JP6033336B2 - Information display control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information display control device that controls the operation of an information display device, and more particularly to an information display control device having a cooperation (link) function with an external communication terminal.

  In recent years, information display devices having a communication function with communication terminals such as smartphones and mobile phones have been put into practical use. As such an information display device, an image or sound output by an application program (hereinafter simply referred to as “application”) running on a communication terminal is acquired and output from its own display unit or speaker, Some have a link function (for example, MirrorLink (registered trademark) function) that enables a cooperative operation with a communication terminal, such as receiving a user operation based on voice and controlling the communication terminal.

  In general, when an event such as an incoming call occurs during execution of an application in a communication terminal, the execution of the application is interrupted. At this time, the screen display of the communication terminal is usually switched from an image (application image) output by the application to an image notifying the occurrence of an event. Therefore, even if the information display device is linked to the communication terminal and displays an application image acquired from the communication terminal, when an event occurs in the communication terminal, transmission of the application image from the communication terminal is interrupted. In this case, the display on the information display device is also switched to an image that notifies the occurrence of an event at the communication terminal.

  For example, when an in-vehicle information display device is displaying a map output by a navigation application operating on a communication terminal, and there is an incoming call to the communication terminal, the display on the information display device is Switch to the incoming call screen. Then, the driver cannot see the map until the call is finished, and convenience is lowered.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 below, when an in-vehicle information display device displays a map of a navigation application of a communication terminal, the map is stored as needed, and when an event occurs in the communication terminal, the information display device Techniques have been proposed for continuing to display the map stored immediately before. According to this technique, even if there is an incoming call to the communication terminal, the map remains displayed on the information display device, so that the driver can continue to view the map.

JP 2011-254299 A

  In the information display device of Patent Document 1, an image displayed when an event occurs in a communication terminal, that is, a map immediately before the event occurrence is a static image and is not updated during the continuation of the event. For this reason, if the vehicle advances while the event continues, the position of the vehicle displayed on the map and the actual position of the vehicle shift. As a result, the user cannot intuitively grasp the current position from the map displayed on the information display device, and convenience is reduced.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an information display control device that can maintain convenience even when an event occurs in a communication terminal.

The information display control device according to the first aspect of the present invention acquires, via a communication unit, a communication unit that communicates with a communication terminal and an image of an application that is operating on the communication terminal, and obtains an image of the application. An image processing unit to be displayed on the display device, and a control unit that executes an alternative application that performs the same function as the application when acquisition of the application image is interrupted due to an event that has occurred in the communication terminal. When acquisition of an application image is interrupted by an event, the processing unit displays a composite image of the image indicating the occurrence of the event and the image of the alternative application on the display device, and the application is a navigation application that performs route guidance. And alternative applications are applications for navigation Is an application for simple navigation to display the remote simplified map, applications and applications for simple navigation for navigation, in the shall which have a function to be updated to match the current position of the area to be displayed on the map is there.

  According to the present invention, when an event occurs in the communication terminal, the display device has a composite image of an image indicating the occurrence of the event and a dynamic image (an image that is repeatedly updated) instead of the application image. Is displayed. Convenience is maintained by continuously displaying a dynamic image corresponding to the image of the application even after the event has occurred.

  Objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

It is a block diagram of the information display system which concerns on Embodiment 1 and 2 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating cooperation operation | movement with an information display control apparatus and a communication terminal. It is a figure for demonstrating cooperation operation | movement with an information display control apparatus and a communication terminal. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the information display control apparatus when data is received from a communication terminal. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the information display control apparatus when an operation input device (touch panel) is operated. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the information display control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 when the event notified to a user generate | occur | produces in a communication terminal. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the information display control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 when the event which does not require notification to a user generate | occur | produces in the communication terminal. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an image display operation of the information display control apparatus according to the first embodiment when an event occurs in the communication terminal. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the information display control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 when the event notified to a user generate | occur | produces in a communication terminal. It is a block diagram of the information display system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of an information display control apparatus according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of an information display control apparatus according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an image display operation of the information display control apparatus according to the third embodiment when an event occurs in the communication terminal.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an information display system according to the present invention. The information display system includes an information display control device 10, an image display device 21, an audio output device 22, an operation input device 23 connected to the information display control device 10, and a communication terminal 30 that can link (link) with the information display control device 10. Contains.

  The information display control device 10 controls the image displayed on the image display device 21 and the sound output on the sound output device 22. The operation input device 23 is a user interface for the user to operate the information display control device 10 or remotely operate the communication terminal 30 via the information display control device 10. As a specific product in which the information display control device 10 is incorporated, for example, a car navigation device, a digital television, a video game machine, or the like can be considered.

  In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which a current position acquisition device 24 having a function of acquiring the position of the information display control device 10 is further connected to the information display control device 10. The current position acquisition device 24 is used when the information display control device 10 executes an application for navigation, for example. When the information display control device 10 executes an application that does not require position information, the current position acquisition device 24 is basically unnecessary for the information display control device 10.

  The image display device 21, the audio output device 22, the operation input device 23, and the current position acquisition device 24 may be incorporated in the information display control device 10 or may be external devices. When the image display device 21, the audio output device 22, the operation input device 23, and the current position acquisition device 24 are external devices, the connection (communication) between them and the information display control device 10 is wired or wireless. The method may be used.

  The image display device 21 is typically a liquid crystal display device, but an arbitrary device having an image display function (for example, a television display device, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a display unit of a vehicle instrument panel, a screen-attached device) A game controller or the like may be used. The audio output device 22 is generally a speaker, headphones, or the like, but any device having an audio output function may also be used.

  The operation input device 23 is basically used for the operation of the information display control device 10, but in a state where the information display control device 10 is linked to the communication terminal 30, the user can communicate with the communication terminal 30 via the operation input device 23. 30 can be operated remotely. The operation input device 23 may be hardware such as an operation button, an operation stick, a keyboard, a track pad, or a software key using an icon displayed on the screen. When displaying the software key as the operation input device 23 on the image display device 21, the image display device 21 and the operation input device 23 may be a single touch panel having both functions.

  The current position acquisition device 24 is typically a GPS receiver that receives a signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) 43 and acquires an absolute position (latitude, longitude), but a relative position ( A speed sensor, an orientation sensor, and the like are also included.

  The information display control device 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, an image processing unit 13, an audio processing unit 15, a communication terminal information analysis unit 16, a communication terminal control unit 17, and a storage unit 18. The information display control device 10 is configured using a computer, and each element of the information display control device 10 is realized by the computer operating in accordance with a control program 181 stored in the storage unit 18. The storage unit 18 is configured by a recording medium such as a hard disk, a removable disk, or a memory.

  The control unit 11 has a function of controlling the entire information display control device 10 according to the control program 181. The control unit 11 can also execute the application program 182 for the information display control device 10 stored in the storage unit 18. The application program 182 stored in the storage unit 18 of the information display control device 10 includes an alternative application that exhibits the same function as an application that operates on the communication terminal 30.

  The communication unit 12 has a function of performing communication necessary for the information display control device 10 to link with the communication terminal 30, and transmits various information such as image data, audio data, and control commands to and from the communication terminal 30. Communicate. The communication method between the communication unit 12 and the communication terminal 30 may be wired communication using, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a LAN (Local Area Network) cable, or may be a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. Wireless communication may be used.

  The image processing unit 13 has a function of generating an image signal for causing the image display device 21 to display an image. In particular, in a state where the information display control device 10 is linked to the communication terminal 30, the image processing unit 13 acquires an image (application image) output by an application running on the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 12. Can be displayed on the image display device 21.

  However, when the image processing unit 13 displays an image (application image) of an application running on the communication terminal 30 on the image display device 21, if a predetermined event occurs in the communication terminal 30, the communication terminal thereby The transmission of the application image from 30 is interrupted, and the information display control device 10 cannot acquire the application image. In that case, the control unit 11 executes an alternative application that exhibits the same function as the application, and the image processing unit 13 includes an image indicating the occurrence of an event (event image), an image of the alternative application (substitute application image), and the like. Is displayed on the image display device 21.

  The audio processing unit 15 has a function of generating an audio signal for causing the audio output device 22 to output audio. In particular, in a state where the information display control device 10 is linked to the communication terminal 30, the voice processing unit 15 acquires the voice output by the application running on the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 12, and the voice output device 22 can be output. Furthermore, when a predetermined event occurs in the communication terminal 30, the sound processing unit 15 can also output a sound for notifying the user of the occurrence of the event from the sound output device 22.

  The communication terminal information analysis unit 16 performs identification and state determination of the communication terminal 30 based on information (data) acquired from the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 12. Information acquired by the communication terminal information analysis unit 16 from the communication terminal 30 includes, for example, attribute information of the application being executed on the communication terminal 30 (application type and the like), and attribute information of the communication terminal 30 (model name, function, Phone number, owner name, etc.), occurrence information of each event (incoming phone call, incoming mail, battery exhausted, communication disabled, etc.).

  The communication terminal control unit 17 has a function of controlling the communication terminal 30 by transmitting various control commands and data to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 12. In a state where the information display control device 10 is linked to the communication terminal 30, the user uses the operation input device 23 to display the operation screen of the communication terminal 30 displayed on the image display device 21 (the application operating on the communication terminal 30. And an operation screen based on an image of an operation screen corresponding to an event that has occurred in the communication terminal 30 can be performed. The user's operation content is transmitted to the communication terminal 30 by the communication terminal control unit 17, and the communication terminal 30 performs an operation corresponding to the operation content. As a result, remote operation of the communication terminal 30 using the operation input device 23 is realized.

  The communication terminal 30 has a communication function for linking with the information display control device 10. A communication function with the far-end communication device 42 via the communication network 41 (network in which the communication terminal 30 is located), such as a smartphone or a mobile phone, may be provided. Further, the communication terminal 30 executes an application for the communication terminal 30 to provide route guidance using a telephone function, an e-mail (e-mail) transmission / reception function, an Internet browsing function (browser function), and the GPS 43. Various functions such as a navigation function to be performed may be exhibited.

  Since the configuration of the communication terminal 30 may be the same as that of a general smartphone, for example, detailed description thereof is omitted, but in FIG. 1, the display unit 31, the operation unit 32, the control unit 33, and the communication unit 34 particularly related to the present invention. Is illustrated.

  The display unit 31 displays an image of an application being executed on the communication terminal 30, or displays an event notification screen or an operation screen image when an event occurs. The operation unit 32 is a user interface of the communication terminal 30, and the user can perform operations on applications and events using the operation unit 32. The control unit 33 executes a control program for the communication terminal 30 to control basic functions (communication function, call function, etc.) of the communication terminal 30, and executes various applications to Various functions can be performed on the communication terminal 30. The communication unit 34 performs communication for linking with the information display control device 10, but may be used for communication with the far-end communication device 42 via the communication network 41.

  Next, the operation of the information display system according to Embodiment 1 will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the information display control device 10, the image display device 21, the audio output device 22, the operation input device 23, and the current position acquisition device 24 are all in-vehicle devices, and the communication terminal 30 is a smartphone. In addition, the image display device 21 and the operation input device 23 are configured as one touch panel (a “touch panel device 212” described later). Similarly, the display unit 31 and the operation unit 32 of the communication terminal 30 are also configured as one touch panel (a “touch panel unit 312” described later).

  In the following description, a navigation application that performs route guidance is illustrated as an application that operates on the communication terminal 30, and an incoming call is illustrated as an event that occurs in the communication terminal 30. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to the combination of the application and the event. For example, the application running on the communication terminal 30 may be a browser or the like, and an event occurring in the communication terminal 30 may be an incoming e-mail or the like.

  First, an outline of the cooperation (link) function between the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 will be described. When the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are physically connected by wire or wireless and a link is established by both communication, as shown in FIG. 2, a touch panel device 212 (image display device) connected to the information display control device 10 is provided. 21), the same image as the touch panel unit 312 (display unit 31) of the communication terminal 30 is displayed. Further, the same sound as that output from the communication terminal 30 is output to the sound output device 22 connected to the information display control device 10.

  While the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked, data such as images and sounds output from the communication terminal 30 is transmitted to the information display control device 10, and the information display control device 10 transmits the data to the touch panel device. 212 and the audio output device 22 can be used for output.

  Furthermore, the user operates the touch panel device 212 (operation input device 23) while the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked to operate the touch panel unit 312 (operation unit 32) of the communication terminal 30. The communication terminal 30 can be remotely operated with the same feeling as operating. Note that operation of the touch panel unit 312 of the communication terminal 30 is not prohibited while the link is established, and the communication terminal 30 can be operated from either the touch panel unit 312 or the touch panel device 212.

  For example, when the user touches the “navigation” icon displayed on the touch panel device 212 from the state shown in FIG. 2, the navigation terminal 30 uses the navigation terminal 30 for navigation as when the touch panel unit 312 of the communication terminal 30 is operated. The application starts. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the image (here, a map) of the application is displayed on the touch panel unit 312 of the communication terminal 30, and at the same time, the same image as the touch panel unit 312 of the communication terminal 30 is displayed on the touch panel device 212. The For example, when the application outputs a voice for route guidance, the voice is output from the voice output device 22 connected to the information display control device 10.

  In this way, in a state where the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked, the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 perform an operation in cooperation with each other.

  Below, the detail of cooperation operation | movement with the communication terminal 30 in the information display control apparatus 10 is demonstrated.

  First, the operation of the information display control device 10 when data is received from the linked communication terminal 30 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation.

  When the communication unit 12 of the information display control device 10 receives the data transmitted from the communication terminal 30 being linked (step S101), the communication unit 12 checks the type of the received data (step S102).

  If the received data is image data (YES in step S103), the communication unit 12 sends the image (data) to the image processing unit 13 (step S104). The image processing unit 13 displays the image on the image display device 21 (step S105).

  If the received data is voice data (NO in step S103 and YES in step S106), the voice (data) is sent to the voice processing unit 15 (step S107). The voice processing unit 15 outputs the voice from the voice output device 22 (step S108).

  On the other hand, if the received data is neither an image nor sound, but attribute information of the application being executed on the communication terminal 30, attribute information of the communication terminal 30, occurrence information of each event of the communication terminal 30, etc. (NO in step S103) And the communication part 12 sends the information (data) to the communication terminal information analysis part 16 (step S109). The communication terminal information analysis unit 16 analyzes the information and sends the result to the control unit 11 (step S110). Thereby, the control part 11 can control the information display control apparatus 10 according to the condition of the communication terminal 30.

  Next, the operation of the information display control device 10 when the user operates the operation input device 23 during the link with the communication terminal 30 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation.

  When the operation of the operation input device 23 is performed by the user, the operation input device 23 notifies the operation to the control unit 11 of the information display control device 10 (step S201), and the control unit 11 confirms the content of the operation. (Step S202).

  If the operation is an operation that requires control of the communication terminal 30 (YES in step S203), the control unit 11 sends a control command corresponding to the operation to the communication terminal control unit 17 (step S204). The communication terminal control unit 17 converts the control command into a format recognizable by the communication terminal 30 and passes it to the communication unit 12 (step S205). The communication unit 12 transmits the format-converted control command to the communication terminal 30 (step S206).

  If the operation is an operation that requires data transmission to the communication terminal 30 (NO in step S203 and YES in step S207), the control unit 11 transmits the data to be transmitted to the communication terminal 30 to the communication terminal. The data is sent to the control unit 17 (step S208). The communication terminal control unit 17 converts the data into a format recognizable by the communication terminal 30 and passes the data to the communication unit 12 (step S209). The communication unit 12 transmits the format-converted data to the communication terminal 30 (step S210).

  On the other hand, if the operation is another operation (NO in step S203 and NO in step S207), the target of the operation is not the communication terminal 30, but the information display control device 10, and therefore the control unit 11 Information input by the operation is used for processing of the control program 181 and the application program 182 (step S211). Thereby, the information display control device 10 performs an operation based on the user's operation.

  Next, the operation of the information display control device 10 when a predetermined event occurs in the communication terminal 30 during the link with the communication terminal 30 will be described.

  When a predetermined event occurs in the linked communication terminal 30, the information display control device 10 executes an alternative application having the same function as the application operating on the communication terminal 30, and displays an image (event Image) and an image of a substitute application (substitute application image) are displayed on the image display device 21. That is, a composite image obtained by combining the application image of the communication terminal 30 and the event image is displayed on the image display device 21. The event image is not limited to an image intended only for notification of event occurrence, but may be an image that also functions as an event operation screen (user interface).

  For example, the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked, and as shown in FIG. 3, both the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) and the display unit 31 (touch panel unit 312) of the communication terminal 30 are connected. Assume that an image (map) of a navigation application operating on the communication terminal 30 is displayed.

  When an incoming call event occurs in the communication terminal 30 from this state, an image of a screen (incoming call screen) for notifying the incoming call is displayed on the display unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 as shown in FIG. Here, as an image of the incoming call screen, an image made up of characters representing the name and telephone number of the caller and operation buttons (icons) of “call start” and “hold” is illustrated.

  When there is an incoming call to the communication terminal 30, the transmission of the application image from the communication terminal 30 is interrupted. In this case, the information display control device 10 acquires an event image (an incoming screen image) from the communication terminal 30 and activates an alternative application that exhibits the same function as the application running on the communication terminal 30. Here, since the navigation application is running on the communication terminal 30, the information display control device 10 activates the navigation application as an alternative application.

  In the present embodiment, the navigation application as the alternative application is a simple navigation application that displays a map that is more simplified than the navigation application operating on the communication terminal 30. By using an application for simple navigation as an alternative application, there is an advantage that the map data stored in the storage unit 18 of the information display control device 10 can be reduced.

  When the alternative application is activated, the information display control device 10 synthesizes the alternative application image (map for simple navigation) and the event image (image of the incoming screen) and displays them on the image display device 21 as shown in FIG. Let FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which an event image (image of an incoming call screen) is displayed on a part of an alternative application image on the screen of the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212).

  The user can remotely operate the communication terminal 30 by touching the event image displayed on the touch panel device 212. For example, in the state of FIG. 6, when the user touches the “call start” button of the event image displayed on the touch panel device 212, a hands-free call using the communication terminal 30 can be started.

  In addition, since the alternative application is operating on the information display control device 10, the information display control device 10 dynamically displays the image of the alternative application while updating the image at any time while the event occurs in the communication terminal 30. Can be made. Therefore, when the vehicle advances after an incoming call or after the start of a call, the position of the vehicle displayed on the map as the alternative application image can be moved by using the position acquired from the current position acquisition device 24 or the like. Therefore, the user can intuitively grasp the current position from the map displayed on the touch panel device 212, and the convenience is maintained.

  By the way, some events that occur in the communication terminal 30 do not require notification to the user. For example, it is less necessary to notify the user of information that is less urgent, such as reception of application update information. In addition, among incoming call events, it is conceivable that the user wishes to refuse notification of incoming calls from a specific caller or incoming calls without caller ID.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, when a specific event that is predetermined as not requiring notification to the user occurs, the information display control device 10 does not display an event image corresponding to the event. To do.

  For example, in the case where an incoming call with a caller number not notified that notification to the user is unnecessary from the state of FIG. 3 occurs, the information display control device 10 displays the display unit of the communication terminal 30 as shown in FIG. The event image (incoming screen image) displayed on 31 (touch panel unit 312) is not displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212), and the alternative application image (map) is displayed on the image display device 21.

  Note that it is preferable that the user can arbitrarily set which event notification is required (or which event notification is not required).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an image display operation of the information display control device 10 when an event occurs in the communication terminal 30 during the link with the communication terminal 30.

  If an event occurs in the communication terminal 30 when the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked, the event occurrence information (hereinafter “event information”) is transmitted from the communication terminal 30 to the information display control device 10. Is sent. The event information transmitted by the communication terminal 30 includes a start notification transmitted when an event occurs and an end notification transmitted when the event ends.

  When the communication unit 12 of the information display control device 10 receives event information (step S301), the communication unit 12 sends the event information to the communication terminal information analysis unit 16 (step S302). The communication terminal information analysis unit 16 clears the flag (data for storing the result of the condition determination process) related to the event stored in the control unit 11 (step S303), and analyzes the event information (step S303). S304).

  As a result of the analysis, when the event information is a start notification of an event to notify the user (YES in step S305), the communication terminal information analysis unit 16 sets an event flag stored in the control unit 11 ( Step S306). If the event information is an event end notification (NO in step S305 and YES in step S307), the flag is not set. If the event information is neither the start notification of the event to be notified to the user nor the end notification of the event (NO in step S305 and NO in step S307), the communication terminal information analysis unit 16 is stored in the control unit 11. Is set (step S308).

  Thereafter, when the communication unit 12 receives an image (data) from the communication terminal 30 (step S309), the communication unit 12 sends the received image to the image processing unit 13 (step S310), and the control unit 11 discards the event flag and the reading out. The state of the flag is confirmed (step S311). Then, the image processing unit 13 generates an image to be displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) using the acquired image according to the state of the event flag and the discard flag.

  When the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is an event start notification to be notified to the user, that is, when the event flag is set (YES in step S312), the control unit 11 activates the alternative application. (Step S313). Further, if necessary for the alternative application, the control unit 11 acquires position information from the current position acquisition device 24. Then, processing (step S314) of the image (received image) received from the communication unit 12 is performed, and a composite image is generated by synthesizing the activated alternative application image (substitute application image) and the processed received image. (Step S315). In this case, since an event is occurring, the received image is an event image. The image processing unit 13 displays the generated composite image on the image display device 21 (step S316). The generation and display of the composite image (steps S315 and S316) are repeatedly executed until the information display control device 10 receives the next event information (step S317). As a result, both the alternative application image and the event image are displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) as shown in FIG.

  When the received image (event image) is displayed so as to overlap a part of the alternative application image as shown in FIG. 6, in the received image processing (step S314), the event image size adjustment (enlargement or reduction) is performed as necessary. Done. In the composite image generation process (step S315), a composite image is generated by superimposing the processed received image on a part of the alternative application image.

  If the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is neither an event start notification nor an event end notification to be notified to the user, that is, if the discard flag is set (NO in step S312 and YES in step S318), The alternative application is activated (step S319), and the process ends. In this case, an alternative application image is displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) as shown in FIG. 7 (the same as when the alternative application is activated by a user operation on the operation input device 23). State).

  If the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is an event end notification, that is, if neither the event flag nor the discard flag is set (NO in step S312 and NO in step S318), the received image is displayed. The image is displayed on the image display device 21 (step S320), and the process ends. Since this case is a state after the end of the event, the received image is an application image of the communication terminal 30 acquired via the communication unit 12. As a result, the display of the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) is the same application image as the display unit 31 (touch panel unit 312) of the communication terminal 30, as shown in FIG.

  When the event ends, the alternative application may be terminated. For example, when the alternative application is activated (step S313 or S319), it may be stored whether the alternative application is already activated, and the alternative application may be returned to the original state at the end of the event. That is, the alternative application that was already active when the event occurred may continue to operate even when the event ends, and the alternative application that is activated in response to the event may be ended when the event ends.

  The alternative application exhibits the same function as the application running on the communication terminal 30 when the event occurs, but can further ensure the continuity of the screen display of the image display device 21 before and after the event occurs. It is desirable that

  For example, when an event occurs, the display of the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) is changed from the map of the navigation application operating on the communication terminal 30 (FIG. 3) to the map of the alternative application (simple navigation). When switching to FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, it is desirable that the map of the alternative application displays the same area as the map of the application of the communication terminal 30 with the same scale and orientation. In order to realize this, the information display control device 10 needs to acquire information such as which area map the application of the communication terminal 30 is displaying at what scale and in which direction. There is.

  Furthermore, when a route from the current position to the destination is displayed on the map of the application of the communication terminal 30, information on the route may be acquired and displayed on the map of the alternative application. Alternatively, the information display control device 10 may acquire destination information, and re-search and display the route from the current position to the destination using an alternative application.

  In addition, if the activation of the alternative application is slow, the display on the image display device 21 cannot be immediately switched from the application image of the communication terminal 30 to the alternative application image. For example, since an application for simple navigation needs to acquire the current position using the current position acquisition device 24 at the time of activation, a certain amount of time is required for activation. This problem is solved by measures such as the information display control device 10 acquiring the current position using the current position acquisition device 24 before the event occurs or starting the alternative application before the event occurs. it can.

  As an example of an image to be displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) when a predetermined event occurs, FIG. 6 shows a composite image in which an event image (received image) is superimposed on a part of an alternative application image. The composition of the composite image (the layout of the application image and the event image) is not limited to this. For example, the composite image may be a composite image in which the alternative application image and the event image are arranged vertically or horizontally.

  In FIG. 6, the event image included in the composite image is the same as the event image displayed on the display unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 (only the size adjustment is performed). An event image that has been processed may be used. As the processing, for example, trimming, rotation, transmission, 3D conversion, brightness change, and combinations thereof can be considered. By processing the event image, it is possible to obtain visual effects such as making the event image and the application image easier to see.

  Further, the configuration (for example, style and layout) of the event image included in the composite image may be changed. In this case, in the received image processing (step S314), the received image is analyzed to extract the position, size, style (including character font), etc. of characters and buttons (icons) included in the received image, Processing to change them is performed. By changing the configuration of the event image, the display of the event image can be made conspicuous, and the operability of the event image as a user interface can be improved.

<Embodiment 2>
In the second embodiment, a browser application (hereinafter referred to as “browser”) having a function of displaying an Internet site (web page) as an alternative application to be activated by the information display control device 10 when an event occurs in the communication terminal 30 being linked. )). The configuration and operation of the information display system are the same as those in the first embodiment except that the alternative application is a browser. Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the information display control device 10 has a means for accessing the Internet. For example, the communication unit 12 may have a function as a means for accessing the Internet.

  The browser as an alternative application enters a state where it can exhibit the same function as the application running on the communication terminal 30 by accessing a predetermined site. Since the browser can exhibit various functions depending on the site to be accessed, the number of alternative applications stored in the storage unit 18 can be reduced.

  For example, if the application running on the communication terminal 30 is a navigation application, the information display control device 10 activates the browser in the step of activating the alternative application (step S313 or S319 in FIG. 8). , To access a map display site having a navigation function. At this time, the position information acquired from the current position acquisition device 24 is transmitted as an input parameter to the map display site. As a result, the browser is in a state where it can exhibit the same function as the navigation application running on the information display control device 10. Note that the timing at which the current position acquisition device 24 acquires the position does not necessarily have to be when an event occurs, and the position may be acquired periodically and stored in the storage unit 18.

  In this case, when an incoming call event occurs in the communication terminal 30 from the state where the link between the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 is established (FIG. 3), the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) displays As shown in FIG. 9, a composite image of the image of the incoming call screen (event image) and the image of the browser accessing the map display site (substitute application image) is displayed.

  Also in the present embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Embodiment 3>
FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of an information display system according to the present invention. The information display system shown in FIG. 10 has a configuration in which an image storage unit 14 is provided in the configuration of FIG.

  The image storage unit 14 has a function of storing an application screen (screenshot) acquired from the communication terminal 30 as needed while the information display control device 10 is linked to the communication terminal 30.

  In the third embodiment, a predetermined event occurs in the communication terminal 30 linked to the information display control device 10, and an image of an application (application image) operating on the communication terminal 30 is displayed in the information display control device 10. When the acquisition is interrupted, the control unit 11 estimates a change in the application image when it is assumed that the application continues to operate. Further, the image processing unit 13 performs a processing process for adding the change estimated by the control unit 11 to the application image stored in the image storage unit 14 and combines the processed application image and the event image. The image is displayed on the image display device 21.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the information display system according to Embodiment 3 will be described. Since the cooperative operation between the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 when no event occurs in the communication terminal 30 is the same as that described with reference to FIGS. . Here, the operation of the information display control device 10 when a predetermined event occurs in the communication terminal 30 being linked will be described.

  Also in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the information display control device 10, the image display device 21, the audio output device 22, the operation input device 23, and the current position acquisition device 24 are all in-vehicle devices, and the communication terminal 30 is a smartphone. To do. In addition, the image display device 21 and the operation input device 23 are configured as a single touch panel (touch panel device 212). Similarly, the display unit 31 and the operation unit 32 of the communication terminal 30 are also configured as one touch panel (touch panel unit 312).

  An application that operates on the communication terminal 30 is a navigation application that performs route guidance, and an event that occurs in the communication terminal 30 is an incoming call. The event that occurs in the communication terminal 30 may be an incoming e-mail or the like.

  The information display control device 10 according to the third embodiment displays an event image as an image display device while continuing to display an image of an application running on the communication terminal 30 when a predetermined event occurs in the linked communication terminal 30. 21 is displayed. That is, a composite image obtained by combining the application image of the communication terminal 30 and the event image is displayed on the image display device 21. However, since the reception of the application image from the communication terminal 30 is interrupted by the occurrence of the event, the application image estimated on the assumption that the application has continued to operate is used as the application image to be included in the composite image. Use.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, an image (map) of an application for navigation of the communication terminal 30 is displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) and the display unit 31 (touch panel unit 312) of the communication terminal 30. Assuming that

  When an incoming call event occurs in the communication terminal 30 from that state, an incoming screen image as an event image is displayed on the display unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 as shown in FIG. When there is an incoming call to the communication terminal 30, the information display control device 10 acquires an event image (image of the incoming call screen) from the communication terminal 30, and combines the application image and the event image as shown in FIG. The image is displayed on the image display device 21. At this time, since the transmission of the application image from the communication terminal 30 is interrupted by the incoming call, the application image included in the composite image is stored in the image storage unit 14 received by the communication unit 12 immediately before the incoming call. The application image that has been used is used. FIG. 11 shows an example in which an event image (image of an incoming screen) is displayed on a part of an application image (map) on the screen of the image display device 21.

  The user can remotely operate the communication terminal 30 by touching the event image displayed on the touch panel device 212. For example, in the state of FIG. 11, when the user touches the “call start” button of the event image displayed on the touch panel device 212, a hands-free call using the communication terminal 30 can be started.

  If the map displayed on the touch panel device 212 is not updated from the state of FIG. 11, when the vehicle on which the information display control device 10 is mounted moves, the actual vehicle is determined from the position of the vehicle displayed on the map. It will shift.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control unit 11 detects a change in the position of the vehicle obtained from the current position acquisition device 24, thereby changing the application image when it is assumed that the application of the communication terminal 30 has continued to operate. Is estimated.

  When the vehicle advances, the control unit 11 acquires the position of the vehicle from the current position acquisition device 24, calculates the change (direction and distance of movement), and based on the scale and orientation of the displayed map, It is estimated how much the vehicle position moves in which direction on the map.

  The image processing unit 13 processes the map (application image) stored in the image storage unit 14 so that the change in the position of the vehicle on the map estimated by the control unit 11 is reflected. Then, the image processing unit 13 generates a composite image of the event image and the processed map, and causes the touch panel device 212 to display the composite image.

  For example, in the state of FIG. 11, an icon (a mark combining a white circle and a black triangle) indicating the position of the vehicle is displayed slightly below the center of the screen of the touch panel device 212. When the vehicle moves forward from this state, assuming that the application of the communication terminal 30 continues to operate, the icon of the vehicle on the map is estimated to move upward. Based on the estimation result, the image processing unit 13 performs processing for moving the icon indicating the position of the vehicle upward as shown in FIG. By repeating this process, the icon indicating the position of the vehicle on the map moves according to the movement of the vehicle.

  As described above, the application image (map) displayed on the touch panel device 212 is dynamically displayed even while an event occurs in the communication terminal 30, so that the user can intuitively determine the current position from the application image. It can be grasped and convenience is maintained.

  Even in the third embodiment, when a specific event that is predetermined as not requiring notification to the user occurs, the information display control device 10 does not display an event image corresponding to the event (estimated). Display only application images).

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an image display operation of the information display control device 10 when an event occurs in the communication terminal 30 during a link with the communication terminal 30. In the flowchart of FIG. 13, steps S301 to S311 are the same as those in FIG. 8, so description of those steps is omitted here.

  When an event occurs in the communication terminal 30 when the information display control device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are linked, the event occurrence information (event information) is transmitted from the communication terminal 30, and the information display control device 10 Received by the communication unit 12.

  When the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is a start notification of an event to be notified to the user, that is, when the event flag is set (YES in step S320), the image processing unit 13 receives information from the communication unit 12. Processing such as enlargement or reduction is performed on the received image (received image) as necessary (step S321). In this case, since an event is occurring, the received image is an event image.

  Next, the control unit 11 acquires the current position from the current position acquisition device 24 (step S322), and calculates a change in the current position based on the current position (step S323). Subsequently, the image processing unit 13 performs processing (update processing) on the application image (stored image) stored in the image storage unit 14 so that the change in the current position is reflected (step S324). Then, a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing the processed image and the received image is generated (step S325), and the synthesized image is displayed on the image display device 21 (step S326).

  The calculation of the change of the current position, the update of the stored image, the generation and display of the composite image (steps S322 to S326) are repeatedly executed until the communication unit 12 of the information display control device 10 receives the next event information (step). S327). As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, a dynamic application image (map) is displayed together with the event image on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212).

  If the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is neither an event start notification nor an event end notification to be notified to the user, that is, if the read-out flag is set (NO in step S320, YES in step S328), The control unit 11 acquires the current position from the current position acquisition device 24 (step 329), and calculates a change in the current position based on the current position (step S330). Subsequently, the image processing unit 13 performs processing (update processing) on the application image (stored image) stored in the image storage unit 14 so that the change in the current position is reflected (step S331). Then, the stored image after the processing is displayed on the image display device 21 (step S332).

  The calculation of the change in the current position, the update of the stored image, and the display of the stored image (steps S329 to S332) are repeatedly executed until the information display control device 10 receives the next event information (step S333). As a result, a dynamic application image (map) that does not include an event image is displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212).

  If the event information received from the communication terminal 30 is an event end notification, that is, if neither the event flag nor the discard flag is set (NO in step S320 and NO in step S328), the received image is displayed. The image is displayed on the image display device 21 (step S334), and the process ends. Since this case is a state after the end of the event, the received image is an application image of the communication terminal 30 acquired via the communication unit 12. As a result, the display of the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) is the same application image as the display unit 31 (touch panel unit 312) of the communication terminal 30, as shown in FIG.

  As an example of an image displayed on the image display device 21 (touch panel device 212) when a predetermined event occurs, FIGS. 11 and 12 show a composite image in which an event image (received image) is superimposed on a part of an application image. However, the composition of the composite image (the layout of the application image and the event image) is not limited to this. For example, the composite image may be a composite image in which the application image and the event image are arranged vertically or horizontally.

  Moreover, you may perform a predetermined process process with respect to the event image included in a synthesized image. Examples of the processing include enlargement, reduction, trimming, rotation, transmission, 3D conversion, brightness change, and combinations thereof. By processing the event image, it is possible to obtain visual effects such as making the event image and the application image easier to see.

  Further, the configuration (for example, style and layout) of the event image included in the composite image may be changed. In this case, in the received image processing (step S321), the received image is analyzed to extract the position, size, style (including character font), etc. of characters and buttons (icons) included in the received image, Processing to change them is performed. By changing the configuration of the event image, the display of the event image can be made conspicuous, and the operability of the event image as a user interface can be improved.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be freely combined with each other within the scope of the invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations that are not illustrated can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information display control apparatus, 11 Control part, 12 Communication part, 13 Image processing part, 14 Image storage part, 15 Voice processing part, 16 Communication terminal information analysis part, 17 Communication terminal control part, 18 Storage part, 181 Control program, 182 Application program, 21 Image display device, 22 Audio output device, 23 Operation input device, 24 Current position acquisition device, 30 Communication terminal, 41 Communication network, 42 Far end communication device, 43 GPS, 31 Display unit, 32 Operation unit 33, control unit, 212 touch panel device, 312 touch panel unit.

Claims (10)

A communication unit for communicating with a communication terminal;
An image processing unit that acquires an image of an application running on the communication terminal via the communication unit, and displays the image of the application on a display device;
When acquisition of the image of the application is interrupted by an event that has occurred in the communication terminal, a control unit that executes an alternative application that performs the same function as the application;
With
When the acquisition of the image of the application is interrupted by the event, the image processing unit causes the display device to display a composite image of the event image indicating the occurrence of the event and the image of the alternative application ,
The application is a navigation application for performing route guidance,
The alternative application is an application for simple navigation that displays a simplified map than the application for navigation,
The information display control device, wherein the navigation application and the simple navigation application have a function of updating an area to be displayed on a map according to a current position . The amount of map data used by the simple navigation application is smaller than the amount of map data used by the navigation application.
The information display control apparatus according to claim 1. When the image displayed on the display device is switched from the map of the navigation application to the map of the simple navigation application, the simple navigation application is the map displayed by the navigation application. Display a map showing the same area with the same scale and orientation
The information display control device according to claim 1. When the image displayed on the display device is switched from the map for the navigation application to the map for the simple navigation application, the application for the simple navigation is the route displayed by the navigation application. Show the same route as
The information display control apparatus according to claim 1 or 3. The control unit acquires information on a current position used in the simple navigation application before the occurrence of the event.
The information display control device according to claim 1. The control unit activates the application for simple navigation before the occurrence of the event.
The information display control device according to claim 1. A communication unit for communicating with a communication terminal;
An image processing unit that acquires an image of an application running on the communication terminal via the communication unit, and displays the image of the application on a display device;
When acquisition of the image of the application is interrupted by an event that has occurred in the communication terminal, a control unit that executes an alternative application that performs the same function as the application;
With
When the acquisition of the image of the application is interrupted by the event, the image processing unit causes the display device to display a composite image of the event image indicating the occurrence of the event and the image of the alternative application,
The alternative application is a browser application that performs the same function as the application by accessing a predetermined site.
An information display control device characterized by that. When the interruption of image acquisition of the application occurs due to the occurrence of a predetermined event, the image processing unit replaces the composite image with the substitute application that does not include the event image. Display an image on the display device
The information display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The communication terminal has a telephone function or an e-mail transmission / reception function,
The event corresponding to the event image included in the composite image includes an incoming call or an incoming e-mail to the communication terminal.
The information display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The image processing unit performs predetermined processing on the event image when generating the composite image
The information display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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