An on-board vehicle navigation system (NAV system) may provide a variety of information and may be integrated with a variety of on-board vehicle systems or features. The NAV system may have the display set to show information about a single system in a full screen mode or have the display divided to show information about multiple systems simultaneously (mixed display mode). The NAV system may allow the user to select an automatic switching from a mixed display mode to a full display mode upon the occurrence of predetermined system conditions. The full display mode may be temporary and automatically return back to the previous display mode or may require a user acknowledgement prior to returning back to the previous display mode. The switch to the full display mode allows more information to be communicated to the user.

Provided is an information management device capable of prompting a first user of a general vehicle to be engaged in ride-sharing. An information management device (a server (4)) includes a ride-sharing detection unit (402), a ride-sharing path recognition unit (403), and a benefit information recognition unit (406). The benefit information recognition unit (406) recognizes benefit information for providing a benefit related to charging to the first user A of a moving body (a vehicle X) based on a move cost of a path including at least an entire ride-sharing path that is recognized by the ride-sharing path recognition unit (403).

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a mobile device determines a current position and direction; detects objects within an area including the current position; collects first data regarding the objects; buffers the first data; and transmits the first data to a remote system responsive to the mobile device reaching a boundary of the area. The method also comprises obtaining a map of the area from the remote device; the map includes information based on second data previously collected regarding objects in the area, the second data includes a position indicator and a direction indicator for each of the second objects indexed by the current position, and the remote device aggregates the first data and the second data to generate an updated map of the area. Navigation instructions are generated based on the current position and the map, Other embodiments are disclosed.

Systems and methods are described for adaptively recognizing gestures indicated by user inputs received from a touchpad, touchscreen, directional pad, mouse or other multi-directional input device. If a user's movement does not indicate a gesture using current gesture recognition parameters, additional processing can be performed to recognize the gesture using other factors. The gesture recognition parameters can then be adapted so that subsequent user inputs that are similar to the previously-rejected inputs will appropriately trigger gesture commands as desired by the user. Gestural data or parameters may be locally or remotely stored for further processing.

To facilitate various functionality related to interactions between a portable device and a vehicle head unit, systems and methods (i) efficiently provide audio navigation instructions to a vehicle head unit; (ii) enable data exchange between a portable device which is not in direct communication with a vehicle head unit and the vehicle head unit; and (iii) provide visual output in response to user gestures in an automotive environment.

A use index IDX indicative of a degree of use of external charging is calculated and transmitted to a vehicle external system. The vehicle external system provides a service or imposes a penalty based on the use index IDX. In a case where the degree of use of external charging is determined to be low based on the use index IDX, if the vehicle external system provides a non-preferential service or imposes a heavy penalty as compared with a case where the degree of use of external charging is determined to be high, a driver or an owner of a vehicle takes an action by which the use index is determined to indicate, a high degree of use of external charging. As a result, the use of external charging can be promoted.

An input device mounted in a vehicle, separated from a display unit and configured to input a finger operation to an operation surface to operate an image of the display unit is provided. The input device includes a detector that detects presence and absence of a finger in a groove, and controller that prohibits an input of a finger operation to an operation surface when a finger operation to the operation surface has not been performed for a predetermined time or longer and that cancels the prohibition of the input when determining the presence of sliding of the finger in the groove based on detection of the finger in the groove by the detector.

An application processes user input with respect to a geographic map to generate annotations associated with locations on that geographic map. Such annotations can include user entered characters and graphics, including curves and lines. The application distinguishes between user inputs that are annotations and user inputs that indicate a request for a route between two locations. In response to user input with respect to a geographic map, the application determines whether the user input is a request for a route. When performing such comparisons, the application uses locations and road segments that are presented at a zoom level corresponding the zoom level applied at the time the user input for the annotation was received. After determining that a user input corresponds to a request for a route, the application generates data describing a route. The application can present a plurality of candidate routes to the user for selection.

A user device may include a display that includes a first area and a second area. The first area may be located around a periphery of the second area, and the first area may include a touch-sensitive surface. The user device may detect a user interaction with the first area and may determine an action associated with the user interaction. The user device may perform the action in association with information displayed in the second area.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a command interpreter for use in a vehicle control system in a vehicle for interpreting user commands, a vehicle interaction system including such a command interpreter, a vehicle including such a vehicle interaction system, and related method and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including: a memory and a processor, the processor being configured to: receive, from at least one human via a first input device, a first input having a first type; receive a second input having a second type via a second input device, wherein the second type comprises at least one of sensed information describing a surrounding environment of the vehicle and input received from at least one human; interpret both the first input and the second input to generate a system instruction; and transmit the system instruction to a different system of the vehicle.