Adaptive Soft Buttons for a Vehicle User Interface
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a vehicle interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a touch-screen display interface within a vehicle;
displaying at least one vehicle subsystem interface on said touch-screen display interface, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface corresponds to a particular vehicle subsystem, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of displayed information corresponding to said particular vehicle subsystem, and wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of a plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons corresponding to a plurality of controllable functions associated with said particular vehicle subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons corresponds to a touch-sensitive region on said touch-screen display interface;
monitoring at least one vehicle condition utilizing at least one vehicle condition sensor;
communicating an output from said at least one vehicle condition sensor to a system controller, wherein said system controller is coupled to said touch-screen display interface and provides configuration instructions to said touch-screen display interface;
configuring at least one of a set of touch properties corresponding to each touch-sensitive region of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons in response to said output from said at least one vehicle condition sensor, wherein said set of touch properties includes an area associated with each touch-sensitive region and a tap duration required to register input via each of said touch-sensitive regions; and
wherein said system controller periodically performs said configuring step during vehicle operation and as vehicle conditions change.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and a method are provided for configuring the touch-sensitive area and/or the tap duration associated with a plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons of a vehicle user interface in response to varying vehicle conditions. In particular, as a monitored vehicle condition deteriorates, the system controller coupled to the vehicle user interface expands the touch-sensitive region and/or increases the tap duration of the touch-sensitive soft buttons, thereby improving the user'"'"'s ability to successfully interact with the interface. Vehicle conditions that may be monitored and used to configure the touch-sensitive area and/or tap duration include passenger cabin vibration levels, vehicle speed, turn radius, lateral force levels, precipitation levels and external ambient temperature.
89 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a vehicle interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a touch-screen display interface within a vehicle; displaying at least one vehicle subsystem interface on said touch-screen display interface, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface corresponds to a particular vehicle subsystem, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of displayed information corresponding to said particular vehicle subsystem, and wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of a plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons corresponding to a plurality of controllable functions associated with said particular vehicle subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons corresponds to a touch-sensitive region on said touch-screen display interface; monitoring at least one vehicle condition utilizing at least one vehicle condition sensor; communicating an output from said at least one vehicle condition sensor to a system controller, wherein said system controller is coupled to said touch-screen display interface and provides configuration instructions to said touch-screen display interface; configuring at least one of a set of touch properties corresponding to each touch-sensitive region of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons in response to said output from said at least one vehicle condition sensor, wherein said set of touch properties includes an area associated with each touch-sensitive region and a tap duration required to register input via each of said touch-sensitive regions; and wherein said system controller periodically performs said configuring step during vehicle operation and as vehicle conditions change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vehicle user interface system, comprising:
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a touch-screen interface display mounted within a vehicle passenger compartment of a vehicle, said touch-screen interface display configured to display at least one vehicle subsystem interface, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface corresponds to a particular vehicle subsystem, wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of displayed information corresponding to said particular vehicle subsystem, and wherein said at least one vehicle subsystem interface is comprised of a plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons corresponding to a plurality of controllable functions associated with said particular vehicle subsystem, wherein associated with each of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons is a set of touch properties, wherein said set of touch properties comprises an area associated with each touch-sensitive region and a tap duration required to register input via each of said touch-sensitive regions; a system controller coupled to said touch-screen interface display, wherein said system controller configures said set of touch properties associated with each of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons, wherein said system controller periodically configures said set of touch properties during vehicle operation; and a vehicle condition monitor, said vehicle condition monitor periodically communicating at least one current vehicle condition to said system controller, wherein said system controller configures said set of touch properties associated with each of said plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons in response to said at least one current vehicle condition. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification