EP3963479A1

EP3963479A1 - Searching driver information systems of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP3963479A1
Application number: EP20718627.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heino Wengelnik; Martin FEDER; Dominic WÄSCH
Original assignee: Volkswagen AG
Current assignee: Volkswagen AG
Priority date: 2019-05-02
Filing date: 2020-04-08
Publication date: 2022-03-09
Also published as: CN113826093A; US20220229834A1; DE102019206310A1; WO2020221568A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a driver information system (10) for a vehicle, having a display device (12) by means of which a graphical user interface (18) can be displayed. The graphical user interface (18) comprises links (30) to services (26.1 – 26.3), and the services (26.1 – 26.3) can be displayed on the display device (12) when an associated link (30) is actuated. The driver information system (10) comprises a main search function (28) which is configured to determine, according to a search input, search results both of the graphical user interface (28) and of the services (26.1 – 26.3). The invention further relates to a method for searching a driver information system of a vehicle.

Description

description

Searching driver information systems of a vehicle

The invention relates to a driver information system for a vehicle and a method for searching a driver information system. The driver information system can also be referred to as an infotainment system or comprise infotainment functions. It can be permanently mounted or provided in a vehicle interior.

Driver information systems enable a driver, but also any other driver

Vehicle occupants, access to various information and functions. For this purpose, they typically comprise a display device, which preferably comprises a touch-sensitive surface for receiving user inputs. But it is also known

Capture user inputs in the form of voice commands, by gesture recognition or by means of an operating element designed separately from the display device (e.g. a switch, a rotary pushbutton switch, a touchpad or a general lever).

The driver information systems also include a (graphical) user interface that can serve as a (virtual) work surface and / or as a superordinate file manager and / or as a so-called desk environment. In particular, the graphical user interface can comprise a so-called home screen, which can also be described as a main screen or start screen. This can be displayed automatically after the driver information system has started up and preferably without further user input. It is also preferred that the user can return to this start screen by entering certain commands and in particular so-called shortcuts (i.e. an entry which shortens the normal operating sequence). Additionally or alternatively, it can be the lowest level of views that can be displayed with the driver information system and / or the starting point of a specified one

Menu structure that can be called up via the graphical user interface and through which an operator can navigate. The graphical user interface can be used as a software application or

Be designed software components and / or form a service of the driver information system.

Driver information systems generally include a plurality of services. Starting from the graphical user interface, these can be selectively retrievable or selectively activated by a user. For this, the visitor can activate links that are displayed within the graphical user interface (e.g. by clicking or tapping). These services can then be displayed primarily and / or primarily on the display device. In particular, a view displayed on the display device can change from a view of the graphical user interface to a view of the service.

If a service is referred to below, it is preferably a different software application and / or software application than the graphic one

User interface which, according to the above statements, could in principle also be referred to as a service of the driver information system.

The services can each provide certain functions and / or for certain

Needs of the driver be provided. Examples of services are a navigation service, a music playback service, a radio service, a (digital) vehicle manual or a (digital) address book.

Each service can in turn contain several displayable views, input options, information or general data. The data of a service can be stored locally or, for example, can be accessed online if necessary. It is known that the services (with the exception of the user interface itself) can each include search functions in order to support an operator in finding the contents or data of this service of interest to him.

For example, a navigation service can include a search function for addresses, for so-called points of interest or for favorite destinations or destinations that have already been reached. Likewise, by means of a music playback service, music titles e.g. be searched for in a database of this service using the search function.

Due to the large number of services that can be called up, a large number of contents are also accessible via the driver information system. The user interface itself can also contain numerous contents, input options and functionalities due to complex menu structures include. It can be difficult for an operator to orientate himself quickly and easily within the overall content that can be called up via the driver information system. For example, it cannot always be clear to him which service provides a certain desired function or input option. In previous solutions, a kind of iterative procedure may therefore be required or, in general, an iterative search for the desired content within the driver information system. This can distract the driver's attention from the traffic, which is undesirable.

One object of the invention is therefore to improve the ease of use of driver information systems in vehicles, in particular in order to thereby reduce a vehicle driver's loss of attention.

This object is achieved by a driver information system with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 10. Advantageous further developments are given in the dependent claims. It goes without saying that all of the introductory features, developments, variants and designs also apply to the solution according to the invention or can be provided for it, unless otherwise stated or evident.

In general, the invention provides for a main search function to be provided, which can also be referred to as a global search function. This makes it possible to search for relevant search hits not only in individual services. Instead, it can be used to search for search hits in several services in parallel or, in other words, across services.

The graphical user interface itself is advantageously searched for relevant search hits. This enables a user who e.g. a particular

Setting option searches (e.g. temperature control or loudspeaker setting) can also display corresponding input functions as search hits, which can be called up via the graphical user interface itself. This differs from previous approaches, in which a user may first know the responsible service for such a setting himself and only then have to search for the desired input option within this service. In particular, however, this supports the user in finding content that can be assigned to the graphical user interface. In general, thanks to the global search provided, he can also find content that was previously unknown to him. For example, it is possible that loudspeaker settings can be set via several independent services, for example from a music playback service, but also via configuration options of the graphical user interface. This can be displayed to an operator together with the solution presented here as a search result.

This gives the operator a quick overview of all the contents of the

Driver information system, regardless of the service in which they are stored and, in particular, regardless of whether this content is contained in the graphical user interface itself.

In detail, a driver information system for a vehicle is proposed with a

Display device (e.g. a display and in particular a display with

touch-sensitive surface), with which a (preferably graphic)

User interface can be displayed, the (preferably graphical) user interface comprising (virtual) links to services, the services being displayable on the display device when an associated link is actuated; and where that

Driver information system comprises a main search function, which is set up to search hits (from and / or in and / or from) both the

(preferably graphical) user interface as well as the services.

The graphical user interface can be the one described in the introduction

Work surface and / or a service that has a start screen of the

Driver information system includes. In a manner known per se, the operator can access a menu structure via the graphical user interface and navigate within it in order to call up various contents and functions of the driver information system and in particular to activate services of the driver information system.

In general, any state or content that can be displayed on the display device (for example in the sense of a screenshot or screenshot) can be referred to as a displayable view. Depending on the navigation status within the menu structure of the user interface, different views can be displayed, ie the graphical user interface can generally comprise several views. The mentioned links to the services can be provided in at least one of these views. Other views can be used to display contents or submenu structures that can be called up within the user interface, for example a configuration menu for various vehicle functions (for example for interior lighting or a loudspeaker system). As mentioned, the graphical user interface can be a

Trade a software component or software application. The services themselves can also be implemented as software components or software applications. Both the graphical user interface and the services can be processed by a processor device of the

Driver information system are run. The processor device can comprise at least one microprocessor. By executing program instructions that are defined within the software components mentioned, the driver information system can provide or execute the functions, operating states and in particular display states described herein in connection with the services and the graphical user interface.

The links can be provided in the form of symbols or icons. As an alternative or in addition, they can be implemented as text fields or include text information which, for example, designates the services that can be called up via the link.

It should be noted that the term graphical user interface does not mean that the user interface is limited to graphical interactions alone. Instead, it can be designed as a general user interface which, in addition to e.g. graphic

Work surface is also set up to receive acoustic inputs (e.g. voice input) or to output voice information or generally audio signals. It can therefore be a user interface which, although it includes a graphical display, can also interact with an operator in other ways (in particular acoustically).

In general, the links to the services do not necessarily have to be links that can be graphically displayed on the display device. Instead, it can also be links that can be activated by voice input. For this purpose, the links can e.g. be stored in a speech recognition system and activated selectively when a corresponding speech input is recognized.

The services can be displayed exclusively (ie within the entire display area of the display device) or as superficial and / or primary windows within the display device as a result of the activation of an associated link. In a manner known per se, services can also be called up and / or operated in parallel, so that it is possible to switch between display windows of these services. In this case, however, the graphic user interface and / or at least one view thereof preferably forms a lowermost window level. The main search function can be a service of the type described here, that is to say can be implemented generally as a software component that can be executed by the driver information system. The

The main search function is generally set up to determine search hits from or in several services and preferably in all services of the driver information system,

including the user interface. In a manner known per se, a (search) character string can be compared with character strings within data collections of the corresponding services (and in particular the graphical user interface) in order to find search hits. If there is a sufficient match, the matching data can be identified as a search hit.

As explained below, the main search function can determine the search hits directly itself (for example by making the above comparisons). At least for selected services, however, it can only indirectly determine the search hits or receive them from search functions of these services (for example by transmitting the relevant character string to search functions of the services and then receiving the search hits from them, but without making the above-mentioned comparison itself).

More precisely, the main search function determines the search hits of the services according to a development using search functions of these services. It is known, for example, that navigation services or music playback services can themselves include search functions in order to search for relevant search hits within data or data collections assigned to them. Instead of accessing these data collections of the individual services directly, the main search function can only pass on information relating to the search input (e.g. a character string to be searched for) to the search functions of these services. These search functions can then independently search for search hits within the data collections of the services and then preferably transmit them back to the main search function.

More precisely, the main search function can pass a search string to the search function of at least one of the services and receive search hits (or from and / or from and / or within) this service from this search function.

According to a development, it is provided that the main search function is set up to search the graphical user interface for search hits. This can be understood to mean, in particular, an active and / or direct search of the graphical user interface using the main search function. In other words, the Main search function can be set up to make comparisons between a search input and / or a search string and data assigned by the graphical user interface or a data collection of this user interface.

In general, the main search function can therefore be set up to search search hits of the graphical user interface itself and preferably without access to further search functions. This is advantageous in that the graphical user interface itself does not have to include a search function (which, however, can also be provided according to the invention), but can be supplemented by a corresponding search functionality using the main search function, which can itself be implemented as a service.

With regard to at least one of the further services in which the main search function accesses a search function of this service, the main search function can therefore be a meta-search function. With regard to the graphical user interface, however, the main search function is preferably a direct or immediate search function of this graphical user interface or provides such a direct or immediate search function.

According to one development, the search input can be entered by a user and the main search function is set up to determine a search string based on the search input, on the basis of which the search hits are to be determined. According to a further embodiment, the search input can be made in text form, by handwriting input (e.g. by moving fingers on a touch-sensitive surface) or in speech form.

According to the above embodiments, the main search function can convert search entries into a suitable search string. The search string can generally be a text string or a text string. Accordingly, the main search function can enable a so-called speech-to-text conversion (speech-to-text) if the

Search input in text form. The main search function can also be a

Enable handwriting recognition if the search is entered by handwriting and the search string e.g. from recognized letters of handwriting input

put together. A keyboard or a so-called soft keyboard, which is preferably shown selectively on the display device, can be used for search entries in text form. These variants have the advantage that the main search function already creates suitable search character strings and, according to the above embodiment, then sends them to at least one

Can pass on the search function of another service. Thus, within the

Main search function for the global search according to the invention relevant functions are bundled, such as the corresponding conversion of a search input into a suitable (search) character string, so that the further services for the desired global search do not have to be adapted or only need to be adapted slightly. This increases the flexibility of the

Driver information system, for example when new services are to be added or, in general, the services of the driver information system are to be flexibly configurable and / or interchangeable.

The main search function can include an interface for exchanging information with the services. The interface can be a program interface or a

Software interface. The services preferably include corresponding interfaces.

In particular, the interface can be set up to enable an exchange of information with flexibly configurable or exchangeable services of the driver information system, which increases the flexibility. In particular, the services can connect to the main search function via this interface as part of a start process and / or inform them that they can be searched for relevant content (or include a search function that can be called up by the main search function). The main search function can then access the corresponding service via the interface as a result of a search entry, without any other set-up effort. As part of the information exchange made possible via the interface, e.g. Search hits are transmitted from the services to the main search function and / or the described search character string can be transmitted from the main search function to the services.

Another embodiment provides that the main search function is set up to generate a hit list with search hits, the search hits being sorted according to relevance. This hit list can be displayed on the display device. In particular, it can be displayed during a search entry, for example if the search entry has not yet been completed (for example no complete term or no complete word results while a user is typing it in). In the case of voice input in particular, however, it is also possible to display the hit list only after a search has been made. In this case, too, the search hits can be updated continuously if the services only transmit the search hits one by one. Sorting according to relevance can be done in that the search hits each have a

Include relevance information. This is preferably standardized and therefore independent of the service from which a search hit originates. For example, the

The relevance information is an assessment variable (e.g. a relevance score).

In this context, it can also be provided that relevance information of the search hits is determined by the search functions of the services. This also reduces the

Requirements for the main search function or simplifies the system structure. More precisely, this embodiment makes use of the fact that the search functions of the services are usually already set up to determine relevant relevance information. Accordingly, it can be provided that this relevance information is transmitted from the services to the main search function together with the search hits.

The invention is also directed to a method of searching a

Driving information system of a vehicle, the driver information system having a display device with which a graphical user interface can be displayed; and wherein the method comprises:

Representation of links to services with or in the graphical user interface, the services when an associated link is actuated on the

Display means are displayable; and

Providing a main search function which is set up to determine search hits both of the graphical user interface and of the services in accordance with a search input.

The method can include all further features, functions and developments in order to achieve all of the operating states according to the invention described herein

Provide interactions and effects. In particular, the method can also include all variants and developments of the driver information system features of the same name.

In the following, the invention is explained with reference to the attached schematic figures.

1 shows a simplified functional illustration of a driver information system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention, which with the

Driver information system from Fig. 1 can be executed.

1 shows a driver information system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, although functions that can be carried out by it are primarily visualized and not mainly hardware components actually comprised by it. As hardware components, the driver information system 10 comprises a display device 12, which is preferably a touch-sensitive display device (i.e. a touch screen). This is installed in a vehicle, not shown, in particular in one

Passenger cars. In a manner known per se, the display device 12 can e.g. be installed in a center console or in a dashboard.

The driver information system 10 further comprises a processor device 14 with at least one microprocessor. The processor device 14 is connected to a memory device 16 of the driver information system 10. The memory device 16 stores data and, in particular, software components which, when executed on the

Processor device 14 services of the

Provide driver information system 10. In a manner known per se can then

Display contents of the display device 12 are defined, wherein an interaction between user inputs and defined display contents is generally possible and / or the

Display contents can be determined according to the user input.

As a basic function of the driver information system 10, a graphical user interface 18 can be displayed on the display device 12. In a manner known per se, this comprises several views which are shown in simplified form in FIG. 1 and are provided with the reference symbol 20. Individual views 20 are displayed on the display device 12 in accordance with the user inputs received (e.g. touch inputs or voice inputs). The views 20 can each include input fields and / or display certain information. In general, the views 20, which can also be referred to as “views”, are structured according to a menu structure of the graphical user interface 18. Depending on how a user navigates through this menu structure by means of corresponding user inputs, the views 20 are displayed on the display device 12.

The graphical user interface 18 is also stored in the memory device 16 as an executable software component. Services 26.1-26.3 are also stored there as software components, as well as a main search function 28, which in itself also has a corresponding service represents. As explained above, the services 26.1-26.3 are again each as

Software components or software applications are implemented and can provide specific functions relevant to a user.

In the example shown, the service 26.1 is a navigation service, the service 26.2 is a music playback service and the service 26.3 is a service for operating a vehicle air conditioning system. Examples of further services are a (digital) vehicle manual, a radio service, a (digital) address book or also a (digital) media collection. In general, any other services can also be provided and the services can be flexibly configurable and in particular interchangeable, for example before a delivery of the driver information system 10 or also afterwards by one

Vehicle owners themselves.

The services 26.1 - 26.3 can be called up via links 30, which are preferably symbols and / or icons, and which are displayed in at least one of the views 20 of the graphical user interface 18. By selecting an appropriate

Linking (e.g. by a corresponding touch input), the associated service 26.1-26.3 is called up and preferably instead of one of the views 20 of the graphic

User interface 18 is displayed or superimposed on such a view 20 on the display device 12 at least partially and preferably largely. The main search function 28 can also be called up via a corresponding link 30. As an alternative or in addition, the main search function 28 (or a link 30 thereto) can be displayed permanently in all views 20 of the graphical user interface 18 or at least in a predominant part thereof.

When the main search function 20 is called, a search entry is made possible. In particular, a text input field can then be displayed, in which by keyboard or by

Handwriting input a search term or, in general terms, a search string can be entered. The search input can also be made by voice input, in which case a search character string generated or converted from the voice input can then be displayed in the search field.

The main search function 28 is set up to carry out a search across several services 26.1-26.3 and also to include the graphical user interface 18 in the process. More precisely, the main search function 28 can determine search hits from all the data which the individual services 26.1-26.3, but also the graphical user interface 18 are assigned.

In the example shown, it carries out the search for search hits in or out of the graphical user interface 18 directly by using a data collection belonging to the graphical user interface 18 (e.g. in the

Storage device 16 is stored) searches for relevant search hits. To do this, it compares a received or determined search string with entries in the database. The search hits can e.g. be text fields or, in general, text strings that are displayed in one of the views 20 of the graphical user interface 18. In a manner known per se, such text fields can designate input options or relate to displayed information (e.g. temperature values or the like). If an operator e.g. an ambient temperature as a search input, the main search function 28 can determine that a correspondingly labeled display field exists in one of the views 20 of the graphical user interface 18 and identify this as a relevant search hit.

With regard to the services 26.1-26.3, however, the main search function 28 does not perform any

independent or direct search. Instead, it forwards the search character string to services 26.1-26.3 and, more precisely, to search functions comprised by these services 26.1-26.3. These can be conventional search functions into which a user can enter search inputs when calling up services 26.1-26.3, analogously to the manner described above, for example in an address search field of the

Navigation service 26.1 or in a music track search field of the music playback service 26.2. In the present case, however, this functionality is provided by the main search function 28 which, without necessarily calling up the services 26.1-26.3 directly or displaying them on the display device 12, accesses their corresponding search functions and transmits the received or determined search character string to them. The services 26.1-26.3 then each independently carry out a search for relevant search hits by means of their respective search functions, with access to their own data collections.

These data collections can be data collections of these services 26.1-26.3 stored in the storage device 16. However, it can also be data which the services 26.1-26.3 can call up online as required (i.e. so-called online data). In summary, data collections of a service 26.1-26.3 in the context of this disclosure can therefore be permanently stored or act online retrievable data that are assigned to a corresponding service and / or that can be retrieved by this service and in particular by a search function, for example as required.

The services 26.1 - 26.3 each determine relevant search hits and transmit these search hits to the main search function 28.

The described exchange of information is indicated in FIG. 1 by arrows, the services 26.1-26.3 being grouped in a simplified manner according to a dashed outline and not corresponding arrows being indicated for each of the services 26.1-26.3. It is shown schematically that the main search function 28 and the services 26.1-26.3 provide information about one another

exchange, since the search character string is transmitted from the main search function 28 to the services 26.1-26.3 or their search functions and these in turn return relevant search hits.

With regard to the graphical user interface 18, however, there is no comparable mutual exchange of information in the narrower sense, since here the main search function 28 independently carries out a search and the graphical user interface 18 does not provide its own search function (which, however, would also be possible according to the invention). Correspondingly, in this case only a single arrow is entered between these units 28, 18, which indicates that the main search function 28 is actively searching through the graphical user interface 18 and is determining search hits itself therein.

Overall, the main search function 28 can thus access the data of all services 26.1-26.3 and also the graphical user interface 18 and thus create a comprehensive list of relevant search hits and display it to a user. The operator can then select a hit that is relevant to him and, depending on which service 26.1-26.3 or which view 20 of the graphical user interface 18 it originates from, then directly to a corresponding view 20 or a service 26.1 displayed on the display device 12 - Switch to 26.3.

The method described above is summarized again below with reference to FIG. 2. In a step S1, a user enters a search entry in the driver information system 10 in any way. In a step S2, the

Main search function 28 from this search input a search character string for which search hits are to be determined. This can include, for example, the conversion of a voice input into a text string. In a step S3a, the main search function 28 preferably transfers a software interface, not shown, the search string to the search functions of the individual services 26.1-26.3. In a step S3b, which is preferably carried out simultaneously with step S3a or immediately after or before, the main search function 28 searches data associated with the graphical user interface 18 for relevant search hits. Preferably, at the same time, the individual search functions of services 26.1-26.3 search the data that can be called up by these services 26.1-26.3 or are assigned to them, likewise for relevant search hits (step S4). The total of the search hits determined are combined in a step S5 to form a hit list and displayed on the

Display device 12 displayed. This can also take place in parallel to the search processes in steps S3b and S4, ie the hit list can be updated continuously depending on the search hits found.

List of reference symbols

Driver information system

Display device

Processor facility

Storage facility

graphical user interface

view

service

Main search function

shortcut

Claims

1. Driver information system (10) for a vehicle, with a display device (12) with which a graphical user interface (18) can be displayed,

wherein the graphical user interface (18) comprises links (30) to services (26.1-26.3),

wherein the services (26.1-26.3) can be displayed on the display device (12) when an associated link (30) is activated; and

wherein the driver information system (10) comprises a main search function (28) which is set up to determine search hits of both the graphical user interface (28) and the services (26.1-26.3) in accordance with a search input.

2. Driver information system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the main search function (28) is set up to determine the search hits of at least one of the services (26.1-26.3) by means of search functions of these services (26.1-26.3).

3. Driver information system (10) claim 2, wherein the main search function (28) to this

is set up to pass on a search string to the search function of the at least one service (26.1-26.3) and to receive search hits for this service (26.1-26.3) from this search function.

4. Driver information system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the main search function (28) is set up to search the graphical user interface (18) for search hits.

5. Driver information system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the search input can be entered by the user and the main search function (28) is set up to determine a search string based on the search input, on the basis of which the search hits are to be determined.

6. Driver information system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the search input takes place in text form, by handwriting input or in speech form.

7. Driver information system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the main search function (28) comprises an interface for information exchange with the services (26.1-26.3).

8. Driver information system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the main search function (28) is set up to generate a hit list with search hits, the search hits being sorted according to relevance.

9. Driver information system (10) according to claim 8, wherein relevance information of at least one of the search hits can be determined by the search function of one of the services (26.1-26.3).

10. A method for searching a driver information system (10) of a vehicle, the driver information system (10) having a display device (12) with which a graphical user interface (18) can be displayed;

and wherein the method comprises:

Displaying links (30) to services (26.1-26.3) in the graphical user interface (18), the services (26.1-26.3) being able to be displayed on the display device (12) when an associated link (30) is actuated; and providing a main search function (28) which is set up to determine search hits both of the graphical user interface (18) and of the services (26.1-26.3) in accordance with a search input.