Touch panel input for automotive devices

• US 20040122572A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichinose, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,819,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• 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

Abstract

An integrated tactile visual interface for device control within a vehicle comprises a touch pad that generates an input signal in response to touch input from a user. The interface further comprises a display having at least one display region and a user focus or cursor. A software component receives the input signal and communicates an output signal to the display, wherein the output signal is indicative of the input signal. The software component generates a feedback signal if the user focus traverses a boundary of the display region on the display. A feedback device is integrated with the touchpad and provides tangible feedback to the user in response to the feedback signal.

Claims

1. An integrated tactile visual interface for device control within a vehicle comprising:

a touch pad that generates an input signal in response to input from a user;

a display having at least one display region and a user focus;

a software module that receives the input signal and communicates an output signal indicative of the input signal to the display, wherein the display adjusts the display region and the user focus according to the output signal, and the software module generates a feedback signal if the user focus traverses a boundary of the display region; and

a feedback device integrated with the touch pad that receives the feedback signal and provides tangible feedback to the user through the touch pad in response to the feedback signal.

2. The interface of claim 1 wherein the software module generates a command signal indicative of the input signal.

3. The interface of claim 2 further comprising:

at least one controllable device responsive to the command signal.

4. The interface of claim 1 wherein the touch pad is located on a steering wheel.

5. The interface of claim 1 wherein the user focus is a cursor.

6. The interface of claim 1 wherein the user focus is a highlighted display region.

7. The interface of claim 1 wherein the display region is dynamically presented according to the output signal.

8. The interface of claim 3 wherein the display region represents features of the controllable device.

9. The interface of claim 8 wherein the features include selectable functions of the controllable device.

10. The interface of claim 9 further comprising:

a plurality of controllable devices; and

a plurality of display regions representative of the controllable devices.

11. The interface of claim 9 wherein the selectable functions are display sub-regions.

12. The interface of claim 11 wherein the software module generates a feedback signal if the user focus traverses a boundary of the display sub-regions.

13. The interface of claim 11 wherein the display dynamically adjusts size, position, or arrangement of the display regions and sub-regions in response to the output signal.

14. The interface of claim 11 wherein the display includes a primary window.

15. The interface of claim 14 wherein the primary window corresponds to a selected controllable device.

16. The interface of claim 14 further comprising at least one secondary window, wherein the at least one secondary window corresponds to an unselected controllable device.

17. A method for device control within a vehicle comprising:

generating an input signal at a touch pad in response to input from a user;

displaying at least one display region and a user focus on a visual output device;

receiving the input signal at a software module and communicating an output signal indicative of the input signal to the visual output device;

adjusting the display region and the user focus according to the output signal;

generating a feedback signal if the user focus traverses a boundary of the display region;

receiving the feedback signal at a feedback device integrated with the touch pad; and

providing tangible feedback to the user at the feedback device in response to the feedback signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating a command signal at the software module in response to the input signal; and

receiving the command signal at a controllable device.