In-vehicle apparatus and method for controlling same

A method of controlling an in-vehicle apparatus in a vehicle comprising:

• memorizing a gadget that is associated with information on a travel impediment of the vehicle;
• displaying on a screen of a display unit a gadget-associated icon that is associated with the memorized gadget;
• receiving an operation of the icon that is being displayed on the screen of the display unit;
• controlling execution of a gadget-associated process that is associated with the gadget when it is determined that the gadget-associated icon displayed on the screen has received the operation;
• acquiring a travel condition of the vehicle that has the in-vehicle apparatus disposed thereon;
• controlling the display unit to display a plurality of gadget-associated icons on a plurality of screens of the display unit in a normal condition that allows icon customization and the change of the icon appearance extends to the plurality of screens;
• determining which of the gadget-associated icons correspond to the gadget indicated as impediment-free-class and which of the gadget-associated icons correspond to the gadget indicated as impediment-class in the information on the travel impediment;
• and
• re-arranging the plurality of gadget-associated icons, such that:
• icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-free-class in the information on the travel impediment and that fit on a first priority screen are arranged in the first priority screen of the plurality of screens,
• icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-free-class in the information on the travel impediment and that do not fit on the first priority screen are arranged in a second priority screen of the plurality of screens, and
• icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-class in the information on the travel impediment are arranged in the second priority screen of the plurality of screens separately from the icons indicated as the impediment-free-class that are the second priority screen, wherein
• icon appearance is changed according to (a) the information on the travel impediment associated with the gadget, and (b) the acquired travel condition of the vehicle, and
• the icons corresponding to the gadgets indicated as the impediment-free-class and the icons corresponding to the gadgets indicated as the impediment-class can receive an operation of the icon even after being re-arranged into the first and second priority screens.

A method of controlling an in-vehicle apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus having functional gadgets, each of the gadgets represented by an icon displayed on a screen of a display unit, the method comprising:

• determining that an icon display condition is in a normal condition;
• determining whether vehicle speed is over a first threshold;
• morphing icon appearance on a screen of a display unit by a preset rule according to travel impediment information of the respective gadgets when the vehicle speed is over the first threshold;
• restoring original icon appearance on the screen when the vehicle speed falls down below a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold;
• returning to the determination of the icon display condition;
• controlling the display unit to display a plurality of gadget-associated icons on a plurality of screens of the display unit in a normal condition that allows icon customization and the change of the icon appearance extends to the plurality of screens;
• determining which of the gadget-associated icons correspond to the gadget indicated as impediment-free-class and which of the gadget-associated icons correspond to the gadget indicated as impediment-class in the information on the travel impediment;
• and
• re-arranging the plurality of gadget-associated icons, such that:
• icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-free-class in the information on the travel impediment and that fit on a first priority screen are arranged in the first priority screen of the plurality of screens,
• icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-free-class in the information on the travel impediment that do not fit on the first priority screen are arranged in a second priority screen of the plurality of screens,
• and icons corresponding to the gadget indicated as the impediment-class in the information on the travel impediment are arranged in the second priority screen of the plurality of screens separately from the icons indicated as the impediment-free-class that are on the second priori, screen, wherein
• the gadgets are classified into at least two impediment levels, including the impediment-free -class and the impediment-class, according to the travel impediment information associated therewith, and
• the icons corresponding to the gadgets indicated as the impediment-free-class and the icons corresponding to the gadgets indicated as the impediment-class can receive an operation of the icon even after being re-arranged into the first and second priority screens.