Operating means for a cruise control in vehicles

• US 20040094345A1
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Gotz, Matthias, Bubb, Peter, Hafner, Ernst
• Application Number:
  US10/634,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20040094345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/170
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/042 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• 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: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/02 Arrangement of instruments arrangement of lighting devices for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0066 using buttons or a keyboard connected to the on-board processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

The operating means has a touch-sensitive control surface with an alpha-numeric input field (12) onto which at least one number can be entered by tracing. The number thus entered is transmitted as a setpoint value to the cruise control by a setting function.

Claims

1. An operating means for a cruise control in vehicles, comprising a touch-sensitive control panel with at least one alphanumeric input field onto which at least one digit can be entered by tracing, a digit thus entered being transmitted as a setpoint value to the cruise control by a setting function.

2. The operating means according to claim 1, wherein the setting function is activated by tapping, a control field.

3. The operating means according to claim 2, wherein the control field is contained within the alphanumeric input field.

4. The operating means according to claim 1, wherein the setting function comprises a reading function that interprets symbols that have been entered with a fingertip by roughly tracing the digit onto the alphanumeric input field and that only accepts plausible alphanumeric symbols.

5. The operating means according to claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric input field is divided into a plurality of zones, whereby at least one digit can be entered into each of the zones.

6. The operating means according to claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric input field is surrounded by a plurality of control fields that can be haptically distinguished from each other, each of which is associated with a control function.