Method and Apparatus for Providing a User Interface, Particularly in a Vehicle

• US 20120266108A1
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Lien, Annie, Laubinger, Lorenz
• Granted Patent: US 9,341,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus (2) for providing a user interface, particularly in a vehicle (1), in which a structured volume of data is stored which relates to the scope of functions of at least one function.

Claims

1. Method for providing a user interface, particularly in a vehicle, in which a structured volume of data is stored which relates to the scope of functions of at least one function, in which:

at least two hierarchically related subsets of the structured volume of data are predetermined, wherein a hierarchically higher subset of the structured volume of data comprises a hierarchically lower subset of the structured volume of data entirely,

at least two hierarchically related modes of operation are predetermined which each produce and at least partially display a user menu with controllable graphic objects on the basis of a predetermined subset of the structured volume of data, wherein a hierarchically higher mode of operation is based on a hierarchically higher subset of the structured volume of data,

a control command is captured, and

the control command is taken as a basis for selecting a mode of operation.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the subsets of the structured volume of data are predetermined such that further menu items from the same menu level are produced and displayed in the hierarchically higher mode of operation in comparison with a hierarchically lower mode of operation.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

when the user interface is switched on, the control command is produced automatically and

the most recently used mode of operation or the hierarchically lowest mode of operation is selected.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the mode of operation is selected automatically after a predefined time interval has elapsed.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the representation of the user menu in a hierarchically lower mode of operation is visually simplified in comparison with the representation of the user menu in a hierarchically higher mode of operation.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined subsets of the structured volume of data, on the basis of which the user menus for the hierarchic modes of operation are determined, can be reconfigured in at least one mode of operation by a user input.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

during the operation of the user interface, event data for changing between two modes of operation and/or event data for reconfiguring the user menu of at least one mode of operation are captured,

the event data are evaluated, and

the user menu of at least one hierarchic mode of operation is automatically reconfigured by altering the associated subset of the structured volume of data.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the subset of the structured volume of data is altered, so that a further menu level or a menu item from the same menu level is transferred from a hierarchically higher mode of operation to a hierarchically lower mode of operation when said menu level or said menu item has been taken into account after the change to a hierarchically higher mode of operation or when a mode of operation is reconfigured.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the user interface comprises a user menu for at least one system or a device in the following systems or devices

driver assistance systems

infotainment devices

communication devices

convenience systems in the vehicle.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined subsets of the structured volume of data, on the basis of which the user menus of the hierarchic modes of operation are determined, can be reconfigured in at least one mode of operation by a user input.

22. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the subsets of the structured volumes of data are predetermined such that a further menu level is produced and displayed in the hierarchically higher mode of operation in comparison with a hierarchically low mode of operation.

10. Apparatus for providing a user interface, particularly in a vehicle, having

a memory unit for storing a structured volume of data which relate to the scope of functions of at least one function,

a display panel for presenting graphical objects from a user menu, and

a control apparatus which is connected to the memory unit and to the display panel and by means of which a control command can be captured,

wherein

the structured volume of data is stored in at least two hierarchically related subsets in the memory unit, wherein a hierarchically higher subset of the structured volume of data comprises a hierarchically lower subset of the structured volume of data entirely,

the user interface can be operated by means of the control apparatus in at least two hierarchically related modes of operation which each produce and at least partially display on the display panel controllable graphical objects from the user menu on the basis of a stored subset of the structured volume of data, wherein a hierarchically higher mode of operation is based on a hierarchically higher subset of the structured volume of data, and

the control apparatus can be used to select a mode of operation on the basis of a captured control command.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the subsets of the structured volumes of data are predetermined such that further menu items from the same menu level are produced and displayed in the hierarchically higher mode of operation in comparison with a hierarchically lower mode of operation.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the subsets of the structured volumes of data are predetermined such that a further menu level is produced and displayed in the hierarchically higher mode of operation in comparison with a hierarchically lower mode of operation.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that when the user interface is switched on, the control command is produced automatically and the most recently used mode of operation or the hierarchically lowest mode of operation is selected.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the mode of operation is selected automatically after a predefined time interval has elapsed.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the representation of the user menu in a hierarchically lower mode of operation is visually simplified in comparison with the representation of the user menu in a hierarchically higher mode of operation.

17. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that during the operation of the user interface, event data for changing between two modes of operation are captured, the event data are evaluated and the user menu of at least one hierarchic mode of operation is automatically reconfigured by altering the associated subset of the structured volumes of data.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the subset of the structured volume of data is altered, so that a further menu level or a menu item from the same menu level is transferred from a hierarchically higher mode of operation to a hierarchically lower mode of operation when said menu level or said menu item has been taken into account after the change in a hierarchically higher mode of operation or when a mode of operation is reconfigured.

19. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that during the operation of the user interface, event data for reconfiguring the user menu of at least one mode of operation are captured, the event data are evaluated and the user menu of at least one hierarchic mode of operation is automatically reconfigured by altering the associated subset of the structured volume of data.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the subset of the structured volume of data is altered, so that a further menu level or a menu item from the same menu level is transferred from a hierarchically higher mode of operation to a hierarchically lower mode of operation when said menu level or said menu item has been taken into account after the change in a hierarchically higher mode of operation or when a mode of operation is reconfigured.

21. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the user interface comprises a user menu for at least one system or a device in the following system or devices:

driver assistance system

infotainment devices

communication devices

convenience systems in the vehicle.