In-vehicle apparatus and control method of in-vehicle apparatus

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus and a control method of an in-vehicle apparatus, which is applied to a multimedia terminal having, for example, a function of navigation equipment and a function of video playback so as to improve usability to a user in a case of accepting an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander. A touch panel menu screen suitable for an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander menu screen suitable for an operation through a remote commander are switched to be displayed so as to accept an operation by a user.

1 . An apparatus capable of performing user selected operations comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 generate display control signals for each of a touch panel screen image, a first remote control screen image, and a second remote control screen image, so as to display each at mutually different times on a screen,
 the touch panel screen image for an operation through a touch panel, containing a first selectable image located at a first position and a second selectable image located at a second position, wherein the first position and the second position do not overlap each other on the screen, 
 the first remote control screen image for an operation through a remote control containing a third selectable image located at a third position on the screen, the third position being a different position than the first position, 
 the second remote control screen image for an operation through the remote control, containing a fourth selectable image located at a fourth position on the screen, the fourth position being a different position than the second position, 
 both the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image indicating the same first function, 
 both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicating the same second function, the second function being different from the first function, 
 
 execute the first function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the first selectable image, 
 execute the first function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the third selectable image, 
 execute the second function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the second selectable image, and 
 execute the second function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the fourth selectable image. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 :
 wherein the touch panel screen image includes a fifth selectable image indicating a third function which is different from both the first and second functions,   wherein each of the first remote control screen image and the second remote control screen image lacks any selectable image indicating the third function, and   wherein the control circuitry is further configured to execute the third function in response to receiving a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the fifth selectable image.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate display control signals for displaying at least the first remote control screen image and the second remote control screen image sequentially in response to remote control input indicating switching of a currently displayed remote control screen image. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein both the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image indicate video playback. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicate a setup function. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicate a setup function. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image is a different size than the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image includes substantially the same design as the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image includes substantially the same design as the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an external memory slot configured to communicatively connect to an external memory, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate display control signals based on information stored in the external memory. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to output a signal for displaying information on an external display apparatus. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with another device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an operator operable by a user to perform a particular function that is identical to a function performed by user operation of a second operator on the remote control. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the touch panel configured to accept at least the touch panel input indicating user selection of the first selectable image. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the touch panel is also configured to accept the touch panel input indicating user selection of the second selectable image. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising:
 the screen configured to display images in response to display control signals from the control circuitry, wherein the touch panel is integrated with the screen. 
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to execute the first function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the third selectable image wherein the touch panel input indicating user selection of the third selectable image is performed while the first remote control screen image is displayed. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the touch panel input indicating user selection of the third selectable image is performed at the third position where the third selectable image is displayed, and
 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch from generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image or the second remote control screen image to generating display control signals for displaying the touch panel screen image in response to a signal based on touch panel input at a position of the screen lacking any selectable image. 
 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch among generating display control signals for displaying at least the first remote control screen image and at least generating display control signals for displaying the second remote control screen image cyclically in response to successive remote control input indicating switching of a currently displayed remote control screen image. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch from generating display control signals for displaying the touch panel screen image to generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image or the second remote control screen in response to a signal based on remote control input. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch from generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image or the second remote control screen image to generating display control signals for displaying the touch panel screen image in response to a signal based on touch panel input. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the touch panel input for switching of the circuitry from generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image or the second remote control screen image to generating display control signals for displaying the touch panel screen image is performed at a position of the screen lacking any selectable image. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate display control signals for displaying a cursor indicating focus of the third selectable image. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate with a global positioning system (GPS) unit and to generate display control signals based on an output of the GPS unit. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first remote control screen image comprises a selectable image that is the same size as a selectable image in the touch screen image. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising the remote control in wireless communication with the control circuitry. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch from generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image to generating display control signals for displaying the second remote control screen image in response to remote control input indicating switching of a currently displayed remote control screen image, and to switch again to generating display control signals for displaying the first remote control screen image in response to subsequent remote control input indicating switching of a currently displayed remote control screen image. 
     
     
         28 . A method for performing user selected operations comprising the steps of:
 generating display control signals for each of a touch panel screen image, a first remote control screen image, and a second remote control screen image, so as to display each at mutually different times on a screen,
 the touch panel screen image for an operation through a touch panel containing a first selectable image located at a first position and a second selectable image located at a second position, wherein the first position and the second position do not overlap each other on the screen, 
 the first remote control screen image for an operation through a remote control containing a third selectable image located at a third position on the screen, the third position being a different position than the first position, 
 the second remote control screen image for an operation through the remote control containing a fourth selectable image located at a fourth position on the screen, the fourth position being a different position than the second position, 
 both the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image indicating the same first function, 
 both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicating the same second function, the second function being different from the first function, 
   executing the first function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the first selectable image,   executing the first function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the third selectable image,   executing the second function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the second selectable image, and   executing the second function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the fourth selectable image.   
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions for performing user selected operations, the computer program instructions, when executed by electronic circuitry, being operable to cause control circuitry to perform the following steps:
 generating display control signals for each of a touch panel screen image, a first remote control screen image, and a second remote control screen image, so as to display each at mutually different times on a screen,
 the touch panel screen image for an operation through a touch panel containing a first selectable image located at a first position and a second selectable image located at a second position, wherein the first position and the second position do not overlap each other on the screen, 
 the first remote control screen image for an operation through a remote control containing a third selectable image located at a third position on the screen, the third position being a different position than the first position, 
 the second remote control screen image for an operation through the remote control containing a fourth selectable image located at a fourth position on the screen, the fourth position being a different position than the second position, 
 both the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image indicating the same first function, 
 both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicating the same second function, the second function being different from the first function, 
   executing the first function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the first selectable image,   executing the first function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the third selectable image,   executing the second function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the second selectable image, and   executing the second function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the fourth selectable image.   
     
     
         30 . Electronic circuitry capable of performing user selected operations comprising:
 means for outputting display control signals for each of a touch panel screen image, a first remote control screen image, and a second remote control screen image, so as to display each at mutually different times on a screen,
 the touch panel screen image for an operation through a touch panel containing a first selectable image located at a first position and a second selectable image located at a second position, wherein the first position and the second position do not overlap each other on the screen, 
 the first remote control screen image for an operation through a remote control containing a third selectable image located at a third position on the screen, the third position being a different position than the first position, 
 the second remote control screen image for an operation through the remote control containing a fourth selectable image located at a fourth position on the screen, the fourth position being a different position than the second position, 
 both the first selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the third selectable image within the first remote control screen image indicating the same first function, 
 both the second selectable image within the touch panel screen image and the fourth selectable image within the second remote control screen image indicating the same second function, the second function being different from the first function, and 
   means for:
 executing the first function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the first selectable image, 
 executing the first function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the third selectable image, 
 executing the second function in response to a signal based on touch panel input indicating user selection of the second selectable image, and 
 executing the second function in response to a signal based on remote control input indicating user selection of the fourth selectable image.