In the present disclosure, a remote device is connected to a local device in a vehicle so as to be communicable with each other. Information of a remote app installed in the remote device is transmitted from the remote device to the local device. The information of the remote app received from the remote device is displayed together with information on a local app installed in the local device on a screen of a user interface (UI) via a display device of the local device. When a user executes the remote app, using the information of the remote app displayed in the display device of the local device, the remote app is executed on the remote device, and an execution screen of the remote app transmitted from the remote device to the local device is simultaneously displayed via the display device of the local device.

A smart safe console system; the smart safe console system includes a smart safe console assembly having a smart safe body suitable to house at least one electronic device and an engager-button configured for controlling input and output communications to and from the electronic device when a vehicle hosting the smart safe console system is in use. The smart safe console system is useful for improving vehicle safety in relation to the use of electronic devices.

An information display system includes a steering wheel including a ring portion and an upper opening region within the ring portion, an instrument cluster arrangement positioned forward of the steering wheel, and an electronic control unit. The instrument cluster arrangement includes a first gauge having a first fixing member on a portion of a boundary of the first gauge, and a second gauge having a second fixing member on a portion of a boundary of the second gauge. The first fixing member and the second fixing member are configured to hold a handheld device placed between the first and second gauges, and the first and second gauges are positioned such that when the handheld device is placed between the first and second gauges the handheld device is visible through the upper opening region.

A method, device, and vehicle information system are provided for persisting application context from the vehicle information system to the mobile device. The mobile device provides access to at least one application executing on the mobile device to the vehicle information system. On termination of that access, an operating context is determined for each of the mobile device applications where possible. In some cases, where application context is persisted from one system or device to the other, the current data is presented in accordance with a transport modality associated with the other device or system.

In embodiments of the present invention, a virtual phone is provided which includes a touch screen mounted on an enclosure that includes a processor, memory, wireless communication port, and a power port. The virtual phone further includes a software application executing on the processor to control image display on the touch screen and emulate features of a handheld device presented in the image in response to a user touching a presented feature. The virtual phone further includes a configuration of a user-specific handheld device that is derived from the user-specific handheld device is stored in a memory that is accessible to the processor; wherein the virtual phone presents a visual representation of the user-specific handheld device on the touch screen based on the configuration.

An embodiment terminal system for a taxi vehicle includes a first terminal positioned for a passenger of the taxi vehicle, and a second terminal positioned for a driver of the taxi vehicle and configured to display a first communication user interface (UI) for receiving information to be transferred from the driver to the passenger on a first screen, and in response to any one of first options included in the first communication UI being selected, to transmit first message information that is determined based on the selected any one first option to the first terminal, wherein the first options included in the first communication UI are chosen based on driving status information of the taxi vehicle, a boarding type of the passenger, or surrounding environment information of the taxi vehicle.

In embodiments of the present invention, a virtual phone is provided which includes a touch screen mounted on an enclosure that includes a processor, memory, wireless communication port, and a power port. The virtual phone further includes a software application executing on the processor to control image display on the touch screen and emulate features of a handheld device presented in the image in response to a user touching a presented feature. The virtual phone further includes a configuration of a user-specific handheld device that is derived from the user-specific handheld device is stored in a memory that is accessible to the processor; wherein the virtual phone presents a visual representation of the user-specific handheld device on the touch screen based on the configuration.

Provided is a system in which a vehicle-mounted device and a mobile device are connected using a communication protocol. The vehicle-mounted device includes: a storage unit that stores information indicating whether or not an e-mail transmitting function specified in the communication protocol is incorporated; a control unit that determines, according to an instruction for transmitting an e-mail to the mobile device, whether or not the mobile device is equipped with the e-mail transmitting function, on the basis of the information in the storage unit; and a processing unit that transmits text, for e-mail, generated by the vehicle-mounted device, to the mobile device, and instructs the mobile device to generate an electronic mail according to the text for e-mail and transmit the electronic mail to an external network when the e-mail transmitting function is incorporated, and that instructs the mobile device to generate text for e-mail when the e-mail transmitting function is not incorporated. The mobile device includes: a text generating unit that generates the text for e-mail according to the instruction, for text generation, from the vehicle-mounted device; and a control unit that transmits, to the external network, an electronic mail based on the generated text for e-mail.

Example in-vehicle infotainment control systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives a request from a mobile device to control an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system of a vehicle. The method determines whether a speed of the vehicle exceeds a threshold and whether the mobile device is operated by a passenger of the vehicle. If the vehicle's speed exceeds the threshold and the mobile device is operated by a passenger, the mobile device is allowed to control the IVI system.

An information display system includes a steering wheel including a ring portion and an upper opening region within the ring portion, an instrument cluster arrangement positioned forward of the steering wheel, and an electronic control unit. The instrument cluster arrangement includes a first gauge having a first fixing member on a portion of a boundary of the first gauge, and a second gauge having a second fixing member on a portion of a boundary of the second gauge. The first fixing member and the second fixing member are configured to hold a handheld device placed between the first and second gauges, and the first and second gauges are positioned such that when the handheld device is placed between the first and second gauges the handheld device is visible through the upper opening region.