METHOD AND ARRAY FOR PROVIDING A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE, IN PARTICULAR IN A VEHICLE

• US 20140331185A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Wittkmper, Michael, Mischke, Michael, Carls, Carl Aron, Joachim, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/184 Displaying the same information on different displays
• 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 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and an array for providing a user interface, in particular in a vehicle. In the method, at least one graphical object designated for interaction is depicted in a display area out of reach for the user. In a detection area that is spatially separated from the display area, a gesture of a user is captured and the graphical object interaction is selected. An interaction assigned to the gesture is carried out by the selected graphical object, wherein the position(s) of the selected graphical object during the interaction is/are out of reach for the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, in particular in a vehicle (1), the method comprising:

displaying at least one graphical object provided for interaction is in a display area outside the user'"'"'s reach;

detecting a user'"'"'s gesture in a detection space which is spatially separate from the display area;

selecting the graphical object for interaction; and

carrying out an interaction associated with the gesture using the selected graphical object,

wherein the position(s) adopted by the selected graphical object during interaction are outside the user'"'"'s reach.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a selection pointer in the display area;

extracting a relative movement (B) from the gesture;

changing the position of the selection pointer in the display area on the basis of the extracted relative movement (B) of the gesture; and

selecting the graphical object on the basis of the position of the selection pointer.

3. The method of claim 1, characterized in that further comprising:

determining a direction (Z) in space from the detected gesture;

calculating a point in the display area on the basis of the determined direction; and

visualizing the selection of the graphical object if the graphical object is in a predetermined area surrounding the calculated point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first phase of the gesture on a touch-sensitive surface in the user'"'"'s reach; and

contactlessly detecting a second phase of the gesture in space,

wherein the trajectories of the first and second phases of the gesture are associated with one another.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, in the first phase of the gesture, a contact zone on the basis of the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

selecting the object on the basis of the determined contact zone on the touch-sensitive surface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a surface at a distance from the display area in the reach of the driver of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the selected graphical object in the display area is changed on the basis of the relative movement (B) of the gesture.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display area comprises at least one first display surface and one second display surface which are spatially separate from one another, and as a result of the gesture, the selected graphical object is moved from the first display surface to the second display surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and/or second display surface is/are arranged on a device which is releasably connected to the vehicle, in particular a portable device.

10. An array for providing a user interface, in particular in a vehicle, the array comprising:

an interface for receiving graphical objects which are stored using data technology and are provided for interaction;

a display surface for displaying graphical objects provided for interaction in a display area;

a gesture detection device for detecting a user'"'"'s gestures in a detection space, the detection space being determined by the reach of the user restricted within a firmly predefined user area;

a control unit connected to the interface, to the display surface and to the gesture detection device and which is used to receive signals for selecting graphical objects (15A-15F) and which is used to control interactions with the selected graphical object which are associated with the gestures, wherein, the control unit controls, the graphical object provided for interaction to display, in a display area outside the user'"'"'s reach, the detection space that is spatially separate from the display area, and the interaction can be is carried out such that the at least one position adopted by the selected graphical object during interaction is/are outside the user'"'"'s reach.