Touch display type information input system

• US 5,877,751 A
• Filed: 08/12/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Asano, Hitoshi, Suzuki, Yukiyoshi, Maekawa, Kazuteru, Morimoto, Kyomi, Kanemitsu, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/909,765
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/178, 340/438, 340/932.2, 364/424.034
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• 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: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A reaction area in a display can be enlarged from one directly above a switch display in the operator'"'"'s eyesight direction. Specifically, the operator'"'"'s position is determined from the driver'"'"'s position or the like, and when the display is looked at to the right and upward, for instance, the reaction area is enlarged to the right and downward of a switch on the front side in the eyesight direction. Thus, operability can be improved in both cases when the display is looked at obliquely and diretly from the front.

Claims

1. A display touch type input system for inputting information by detecting touching of a switch part of a display, comprising:

a display means for displaying a switch image in a switch display area;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having a number of reaction points, the touching of the reaction points by the operator being detected; and

switch operation detecting means for setting a reaction area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of the reaction area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means;

the switch operation detecting means being configured to enlarge the reaction area in a direction towards the operator based on a distance between adjacent switches.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the switch operation detecting means includes a computer unit for performing arithmetic operations and detecting the touching of a switch from an instruction of the display of the switch on the display means and the result of detection the touching of the touch panel.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein:

the computer unit compares a reaction area corresponding to a switch display area and a touched reaction point and judges the switch that has been touched by enlarging the reaction area when it is found as the result of comparison that a meaningless reaction point outside the reaction area has been touched.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display means is mounted in a vehicle including a driver'"'"'s seat and the reaction area is enlarged toward the driver'"'"'s seat.

5. A display touch type input system for a vehicle, said system being mounted in the vehicle and detecting information by detecting the touching of a switch part of a display, comprising:

a display means for displaying images of a normal switch operable at all times and a parking time operable switch, the operation of which is prohibited during running of the vehicle, in respective switch display areas;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having a number of reaction points, the touching of the reaction points by the operator being detected;

switch operation detecting means for setting an area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of the area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means, the touching of the switch being detected from the result of detection of the touching of the touch panel; and

running condition detecting means for detecting vehicle running conditions;

the switch operation detecting means enlarging the reaction area corresponding to the normally operable switch toward the parking time operable switch in the running state of the vehicle when the parking time operable switch is displayed adjacent to the normally operable switch.

6. A display touch type input system for a vehicle, said system being mounted in the vehicle and inputting information by detecting the touching of a switch part of a display, comprising:

a display means for displaying images of a normally operable switch and a parking time operable switch, the operation of which is prohibited during running of the vehicle, in respective switch display areas;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having a number of reaction points, the touching of the reaction points by the operator being detected;

switch operation detecting means for setting an area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of said area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means, the touching of the switch being detected from the result of detection of the touching of the touch panel; and

running condition detecting means for detecting vehicle running conditions;

the switch operation detecting means setting reaction points in an area including a switch display area and enlarged in the operator'"'"'s eyesight direction to be a reaction area of reaction points, the touching of which is judged to be the touching of the displayed switch, and enlarges a reaction area corresponding to a normally operable switch normally operable during running of the vehicle toward a parking time operable switch when the parking time operable switch is displayed adjacent to the normally operable switch.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein:

the switch operation detecting means includes a computer for performing arithmetic operations and detects the touching of a switch from an instruction of display of a switch on the display means and the result of detection of the touching of the touch panel.

8. A display touch type input system for inputting information by detecting touching of a switch part of a display, comprising:

a display means for displaying a switch image in a switch display area;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having a number of reaction points, the touching of the reaction points by the operator being detected; and

switch operation detecting means for setting a reaction area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of the reaction area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means;

the switch operation detecting means being configured to enlarge the reaction area only in a direction towards the operator,

wherein the switch operation detection means is configured to enlarge the reaction area before the touch panel is touched by the operator.

9. A display touch type input system, comprising:

a display means for displaying a switch image in a switch display area;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having meaningful and meaningless reaction points, the touching of the meaningful and meaningless reaction points by the operator being detected; and

switch operation detecting means for setting a reaction area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of the reaction area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means,

wherein the switch operation detecting means forms an enlarged reaction area by enlarging the reaction area in response to the touching of meaningless reaction points.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the enlarged reaction area extends beyond the switch display area on only two sides.

11. A display touch type input system, comprising:

a display means for displaying a switch image in a switch display area;

a touch panel provided above the display means and having a plurality of reaction points, the touching of the reaction points by the operator being detected; and

switch operation detecting means for setting a reaction area covering certain ones of the reaction points, the touching of the reaction area being judged to be the touching of a corresponding switch displayed on the display means,

wherein the switch operation detecting means forms an enlarged reaction area by enlarging the reaction area based on the position of the operator relative to the display means.

12. The display touch type input system of claim 11, wherein the display means in mounted in a vehicle.