VEHICLE SYSTEM COMPRISING AN ASSISTANCE FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20100286867A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Wu, Yongmei, Schulz, Stefan, Schwar, Gabriel, Lilienthal, Jörg, Rox, Karl, Bergholz, Ralf, Daginnus, Michael, Wäller, Christoph, Bendewald, Lennart, Bohnenberger, Thorsten, Lemke, Katja
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,622 B2
• 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 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver

Abstract

The vehicle system, controlled by control inputs, provides functionalities in the motor vehicle (1) and has an interface (9) for acquiring the control inputs and outputting data as well as a control device (5) for controlling the functionalities in accordance with the acquired control inputs. A storage medium (7) on which instructions explaining the functionalities and/or operation are stored is linked to the control device (5). The control device (5) is designed to retrieve instructions from the storage medium (7) and output the same as part of the instructions via the interface (9). The vehicle system (3, 3′) can be operated in an assistance mode in which the user inputs are interpreted and evaluated as control inputs for the functionalities while instructions explaining the respective activated functionality and/or other operational options are additionally output at the same time.

Claims

1. A vehicle system of a motor vehicle, which provides functionalities in the motor vehicle controlled by means of control inputs, comprising:

an interface for detecting the control inputs and out-putting information,

a control device for controlling the functionalities depending on the detected control inputs, and

a storage medium coupled to the control device on which storage medium explanation information is stored which explains the functionalities and/or the operation, wherein die control device is designed to retrieve from the storage medium and to output the explanation information as a part of the information via the interface, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an assistance mode in which the user inputs are considered and evaluated as control inputs for the functionalities and in addition explanation information is output simultaneously which explains at least one of the respective activated functionality and further operation possibilities.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an instruction mode in which by means of detected control inputs a desired functionality is selectable which the user wants at least one of to trigger and to operate, and after the selection of the desired functionality a change-over into the assistance mode occurs automatically, wherein only explanation information is output by the control device which instructs the user to trigger and/or to operate the desired functionality and/or explains the desired functionality.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a comparison module by means of which the control inputs in an assistance mode triggered by the instruction mode are compared to the intended control inputs for at least one of triggering and operating the desired functionality, and in case of at least one of a deviation and correlation a feedback is output to the user.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an operating mode in which control inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for operating the provided functionalities and no additional explanation information is output.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an explanation mode in which the control inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for retrieving explanation information.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system comprises a configuration unit by means of which one of the operating modes may be determined into which the vehicle system changes over following a start-up.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein at a first-time change-over into at least one of the instruction mode following a start-up, the assistance mode, and the explanation mode automatically explanation information is output which explains the outputting of explanation information and its control by means of the control inputs.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises operating elements for detecting the control inputs or is coupled to those.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises at least one output device or is coupled thereto.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface is coupled to a multi-function display and operating device.

11. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is integrated into a multi-function display and operating device.

12. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-function display and operating device comprises a display device comprising a programmable display surface.

13. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one output device comprises an audio system.

14. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the outputting of the explanation information in the assistance mode only is carried out by means of an audio system.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the interface and the further interface comprises several differently modal output devices or is coupled to differently modal output devices so that the explanation information may be output multimodal, or optically and acoustically.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the explanation information is designed to display an artificial animated person during the output of the explanation information.

17. A method for operating a vehicle system of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps

detecting or receiving control inputs,

evaluating the control inputs and controlling and providing the functionalities of the vehicle system according to the control inputs, and

operating the vehicle system in an assistance mode in which the control inputs are simultaneously evaluated for a provision of explanation information which explains at least one of the functionalities and a further operation of the vehicle system and according to the evaluation explanation information related to the at least one of provided functionalities and further or current operating possibilities are retrieved from a storage medium and output to the user or several users.

18. The method of according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an instruction mode in which by means of detected control inputs a desired functionality is selected which the user wants at least one of to trigger and to operate, and following the selection of the desired functionality a change-over into the assistance mode occurs automatically, wherein, by means of the control device, only explanation information is output which instructs the user to trigger and/or to operate the desired functionality and/or to explain this desired functionality.

19. The vehicle system according to claim 17, wherein in the assistance mode triggered by the instruction mode the control inputs are compared to intended control inputs for at least one of triggering and operating the desired functionality, and in the case of at least one of a deviation and a correlation a feedback is output to the user.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an operating mode in which user inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs and no additional explanation information is output.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an explanation mode in which the user inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for retrieving explanation information.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein at a first-time change-over into at least one of the instruction mode following a start-up, and the assistance mode, and the explanation mode explanation information is output automatically which explains the outputting of explanation information and its control by means of the control inputs.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein control inputs are detected by means of which one of the operating modes is determined into which the vehicle system changes over following a start-up.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the explanation information is output using an animated artificial person.