FIGURE A


The region manager allows an Auto PC OEM to define one or more "regions" of the screen and associate applications with those regions, so the information for each of the applications being used appears in exactly the same place on the display all the time. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Applications running in OEM areas are second class citizens with regard to UI access compared to applications running in the default region. Applications in the default region "own" the keyboard and speech recognizer. Applications in OEM areas only get keystrokes if the OEM has hard coded that specific keys get sent to specific OEM areas or if the OEM implements soft keys for an OEM area. Applications in the OEM areas can only register global grammar with the speech recognizer instead of being able to change the grammar that the speech recognizer uses based on user input. However, applications in an OEM area can also expose user interface through the default region of the user selects the application.

The rectangles defined by an OEM as regions on the screen can't be changed by applications, but applications may request that they run in "full screen" mode. This typically requires a security code to be passed to the region manager to prove the application has permission to take over the screen. Even then, an OEM may choose to only allow those parts of the screen that aren't being used for soft keys to be used by a "full screen" application.

The soft keys API
One downside of a large screen is that it takes up valuable space in the vehicle, space that could otherwise be used for controls and buttons. Also, since many buttons or controls need to be used infrequently, it's wasteful to take up valuable space with such controls. Enter the soft key API. The soft key API is a COM style interface for building, managing, and freeing soft key menus, and for positioning the soft key menus on the screen. The new soft key API allows an Auto PC OEM to define soft key regions on the display and to present and manage soft keys that are either based on a touch screen type model or an "ATM style," where hard buttons have soft labels that are shown on the display. The soft keys generate key press messages similar to the way physical keyboard keys do, but the function of the key is communicated to the user by a label on the screen.

A new feature in the forms manager called the Key Router can be used to route hard or soft keystrokes to a specific application, in any region, or the current application in the default region. Using various configuration parameters of the soft key API, keys can be defined to behave as a typical button that responds to press, hold and release, or as a toggle button that has a depressed and released stated.

Other user interface improvements
It's important to automobile manufacturers to differentiate their products and to communicate a consistent look and feel. The version 1.0 Auto PC had one look and feel that wasn't really alterable. Version 2.0 completely allows the Auto PC OEM to redefine any user interface element on the Auto PC. Configurable items include color scheme, system font, application colors, application font, message box, password verification, shell view, speech recognition state, power off form, and even the wait cursor. The code and parameters that define these elements reside in a collection of DLLs that the Auto PC OEM defines. While they could theoretically be replaced by independent software vendors, it would take close cooperation with the Auto PC OEM.