no UI control elements, and wherein the base view layer including the map view is visible through the template overlay layer when presented on the display screen of the vehicle system. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a graphical user interface (GUI) generator on a mobile device from a navigation application of the mobile device, a request to present a particular GUI on a display screen of a vehicle system;   identifying, by the vehicle GUI generator, a GUI template that corresponds to the particular GUI;   generating the particular GUI based on the identified GUI template;   determining, by the vehicle GUI generator, a safe area of the particular GUI that is available to the navigation application for presenting map features;   providing, by the vehicle GUI generator to the navigation application, information defining the safe area within the particular GUI to the navigation application;   receiving data for one or more map features from the navigation application for the particular GUI;   rendering the one or more map features in the safe area of the particular GUI; and   causing the vehicle system to present the particular GUI including the one or more map features in the safe area.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations for determining the safe area include operations comprising:
 determining a second area of the particular GUI where one or more other GUI elements are to be presented;   determining that the safe area of the particular GUI is distinct from the second area; and providing information for the safe area of the particular GUI to the navigation application.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more other GUI elements correspond to one or more of a mobile device function or a vehicle system function that are distinct from at least one functionality of the navigation application. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more map features from the navigation application include a route, a point of interest, and a map view corresponding to a first map area. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 generating a base view layer that includes the one or more map features; and   generating the particular GUI by rendering the base view layer over a system user interface (UI) layer and a template overlay layer over the base view layer.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the system UI layer includes a first plurality of graphical elements representing a plurality of first-party applications or third-party applications to be presented by the vehicle system, and wherein the template overlay layer includes a second plurality of graphical elements representing user input controls for interacting with the one or more map features of the navigation application. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the template overlay layer is transparent where there are no UI control elements, and wherein the base view layer including the map view is visible through the template overlay layer when presented on the display screen of the vehicle system. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:   receiving, by a graphical user interface (GUI) generator on a mobile device from a navigation application of the mobile device, a request to present a particular GUI on a display screen of a vehicle system;   identifying, by the vehicle GUI generator, a GUI template that corresponds to the particular GUI;   generating the particular GUI based on the identified GUI template;   determining, by the vehicle GUI generator, a safe area of the particular GUI that is available to the navigation application for presenting map features;   providing, by the vehicle GUI generator to the navigation application, information defining the safe area within the particular GUI to the navigation application;   receiving data for one or more map features from the navigation application for the particular GUI;   rendering the one or more map features in the safe area of the particular GUI; and   causing the vehicle system to present the particular GUI including the one or more map features in the safe area.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations for determining the safe area include operations comprising:
 determining a second area of the particular GUI where one or more other GUI elements are to be presented;   determining that the safe area of the particular GUI is distinct from the second area; and providing information for the safe area of the particular GUI to the navigation application.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more other GUI elements correspond to one or more of a mobile device function or a vehicle system function that are distinct from at least one functionality of the navigation application. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 generating a base view layer that includes the one or more map features; and   generating the particular GUI by rendering the base view layer over a system user interface (UI) layer and a template overlay layer over the base view layer.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the system UI layer includes a first plurality of graphical elements representing a plurality of first-party applications or third-party applications to be presented by the vehicle system, and wherein the template overlay layer includes a second plurality of graphical elements representing user input controls for interacting with the one or more map features of the navigation application. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the template overlay layer is transparent where there are no UI control elements, and wherein the base view layer including the map view is visible through the template overlay layer when presented on the display screen of the vehicle system.