Multi-functional touchpad controller for automobile

• US 20070185631A1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yeh, I-Hau, Yang, Tso-Chieh
• Application Number:
  US11/448,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• 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: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures

Abstract

A touchpad has a smart man-machine interface. Through a computer system in an automobile, the smart man-machine interface controls systems and multimedia equipments in the automobile, such as an air conditioner and an audio/video player. The interface provides several control modes, such as to control with a keypad, with a writing pad or with a mouse. And the computer system can be connected with a few sets of the touchpad and a display through wire lines or wireless connections.

Claims

1. A multi-functional touchpad controller for an automobile, comprising:

a touchpad module, said touchpad module being an input device for an automobile computer, a positioning navigator, and a multimedia and communication system;

an automobile audio/video module, said automobile audio/video module processing audio/video signals;

a first automobile display module, said first automobile display module displaying image, navigation map and information from said automobile computer;

a remote control module, said remote control module having a wireless output unit to control said touchpad controller remotely;

a response module, said response module showing a response through a signal selected from a group consisting of a sound signal, an optical signal and an image signal; and

a central controlling module, said central controlling module having a wireless unit to receive signals from a device selected from a group consisting of said touchpad module and said remote control module, said central controlling module transferring transformed signals to said first automobile display module and said automobile audio/video module.

2. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said central controlling module further comprises an automobile computer unit, a automobile navigation unit, and a multimedia and communication unit;

and

wherein said automobile computer unit sets up in-car systems in said automobile.

3. The touchpad controller according to claim 2,

where in said in-car system includes at least a device selected from a group consisting of a window system, an air conditioner system, a door-lock system, an anti-theft system, a lamp system and a wiper system.

4. The touch pad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said central controlling module further comprises a card reader, an input/output (I/O) module and a microphone jack.

5. The touch pad controller according to claim 4,

wherein said card reader reads a card selected from a group consisting of an secure digital (SD) card, a multimedia card (MMC) and an reduced size multimedia card (RS-MMC).

6. The touch pad controller according to claim 4,

wherein said I/O module has an I/O interface selected from a group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a high-speed serial bus (1394) interface and a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

7. The touch pad controller according to claim 4,

wherein said I/O module is connected with a device having an I/O interface and

wherein said I/O interface is selected from a group consisting of a USB interface, a 1394 interface and an HDMI interface.

8. The touchpad controller according to claim 7,

wherein said device is selected from a group consisting of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a multimedia player and a smart phone.

9. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

where in said first automobile display module is a flat panel display (FPD).

10. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said touchpad module is operated under a mode selected from a group consisting of a keypad mode, a writing-pad mode and a mouse mode.

11. The touch pad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said remote control module is operated under an input mode selected from a group consisting of a keypad mode, a writing-pad mode and a mouse mode.

12. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said central controlling module further comprises at least a second automobile display module, a second remote control module and a second touchpad module.

13. The touchpad controller according to claim 12,

wherein said second automobile display module is connected with said central controlling module through a wireless transmission protocol selected from a group consisting of IrDA (Infrared Data Association) protocol and blue tooth protocol.

14. The touchpad controller according to claim 12,

wherein said second automobile display module is set at a back of a front seat in a car.

15. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless unit receives signals transmitted from said wireless output unit of said remote control module.

17. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless unit receives signals selected from a group consisting of AM/FM radio signals and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) signals.

18. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless unit receives signals selected from a group consisting of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) signals and Digital Audio Broadcast (DMB) signals.

19. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless unit transmits and receives signals selected from a group consisting of wireless networking signals and mobile communication signals.

20. The touchpad controller according to claim 1,

wherein said first automobile display module displays information including at least data selected from a travel mileage, a time, a vehicle condition, a traffic condition, a fuel consumption, an estimated time of arrival, an in-car temperature and an in-car humidity.

16. The touchpad controller according to cIaim 15,

wherein said wireless output unit transmits signals through a wireless connection selected from a group consisting of an IrDA connection, a blue tooth connection, a wireless personal area networking (Zigbee) and a radio connection.