Vehicular window adjustment by means of a haptic-enabled rotary control knob

• US 8,786,417 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kettering University
• Original Assignee: Kettering University
• Inventors: Holmen, John, Zadeh, Mehrdad H., Thompson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Application Number:
  US13/177,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20130009757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 340/425.5, 345/173, 345/184, 700/17, 700/83, 701/1, 701/36, 702/94, 702/150, 715/701, 715/702, 715/771, 715/772
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• 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

Abstract

A haptic assembly configured to control a plurality of windows on a vehicle. The assembly includes a haptic device configured to provide haptic feedback to a user when switching between the plurality of windows, and when moving a selected window of the plurality of windows between an open position and a closed position. The assembly can also include a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display icons that represent each of the plurality of windows, and display a position of the selected window, wherein either the haptic device or the GUI can be used to switch between each of the plurality of windows to be controlled.

Claims

1. An assembly configured to control a plurality of

windows on a vehicle, comprising:

a rotary knob configured to provide haptic feedback to a user and control each of the plurality of windows, the rotary knob being operable to allow the user to;

selectively switch between the plurality of windows by providing one or more first haptic feedbacks as the rotary knob is rotated that are indicative of a boundary between each of the plurality of windows, and after one of the plurality of windows is selected,

move the selected window between a plurality of positions, the rotary knob providing a plurality of second haptic feedbacks as the knob is rotated, each of the plurality of second haptic feedbacks indicative of a boundary between each of the plurality of positions, and where each of the second haptic feedbacks has a different duration; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display icons that represent each of the plurality of windows, and display a position of the selected window,

wherein the rotary knob and the graphical user interface are operable to select one of the plurality of windows to be controlled.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first haptic feedbacks is a force that represents a boundary between each of the plurality of windows.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the force representing each boundary is equal.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the force representing each boundary is different.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the force that represents the boundary at one window is greater than the force that represents the boundaries between the remaining windows.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the second haptic feedbacks is a force that increases or decreases when the selected window is moved between the open and closed positions.