Process for Controlling Functions in a Motor Vehicle Having Neighboring Operating Elements

• US 20110082603A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Niedermaier, Bernhard, Schusser, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96058 Fail-safe touch switches, where switching takes place only after repeated touch

Abstract

In the case of the process for controlling functions in a motor vehicle having neighboring operating elements, the functions in each case being activatable by the operation of a defined operating element assigned to each function, the functions assigned to two neighboring operating elements receive a different priority. The higher-priority function can be activated immediately if the operating element assigned to it is operated before or within a defined time period after the neighboring other operating element.

Claims

1. A process for controlling functions in a motor vehicle having neighboring operating elements, the functions in each case being activatable by operation of a defined operating element assigned to each function, the process comprising the acts of:

providing different priorities to functions respectively assigned to two neighboring operating elements; and

activating immediately a higher-priority function if its associated operating element is operated before a neighboring other operating element.

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

activating a lower-priority function only if the operating element associated with the higher-priority function is not operated within a predefined time period beginning from the operation of the operating element having assigned to it the lower-priority function.

3. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

ignoring the operation of the operating element with the lower-priority function if operation of said operating element occurs during the operation of the operating element having the higher-priority function.

4. The process according to claim 2, further comprising the act of:

ignoring the operation of the operating element with the lower-priority function if operation of said operating element occurs during the operation of the operating element having the higher-priority function.

5. A function control process of a device having different operating elements in close proximity to one another, the process comprising the acts of:

assigning a higher-priority function to one operating element;

assigning a lower-priority function to another operating element;

activating the higher-priority function immediately upon the one operating element receiving an operating input before said other operating element receives an operating input.

6. The process according to claim 5, further comprising the acts of:

activating the lower-priority function only if the one operating element does not receive an operating input within a predefined time period starting from receipt of an operating input by the other operating element.

7. The process according to claim 6, further comprising the acts of:

ignoring receipt of an operating input by the other operating element if said operating input occurs during activation of the higher-priority function.