Vehicular dual mode master/slave interface
Contents
1. OPTIONAL ENVIRONMENT Da PROOFIRESISTANT CONTAINER DEVICES EDD COMMANDS STATUS DEVICE 1 USB BLUETOOTH DATA EXTERNAL COMMANDS STATUS DEVICE BLUETOOTH M m CARD READER EXTERNAL CONTROL 5 DATA STATUS amp DISPLAY DEVICE SQUNDERS ASS EAE A COMMANDS STATUS STAND ALONE POWER ECD RADAR DEVICE Wel DISPLAY OPT STATION USB WEE IPAD TEMPERATURE SMART PHONE px EXTERNAL DATA CRADLE ONBOARD LA COMMANDS STATUS PCILAPTOP DEVICE WH ETC EN 2 USB NMEA 183 BLUETOOTH STANDARD INTEREACE mULT NAPPLICATONS TRANSDUCER DATA EAR COMMANDS STATUS DEVICE EXTERNAL BLUETOOTH ONBOARD DEVICES EOD NMEA 0183 STANDARD INTERFACE PROTOCOL INSULATES AGAINST WEATHER VIBRATION WATER ETC 56 References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 5 758 300 A 5 1998 Abe 455 424 5 797 088 A 8 1998 Stamegna 5 878 276 A 3 1999 Aeblietal 710 19 5 991 640 A 11 1999 Lilja et al 5 999 867 A 12 1999 Rogers et al 701 332 6 161 066 A 12 2000 Wright et al 701 36 6 181 992 B1 1 2001 Gurne et al 701 31 4 6 298 376 B1 10 2001 Rosner et al 709 209 Continued OTHER PUBLICATIONS Bruce et al Personal Digital Assistant PDA based I2C bus analysis Nov 2003 IEEE Continued Primary Examiner Thomas2. SQNVWWOS i Javea TVNH31X3 um V d 3 1 viva 5 3NOHd LYVWS asn 18 IM NOLLdO gsn Cons FIM 3030 9NIM20d gt a93 FOT sNowawis SniISSONVWWOO 2990810 e 391430 AVTdSI 9 viva 103109 TWNYSLXa STOHLNOD u3avas quvo TS 190 18 HLOOLANTE IM C K ON amp s va 5 SONVNNOS lt soay viva 31 3 SYALYIANOD u3MOd 3 18 5 391 30 39V3831NI IM 3AV19 319VN 3 S391430 AY ldSla d JNIVLNO9 LNYLSISJY J00Yd TVNY3LXJ LN3ANOSIAN3 TVNOILdO U S Patent US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 2 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent 9 330 Q3HOLIMS 440 Q3HO LIMS 1N3S33d LOANNOOSIG qoa qoa 1LO3NNOO qoa LON 493 330 Q3HO LIMS d3MOd US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 3 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent 9l43 sada d3H10 LV Q3AV ldSId SI HOIHA 5 81 e SQq3 SAV1dSIQ 40 YASINNN NO 318VTVAV 40 S3ONVISNI LN3ON3d3QNI 31dLLTTW AV dSId 4380 SMOTIV GISW S 6 39IA3Q 9 IOULNOO YALSVW SHL 38 OL LI SMOTIV 099 5193134 ISA a JILNN 403 NV 40 39N3S8V 3HL NI IND V VIA 403 FOINIG AV1dSIC 9 TONLNOD YSLSYW 3 SI GISW S3olAad TVNS31X3 VNOILdO aca SIOZ 104 LOH IH M TVNH31X3 US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 4
3. n INO SNOLVONTdaY NOLLIS ONIgS300 3N ISMAISVN WLHLOOLANIE TOULNOD I ONILNOY ONLLIMWOJ VIVO 8 ALONG ATIVANY e SINSIYOSHONOL 102010844 83113 aad dN OOH NOdN Ind ONIXAW VIVO dWV LSOd aud aa M3ISVN 3VNN3INV 53 938 403 3AI3938 ssas WALSASENS LINSNVUL 140 36 8 39 30 5 SSUL 2 15 5 NIVO JAIZOSNVYL 9510 1N3S3Md 092 TVNH31X3 ON HLIM e YILSYN S3 0238 092 1VNS31NI aaa S3olAad 45 TWNYSLXS m O gy 68 o US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 8 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent HIOOLI3Q18 A asn 9 3 lt 8 13 N 102010 JOVIYSINI ANIT YIMOd 03 810 V3NN YIMOd SNLVLS 403 S321430 EN Qu vOSNO M3MOd SO 3 snivis 5 NILIINg VLVd c aog 13 6 J3MOd Aix SNLVLS 1514 YIMOd 31 0vHO SNLVLS 3 8 OOusd 91 SNOHd LYVWS gen 095 dydi N3AIS2SNVHL L YaMOd 403 099 SNLVLS 39IA3Q AV 1dSIQ TOULNOO TIVNSA3LX3 LOdS LOH I3 1M a Z wee LdO H3MOd m SANVNNWOD GISIN SONVNWOD VIV ANY
4. TACHOMETER US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 12 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent cV Old BON wal 4300030 10901099 H310 YYOMLIN 10201044 1410 SSIM 10901040 E Sldvov 810 INIS 10001099 ilg STEM STIM 10901044 waa WAI CUNY fid 1401 YYOMIAN 89319904 EET 1907 SS3T3IM 11445 1905 TOULNOD Wis LINN SOVSUSINI SAYS 30 3 3 4 434 315 915 304051 US 8 433 463 B1 1 VEHICULAR DUAL MODE MASTER SLAVE INTERFACE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES The instant application is related to and claims priority to the following United States patent applications the entirety of each of which is herein incorporated by reference Ser No Title Filing Date 61 617 277 Master Slave Interface Device 29 MAR 2012 61 623 222 Interfacing Handheld Devices 12 APR 2012 61 621 497 Keystone Synchronization System 07 APR 2012 61 621 630 Interfacing Handheld Devices 09 APR 2012 61 621 495 PhoneBook and TabletBook 07 APR 2012 61 603 330 On Board System 26 FEB 2012 61 597 045 On Board System 09 FEB 2012 SUMMARY OF ILLUSTRATIVE E
5. AV 1dSIq qaa S39IA3Q AV 1dSIG TVNd31X3 U S Patent Apr 30 2013 Sheet 9 of 12 US 8 433 463 B1 POWER DOWN STATE POWER APPLIED YES POWER UP STATE MSID MASTER MSID STATE SLAVE STATE FIG 9 U S Patent Apr 30 2013 Sheet 10 of 12 US 8 433 463 B1 POWER DOWN STATE POWER APPLIED MSID MASTER STATE MSID SLAVE STATE POLL EODS FOR AVAILABILITY POLL EODS FOR AVAILABILITY SET UP MSID FOR CONTROL SET UP MSID FOR PASS OVER EODS THROUGH OF ECD COMMANDS e SET UP MSID GUI TO ACCEPT TO THE EODS COMMANDS FROM THE USER SET UP MSID ROUTE DATA FROM SET UP MSID TO DISPLAY EOD EODS TO THE ECD AS DATA AS SELECTED BY MSID GUI COMMANDED BY THE ECD FIG 10 U S Patent Apr 30 2013 Sheet 11 of 12 US 8 433 463 B1 HIGHLY PROBABLE HEH SOMEWHAT PROBABLE uz POSSIBLE APPLICATION PERIPHERAL LINK aa emen DWELLING BLUETOOTH WI FI EEE ae DISPLAY S OTHER IEEE ERE m FI e OTHER BLUETOOTH WI FI RADIO TV CABLE OTHER BLUETOOTH DEPTH TRANSDUCER SARA RA BLUETOOTH WI FI OTHER BLUETOOTH rot METER CABLE BLUETOOTH WI FI CABLE 1 BLUETOOTH I WI FI IM uvm MU CABLE OTHER BLUETOOTH MOTION WI FI SENSOR CABLE OTHER 7 COULD BE BUILT INTO MSID FIG 11 RADAR
6. The hardwired interfaces may be optional and not provided on some models of the MSID In all probability the EODs and EDDs will be in close proximity to the MSID Since Bluetooth wireless communications are inherently short range it is this wireless link that will prima rily be used between the MSID and EODs as well as appro priately configured EDDs Bluetooth will also be one of the means to communicate with the ECD as well This is shown in the figure The ECD may also contain a Wi Fi transceiver so this type of link could also be used for MSID ECD com munications as well as a hardwire link To link with a Wi Fi hot spot for internet connectivity Wi Fi may be utilized exclusively common protocol for wireless links is the NMEA 0183 Standard The NMEA 0183 Standard defines an electrical interface and data protocol for communications between marine instrumentation so this could be the primary protocol used forthe MSID Other protocols exist and will be used depending upon the specific implementation of the MSID FIG 9 is a process flow diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 9 depicts the basic processing flow dia gram as the MSID system transitions from the Power Down OFF state to either the MSID Master or MSID Slave state via the transitional Power Up ON state It also demonstrates the transition from any active state to the Power Down state mainly by removing power The DPSS is primarily respon sible for this pa
7. and then displayed at various positions on small personal EDDs to each of the users on the boat The depth track and temperature display information assembled by the ECD is distributed to the EDDs to keep each fisher on the boat informed as to current conditions and potential opportunities If the conditions change such as temperature falling out of a predetermined user defined threshold range the ECD may automatically determine or suggest to advance the track to a second area or depth range according to predetermined user input criteria In various embodiments the user may pre program a large number of tracks into the tablet computer while away from the boat and remote from the MSID The user may also define criteria based on characteristics of selected species of fish and associate tracks with the criteria For example walleye may have different depth temperature calendar time of day criteria for auto suggested tracks compared to criteria for small mouth bass for example In addition to providing communication via the MSID to propulsion and steering the system may in various embodi ments be configured to communication data control and or status information either unidirectionally or bidirectionally with other vehicle based instruments or systems For example the ECD may receive engine information e g oil temperatures fuel level battery level system status monitor miles per gallon of fuel or equivalent units hours of
8. vehicular sensors using an inexpensive handheld smart device ECD as the main processing and display function In the absence of an ECD the MSID will act as the master control and display unit If remote EDDs are present the MSID will enable each to act as an independent unit requesting and displaying specific user requested MSID data FIG 11 is a table of potential applications There are sev eral applications of this concept which will use various com binations of EODs and EDDs and these are summarized in the table in FIG 11 along with potential links between the MSID and the peripheral devices By way of explanatory example and not of limitation the table includes coded esti mates of probability that a specific peripheral and associated link could be used for various applications Also indicated are peripherals that could be built in to the MSID as an option The various combinations ofthe peripherals and applications provide a myriad of implementation or design options for the MSID Almost any combination of such could be considered a specific implementation with each geared towards a spe cific application EODs other than those mentioned to this point could also bea part of the MSID system For example if the MSID were to be used in a dwelling such as a home camp or office building a motion sensor may be included as an EOD for security monitoring The table by no means attempts to constrain the number and types of EODs or
9. Black Assistant Examiner Sara Lewandroski 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Thompson Patent Law Offices PC Craige Thompson 57 ABSTRACT A vehicular interface may include an electromechanical inter face between a handheld electronic device and subsystems on a vehicular bus or network In selected embodiments the interface may operate in a master mode when a handheld device such as a tablet computer or smart phone is not inserted therein In this mode the interface may serve as a master controller and accesses and controls various sub systems on a vehicle such as engine control subsystems media controllers navigation systems sensors and transduc ers as a master controller In one embodiment when a tablet device is inserted into the interface the interface may auto matically switch to slave mode in which it acts as an adapter or interface between the tablet device and the vehicular sub systems In this mode of operation the user s exclusive inter face is through the tablet computer and the tablet computer serves as the master controller for the system 21 Claims 12 Drawing Sheets US 8 433 463 B1 Page2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 2011 0153150 A1 6 2011 Drewetal 701 33 y 2011 0213515 9 2011 Haymart et al D es 455 67 11 2011 0234117 9 2011 315 291 113149 Hors E a 2011 0264835 Al 10 2011
10. Chen et al 710 106 1502 1907159 110009 2012 0028680 Al 2 2012 Breed E 0 7 398 151 7 2008 Burrell et al 701 410 Al 7 686 396 2 3 2010 Schaaf Ip AS 7784 707 B2 8 2010 Witty et al 2012 0166676 6 2012 Roper etal 709 250 2004 0249860 Al 12 2004 Stechschulte et al OTHER PUBLICATIONS 2005 0239434 10 2005 Marlowe 2006 0155431 7 2006 Berg et al 701 2 186 Microcontrollers Users Manual 1996 AMD 2006 0184613 Al 8 2006 Stienessen et al MC68332 Technical Summary 1995 Freescal Semiconductor Inc 2006 0248162 11 2006 Kawasaki 709 217 Palm 722 Product Details Oct 2005 Epinions com 2007 0203646 Al 8 2007 Diaz et al 701 213 Lenovo X200 Performance 2008 Lenovo 2010 0097239 Al 4 2010 Campbell et al AM186 ED EDLV Microcontrollers User s Manual 1996 AMD 2011 0118934 5 2011 Lowrey etal 701 33 2011 0144912 A1 6 2011 Lee etal cited by examiner aa en MSHIVAM ISNIVOY Saivinsn CUVONVIS 810 VANN e 3 gsn N an W3MOd I3NS3INI 391130 Sd9 VIVQ TWNYSLXS 300 7730 u3OnqsNVul SNOLIVOllddV NINA 32V39831NI 3 LNYONNGJY RN UNDC iind 3 391430 E dO1dV19d
11. EDDs that could be employed with the MSID concept described herein Other devices not mentioned here could be used and will add to the design options and utility of the MSID As examples of other vehicular contexts to which these principles may be applied MSID based systems may be deployed in trains ferries and airplanes Such systems may be designed to provide passengers information and entertain ment through their tablet computers while also charging the tablet device Advertising and promotional offers can of course be transmitted through the MSID to each passenger s tablet device An MSID interface may be disposed at each seating location The MSID represents an inexpensive approach to the con trol and integration of a network of peripheral vehicular related devices Various embodiments may enable an external smart device e g iPhone iPad PC etc to act as a master control and display for the entire device network In this way the relatively inexpensive smart device can be used as a pow erful master controller It will have contained within it the memory processing power display capabilities and user oriented applications which will provide considerable flex ibility in what and how various device data and information is US 8 433 463 B1 11 displayed and or used It will also allow for inexpensive remote display devices to be used for independent data requests and display For maritime applications these data could ta
12. a Bluetooth or Wi Fi In the latter case a Bluetooth or Wi Fi capability will be a necessary compo nent in the CDSS FIG 7 is yet another subsystem block diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment In this example the DPSS could be an already available device such as an iPad or iPhone depicted in the figure as a Smart Device Based Sub system SDSS These devices already have Wi Fi Blue tooth hardwire communication capability embedded in them in addition to digital processors and user oriented applications This could act as the CDSS CLSS and DPSS This may be accomplished for example by communicating with the TRSS directly via a wireless link FIG 7 shows this optional implementation The Digital Processing Subsystem DPSS provides the processing necessary for the detection and decision logic that will determine if the MSID transitions into the Master or Slave state upon power up These decisions are illustrated in the processing flow diagram of FIG 9 Inorder to make these decisions the DPSS interfaces with both the TRSS and CDSS In the slave state the DPSS serves mainly as a data router or data pass through function trans ferring data to and from the TRSS as commanded by the ECD and or EDDs When in the MSID master state the DPSS receives com mands from the CDSS and passes them to the TRSS The EODs will receive these commands and send back the US 8 433 463 B1 9 requested data to the TRSS The DPSS will pass
13. as ECD as necessary This could be optional depending upon the implementation US 8 433 463 B1 5 The MSID may have the option to display any data infor mation while in the MSID Slave state This data could simply repeat the data being displayed by the ECD or include health or status data for example If the MSID has its own built in display capability the brightness of this may only need to be the same or brighter than the iPad for example An optional user input control e g dial key soft key on touch screen to control the bright ness of the display either manually or via automatic bright ness control could be provided The MSID may be provided with audible outputs as nec essary and depending upon the implementation Warnings like an EOD is offline possibly indicating it has malfunc tioned or its power source died are some of the options for an audible output Other operational data could also be output in an audible manner By way of example and not limitation these data could include depth alarms indicating that a cer tain preset depth is reached or a shallow water warning An option to include different audible outputs for different types of warning may also be included External speakers may be added for this capability in addition to accommodating music video playback operations The MSID may also have the capability to report display system health status This would be an option that could be included on cer
14. ment the ECD is a tablet PC or smart phone device which electrically and or mechanically couples to a protective receptacle on a boat for example that provides on demand lake maps location information tactical fishing guide advice and emergency services FIG 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative MSID embodi ment The system in certain embodiments utilizes a previ ously purchased tablet or smart phone and thus provides all of this functionality with an absolute minimum of investment in new hardware and on a device running an operating system with which the user is already familiar The protective recep tacle provides power and connects to accessory devices via auxiliary network communication systems such as cellular GPS Wi Fi and satellite systems auxiliary user interfaces such as keypads touch screens speakers and headsets emer gency beacons sensors that detect one or more of air tem perature water temperature water depth barometric pres sure change in barometric pressure wind direction wind speed and protective means that render the on board system substantially weather proof and shock resistant However if an ECD is not present it may be appropriate in certain embodiments to have a stand alone device which serves the same basic purpose as the ECD displaying US 8 433 463 B1 3 selected External Onboard Device EOD data which data may originate from a temperature sensor GPS or depth sounder for exa
15. opera tion and maintenance schedules for example As described in U S patent application Ser No 61 623 222 entitled Interfacing Handheld Devices and 61 621 495 entitled PhoneBook and TabletBook which are incorporated US 8 433 463 B1 15 herein by reference the handheld device may be installed in a variety of housings In one embodiment the slave interface unit MSID includes a clamshell housing to retain and pro tect the handheld master unit The clamshell is optionally substantially waterproof or water resistant at least when in the closed state The clamshell may also include rubber mounts springs and or viscous mounts or dampers which substantially absorb vehicular vibration Tactile keypads may beomitted in maritime and automotive embodiments In such embodiments the MSID may include essentially the upper half of the TabletBook clamshell device with an optional hinged cover not shown to provide water resistance MSID Memory Card Option The MSID may optionally be equipped with a memory card slot and associated adapter In this embodiment SD cards containing proprietary information such as lake maps can be inserted into the MSID and accessed by the MSID when it is in master mode and by the handheld device through the MSID when the MSID is in slave mode In this manner proprietary content such as lake maps fish guide advice contour maps navigational data can be purchased in the form of a card as an alternative t
16. or data pass through to and from the EODs to the ECD as commanded by the ECD The MSID will transition into this state in two ways upon power up and an ECD is detected or when in the MSID Master state an ECD 15 detected This allows the ECD to act as the master control and display device for the system There is an option here to also allow the MSID display to display the same EOD data as the ECD and or any number of other data i e status system health information etc Note that in either of the MSID Master or MSID Slave state the EDDs if present will be able to independently request and display available data from the MSID The operational concept ofthe MSID is designed to be very simple from a user s standpoint The MSID provides an inex pensive human machine interface HMI to the plurality of EODs and or EDDs that might be present on a vehicle such as a watercraft or automobile Inexpensive in the sense that not only the MSID itself will be cost effective but the ECD will already be affordable and probably already purchased by the user The MSID will allow the user to use his her ECD as the master control and display device which will be complete with its own wireless connections memory processors and user oriented applications FIG 3 is an illustration of the basic functionality of an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 3 illustrates the opera tional concept of the MSID system The MSID will operate from the onboard bat
17. IC aaa Y 3943 gt ASI 3 US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 6 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent 9 Sls 2020 SNOLOSLONd 3986 51104 65 x3MOd NOLWLS 9ND900 SH3LUANOD 20 50 5544 W31SASgnS seda WuO41V1d W31SASgnS 003 S391430 NOILNEIMLSIO YIMOd TVNH31X3 AMON3N e H10013079 VIVQ 100010Md SNOILYITddY 018939058 10901099 ol SALVIS MIL LIM TOUINOD vaya e waaar au JTWAONVM e A 5540 NOdn 1 089 W3ISAS80S 904 344 SONVWOO S NIIYISHINOL 95542044 viva mg TDG 3VNN3INV ON HILIM 509 WSLSASENS 3AI3938 LINSNVUL AY 1dSIQ 50939 5510 140 H3NOd 9 1081NO2 099 TWNYSINI W31SAS8nS 9981 SQNVANOO NOILNEINLSIG NILSASENS INO 32019 3AI39SNVH AVdslQ 93 0938 403 NSS om aaa S331430 fon 1 US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 7 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent 27913 SINO TETSU 1 INNS SIHOd ESN ie NOD SUSIMAANOD 20 00 5544 WALSASENS 6504 NW3041V1d IN3LSAS8fIS 403 S391430 5 4 YIMOd TvN331X3 HLOOLIME ANON ONDXSTLLTN
18. MBODIMENTS A vehicular interface may include an electromechanical interface between a handheld electronic device and sub systems on a vehicular bus or network In an illustrative embodiment the interface may operate in a master mode when a handheld device such as a tablet computer or smart phone is not inserted therein In this mode the interface may serve as a master controller and accesses and controls various subsystems on a vehicle such as engine control subsystems media controllers navigation systems sensors and transduc ers as a master controller In one embodiment when a tablet device is inserted into the interface the interface may auto matically switch to slave mode in which it acts as an adapter or interface between the tablet device and the vehicular sub systems In this mode of operation the user s exclusive inter face may be through the tablet computer while the tablet computer serves as the master controller for the system This approach in selected embodiments can provide one or more of the following advantages First this system may provide enhanced functionality at reduced cost by relying on the computing power and functionality of a tablet computer that was previously acquired by the user The interface may be configured to have limited functionality in master mode and intended to operate primarily in slave mode Accordingly relatively inexpensive processors memory and display screens can be used t
19. analog EODs The MSID further includes wireless communication means such as Zigbee Bluetooth and Wi Fi in order to wire lessly couple with external sensors and the ECD if it is so equipped The MSID housing in selected embodiments includes a recess with multiple contoured regions or adjustable inter changeable mounts to mateably and releasably receive an ECD such as a smart phone or tablet device The housing optionally includes for example water resistant sealing sys tem e g IP rated to resist the ingress of water or shock absorbing and dampening features on the housing to insulate the ECD from water vibration or weather The MSID also includes a transceiver to receive user commands from a wire 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 less remote control and transmit the commands to the ECD Such commands may include user inputs to control various applications running on the ECD such as music players lake mappers fish finders sonar navigation systems and the like The MSID housing may also communicate with an emer gency rescue beacon ERB or perhaps a built in ERB which automatically generates distress signals in appropriate circumstances based on a command provided from the ECD or MSID The system may further include a redundant communica tion subsystem that takes the form of a Wi Fi hotspot a cellular modem with an alternative wireless carrier a GPS system and or a satellite internet connectio
20. ary if the option to provide power to the external devices is invoked The PFSS provides the structure which houses all ofthe other subsystems including a docking cradle for the ECD It may also contain a display of its own part of the CDSS to act as a master control and display when in the MSID Master state The Transceiver Subsystem TRSS provides all the com munication between the MSID and the EODs EDDs and any ECD that may be present As such it may include wired or wireless interfaces e g for Bluetooth Wi Fi and or any hardwired interfaces that may be necessary It will also pro vide the ADCs necessary to convert the incoming analog signals to digital for processing by the DPSS It will subse 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 quently also contain any DACs necessary to convert and digital signals to analog for transmission Most of these con versions however will take place within the Bluetooth and or Wi Fi transceivers which will probably be contained within the TRSS Inan illustrative example Wi Fi may be primarily used for connecting wirelessly to the internet and Bluetooth may be primarily a shorter range wireless interface to remote but nearby devices it is anticipated that in some implementa tions Bluetooth will primarily be used for these EODs and or properly equipped EDDs as well as interfacing to the ECD whereas Wi Fi may be used for any wide area network e g internet connec
21. atively coupled to a plurality of vehicular peripheral devices the peripheral devices including at least a sonar and a dual mode interface device coupled to the communica tion network or bus the dual mode interface device including an interface processor housing user interface display power supply means memory storage means and means to communicatively couple with a handheld computing device the memory including instructions which when executed by the interface processor enable the dual mode interface device to switch between at least two operational modes 1 a slave mode when the handheld computing device is communicatively coupled to the dual mode interface device wherein when in a slave mode the interface pro 5 10 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 65 16 cessor is a peripheral to the handheld computing device the latter of which serves as a master controller which receives input from a user and which communicates with each ofthe vehicular peripheral devices and wherein in the slave mode all data communicated from each one of the peripheral devices to the handheld computing device or from the handheld computing device to any one ofthe peripheral devices is routed to and passes through the dual mode interface device and ii a master mode when a handheld computing device is not communicatively coupled to the dual mode interface device wherein when in the master mode the interface processor is a master contr
22. az United States Patent Lieberman et al US008433463B1 US 8 433 463 B1 Apr 30 2013 10 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 75 73 21 22 60 51 52 58 VEHICULAR DUAL MODE MASTER SLAVE INTERFACE Inventors David Lieberman Independence MN US Robert Turgeon Plymouth MN US Byron Tietjen Baldwinsville NY US Greg Gardella Independence MN US Assignee Nordic Capital Partners LLC Plymouth MN US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 21 days Appl No 13 461 751 Filed May 1 2012 Related U S Application Data Provisional application No 61 617 277 filed on Mar 29 2012 provisional application No 61 623 222 filed on Apr 12 2012 provisional application No 61 621 497 filed on Apr 7 2012 provisional application No 61 621 630 filed on Apr 9 2012 provisional application No 61 621 495 filed on Apr 7 2012 provisional application No 61 603 330 filed on Feb 26 2012 provisional application No 61 597 045 filed on Feb 9 2012 Int Cl G06F 3 00 2006 01 US CI USPC 701 21 701 2 701 33 2 701 36 710 303 710 304 710 110 710 106 710 313 709 217 709 211 709 1 Field of Classification Search 701 2 33 2 701 36 710 303 304 110 106 313 709 217 709 211 See application file for complete search history
23. ceived from the handheld device 17 The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld device is a tablet PC or a smart phone 18 The system of claim 12 wherein the housing further includes means to protect the handheld device from moisture temperature or vibration 19 The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld comput ing device includes a plurality of application programs each of which access one or more vehicular peripheral devices 20 Thesystem of claim 19 wherein the processor interface is not configured to run said plurality of application programs 21 The system of claim 12 wherein the interface device does not include a GPS Wi Fi or cellular communication device
24. designed to guide the boat to specific locations based upon depth chart information and may further control propulsion to optimize trolling depending the predetermined depth information and to optimize speeds when transitioning between trolling regions e g when moving to different spots The tracks may be automatically adapted based on the time of day and tem perature in accordance with user s predetermined input cri teria As an example a suggested track at an unfamiliar lake may be auto suggested by specialized software according to user s predetermined criteria and to depth information downloaded onto a tablet computer The user carries the tablet computer with the auto suggested track information onto a fishing boat Upon coming into Bluetooth range of the boat the MSID establishes a link with the tablet computer acting as the master device The user inserts the tablet computer into a splash resistant protective housing that is sealed against ingress of water to protect the tablet The housing has an aperture to permit user access to the touch screen The user runs an app that when executed causes the trolling motor to propel and steer the boat efficiently to initiate the predetermined auto suggested track The tablet computer ECD communicates with various EODs and EDDs via the MSID For example the depth profile and track and temperature information may be received from appropriate transducers and GPS devices act ing as EODs
25. device 8 The system of claim 1 wherein the processing speed of the interface processor is slower than that of the handheld computing device 9 The system of claim 1 wherein a memory access speed of the dual mode interface device is slower than that of the handheld computing device 10 The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is provided via the display 11 The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld device is a tablet PC or a smart phone 12 A system comprising a plurality of vehicular peripheral devices a handheld computing device and a master slave interface device permanently coupled to the plurality of vehicular peripheral devices and selectively coupled to the handheld computing device the interface including an interface processor bus housing user interface power supply memory and an adapter to com municatively couple with the handheld computing device the dual mode interface being configured to operate in at least the following modes 1 a slave mode when the handheld computing device is com municatively coupled to the interface wherein when in a slave mode the interface processor is a peripheral to the hand US 8 433 463 B1 17 held computing device the latter of which serves as a master controller which receives input from a user and which com municates with each of the vehicular peripheral devices and wherein in the slave mode all data communicated from each one of the peripheral devic
26. devices EODs for the purpose of consoli dating the considerable amount of data associated with these devices to a user friendly and convenient control and display Various embodiments of the MSID can serve as a master control and display a state in which the MSID selects which EOD data to display and displays these data on its built in display In addition the MSID may allow an ECD such as a PDA iPad or PC to act as a master to the aforementioned sensor network In this state the MSID acts as a slave to the ECD merely passing or routing EOD data to the ECD The MSID may have the capability to automatically sense the presence of an ECD and allow it to be the master control and display device This transition may be purely automatic with the option of a manual input verifying or overriding this decision by the MSID The MSID in an illustrative embodiment is a dual mode master slave device that includes an enclosure to securely retain an ECD and perhaps a plug which electrically couples to the ECD In some embodiments the ECD may operate remotely via a wireless connection to the MSID The MSID unit may include a multi level power converter to provide from an external power source such as a vehicle battery for example appropriate supply voltages to the ECD and option ally the EODs The MSID also includes analog to digital converters ADCs and digital to analog converters DACs as necessary to enable the MSID to communicate with
27. e with one or more vehicular subsystems These programs include depth charting software GPS loca tion software lake mapping software navigation software trolling motor control software messaging software and emergency rescue beacon control software Housings Although various embodiments have been described with reference to the figures other embodiments are possible For example the functionality of a stand alone GPS e g the EDD as depicted in FIG 1 may be provided directly by the MSID coupled to an appropriate antenna In some examples the antenna may be provided by a mobile cellular device with pre existing GPS functionality that may be communicated to the MSID In some implementations an antenna and appro priate receiver systems e g without a dedicated screen soft ware and graphical user interface may provide the requisite RF capability to determine location using software executed on the MSID for example Such embodiments may achieve reduced complexity and may reduce overall system cost and flexibility while reducing redundant subsystems and while providing the user with a familiar user interface via the MSID for example Such centralization of functionality in the MSID may in some examples promote flexibility in system imple mentation allowing the user more choice in selecting quality and types of subsystem components for the application In an illustrative example an exemplary system may be implemented on a b
28. ent a single application program includes vari ous modules accessible through a single user interface screen Each module performs a different category of functions For instance a mapping and navigation module interfaces with the GPS or location service related peripheral devices dis plays a navigation map and enables route guidance and direc tion services A fishing guide program interfaces with GPS or location based peripherals sensor peripherals depth and water temperature and remote servers fishing guide advice server weather conditions server Entertainment modules interface with associated peripherals such as speakers and audio input sources Access with remote servers in preferred embodiments is controlled by the master unit operating system If the master unit is equipped with communication means that permit an internet or private network connection the master unit oper ating system arbitrates and controls the access of remote servers as required by the application programs Alterna tively the slave control unit operating system may act as a communications peripheral by controlling a subordinate communication means included in the slave interface unit In this way the operating system and application program s on the master unit in a preferred embodiment act to provide the primary user interfaces and network connec tions relied upon to support the application level functional ity Access to remote servers to obtain direc
29. es to the handheld computing device or from the handheld computing device to any one of the peripheral devices is routed to and passes through the dual mode interface device and ii a master mode when a handheld computing device is not communicatively coupled to the interface wherein when in the master mode the interface processor is a master controller which receives input from a user and which communicates with each of the vehicular peripheral devices wherein when in the slave mode the interface processor receives data retrieved by the handheld computing device from a remote server and wherein when in the slave mode the handheld processor receives data retrieved by the interface device from a vehicular peripheral device and transmits the data to a remote server 13 The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld device includes a plurality of application programs which are con figured to receive data from and transmit data to one or more vehicular peripheral devices 20 18 14 The system of claim 12 wherein the housing includes a receptacle to releasably retain and electrically couple the handheld device to the interface processor and power supply means 15 The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld device includes an application program which is configured to receive data from the vehicular peripheral devices 16 The system of claim 12 wherein updates to an appli cation program running on the interface processor are re
30. f the basic functionality of an illustrative MSID embodiment from a user perspective FIG 5 is a subsystem block diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 6 is another subsystem block diagram for an illustra tive MSID embodiment FIG 7 is yet another subsystem block diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 8 is an interface diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 9 is a process flow diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 10 is another process flow diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 11 is a table of potential applications FIG 12 is a schematic of a hardware centric system archi tecture Like reference symbols in various drawing indicate like elements DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATIONS Overview of Selected Embodiments Many modern vehicles such as automobiles or watercraft have a plurality of onboard sensors and display devices capable of measuring and displaying various vehicular re lated data Examples of this include depth sounders and GPS systems on watercraft It is desirable to have the capability to interface with all the on board devices with a relatively inex pensive and probably previously purchased external control and display device ECD which for example could be a personal hand held smart device such as an iPhone or iPad mobile device trademarks of Apple Inc or other handheld processor based device In one preferred embodi
31. functionality of the master unit including redundant applications to permit similar control operations when the master unit is absent It should be understood that in many embodiments provides the substantial advantage that the slave interface unit hardware and software will be relatively rudimentary and cost effective because the system will be primarily intended operate in slave mode mated to a user s handheld device For instance the slave unit interface pro cessor speed including clock speed may be substantially lower than that of the handheld device Likewise the main rapid access memory of the interface unit may have a sub stantially slower access speed and read write rate than that of the handheld device The slave unit interface may be equipped with a relatively inexpensive hard disk drive and the handheld device may be equipped with comparatively expen sive nonvolatile memory as a main storage means The slave interface unit and master unit may communicate according to a client server model the master being the server The master unit may likewise communicate with remote servers according to a client server model the master unit being the client in that communication The operating system on the MSID as discussed above is configured to enter a slave mode upon the insertion of a handheld device into a docking cradle or mating of a handheld device to the MSID The MSID may also have various software applica tions which interfac
32. he EDDs will request specific data from the MSID The MSID in turn will read the requests from each EDD and then send those specific data to that EDD In this way any number of EDDs may be present and each will be able to independently request and display specific data available from the MSID System Architecture FIG 2 is a state transition diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment The MSID will operate in any of several states as shown in FIG 2 This also shows the transition between the states of the MSID along with the transition enabling event 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 The states shown in FIG 2 are described below Power Down OFF The state in which the MSID has no power applied and no operations are being executed In this mode the EODs may or may not be operating autonomously The only way to transition out of this mode is to power up the system which can be done by either by connecting power and or turning on a power switch The power down OFF state can be transitioned to from any other state by discon necting power and or turning off a power switch Power Up ON This is a transitional state in which the MSID has been powered up from the Power Down OFF state This can be accomplished by connecting power and or turning on a power switch Since this state is transitional the system will not stay in this state long as it will transition either to the MSID Master or MSID S
33. ional on certain models of the MSID When an ECD is present the MSID system may output to the ECD those EOD data selected by the ECD In this way the MSID acts as a slave being a simple data router or pass through function enabling the ECD to operate as the master control device for the MSID system and the peripheral EODs If the ECD is not connected directly to the MSID the MSID data may be output wirelessly to the ECD via Bluetooth Wi Fi or other pertinent wireless links Otherwise the MSDI may output data over the hardwire connection In order to satisfy this requirement the MSID will need to accept and perhaps store data from the EODs and the ECD via an optical e g infrared fiber optic or wireless link that may be nec essary The MSID will also exchange data with the ECD if it is connected to its docking cradle The MSID may supply a standard iPhone iPad interface cable including power supply signals to enable such devices to be cradled into the MSID This will allow these ECD devices to be mechanically plugged into the MSID commu nicate with it and supply power to it The MSID may also provide a mechanical receptacle which is compatible with the more popular smart devices that may act as an ECD In this way the ECD can be literally plugged into the MSID which can provide mechanical stability and some degree of environ mental protection to the ECD The MSID may also supply power to one or more of the EODs EDDs as well
34. ke the form of fishing maps water depth contour maps weather conditions water temperature and more This will require little investment on the part of the user and will obviate the more expensive all in one stand alone Display Sonar GPS Chart Plotter devices currently in use In the absence of an external smart device the MSID can and will act as its own master controller providing in selected embodiments only basic control and display capability The MSID will be able to transition to either state automatically by detecting the presence or absence of the external smart device This will allow a backup control and display mode in case the user forgets to bring his her handheld device or if the handheld device malfunctions The MSID concept can be used on any vehicle and is not limited to automobiles or watercraft In fact the MSID can also be used in a dwelling such as one s home or perhaps a camp The MSID can be implemented in a multitude of ways and will depend upon the specific applications and devices used Several implementation concepts were included in this document but all of these have in common the capabilities mentioned above Master Slave Mode Functionality FIG 12 is a schematic of a hardware centric system archi tecture A hardware centric implementation is illustrated in FIG 12 It will be understood that the functions of the controllers and adapters may optionally be performed in software either within the
35. lave states It is also possible to transition from this state to the power off state should power be disconnected before the other transitions occur Other functions which may be performed while in this state include polling of the EODs and local Wi Fi networks that are within communication range This would be done to determine what devices are available and what data might be displayed by the MSID especially if it ended up in the MSID Master state This polling could also be used to determine if an ECD is present In addition system performance monitor ing could be executed to determine the health of the system and its various components MSID Master In this state the MSID will act as the master As a master controller the MSID will have control over the EODs and control over which EOD data is displayed by the MSID The MSID will transition into this state in two ways Upon power up and no ECD is detected or while in the MSID Slave mode the ECD is not detected This would occur for example if the ECD becomes disconnected or runs out of power In this state the MSID will maintain control over which EOD data is selected for display onto the MSID built in display function A GUI will serve as the control interface between the MSID and user This can be accomplished via a FOG display touch screen or mechanical switches or a combination of both MSID Slave In this state the MSID will act as the slave serving as a mere data router
36. mple Without an ECD this data control and display can be independently controlled by built in control and display functions or any of the external display devices that are present Some remote displays e g in marine applications allow the user to select and display available vehicular related data In some cases such external display devices EDD are all in one stand alone Display Sonar GPS Chart Plotter devices that are quite complex and expensive In various embodi ments an exemplary Master Slave Interface Device MSID may advantageously enable the same display functionality with less expensive EDDs The MSID in certain embodi ments can enable this with its data routing and device polling capabilities In an illustrative example the MSID can read the commands from each and all of the EDDs interpret these and send the requested data to each of the remote displays In this way complex and expensive remote displays are not needed in such embodiments yet independent data selection and display is maintained In selected embodiments the MSID is a device which can serve as master or slave to a plurality of external onboard vehicular devices such as depth sounders GPS thermom eters etc These devices optionally include the capability to provide wireless communications to convey control and or data messages via for example Bluetooth or Wi Fi In either case the MSID will have the capability to network with the external onboard
37. n This redundant communication system can provide connectivity when a communication means built into the ECD is unable to connect to the network In either mode MSID Master or MSID Slave the MSID optionally also allow the EDDs to remotely request and dis play all or a subset of available data The MSID will read the requests from each EDD that is present and send to that EDD the particular data it requested In this way the EDDs can independently display user requested data This is a capability that may be particularly useful in a watercraft application In order for the MSID to accomplish the intended opera tions the following set of basic MSID system capabilities pertain Many of these can be optional depending upon the specific embodiment In the absence of an ECD the MSID system may display available EOD data as selected by the MSID GUI The MSID may also output commands as appropriate to selected EODs These commands will be selected by the user via the GUI and will include status requests data requests and other EOD specific commands This will allow the MSID to act as a master control and display device in a standalone capacity i e in the absence of an ECD In order to accomplish this the MSID system will accept and perhaps store inputs from the various EOD which may have a Bluetooth Wi Fi or any other wireless link as needed or hardwired capability as appropriate A hardwired capability may be considered as opt
38. o downloading that information through the handheld device or transceivers associated with the MSID Some implementations may realize another cost benefit in the ability to add the MSID to existing peripherals and sensors transducers antennas temp senders speakers displays radar s off the shelf components in an system already installed in a vessel or vehicle reducing the cost to retro fit a vehicle with a non functional or outdated stand alone tradi tional system Some embodiments may achieve additional benefits in the ability to receive streaming media audio and or video and or data on one display for example on half of a split screen style display while monitoring depth GPS radar or any other of the system s sensors on the other half of the same display For example streaming media may be displayed on a com pletely different display at the same time In marine applica tions for example some embodiments may provide the abil ity to download from the internet while routing data to local devices over a network A number of embodiments have been described Neverthe less it will be understood that various modifications are optionally made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis disclosure Accordingly other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims What is claimed is 1 A maritime vehicular to handheld interface system comprising a communications network or bus hardwired and commu nic
39. o implement the interface because it is expected that the interface would typically be operating in slave mode Second this system may substantially reduce the time needed for a user to become proficient with the system This stems from the fact that the users generally will already be familiar with their handheld device s operating system user interface and functionality Third this system architec ture may facilitate continuous updating and improvement by enabling software updates and new software modules to be pushed to the user s tablet PC or smart phone Fourth this system architecture may enable a user to port most or all of the system s functionality to another vehicle that is appropriately equipped with a compliant interface Indeed even when the other vehicle is not so equipped the tablet device may still provide some or most functionality as a stand alone unit The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawing and description below Other fea tures objects and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings and from the claims 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIG 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative MSID embodi ment FIG 2 is a state transition diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 3 is an illustration of the basic functionality of an illustrative MSID embodiment FIG 4 is an illustration o
40. oat such as may be used for fishing The system may be operably coupled to communicate data com mands and or status to a propulsion system and or a steering system In some implementations the propulsion and steer ing may be electronically controlled such as commercially available for example as the Minn Kota Terrova trolling motors sold by Thorne Bros of Minnesota As bow mounted motors the MIDS may operate in slave or master modes to provide steering information to the motor based on position information which may be generated directly by the MSID via an antenna interface or received from a stand alone EOD with GPS capability in response to a request for location packet transmitted from the MSID 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 In an example the MSID may be programmed in real time to learn a track of positions and times or speeds that can be stored in a memory in the MIDS or ECD as the track is being physically followed by the boat e g could be any other type of vehicle Offline tracks may also be programmed into the MIDS or ECD by users or downloaded or generated as a suggestion by a computer running specialized software for example Such programmed tracks may be intended to guide the boat under the steering and propulsion of the bow mounted motor under the control of the MSID and or the ECD via the MSID In an illustrative example one or more computer generated suggested tracks may be
41. of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent VIVO GISIN AV 1dSIG Sls 190 403 dis 5351 35 199 403 403 qoa 5351 sas NOLLISNYM LL 31 SSVd 8 CISW 3 TOMLNOD OL 403 LNVM ASHL 4i 403 VIA Q3MSV SQHVO8 35 N3 13 ONILVILINI E US 8 433 463 B1 Sheet 5 of 12 Apr 30 2013 U S Patent 93 938 999 SINSSNOSHONOL 35344 95540084 Ind HLSW 99100889900 WALSASENS WALSASENS 1510 8 9 310010 S Old SINO 06799 031084 ZOUNS 5180 ESN s3MddNS YIMOd SYIIMIANOD 20 24 5544 NILSASANS ssaq W3031V 1d WALSASANS 103 S391430 5 YIMOd TWNYALXS AMON3N S NIX31dIL1T0N Lyn 4 NOIL2313S V1V0 109010ud 140 3 18 3AVISRI31SVN gen 140 IM VIVO WLHLOOI3I18 SNOLLVOllddV mE MS 8520089 SGNYAMOD oun yiyg SANYAWOo TOS1NOO viva viva SAIVLS NOAN ONILLYWYO VIVO 5540 LSOd 34d SONVIAWOO ISN QvdA24 ATIVANYN WALSASENS JYNNILNY VINO 3 3938 LINSNVHL 5541 W31SAS8nS 3 AV AS
42. oller which receives input from a user and which communicates with each of the vehicular peripheral devices wherein the handheld device includes one or more appli cation programs which are configured to receive data from and transmit data to one or more vehicular periph eral devices wherein the interface processor receives software updates retrieved by the handheld computing device from a remote server and wherein the housing includes a receptacle to releasably retain and electrically couple the handheld device to the interface processor and power supply means 2 The system of claim 1 wherein the interface processor receives software updates retrieved by the handheld comput ing device from a remote server 3 The system of claim 1 wherein when in the slave mode the handheld processor receives data retrieved by the dual mode interface device from a vehicular peripheral device and transmits the data to a remote server 4 The system of claim 1 wherein the housing further includes means to protect the handheld device from moisture and vibration 5 The system of claim 1 wherein the peripheral devices further include a sonar and temperature sensor 6 The system of claim 1 wherein the dual mode interface device does not include a GPS Wi Fi or cellular communi cation device 7 The system of claim 1 wherein the clock speed of the interface processor is slower than that of a central processing unit of the handheld computing
43. ontinue to act as master This can be made automatic if desired in the sense that if an appropriate ECD is detected the MSID auto matically transitions into the slave state giving master control over to the ECD In either case the user interaction is keep to a minimum The MSID may also advantageously enable relatively inexpensive EDDs to be used for data display rather than the more expensive all in one stand alone Display Sonar GPS Chart Plotter devices that are already available and com monly used The MSID does this by reading the requests from each EDD present and then sending the requested data to the EDD that requested the data The MSID will have this capa bility in either the Master or Slave state This is shown in FIG 4 The generic embodiment of the MSID system is decom posed into the following subsystems 1 Platform Subsystem PFSS 2 Transceiver Subsystem TRSS 3 Control and Display Subsystem CDSS 4 Digital Processing Subsystem DPSS 5 Clock Distribution Subsystem CLSS 6 Power Distribution Subsystem PDSS A block diagram of these subsystems is shown in FIG 5 followed by a description ofeach FIG 5 is a subsystem block diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment The Platform Subsystem PFSS is the primary mechanical interface between the EODs EDDs and the ECD It therefore contains any hardwired interfaces such as an RS232 interface with the EODs EDDs or ECD if necessary This may be necess
44. operating system drivers or in the application layer It will also be understood that the architecture of FIG 12 can be arbitrarily expanded by inclusion of more periph erals controllers adapters converters control units proces sors buses encoders decoders etc and that the functionality of an arbitrary fraction of those additional components can likewise be deployed in software executed by a general pur pose microprocessor The items in dashed boxes are optional in the depicted embodiment With reference to the example of FIG 12 a master unit e g handheld device interfaces with a slave interface unit e g an MSID which in turn interfaces with a slave periph eral device e g vehicular subsystem controllers sensors transducers The slave interface unit includes various net work protocol adapters which are configured to communicate unidirectionally or bidirectionally with the peripheral devices The slave control unit processor arbitrates the com munication between the network protocol adapters and the handheld device adapters The master unit bus operates on a master device protocol and communicates according to the protocol with the adapters which are interfaced with the slave interface unit Accordingly the master unit communicates unidirection ally or bidirectionally with the slave peripheral devices directly or pseudo directly in the sense that the slave interface control unit is in one embodiment merely arbitra
45. rticular decision process As with the state transition diagram FIG 2 this process embodies one of the essential innovative aspects ofthe MSID A more detailed process is shown in FIG 10 which simply shows more ofthe operations that would be involved when the MSID is in its various states FIG 10 is another process flow diagram for an illustrative MSID embodiment For example in the MSID Master state the MSID will poll the available EODs and set itself up as the control over them It will also set itself up to display EOD and 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 EDD data as selected by the MSID GUI or as selected by the individual EDDs that are present In the MSID Slave state the MSID may also poll the available EODs but in this case it may set itself up to receive ECD commands and serve as a data router transferring EOD data as selected by the ECD to the ECD for display The MSID need not itself be the source ofthe commands nor will it need to display the selected EOD data An option is to let the MSID go ahead and also display the selected EOD data as wellas sending the data to the ECD As with the MSID Master state the MSID in the Slave state may continue to accept display data requested by each of the EDDs and route those data to the appropriate EDDs Applications Implementation Options The MSID concept as described in this document repre sents an advantageous approach to networking various
46. tain embodiments of the system A built in emergency rescue beacon could also be an option depending upon the implementation e g the specific model of the MSID Environmental conditions under which the MSID must operate could vary depending upon the specific embodiment The iPhone operating environment for example is given below Operating temperature 32 to 95 F 0 to 35 Non operating temperature 4 to 113 F 20 to 45 C Relative humidity 5 to 95 noncondensing Maximum operating altitude 10 000 feet 3000 m The interfaces between the MSID and the EODs EDDs and ECDs could be optional and can range from a hardwire e g USB cable RS 485 CAN Ethernet to optical infra red to fiber optic and or any other wireless protocol e g Bluetooth Wi Fi Zigbee In the case of a hardwire interface power could also be provided as an option The MSID may also provide the option for a backup inter nal power capability in case there is a malfunction or inter ruption in the primary power supply The amount of time the internal battery backup system lasts would be optional and dependent upon the specific embodiment s Various imple mentations may further include surge suppression circuit ele ments for example to attenuate voltage fluctuations on a vehicular battery or alternator output buses The MSID may also act as a data router sending specifi cally requested display data to the EDDs Each of t
47. tery power supply An On Off switch can US 8 433 463 B1 7 be provided to conveniently power up or power down the MSID optional built in battery or the ability to use the battery of the ECD may also be provided as options in the event the vehicular power source fails The MSID will interface and accept data from or transmit data to the plurality of EODs and or EDDs that are present and operational The data links between the EODs EDDs and the MSID can be either Bluetooth Wi Fi and or possibly hardwire such as an RS232 connection In various embodiments the operational concept simpli fies the user experience in that the user merely boards the vehicle with or without an ECD FIG 4 is an illustration of the basic functionality of an illustrative MSID embodiment from a user perspective As shown in FIG 4 once the user boards the vehicle and an ECD is not brought on board the MSID will not detect it and will continue operating in whatever state it is in The user simply uses the MSID directly to control and display EOD data e g the MSID is the master control and display device If the user does have an ECD the MSID will detect it assuming it is powered on and may provide the user the option to make it the master The user acknowledges this and proceeds to use their ECD as the control and display for the ECD data e g MSID is the slave If the user decides not to use the ECD as the master then the MSID will c
48. the received data from the TRSS to the CDSS for subsequent display In either state the MSID will also accept display data requests from each EDD present and route the requested data if available to the appropriate EDD In an exemplary embodiment one or more dedicated and or general purpose computer chips may be used to implement the DPSS As such it may need an external clock If this is necessary the Clock Distribution Subsystem CLSS gener ates whatever clocks may be needed by the DPSS or any other subsystem and distributes them as necessary Although some point to point communications especially wireless are asynchronous and may not need externally generated clocks at all the CLSS may be included for various imple mentations In various embodiments the Power Distribution Sub system PDSS may use as its primary source of power an external source such as a vehicular 12 Volt battery for example It may then provide the necessary power conver sion most likely DC to DC in nature to the various other subsystem components as well as possibly the EODs EDDs and or ECDs Typical devices in applications such as this could require voltages of 5 Volt for devices like the iPhone iPad and iPod for example Other voltages may be generated as required by the specific embodiments Interfaces Interfaces to the MSID are shown in FIG 8 and include wireless links like Bluetooth and Wi Fi as well as hardwire links as necessary
49. ting the transmission of data through the slave interface unit In other embodiments the slave control unit or an operating system or application program running thereon serves as a peripheral witha ported connection to the operating system of the master unit and thereby serves as a translator or intermediary between the master unit and the slave peripheral devices In preferred embodiments the functionality of the slave control unit is minimized in order to permit the use of inexpensive processors and memory In such embodiments the slave con 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 65 12 trol unit does not execute processor overhead intensive or memory access intensive tasks but rather arbitrates the com munications with the master controller In certain embodiments the slave control unit retains con trol of certain interface operations with the slave peripheral devices Fault detection polling clocking if required and related operations may be performed in the background by the slave control unit The master control unit remains in some examples the sole or primary user interface The master unit may provide from the user s perspective the main con trol panel for all vehicular operations associated with the peripheral devices To this end the master device optionally includes an appli cation program or array of application programs which utilize data received from the various slave peripheral devices In one embodim
50. tions lake maps software updates and downloads subscription based ser vices telephony email messaging streaming media and the like is managed by the master unit operating system and application programs Updates in such embodiments may be executed conve niently by polling and download operations managed by the master unit s operating system and application programs Additional and new software may likewise be downloaded at any time an appropriate network connection is established by the master unit Subscription based services may likewise by utilized and enrolled in when the master unit is mated to the slave interface unit and optionally when it is not According to this embodiment if the user upgrades his or her handheld computing device the functionality of the MSID system will likewise be enhanced The software and settings from the user s previous handheld device may be ported over to the new device and new functionality may be provided by the new master unit operating system and or new application software downloaded to the master unit In various embodiments a master unit application also manages the updating and installation of software on the slave interface unit Periodic updates and new operating sys tem and application program versions may be downloaded by and to the master unit and then installed on the slave interface device US 8 433 463 B1 13 The slave interface unit may include an arbitrary amount of the
51. tions with the MSID The TRSS may send data to and receive data from the DPSS Properly formatted EOD and or EDD data will be transmitted to the DPSS possibly along with EOD status In return the TRSS will receive commands from the DPSS to be transmitted to the EOD Such signals may include a beacon command for example The TRSS may also receive a clock from the CDSS if necessary Since most wireless communication protocols are asynchronous it is not anticipated that this interface will be necessary but it included for completeness The Control and Display Subsystem CDSS may be the primary interface between the MSID and the user when in the MSID Master state In order to keep costs down the capabil ity of this standalone mode may not be as sophisticated as a modern ECD such as an iPad but it will contain the basic capability to control and display the EOD and EDD data One embodiment could be a touch screen similar to those found on many ECDs or EDDs The control could be via finger on glass FOG commands on this display The CDSS will receive EOD EDD data from the DPSS This could already be formatted for display or if not the CDSS would perform any formatting that may be required This interface may be implemented by hardwiring to the DPSS FIG 6 is another subsystem block diagram for an illustra tive MSID embodiment In the example shown in FIG 6 EOD EDD data transfers data directly from the TRSS via wireless link such as
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