Operating device in a vehicle

• US 20040095366A1
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Yuji, Kamiya, Akira, Kawai, Takayoshi, Koshobu, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,998,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor

Abstract

An operating device in a vehicle has hierarchical display screens. The hierarchical display screens have operation items for operating an operational object. An operation item on a lower-level screen is displayed on the top screen, based on the number of use of the operation item.

Claims

1. An operating device in a vehicle;

comprising hierarchical display screens on which an operation item for operating an operational object is displayed, wherein the operation item is displayed on a predetermined screen, based on use of the operation item.

2. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said predetermined screen is the top screen.

3. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said result is the number of times of use of the operational item.

4. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 3, wherein said number of times is accumulated for a period that is set based on outside environmental conditions or user'"'"'s physical condition.

5. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said operation item is displaced from the predetermined screen after a predetermined time has passed or a predetermined condition has been fulfilled.

6. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 3, wherein said number of items is predetermined.

7. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said result is stored in a portable storage medium.

8. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said result can be rewritten.

9. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said operational object is an air conditioning system, an audio system, a car navigation system, an audio-visual system or a telephone system.

10. An operating device in a vehicle of claim 1;

comprising an operating panel for operating said operational object, a display device having said hierarchical display screens and a control unit for controlling the operational object, the operating panel and the display device, wherein the operating panel, the display device and the control unit are integrated into a body.