Operator-sensed feedback vehicle component operating control

• US 5,305,014 A
• Filed: 07/23/1993
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Seidenfaden, Gerd, Mutschler, Jurgen, Seeger, Wilhelm, Tomforde, Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au, A.
• Application Number:
  US08/095,999
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/104, 345/146, 345/184, 345/156, 340/461, 340/971, 340/973, 340/900, 340/995, 180/333, 116/281, 116/283, 116/321, 116/323, 116/324, 116/297, 116/42, 116/44, 358/194.1, 341/23, 379/110, 178/18
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

An arrangement of operating controls of vehicle components has functions to be adjusted for the switched-on vehicle components represented on a display. These functions are rendered visible by a viewing window. In the immediate spatial vicinity of these viewing windows, operating parts are mounted. The operating of these parts switches the function to be adjusted and is indicated through the associated viewing window.

Claims

1. A control arrangement, comprising a display, a plurality of operating controls, each having an associated operating part and being operatively arranged at peripheral portions of the display such that a selected vehicle components from among a group of vehicle components is switched on by operating the one of the operating parts, whereupon the selected vehicle component switched on produces a symbolic representation on the display, the symbolic representation containing functions to be adjusted for the vehicle component switched on and supplying information on current adjustment, and additional functions to be adjusted for other vehicle components each being represented at separate locations of the display such that the additional functions to be adjusted for the other vehicle components are each represented by additional symbolic representations at the separate locations on the display and have a defined association with a respective one of the other operating parts, wherein the operating controls are each mounted at a location on the display at which the additional symbolic representations of each of the additional functions to be adjusted is produced on the display, each operating part having an associated viewing window surrounding the symbolic representation for a respective one of the functions, such that when a selected one of the operating parts is operated, a feedback for the response of a switch of the respective function to be adjusted is sensed by an operator, and the respective function to be adjusted by the associated operating part and symbolically represented on the display is visible through the associated viewing window to minimize the amount of the area of the display covered by the at least one operating control.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the controls are arranged at both an upper edge and at a lower edge of the display, and sliders for analog adjustment of the functions of the vehicle components are provided at a right-hand edge and at a left-hand edge of the display, the sliders having viewing windows through which a symbolic representation of the current adjustment of the corresponding function of the vehicle component is visible on the display.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the operating parts are adjacent an outer edge of the display, and the viewing window associated with each of the operating parts is mounted over a front face of the display.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each operating part is an electrical switch.

5. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein each operating part is an electrical switch.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating part acts on a touch panel.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein each operating part represents an outer edge of the display and the respective viewing window associated with each of the operating parts is mounted over the display.

8. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the operating controls and the sliders protrudes over an edge of the display, and at least one of the viewing windows and the sliders is offset so as to be located above the corresponding locations of the display at which the symbolic representation of the function to be adjusted becomes visible.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the operating parts act on a touch panel associated with the display.