MULTI-TOUCH KEYLESS ENTRY PAD

• US 20160259439A1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: BUTTOLO, Pietro, RANKIN, James Stewart II, GHOSH, Dipanjan, STRUMOLO, Gary Steven, LOBO, Harry, RITTER, Kassandra, SMITH, Jessica, AZZOUZ, Michael M., SALTER, Stuart C.
• Application Number:
  US14/635,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1468 Touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1472 Multi-touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A vehicle includes an external keypad, having a touchpad. The keypad may be configured to identify an access code according to user input to the touchpad, the access code including one of (i) a numerical value indicating a count of simultaneously pressed keys of the touchpad, and (ii) a swipe pattern including a press, slide, and release from the touchpad; and send the access code to a controller to facilitate access to a vehicle unlock user interface. The controller may direct the keypad to display the vehicle unlock user interface on the keypad when the access code matches a predefined access code stored to the controller. The keypad may display a background logo when the keypad is available to receive user input and may display a vehicle unlock user interface on the touchpad when the access code is validated.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an external keypad, having a touchpad, configured to

identify an access code according to user input to the touchpad, the access code including one of (i) a numerical value indicating a count of simultaneously pressed keys of the touchpad, and (ii) a swipe pattern including a press, slide, and release from the touchpad; and

send the access code to a controller to facilitate access to a vehicle unlock user interface.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising the controller, configured to:

receive the access code from the keypad; and

direct the keypad to display the vehicle unlock user interface on the keypad when the access code matches a predefined access code stored to the controller.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the keypad is further configured to display the vehicle unlock user interface by illuminating a keypad backlight.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to direct the keypad to discontinue display of the vehicle unlock user interface upon receiving no user input to the keypad within a predetermined timeout period.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle unlock user interface includes a vehicle profile overlaid with a plurality of vehicle unlock features highlighted for selection.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle unlock features include at least two of unlock vehicle doors, release vehicle trunk latch, and unroll vehicle windows.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the keypad is further configured to display the numerical value.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the keypad is further configured to at least one of:

(i) increase the numerical value responsive to receiving an additional simultaneous finger press to the touchpad; and

(ii) decrease the numerical value responsive to receiving a removal of a simultaneous finger press to the touchpad without releasing all of the plurality of switches that are simultaneously pressed by the user.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the keypad is further configured to display the numerical value, as incremented or decremented, to update the user.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the keypad is further configured to display a background logo when receiving the access code.

11. A system comprising:

a vehicle keypad, having a touchpad, configured to

display a background logo when the keypad is available to receive user input;

identify an access code according to user input to the touchpad; and

display a vehicle unlock user interface on the touchpad when the access code is validated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the access code includes one of (i) a numerical value indicating a count of simultaneous presses to the touchpad, and (ii) a swipe pattern including a press, movement, and release from the touchpad.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a controller, configured to:

receive the access code from the keypad; and

direct the keypad to display the vehicle unlock user interface on the keypad when the access code matches a predefined access code stored to the controller.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle unlock user interface includes a vehicle profile overlaid with a plurality of vehicle unlock features highlighted for selection, and the vehicle unlock features include at least two of unlock vehicle doors, release vehicle trunk latch, and unroll vehicle windows.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

sending an access code, by an external keypad, to a vehicle controller to facilitate access to a vehicle unlock user interface, the access code including either a swipe pattern spanning at least two predefined regions of a touchpad on the external keypad, or a numerical value indicative of a number of simultaneously activated predefined regions of the touchpad.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller, the access code from the keypad; and

directing the keypad, by the controller, to display the vehicle unlock user interface on the keypad when the access code matches a predefined access code stored to the controller.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the vehicle unlock user interface by illuminating a keypad backlight.

18. The method of claim 15, farther comprising directing the keypad to discontinue display of the vehicle unlock user interface upon receiving no user input to the keypad within a predetermined timeout period.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle unlock user interface includes a vehicle profile overlaid with a plurality of vehicle unlock features highlighted for selection, and the vehicle unlock features include at least two of unlock vehicle doors, release vehicle trunk latch, and unroll vehicle windows.