Touch-pad integrated steering wheel for a motor vehicle
First Claim
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1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane;
a touchpad including a touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel; and
a control system having an interface operably connected to the touchpad, and an evaluation module operably connected to the interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on the touchpad, and to determine a type of the first touch;
wherein a course of the channel is (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel;
wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of;
(i) a withdrawal away from the touchpad;
(ii) a pressing motion on the touchpad; and
/or (iii) a touching motion on the touchpad; and
wherein the touchpad includes (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture; and
wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents.
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Abstract
A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
27 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
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a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane; a touchpad including a touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel; and a control system having an interface operably connected to the touchpad, and an evaluation module operably connected to the interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on the touchpad, and to determine a type of the first touch; wherein a course of the channel is (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel; wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of;
(i) a withdrawal away from the touchpad;
(ii) a pressing motion on the touchpad; and
/or (iii) a touching motion on the touchpad; andwherein the touchpad includes (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture; and
wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A motor vehicle, comprising:
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a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane; a touchpad including a touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the channel including a curvature in the plane and a portion of the course of the channel extending radially; and a control system having an interface operably connected to the touchpad, and an evaluation module operably connected to the interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on the touchpad, and to determine a type of the first touch; wherein the course of the channel is (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel; wherein the curvature opens downward when the steering wheel is directed straight ahead; wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of;
(i) a withdrawal away from the touchpad;
(ii) a pressing motion on the touchpad; and
/or (iii) a touching motion on the touchpad; andwherein the touchpad includes (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture; and
wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A motor vehicle, comprising:
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a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane; a first touchpad including a first touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a first channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the first channel being (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the first touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the first touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel; and a second touchpad including a second touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel, spatially separated from the first touchpad, and situated in a second channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the second channel being (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the second touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the second touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel; and a control system having a first interface operably connected to the first touchpad, a second interface operably connected to the second touchpad, a first evaluation module operably connected to the first interface, and a second evaluation module operably connected to the second interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on at least one of the first and second touchpads, and to determine a type of the first touch; wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of;
(i) a withdrawal away from the at least one of the first and second touchpads;
(ii) a pressing motion on the at least one of the first and second touchpads; and
/or (iii) a touching motion on the at least one of the first and second touchpads; andwherein the first and second touchpads include (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture; and
wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification