Process for controlling functions in a motor vehicle having neighboring operating elements

• US 8,788,112 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Schusser, Peter, Niedermaier, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/967,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96058 Fail-safe touch switches, where switching takes place only after repeated touch

Abstract

In the case of the process for controlling functions in a motor vehicle having neighboring operating elements, the functions in each case being activatable by the operation of a defined operating element assigned to each function, the functions assigned to two neighboring operating elements receive a different priority. The higher-priority function can be activated immediately if the operating element assigned to it is operated before or within a defined time period after the neighboring other operating element.

Claims

1. A process for controlling functions of a vehicle component in a motor vehicle having neighboring operating elements, the functions in each case being activatable by operation of a defined user-selectable operating element assigned to each function, the process comprising the acts of:

associating, by the vehicle component, different priorities to functions respectively assigned to two neighboring user-selectable operating elements based on the two neighboring user-selectable operating elements being in proximity to each other;

activating immediately, by the vehicle component, a higher-priority function if the user-selectable operating element assigned to such higher-priority function is operated before a neighboring other operating element; and

avoiding an unintended operation of one of the neighboring operating elements by ignoring the operation of the user-selectable operating element with the lower-priority function if operation of said user-selectable operating element occurs during the operation of the user-selectable operating element having the higher-priority function.

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

activating, by the vehicle component, a lower-priority function only if the user-selectable operating element associated with the higher-priority function is not operated within a predefined time period beginning from the operation of the user-selectable operating element having assigned to it the lower-priority function.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the user-selectable operating elements comprise at least one of a key and a rotary switch in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the at least one of the key and the rotary switch correspond to a radio of the motor vehicle.

3. A function control process of a vehicle component having different user-selectable operating elements in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle in close proximity to one another, wherein each user-selectable operating element is configured to carry out respective functions in response to being actuated by a user, the process comprising the acts of:

assigning, by the vehicle component, a higher-priority to a respective function of one user-selectable operating element based on a proximity to another user-selectable operating element;

assigning, by the vehicle component, a lower-priority to a respective function of the another user-selectable operating element;

activating, by the vehicle component, the higher-priority function immediately upon the one user-selectable operating element receiving an operating input from the user before said other user-selectable operating element receives such operating input from the user; and

avoiding an unintended operation of the neighboring operating elements by ignoring receipt of such operating input by the other user-selectable operating element if said operating input occurs during activation of the higher-priority function.

4. The process according to claim 3, further comprising the acts of:

activating, by the vehicle component, the lower-priority function only if the one user-selectable operating element does not receive such operating input within a predefined time period starting from receipt of such operating input by the other user-selectable operating element.

7. The process according to claim 3, wherein the one user-selectable operating element and the another user-selectable operating element comprise at least one of a key and a rotary switch in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the at least one of the key and the rotary switch correspond to a radio of the motor vehicle.