Device for controlling a display

• US 6,816,079 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Herrler, Michael, Kuenzner, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/070,930
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.6, 345/352, 345/146, 345/184, 345/353, 345/354, 345/902, 345/326, 345/700, 701/29, 701/33, 700/83, 700/17
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• 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 35/22 Display screens

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling a display. Said device has an actuating member which can be rotated about a longitudinal axis and can be moved in the direction of said longitudinal axis whereby a point can be selected from a menu, partial menus, functional and/or functional value comprising menu structures and is represented on said screen in an optically high-lighted field. Said actuating member has an initial position and relative to said initial position can undergo an additional movement and has two additional degrees of freedom. During such additional movement of actuating member, a field is selectable from a point in the menu structure which is in a peripheral area of said screen and can, by virtue of the rotational/translational movement of the actuating member, be selected from said screen in a middle region surrounded by an edge located in a sub-field within said menu structure assigned to said field.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a rotatable operating element operatively coupled with the video screen display;

a plurality of markings provided on the video screen display, said plurality of markings representing menus and/or functions to be selected, wherein any one of said markings is visually highlighted in correspondence with rotational positions of the rotatable operating element; and

wherein each of the plurality of markings, when visually highlighted, is located in a predetermined position on the video screen display, which predetermined position is the same for every one of the plurality of markings.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of markings assigned to respective positions of the rotatable operating element are arranged in one of a circular or oval structure on the video screen display, and wherein the markings that are not visually highlighted are also visible to a user.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the rotatable operating element is operatively coupled with the video screen display such that during rotating movement of the operating element, the plurality of markings also perform a rotating movement on the video screen display.

4. A system for controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a rotatable operating element operatively coupled with the video screen display;

a plurality of markings provided on the video screen display, said plurality of markings representing menus and/or functions to be selected, wherein any one of said markings is visually highlighted in correspondence with rotational positions of the rotatable operating element;

wherein each visually highlighted marking is always arranged in a same position on the video screen display; and

wherein by operating the rotatable operating element to perform an enter function, a menu and/or function assigned to the visually highlighted marking is triggerable such that the menu and/or function visually moves into a background of the video screen display.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the menu/function moving visually into the background forms one of a circular and oval structure.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the structure of the markings moving visually into the background is arranged within the structure of the markings visually in a foreground.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein submenus and/or subfunctions assigned to the visually highlighted marking that is triggered visually replace the triggered marking.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein submenus and/or subfunctions assigned to the visually highlighted marking that is triggered visually replace the triggered marking.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein submenus and/or subfunctions assigned to the visually highlighted marking that is triggered visually replace the triggered marking.

10. A system for controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a rotatable operating element operatively coupled with the video screen display;

a plurality of markings provided on the video screen display, said plurality of markings representing menus and/or functions to be selected, wherein any one of said markings is visually highlighted in correspondence with rotational positions of the rotatable operating element;

wherein each visually highlighted marking is always arranged in a same position on the video screen display;

wherein the plurality of markings assigned to respective positions of the rotatable operating element are arranged in one of a circular or oval structure on the video screen display, and wherein the markings that are not visually highlighted are also visible to a user; and

wherein by operating the rotatable operating element to perform an enter function, a menu and/or function assigned to the visually highlighted marking is triggerable such that the menu and/or function visually moves into a background of the video screen display.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the menu/function moving visually into the background forms one of a circular and oval structure of a smaller diameter.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the structure of the markings moving visually into the background is arranged within the structure of the markings visually in a foreground.

13. A system for controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a rotatable operating element operatively coupled with the video screen display;

a plurality of markings provided on the video screen display, said plurality of markings representing menus and/or functions to be selected, wherein any one of said markings is visually highlighted in correspondence with rotational positions of the rotatable operating element;

wherein each visually highlighted marking is always arranged in a same position on the video screen display;

wherein the plurality of markings assigned to respective positions of the rotatable operating element are arranged in one of a circular or oval structure on the video screen display, and wherein the markings that are not visually highlighted are also visible to a user;

wherein the rotatable operating element is operatively coupled with the video screen display such that during rotating movement of the operating element, the plurality of markings also perform a rotating movement on the video screen display; and

wherein by operating the rotatable operating element to perform an enter function, a menu and/or function assigned to the visually highlighted marking is triggerable such that the menu and/or function visually moves into a background of the video screen display.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the menu/function moving visually into the background forms one of a circular and oval structure.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the structure of the markings moving visually into the background is arranged within the structure of the markings visually in a foreground.

16. A method of controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle operatively coupled with a rotatable operating element for selecting menus and/or functions available to the motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

visually highlighting a marking corresponding to a rotational position of the operating element on the video screen display; and

always arranging each respective visually highlighted marking in a predetermined position on the video screen display, which predetermined position is the same for every one of the plurality of markings.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the acts of:

assigning a plurality of markings to positions of the rotatable operating element;

forming a circular or oval structure on the video screen display with the plurality of markings; and

maintaining visibility of those plurality of markings that are not visually highlighted.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the act of rotating the plurality of markings on the video screen display in correspondence with a rotating movement of the rotatable operating element.

19. A method of controlling a video screen display of a motor vehicle operatively coupled with a rotatable operating element for selecting menus and/or functions available to the motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

visually highlighting a marking corresponding to a rotational position of the operating element on the video screen display;

always arranging each respective visually highlighted marking in a same position on the video screen display,

assigning a plurality of markings to positions of the rotatable operating element;

forming a circular or oval structure on the video screen display with the plurality of markings; and

maintaining visibility of those plurality of markings that are not visually highlighted; and

triggering a menu and/or function assigned to the visually highlighted marking by performing an enter function of the rotatable operating element; and

during the triggering operation, moving the markings visually into a background position of the video screen display.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the act of forming a circular or oval structure with the markings moved visually into the background, the circular or oval structure having a smaller diameter than the circular or oval structure previously held by the markings.