INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE

• US 20180370364A1
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Published: 12/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: VASSILY, Kuznetsov, OH, Hyojung, PARK, Minjae
• Granted Patent: US 10,434,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• 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 35/25 using haptic output
• 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: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 Determination of steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

The present invention relates to an input/output device provided in a vehicle, the device including a plurality of sticks arranged in columns in a first direction and rows in a second direction, a driving unit configured to move at least one of the sticks in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and a processor configured to control the driving unit such that the sticks have the same height or different heights from a reference plane defined by the first and second directions, wherein the processor controls the driving unit so that one or more buttons defined by a height difference of the sticks are formed, based on a driving state of the vehicle, and wherein the one or more buttons are varied according to the driving state of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An input/output device for a vehicle, the device comprising:

a plurality of sticks arranged on a reference plane, the plurality of sticks having respective vertical offsets from the reference plane;

a driving unit configured to actuate at least one of the plurality of sticks in a vertical direction away from the reference plane to control the vertical offset of the at least one of the plurality of sticks;

at least one processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

determining a driving state of the vehicle;

based on the determined driving state, determining one or more buttons to form using the plurality of sticks; and

instructing the driving unit to form the one or more buttons by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining whether the vehicle is stationary or moving;

based on a determination that the vehicle is stationary, determining the one or more buttons to be one or more buttons of a first group; and

based on a determination that the vehicle is moving, determining the one or more buttons to be one or more buttons of a second group different from the first group.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining whether the vehicle is in a manual driving mode or an autonomous driving mode;

based on a determination that the vehicle is in the manual driving mode, determining the one or more buttons to be one or more buttons of a manual mode group; and

based on a determination that the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, determining the one or more buttons to be one or more buttons of an autonomous mode group.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a speed of the vehicle; and

modifying at least one of a height, a size, or a position of the one or more buttons based on the determined speed of the vehicle.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a driver of the vehicle; and

modifying at least one of a height, a size, or a position of the one or more buttons based on the determined driver of the vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal or a server, wherein the operations comprise:

obtaining data from the communication unit; and

modifying at least one of a height, a size, or a position of the one or more buttons based on the obtained data.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a position of an object placed on the plurality of sticks;

determining a retaining shape to form using the plurality of sticks, the retaining shape configured to constrain a lateral movement of the object;

based on the determined position of the object, modifying at least one of a position or a size of the one or more buttons; and

instructing the driving unit to form the retaining shape by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal, wherein the object is a mobile terminal, and wherein the operations comprise:

establishing, through the communication unit, a connection with the mobile terminal;

receiving a mobile terminal event from the mobile terminal;

determining one or more event buttons corresponding to the received mobile terminal event; and

instructing the driving unit to form the one or more event buttons by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal, wherein the object is a mobile terminal, and wherein the operations comprise:

establishing, through the communication unit, a connection with the mobile terminal;

receiving a vehicle home screen from the mobile terminal, the vehicle home screen comprising one or more objects to form using the plurality of sticks, the one or more objects being associated with control functions executable in the vehicle; and

instructing the driving unit to form the vehicle home screen by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a steering angle or an acceleration of the vehicle; and

modifying a height of the retaining shape configured to constrain the lateral movement of the object based on the determined steering angle or acceleration of the vehicle.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more buttons are a plurality of buttons having respective heights, and wherein the operations comprise:

determining respective priorities of the plurality of buttons; and

setting the respective heights of the plurality of buttons based on the determined respective priorities.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the determining the respective priorities of the plurality of buttons comprises:

determining a frequency of use of each of the plurality of buttons; and

setting the respective heights of the plurality of buttons based on the determined frequency of use of each of the plurality of buttons.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sticks comprises a plurality of displays provided on a surface of each of the plurality of sticks, and wherein the operations comprise:

determining one or more images corresponding to the one or more buttons; and

instructing the plurality of displays to output the one or more images.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the operations comprise:

setting an on-off state of each of the plurality of displays based on the respective vertical offsets of the plurality of sticks.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructing the driving unit to form the one or more buttons by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction comprises:

actuating the plurality of sticks to have a first vertical offset and a second vertical offset different from the first vertical offset, wherein the first vertical offset is associated with the one or more buttons and the second vertical offset is associated with a background for the one or more buttons.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more buttons are configured to be pressed in response to an application of an external force, and wherein the operations comprise:

determining that one of the one or more buttons is pressed; and

based on the determination that one of the one or more buttons is pressed, generating a vehicle control signal corresponding to the pressed button.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise:

based on the determination that one of the one or more buttons is pressed, instructing the driving unit to remove the one or more buttons and form one or more new buttons.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more buttons are configured to tilt about respective predetermined axes in response to an application of an external force, and wherein the operations comprise:

determining that one of the one or more buttons is tilted about the respective predetermined axis; and

based on the determination that one of the one or more buttons is tilted about the respective predetermined axis, generating a vehicle control signal corresponding to a tilt direction of the tilted button.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

obtaining location information of an object around the vehicle;

based on the location information of the object, determining that (i) the vehicle is in a parking mode and the object is located within a predetermined range of the vehicle, or (ii) the object has a collision potential higher than a reference value; and

based on the determination that (i) the vehicle is in the parking mode and the object is located within a predetermined range of the vehicle, or (ii) the object has a collision potential higher than the reference value, instructing the driving unit to form a warning object corresponding to the object by actuating the plurality of sticks in the vertical direction.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the operations comprise:

updating a position of the warning object in response to a movement of the vehicle.