Automatically disabling the on-screen keyboard of an electronic device in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380143-B2
Application number	US-201314143869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A keyboard deactivation module includes a processor configured to generate an on-screen keyboard control signal, a CAN bus interface configured to connect to a CAN bus of a vehicle, and obtain vehicle speed information indicating a current speed of the vehicle from the vehicle via the CAN bus, and a Bluetooth radio configured to transmit the on-screen keyboard control signal to a target electronic device. An on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is enabled in response to receiving the on-screen keyboard control signal while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is below a specified threshold, and the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is disabled in response to receiving the on-screen keyboard control signal while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is above a specified threshold. The keyboard deactivation module is mounted in the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyboard deactivation module, comprising:
a processor configured to generate an on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to a target electronic device whether a mimicked external keyboard is connected to the target electronic device;
a CAN (controller area network) bus interface configured to connect to a CAN bus of a vehicle, and obtain vehicle speed information indicating a current speed of the vehicle from the vehicle via the CAN bus; and
a Bluetooth radio configured to transmit the on-screen keyboard control signal to the target electronic device,
wherein an on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is enabled in response to the on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is not connected to the target electronic device while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is below a specified threshold, and the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is disabled in response to the on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is connected to the target electronic device while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is above a specified threshold,
wherein the keyboard deactivation module is mounted in the vehicle.

2. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 1 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal is a standard human interface device (HID) command.

3. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 1 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal is a standard human interface device (HID) command further indicating to the target electronic device whether a keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has been detected.

4. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 1 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal comprises an enable on-screen keyboard signal and a disable on-screen keyboard signal,
wherein the Bluetooth radio is configured to transmit the enable on-screen keyboard signal to the target electronic device while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is below the specified threshold, and transmit the disable on-screen keyboard signal to the target electronic device while the vehicle speed information indicates that the current speed of the vehicle is above the specified threshold,
wherein the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is enabled upon the target electronic device receiving the enable on-screen keyboard signal, and the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is disabled upon the target electronic device receiving the disable on-screen keyboard signal.

5. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 4 , wherein the enable on-screen keyboard signal is a first standard human interface device (HID) command indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is not currently connected to the target electronic device, and the disable on-screen keyboard signal is a second standard HID command indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is currently connected to the target electronic device.

6. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 4 , wherein the enable on-screen keyboard signal is a first standard human interface device (HID) command indicating to the target electronic device that a keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has not been detected, and the disable on-screen keyboard signal is a second standard HID command indicating to the target electronic device that the keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has been detected.

7. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 1 , wherein the keyboard deactivation module does not comprise a keyboard.

8. A keyboard deactivation module, comprising:
a global positioning system (GPS) radio configured to determine a location of a vehicle;
a processor configured to generate an on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to a target electronic device whether a mimicked external keyboard is connected to the target electronic device, and determine a current speed of the vehicle using the GPS radio; and
a Bluetooth radio configured to transmit the on-screen keyboard control signal to the target electronic device,
wherein an on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is enabled in response to the on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is not connected to the target electronic device while the current speed of the vehicle is determined to be below a specified threshold, and the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is disabled in response to the on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is connected to the target electronic device while the current speed of the vehicle is determined to be above the specified threshold,
wherein the keyboard deactivation module is mounted in the vehicle.

9. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 8 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal is a standard human interface device (HID) command.

10. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 8 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal is a standard human interface device (HID) command further indicating to the target electronic device whether a keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has been detected.

11. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 8 , wherein the on-screen keyboard control signal comprises an enable on-screen keyboard signal and a disable on-screen keyboard signal,
wherein the Bluetooth radio is configured to transmit the enable on-screen keyboard signal to the target electronic device while the current speed of the vehicle is determined to be below the specified threshold, and transmit the disable on-screen keyboard signal to the target electronic device while the current speed of the vehicle is determined to be above the specified threshold,
wherein the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is enabled upon the target electronic device receiving the enable on-screen keyboard signal, and the on-screen keyboard of the target electronic device is disabled upon the target electronic device receiving the disable on-screen keyboard signal.

12. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 11 , wherein the enable on-screen keyboard signal is a first standard human interface device (HID) command indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is not currently connected to the target electronic device, and the disable on-screen keyboard signal is a second standard HID command indicating to the target electronic device that the mimicked external keyboard is currently connected to the target electronic device.

13. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 11 , wherein the enable on-screen keyboard signal is a first standard human interface device (HID) command indicating to the target electronic device that a keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has not been detected, and the disable on-screen keyboard signal is a second standard HID command indicating to the target electronic device that the keystroke from the mimicked external keyboard has been detected.

14. The keyboard deactivation module of claim 8 , wherein the keyboard deactivation module does not comprise a keyboard.

15. A keyboard deactivation module, comprising:
a processor configured to generate an on-screen keyboard control signal indicating to a target electronic device whether a mimicked external

Assignees

• Voxx Int Corp

Inventors

• Barabas Laszlo
• Barabas Alfred
• Shanks Brendan
• Tranchina James R

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• H04M1/67 Primary

  by electronic means · CPC title

• H04M1/6083

  by interfacing with the vehicle audio system · CPC title

• G08G1/0962

  having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages · CPC title

• H04M1/6091 Primary

  including a wireless interface · CPC title