According to one aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, a safety control system for using applications in vehicles, includes, a communication device having at least one of an input accessible from within the vehicle and an output communicated within the vehicle, at least one sensor operable to sense at least one condition related to vehicle operation, and data about distraction features of a running application, to and a controller communicated with the sensor and the communication device to selectively suppress at least one of said input and said output in response to a sensed parameter of said at least one condition being outside of a threshold. When an input is suppressed, the driver is prevented from accessing or inputting information into the communication device. When an output is suppressed, communication between the device and the driver of a vehicle is suppressed to, among other things, avoid distracting the driver during certain driving situations or conditions relating to the driver, vehicle and/or environment.

A MirrorLink server for communicating with a MirrorLink client, the MirrorLink server including a display unit; a memory configured to store at least one of a certified application; a communication unit configured to establish a connection between the MirrorLink client and the MirrorLink server; and a controller coupled to the display unit, the memory and the communication unit. The controller is further configured to provide the at least one of a certified application stored in the memory, receive at least one of an interrupt, wherein the at least one of the interrupt corresponds to a home key event or a back key event, and switch either to the MirrorLink client's native UI or another screen in response to the at least one of the interrupt.

A user interface and a method for adapting a view on a display unit of a user interface wherein the method includes calling up a configuration mode for allocating a range of functions to at least one tile displayed on the display unit, displaying first operating areas representing a respective range of functions, receiving a first user input for the first operating area and, in response thereto, displaying second operating areas thematically associated with the first operating area.

A method of controlling audio speaker settings in a vehicle with a rear row of seating comprises: requesting an operator of the vehicle to make a choice between a first option, wherein the vehicle automatically controls audio speaker settings based on a dynamically determined occupancy state of the rear row of seating, and a second option, wherein the vehicle recommends audio speaker settings to the operator based on the dynamically determined occupancy state; dynamically determining the occupancy state; if the operator chooses the first option, then automatically controlling audio speaker settings based on the dynamically determined occupancy state; and if the operator chooses the second option, then providing recommended audio speaker settings to the operator based on the dynamically determined occupancy state. The audio speaker settings include volume.

A method for controlling a mobile device engaging with a head unit of vehicle includes executing a vehicle engagement application installed in the mobile device, determining first and second spaces having the same size in a frame buffer, monitoring whether a first data responsive to an execution of the vehicle engagement application is written in the first and second spaces, and if the first data is not written in the first and second spaces, performing an autonomous recovery process for the vehicle engagement application.

A vehicle control device includes: a carry-in state determination device that determines whether a portable terminal device to be carried into a vehicle is already carried into the vehicle; a pending process determination device that, when the carry-in state determination device determines that the portable terminal device is already carried into the vehicle, determines whether the portable terminal device has a pending process that is held in an unexecuted state; and a pending process control device that, when the pending process determination device determines that the portable terminal device has the pending process, enables the pending process to be executed by the portable terminal device in the vehicle.

A vehicle computing system includes at least one processor configured to provide a lockout icon to a mobile device using a uniform resource identifier. The at least one processor is further configured to, in response to established communication with the mobile device having a user-interface display, retrieve the uniform resource identifier based on an application being executed at the mobile device. The at least one processor is further configured to transmit the uniform resource identifier to the mobile device to lockout the user-interface display with the lockout icon associated with the uniform resource identifier.

A vehicle control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute a command switching process according to the prediction node. In a transition prediction process, a node of the data for prediction corresponding to a current node of a vehicle is set to a start point node based on data for prediction, and at least one of candidate nodes is set to a prediction node specifying a future state of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to execute a command generation process of generating a command for controlling the devices in the vehicle based on a correspondence relationship according to an input operation performed to the input device.

A method of communicating between an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) device in a vehicle and a mobile terminal. The method includes receiving, via a communication unit of the IVI device, application data from the mobile terminal for executing a prescribed application on the IVI device; displaying, via a display of the IVI device, one of a first execution screen having a first execution depth and a second execution screen having a second execution depth higher than the first execution depth for the prescribed application; receiving an interrupt request for requesting the one of the first and second execution screens stopped being displayed; displaying, via the display of the IVI device, the first execution screen having the first execution depth in response to the second execution screen being displayed when receiving the interrupt request; and displaying, via the display of the IVI device, a list of certified applications certified for the IVI device or switch a launcher application to a foreground, in response to the first execution screen being displayed when receiving the interrupt request.

A method of operating audio, video, navigation (AVN), an AVN, and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The method includes determining whether a vehicle speaker and a vehicle microphone connected to the AVN is abnormal when a car accident occurs, releasing pairing with a paired terminal and performing role change of changing the terminal to a hands-free unit (HF) when at least one of the vehicle speaker and the vehicle microphone is abnormal, and performing voice call using a speaker and microphone of the terminal.