User Configurable Vehicle User Interface

• US 20110082615A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Finn, Brian, Adams, Dan, Small, Evan
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• 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 35/654 the user being the driver
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method for configuring and personalizing a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch screen display mounted within the vehicle. User configurable aspects of the user interface include the number of zones within the touch screen display, the size of each zone, the subsystem interface assigned to each zone, the style and information contained within each subsystem interface, display brightness levels for the overall display or per zone, and the assignment and location of persistent soft buttons.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a vehicle interface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a touch screen mounted within a vehicle;

inputting user configuration instructions into a system controller via said touch screen;

dividing said touch screen into a plurality of zones based on said set of user configuration instructions;

selecting at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces from a plurality of vehicle subsystem interfaces, wherein said vehicle subsystem interface selecting step is performed via said touch screen;

selecting zone positions from said plurality of zones for each of said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces, wherein said zone position selecting step is performed via said touch screen; and

displaying said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces in said selected zone positions, wherein said displaying step is performed by said system controller in response to said vehicle subsystem interface selecting step and in response to said zone position selecting step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces from a plurality of vehicle subsystem interfaces further comprises the step of selecting said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces from a plurality of vehicle subsystem interfaces consisting of a climate control interface, an audio control interface, a mobile/cell phone interface, a navigation control interface, a drive train monitoring interface, a battery charging control interface, a vehicle set-up interface, and a web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of switching zone positions for each of said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces, wherein said zone position switching step is performed via said touch screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said zone position switching step further comprises the step of using a touch-and-drag motion on said touch screen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a boundary corresponding to a particular zone of said plurality of zones, wherein said boundary selecting step further comprises the step of touching said boundary on said touch screen; and

re-sizing said particular zone of said plurality of zones, wherein said re-sizing step further comprises the step of dragging said boundary to a new boundary location via said touch screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said new boundary location snaps to one of a plurality of preset boundary locations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of positioning a plurality of persistent soft buttons on said touch screen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a specific vehicle subsystem interface from said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces displayed in said selected zone positions; and

modifying said specific vehicle subsystem interface via said touch screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said modifying step further comprises the step of adding and/or deleting icons, monitored information, and/or control soft buttons from said specific vehicle subsystem interface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said modifying step further comprises the step of modifying a data presentation style associated with said specific vehicle subsystem interface.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said modifying step further comprises the step of selecting a data presentation style to be associated with said specific vehicle subsystem interface, wherein said data presentation style is selected from a plurality of preset data presentation styles, and wherein said step of selecting said data presentation style is performed via said touch screen.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

modifying a data presentation style associated with a specific vehicle subsystem interface of said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces displayed in said selected zone positions, wherein said modifying step is performed remotely on a remotely located computer;

downloading said modified data presentation style to said system controller via a communication link coupled to said controller; and

selecting said modified data presentation style for said specific vehicle subsystem interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

modifying said user configuration instructions remotely on a remotely located computer; and

downloading said user configuration instructions to said system controller via a communication link coupled to said controller.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining ambient light conditions, wherein ambient light conditions are detected by a light sensor coupled to said system controller, and wherein said displaying step further comprises displaying said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces in said selected zone positions at a first display brightness level during daytime use, and displaying said at least two vehicle subsystem interfaces in said selected zone positions at a second display brightness level during nighttime use.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of setting said first and second display brightness levels in said user configuration instructions.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining ambient light conditions, wherein ambient light conditions are detected by a light sensor coupled to said system controller, and wherein said displaying step further comprises the step of selecting a display brightness level from a plurality of display brightness levels based on said ambient light conditions.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of setting said display plurality of brightness levels in said user configuration instructions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring screen use, wherein said monitoring step is performed by said system controller;

setting an operational mode for said touch screen based on said monitored screen use, wherein said operational mode is selected from a normal use mode and a sleep mode, and wherein said operational mode setting step further comprises the step of automatically switching from said normal use mode to said sleep mode after a preset period of time with no monitored screen use; and

setting a display brightness level based on whether said touch screen is in said normal use mode or in said sleep mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of setting said display brightness level further comprises the step of setting said display brightness level to a first level when said touch screen is in said normal use mode and to a second level when said touch screen is in said sleep mode, and further comprising the step of setting said first and second levels in said user configuration instructions.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of setting said preset period of time in said user configuration instructions.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring screen use independently within each zone of said plurality of zones, wherein said monitoring step is performed by said system controller;

setting an operational mode for each zone of said plurality of zones based on said monitored screen use for the corresponding zone of said plurality of zones, wherein said operational mode is selected from a normal use mode and a sleep mode; and

setting a display zone brightness level for each zone of said plurality of zones based on whether said zone is in said normal use mode or in said sleep mode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of setting said display zone brightness level for each zone of said plurality of zones further comprises the step of setting said display zone brightness level for each zone of said plurality of zones to a first level when said corresponding zone is in said normal use mode and to a second level when said corresponding zone is in said sleep mode, and further comprising the step of setting said first and second levels in said user configuration instructions.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of setting said display zone brightness level for each zone of said plurality of zones further comprises the step of setting said display zone brightness level for each zone of said plurality of zones to a corresponding zone brightness level based on whether said zone is in said normal use mode or in said sleep mode and based on a set of zone brightness level instructions set within said user configuration instructions.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of automatically switching said operational mode for each zone of said plurality of zones from said normal use mode to said sleep mode after a preset period of time with no monitored screen use within the corresponding zone of said plurality of zones, and further comprising the step of setting said preset period of time in said user configuration instructions.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording said user configuration instructions in a memory coupled to said system controller; and

assigning a reference designator to each set of user configuration instructions recorded in said memory.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said reference designator is provided in said user configuration instructions.