Methods and Systems for a Vehicle Computing System to Launch an Application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016352886-A1
Application number	US-201514723945-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle computing system includes at least one processor in communication with a mobile device via a wireless transceiver. The at least one processor is configured to launch a second application from an inactive state at the mobile device based on a message transmitted to a first application in an active state being executed in a foreground at the mobile device. The message is configured with an application identification of the second application.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
a processor of a vehicle computing system, in communication with a mobile device via a wireless transceiver, configured to:
track which one of a plurality of mobile device applications installed to the mobile device is in a foreground state; and
in response to receiving a user request to launch a specified one of the mobile device applications that is not in the foreground state, send a message to the mobile device application in the foreground state requesting launch of the specified mobile device application.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor of the vehicle computing system is further configured to track which one of the mobile device applications is in the foreground state based on change-in-state notification messages received from the mobile device.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein not being in the foreground state includes being in a background state or a closed state on the mobile device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a change-in-state notification message from the mobile device responsive to the specified mobile device application moving from a closed state to the foreground state; and
responsive to receipt of the change-in-state notification message, update an indication of which one of the plurality of mobile device applications installed to the mobile device is in the foreground state.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a change-in-state notification message from the mobile device responsive to the mobile device application in the foreground state moving from the foreground state to a background state; and responsive to receipt of the change-in-state notification message, update an indication of which one of the plurality of mobile device applications installed to the mobile device is in the foreground state.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the message requesting launch of the specified mobile device application includes a universal resource locator (URL) indicating an identifier of the specified mobile device application.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with a user interface display and receive the user request from the user interface display.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to output, to the user interface display, a first icon representing the one of the mobile device applications in the foreground state and a second icon representing the specified mobile device application, the first icon displayed in a state indicating the application being represented is in the foreground state, the second icon displayed in a state indicating the application being represented is not in the foreground state.

9 . A mobile device comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate with a vehicle; and at least one processor configured to:
communicate data from a first application executing in an active state to the vehicle using an application program interface;
receive a launch request, from the vehicle to the first application, specifying a second application in an inactive state to be activated based on a user request; and
launch the second application to the active state.

10 . The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to the launch of the second application, transfer the first application from a foreground in the active state to a background in the active state.

11 . The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a change-in-state notification message associated with the first application to enable the vehicle to track the first application being transferred to the background state in the active state.

12 . The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a change-in-state notification message associated with the second application to enable the vehicle to track the second application being transferred from being closed in the inactive state to a foreground in the active state.

13 . The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit icons associated with the first and second applications for display to a user interface screen of the vehicle.

14 . The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the icons is configured to notify a user of whether the first and second applications are in the active or inactive state.

15 . A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed for a vehicle processor and comprising instructions for:
sending a launch message to a first mobile device application that is in a foreground state to launch a second mobile device application that is in a non-foreground state in response to receiving a request to launch the second mobile device application.

16 . The computer-program product of claim 15 , the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for tracking the first mobile device application and second mobile device application as being in the foreground or non-foreground state based on a change-in-state notification message received from the mobile device.

17 . The computer-program product of claim 16 , the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for, in response to the launch of the second mobile device application, receiving the change-in-state notification message for the second mobile device application; and tracking the second mobile device application as being in the foreground state based on the change-in-state notification message.

18 . The computer-program product of claim 16 , the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for, in response to the launch of the second mobile device application, receiving the change-in-state notification message for the first mobile device application; and tracking the first mobile device application as being in the non-foreground state based on the change-in-state notification message.

19 . The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the request is based on user input at a user interface configured to output icons for the first and second applications, the icons configured to notify a user of whether the first and second applications are in the foreground or non-foreground state.

20 . The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the request is a message received from one or more modules in communication with the vehicle processor.

Assignees

• Myine Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Dickow Justin
• Fischer Joel J

Classifications

• H04M1/724098 Primary

  Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle (for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075) · CPC title

• H04M1/72415

  for remote control of appliances · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H04M1/72527 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B1/3822

  specially adapted for use in vehicles (H04B1/3827 takes precedence) · CPC title