JP2007022231A - Potable terminal and display method for portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it easy for a vehicle user to learn operations on an operation screen when remotely lighting lamps of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: This portable terminal 10 operated by the vehicle user to remotely light a hazard light 26 loaded on the vehicle displays a hazard operation item to realize a hazard function to continuously light the hazard light 26 as a vehicle alarm lamp and a car finder operation item to realize a car finder function to light the hazard light 26 as a target of teaching a vehicle position only for a specified period of time in parallel on the operation screen of a display part 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a display method for a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal operated by a vehicle user to remotely turn on lights of a vehicle and a display method on an operation screen thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system having a car finder function that is useful for searching for a host vehicle stopped by a vehicle user in a large parking lot or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This system includes a mobile terminal possessed by a vehicle user and an in-vehicle device that can be communicably connected to the mobile terminal via a communication network. When a request for the car finder function is made by an operation by a vehicle user in the portable terminal, the portable terminal transmits a message requesting that the car finder function be exhibited toward the host vehicle. When receiving the request from the mobile terminal, the in-vehicle device turns on a light such as a hazard lamp as a car finder function. Therefore, according to such a system, even when the vehicle user forgets the parking position of the own vehicle in a parking lot or the like, the light of the own vehicle is turned on according to the operation on the mobile terminal, Thus, it is possible to teach the stop position of the host vehicle, thereby making it easier to find the host vehicle.

There is also a known system that remotely lights an in-vehicle light after a vehicle user parks his / her own vehicle on the shoulder and gets off (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this system, when an on-vehicle light is requested to be turned on by an operation by a vehicle user on a portable terminal, the lighting request signal is transmitted from the portable terminal to the on-vehicle device, and a light such as a hazard light is turned on in the vehicle. Is done. Therefore, according to this system, even if the vehicle user forgets to turn on the in-vehicle light when getting off, it is possible to turn on the light of the own vehicle according to the operation on the mobile terminal after that. Thus, since the vehicle-mounted light is turned on as a warning light at the intention of the vehicle user remotely, it is possible to improve the safety around the parked host vehicle.
JP 2002-52992 A JP 2004-224667 A

  As mentioned above, the purpose of the vehicle user operating the mobile terminal to remotely turn on the in-vehicle light is to supplement the car finder function to find the vehicle in the parking lot and to forget to turn on when getting off the vehicle. There is a hazard function to realize lighting as a light. For the car finder function, it is sufficient to keep the light on for a time that allows the vehicle user to search for the position of the host vehicle in the parking lot, and it is appropriate to turn off the light after that time. On the other hand, for the hazard function to light as a vehicle warning light, it is important to keep the light on until the vehicle user returns to the vehicle or until the light is turned off. It is appropriate to perform continuous lighting until some operation by a person is performed. Therefore, when the execution of the car finder function is requested, the lighting or blinking of the light is continuously performed only for a predetermined time. On the other hand, when the execution of the hazard function is requested, the lighting or blinking of the light is semipermanently performed. It is effective to carry out continuously.

  Here, it is necessary to display both the operation items for requesting the car finder function and the operation items for requesting the hazard function on the operation screen of the portable terminal operated when the vehicle user remotely turns on the in-vehicle light. However, if the contents of this operation item are constructed on the time axis and are set to, for example, “5 minutes on” or “continuous lighting”, what purpose should the operator turn on the in-vehicle light? Cannot be determined intuitively and may be confusing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and is intended for a portable terminal and a portable terminal in which an operation on an operation screen when a vehicle user remotely lights a vehicle lamp is easily understood. An object is to provide a display method.

  The above-described object is a portable terminal operated by a vehicle user to remotely light the lamps included in the vehicle, and the operation screen displays the operation items for each lighting purpose in parallel on the operation screen. This is achieved by a portable terminal comprising means.

  In addition, the above-described object is to provide a portable terminal that displays, in parallel, the operation items according to the lighting purpose of the lights on the operation screen of the portable terminal operated by the vehicle user to remotely light the lights included in the vehicle. This is achieved by the display method.

  In the invention of this aspect, the operation items for each lighting purpose of the lights for remotely lighting are displayed in parallel on the operation screen of the portable terminal. If the operation item is displayed for each lighting purpose, the vehicle user who operates the portable terminal can quickly select the operation item that matches the lighting purpose of the lights. Therefore, according to the present invention, the operation on the operation screen can be easily understood in order to realize the remote lighting of the lights by the vehicle user.

  In the mobile terminal described above, the operation items are a hazard operation item for lighting the lights as a vehicle warning light, and a car finder operation item for lighting the lights as a vehicle position teaching index. Good.

  Further, in the above-described portable terminal, the operation items include a hazard operation item for continuously lighting the lights as a vehicle warning light, and a car finder operation item for lighting the lights for a predetermined time as an index of vehicle position teaching, It may be said that.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can make it easy to understand operation on the operation screen when a vehicle user lights the lamps of a vehicle remotely.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the system of the present embodiment is configured by a portable terminal 10 such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a notebook personal computer possessed by a vehicle user, and an in-vehicle device 12 mounted on the vehicle. The system of the present embodiment is a system for remotely lighting the lights of the vehicle using the mobile terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 12 according to the request of the vehicle user.

  The mobile terminal 10 includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a mobile ECU) 14 mainly composed of a computer, and operates based on a software program stored in advance in a storage device such as a ROM. The mobile ECU 14 stores a telephone number of a vehicle (that is, the in-vehicle device 12) corresponding to the mobile terminal 10 and the like. The portable ECU 14 is connected to a transmitter 16 having a data communication antenna. The transmitter 16 can be wirelessly connected to a predetermined communication network 15.

  The portable ECU 14 is also connected to an input unit 18 that is manually input by a vehicle user and a display unit 20 that includes a screen that can be viewed by the vehicle user. The portable terminal 10 can wirelessly connect the transmitter 16 to a predetermined communication network 15 according to an input operation at the input unit 18. Further, the mobile terminal 10 has an operation screen for requesting teaching of the stop position of a vehicle user possessed or used, and an operation screen for requesting lighting as a warning light of a hazard light described later. Then, it is possible to display the content according to the input operation in the input unit 18 on the screen of the display unit 20.

  On the other hand, the in-vehicle device 12 includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as an in-vehicle ECU) 22 that is configured mainly with a computer and executes various controls based on a software program stored in advance. The in-vehicle ECU 22 is connected to a receiver 24 such as a data communication module (DCM) that can be wirelessly connected to the communication network 15. The in-vehicle device 12 can receive information transmitted from the transmitter 16 of the portable terminal 10 when the wireless communication connection is established with the portable terminal 10 via the communication network 15.

  A hazard light 26 mounted on the vehicle is also connected to the in-vehicle ECU 22. The hazard light 26 is a light that is disposed at the front, side, and rear of the vehicle and blinks at a predetermined time period. The in-vehicle ECU 22 confirms that the vehicle user has requested the portable terminal 10 when the vehicle interior switch (not shown) for blinking the hazard light 26 is turned on, and as will be described in detail later. If detected, a command for blinking the hazard light 26 is issued. The hazard light 26 blinks in accordance with a command from the in-vehicle ECU 22.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an example executed in the system of this embodiment. For the purpose of remotely turning on the hazard light 26 of the vehicle by operating the mobile terminal 10 by the vehicle user, a car finder function for teaching the stop position of the vehicle in order to search for the vehicle in a parking lot or the like; There is a hazard function that supplements forgetting to turn on manually when getting off the vehicle and lights it as a warning light.

  A vehicle user may have forgotten the parking position of his / her vehicle when he / she stops his / her own vehicle in the parking lot, leaves the parking lot, and then returns to the parking lot and tries to get on the own vehicle. . In the system of the present embodiment, when the vehicle user forgets the parking position of the own vehicle in the parking lot or the like in this way, the user inputs while viewing the display unit 20 of the portable terminal 10 possessed in order to realize the car finder function. A process of selecting and confirming an operation item (hereinafter referred to as a car finder operation item) for requesting the teaching of the vehicle stop position by turning on the hazard light 26 by inputting the unit 18 is performed.

  When the car finder operation item is confirmed by the operation by the vehicle user (step 100), the portable terminal 10 first communicates the transmitter 16 with the vehicle-mounted device 12 of the own vehicle corresponding to the own portable terminal 10 through the communication network 15. Connect (step 102). Then, after the communication connection, a command (teaching request command) for requesting the teaching of the vehicle stop position is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 12 via the communication network 15 (step 104).

  In addition, when the vehicle user stops the vehicle on the road shoulder and leaves the stop position, the vehicle user may forget to turn on the hazard light 26 of the vehicle for avoiding danger. In the system of the present embodiment, when the vehicle user forgets to turn on the hazard light 26 as described above, the vehicle user performs an input operation on the input unit 18 while looking at the display unit 20 of the portable terminal 10 possessed in order to realize the hazard function. Then, an operation item for requesting lighting of the hazard light 26 as a warning light (hereinafter referred to as a hazard operation item) is selected and confirmed.

  When the hazard operation item is confirmed by the operation by the vehicle user (step 100), the portable terminal 10 first connects the transmitter 16 to the in-vehicle device 12 of the own vehicle corresponding to the own portable terminal 10 through the communication network 15. (Step 102). Then, after the communication connection, a command (hazard request command) for requesting lighting of the hazard light 26 as a warning light is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 12 via the communication network 15 (step 104).

  When the on-vehicle device 12 of the vehicle receives a command from the corresponding portable terminal 10 at the receiver 22 (step 120), first, it is determined whether the received command is a teaching request command or a hazard request command. A determination is made (step 122). As a result, when it is determined that the teaching request command is received, the hazard light 26 is continuously lit for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) in response to the vehicle position teaching request operation by the vehicle user. A command is issued (step 124). In this case, the hazard light 26 continues to blink for a predetermined time.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 122 that the hazard request command has been received, the hazard light 26 is continuously applied to the hazard light 26 in response to a request operation for turning on the hazard light 26 as a warning light by the vehicle user. A command to turn on is issued (step 126). In this case, the hazard light 26 subsequently performs a blinking operation until a turn-off command is issued.

  As described above, in the system according to the present embodiment, when a vehicle position teaching request operation is performed by the vehicle user, the own vehicle teaches the stop position by continuously blinking the hazard light 26 for a predetermined time. The teaching operation will be performed. For this reason, the vehicle user in the parking lot can know the direction from the current position to the position where the own vehicle stops and the stop position by visually recognizing the teaching operation by blinking the hazard light 26 of the own vehicle. Can do. Therefore, according to the system of the present embodiment, even when the vehicle user forgets the stop position of the own vehicle in the parking lot, the hazard light 26 serving as an index of the stop position of the own vehicle as a car finder function is set at a predetermined time. By causing the flashing to be limited, it is possible to make it easier for the vehicle user to find the vehicle.

  Further, in the system of the present embodiment, when the hazard request operation is performed by the vehicle user, the own vehicle performs the operation of blinking the hazard light 26 continuously. For this reason, a person who is in the vicinity of a vehicle performing such an operation or approaches the vehicle by a car or the like recognizes that the vehicle is stopped by visually checking the blinking operation of the hazard light 26 of the vehicle. Can do. Therefore, according to the system of the present embodiment, even after the vehicle user has forgotten to blink the hazard light 26 by a switch operation in the vehicle after stopping on the road shoulder or the like, and after leaving the stop position. As the hazard function, the blinking of the warning light when the vehicle is parked can be realized by remotely flashing the hazard light 26 as a warning light continuously.

  By the way, for the purpose of the vehicle user operating the mobile terminal 10 to remotely flash the hazard light 26, a car finder function for searching for the vehicle in the parking lot and forgetting to turn on when getting off the warning are complemented. Since there is a hazard function for realizing lighting as a lamp, a car finder function is provided on the operation screen of the display unit 20 of the portable terminal 10 that is operated when the vehicle user remotely lights the hazard light 26 It is necessary to display both the car finder operation item requesting the hazard and the hazard operation item requesting the hazard function. However, if the display of the operation item is constructed on the time axis and the item content is, for example, “lights for 5 minutes” or “continuous light” as shown in FIG. This makes it difficult to intuitively determine whether the vehicle-mounted light should be turned on.

  Therefore, the system according to the present embodiment is characterized in that both the car finder operation item and the hazard operation item are displayed on the operation screen of the display unit 20 of the mobile terminal 10 in an easy-to-understand manner for the vehicle user. .

  The portable ECU 14 of the portable terminal 10 displays the car finder operation item and the hazard operation item in parallel on the display unit 20 when a remote flashing operation of the hazard light 26 of the vehicle is requested. As shown in FIG. 3B, the specific contents of these operation items are “car finder” for the car finder operation item, “hazard” for the hazard operation item, and the lighting purpose of the hazard light 26, respectively. It shall be described. At the same time, the mobile ECU 14 provides a check box for the vehicle user to check for each of the above two operation items, prevents both check boxes from being checked at the same time, and checks only one of them. To be able to.

  When the vehicle user intends to implement the car finder function, the car finder operation item described as “car finder” is checked and selected, and when the user wishes to implement the hazard function, “ Check and select the hazard operation item described as “hazard”. When the confirmation process is performed in a state where the car finder operation item is checked, the portable ECU 14 sends a teaching request command for continuously lighting the hazard light 26 as a vehicle position teaching index for a predetermined time. When the confirmation process is performed with the hazard operation item checked, the hazard request command for continuously lighting the hazard light 26 as a vehicle warning light is mounted on the vehicle. Transmit to the machine 12.

  Thus, in the system of the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 displays the contents of the operation items displayed on the operation screen of the display unit 20 when the vehicle user requests the remote flashing operation of the hazard light 26. Instead of building on the time axis as shown in FIG. 3 (A), it was constructed for each lighting purpose as shown in FIG. 3 (B). According to the display in which the operation items are constructed according to the lighting purpose, the vehicle user who operates the mobile terminal 10 to request the remote flashing operation of the hazard light 26 as compared with the display in which the operation items are constructed on the time axis. Can quickly select an operation item that matches the purpose of remotely lighting the hazard light 26. Therefore, according to the system of the present embodiment, the operation on the operation screen of the display unit 20 of the portable terminal 10 is easy to understand and appropriate for realizing the remote lighting of the hazard light 26 by the portable operation of the vehicle user. It is possible.

  By the way, in the above embodiment, the hazard light 26 corresponds to “lights” described in the claims, and the portable ECU 14 of the mobile terminal 10 allows the vehicle user to remotely operate the hazard light 26. When the blinking operation is requested, the “display means” described in the claims is realized by displaying the car finder operation item and the hazard operation item described for each lighting purpose in parallel on the operation screen of the display unit 20. Yes.

  In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 and the vehicle-mounted device 12 that can be connected to the predetermined communication network 15 are provided. At this time, a center for receiving and transmitting each command as appropriate is interposed. Also good. In such a system, the mobile terminal 10 has a web browser and can obtain a web screen for requesting the teaching of the vehicle position provided by the center and requesting lighting of the hazard light 26 as a vehicle warning light. Further, the teaching request command or the hazard request command is selectively transmitted to the web server in accordance with the input from the input unit 18 on the acquired web screen. When the center receives the request command from the mobile terminal 10, the center transfers the request command to the host vehicle (vehicle equipment 12) corresponding to the mobile terminal 10 registered in advance. And when the own vehicle receives the request command transmitted from the center, the hazard light 26 of the vehicle is appropriately blinked to exhibit the car finder function or the hazard function.

  In the above-described embodiment, the portable terminal 10 and the vehicle-mounted device 12 that can be connected to the predetermined communication network 15 are provided, and a request for teaching a vehicle stop position and a lighting request for the hazard light 26 as a vehicle warning light are provided. However, it may be performed directly from the portable terminal 10 to the in-vehicle device 12 without going through the communication network 15.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the contents of the operation items displayed on the display unit 20 of the portable terminal 10 for the vehicle user requesting the remote flashing operation of the hazard light 26 are “car finder” and “ “Hazard” is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and “vehicle position teaching”, “warning lighting”, and the like may be used as long as it is described according to the purpose of lighting the hazard light 26. There may be.

It is a block diagram of the system which is one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of an example performed in the system of a present Example. It is a figure showing the content of the operation item displayed on the operation screen of the display part of a portable terminal in a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Portable terminal 12 Car equipment 20 Display part 26 Hazard light

Claims (4)

A portable terminal operated by a vehicle user to remotely turn on lights of the vehicle,
A portable terminal comprising display means for displaying operation items according to lighting purposes of the lamps in parallel on an operation screen.   2. The operation item according to claim 1, wherein the operation item is a hazard operation item for lighting the lights as a vehicle warning light, and a car finder operation item for lighting the lights as a vehicle position teaching index. Mobile device.   The operation items are a hazard operation item for continuously lighting the lights as a vehicle warning light, and a car finder operation item for lighting the lights for a predetermined time as an index for teaching the vehicle position. Item 2. A portable terminal according to Item 1.   A display for a mobile terminal, wherein operation items for each lighting purpose of the lights are displayed in parallel on an operation screen of a mobile terminal operated by a vehicle user to remotely light a lamp included in the vehicle. Method.

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