Displaying and operating device and method for controlling a displaying and operating device

• US 10,331,271 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Wojzischke, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oliver, Gerald L
• Application Number:
  US14/418,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/141 Activation of instrument input devices by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/00 Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A displaying and operating device having a display unit and at least one proximity sensor, wherein a penetration of an object into at least one monitoring space can be detected by the proximity sensor, wherein at least one representation on the display unit is changed as a function of a penetrating object, wherein the displaying and operating device has a unit wherein a chronological sequence of receive signals from the proximity sensor is evaluated by the unit, wherein a constant receive signal is detected and stored within a predetermined time interval and, for subsequent operating, is ignored as a static receive signal of the display unit, wherein a change in the representation is carried out only if a subsequent receive signal exceeds the static receive signal by a predetermined value. Also disclosed is a method for operating a displaying and operating device.

Claims

1. A displaying and operating device comprising:

a display unit;

at least one proximity sensor system for monitoring at least one monitoring space, wherein penetration of an object into the at least one monitoring space is detected by the at least one proximity sensor system which emits a reception signal indicative of the detected penetration of the object into the at least one monitoring space; and

an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a temporal sequence of reception signals emitted from the at least one proximity sensor system,

wherein, in response to detection of the penetrating object, alteration of at least one representation displayed on the display unit is performed,

wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to detect a reception signal corresponding to a static object in the at least one monitoring space, wherein the detected reception signal corresponding to the static object is a constant value as a result of the non-movement of the static object over a predefined interval of time,

wherein, in response to receipt of the reception signal including the constant value for a predefined time interval, the evaluation unit ignores the constant value of the reception signal as a static reception signal indicative of detection of a static object, and stores the constant value of detected reception signal associated with the static object as a threshold value to be compared with subsequently emitted reception signals,

wherein, thereafter, the at least one representation displayed on the display unit is changed only in response to determination by the evaluation unit that detection of a reception signal subsequently emitted by the at least one proximity sensor system exceeds the stored constant threshold value by a predefined value,

and

wherein subsequent to the storage of the stored constant threshold value, the evaluation unit is further configured to erase the stored constant threshold value in response to the evaluation unit detecting a reception signal emitted by the at least one proximity sensor system with a value that is less than the stored constant threshold value.

2. The displaying and operating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system monitors exactly one monitoring space.

3. The displaying and operating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system is an IR proximity sensor system.

4. The displaying and operating device of claim 3, wherein the optical element scatters emitted IR radiation into the at least one monitoring space and guides received IR radiation to at least one receiving device.

5. The displaying and operating device of claim 3, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system comprises at least one reference diode.

6. The displaying and operating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system comprises a screen with an optical element.

7. The displaying and operating device of claim 1, wherein the displaying and operating device is configured so that a change is made from a displaying representation to an operating representation on the display unit depending on a detected presence of the penetrating object.

8. The displaying and operating device of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the reception signals emitted from the at least one proximity sensor system is temperature-dependent.

9. A method for controlling a displaying and operating device that includes a display unit and at least one proximity sensor system, the method comprising:

detecting penetration of an object into at least one monitoring space monitored by the at least one proximity sensor system, and in response, emitting a reception signal indicative of the detected penetration of the object into the at least one monitoring space;

altering at least one representation on the display unit in response to the emitted reception signal indicating the detected presence of the penetrating object;

evaluating, with a unit, a temporal sequence of reception signals emitted from the at least one proximity sensor system;

detecting, with the evaluation unit, a reception signal corresponding to a static object in the at least one monitoring space, wherein the detected reception signal corresponding to the detected static object is a static reception signal of constant value received over a predefined interval of time as a result of non-movement of the static object, wherein the evaluation unit stores the constant value of the detected reception signal as a threshold value to be compared with subsequently emitted reception signals;

subsequent to the storing of the constant threshold value, ignoring the constant value of the reception signal as a static reception signal indicative of detection of a static object and also carrying out a change in the at least one representation on the display unit only in response to subsequent emission of a reception signal exceeding the stored constant threshold value of the reception signal by a predefined value,

wherein, subsequent to the storage of the stored constant threshold value, the evaluation unit is further configured to erase the stored constant threshold value in response to the evaluation unit detecting a reception signal emitted by the at least one proximity sensor system with a value that is less than the stored constant threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system monitors exactly one monitoring space.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system is an IR proximity sensor system comprising a screen with an optical element, wherein the optical element, scatters emitted IR radiation into the at least one monitoring space and guides received IR radiation to at least one receiving device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one proximity sensor system comprises IR transmitting diodes, at least one IR receiving diode and a reference diode, wherein the emission characteristic of the IR transmitting diodes is deduced from the reception signals at the IR receiving diode based on the emission of the reference diode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a change is made from a displaying representation to an operating representation on the display unit depending on a detected presence of the penetrating object.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a magnitude of the reception signals emitted from the at least one proximity sensor system is temperature-dependent.