Vehicle system comprising an assistance functionality

• US 8,818,622 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Bergholz, Ralf, Daginnus, Michael, Wu, Yongmei, Wller, Christoph, Bendewald, Lennart, Bohnenberger, Thorsten, Lemke, Katja, Rox, Karl, Schulz, Stefan, Schwab, Gabriel, Lilienthal, Jrg
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US12/677,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100286867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/33, 701/1, 701/29.1, 701/29, 345/173, 345/473, 345/2, 370/401, 340/438, 348/148, 715/716, 715/202, 715/863, 463/43
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver

Abstract

The vehicle system, controlled by control inputs, provides functionalities in the motor vehicle (1) and has an interface (9) for acquiring the control inputs and outputting data as well as a control device (5) for controlling the functionalities in accordance with the acquired control inputs. A storage medium (7) on which instructions explaining the functionalities and/or operation are stored is linked to the control device (5). The control device (5) is designed to retrieve instructions from the storage medium (7) and output the same as part of the instructions via the interface (9). The vehicle system (3, 3′) can be operated in an assistance mode in which the user inputs are interpreted and evaluated as control inputs for the functionalities while instructions explaining the respective activated functionality and/or other operational options are additionally output at the same time.

Claims

1. A vehicle system of a motor vehicle, which provides functionalities in the motor vehicle controlled by means of control inputs, comprising:

an interface for detecting the control inputs and outputting information,

a control device for controlling the functionalities depending on the detected control inputs, and

a storage medium coupled to the control device, the storage medium storing explanation information that explains the functionalities and/or operator controls,

wherein the control device is configured to retrieve the explanation information from the storage medium and to output the explanation information as a part of the information via the interface,

wherein the vehicle system is switchable between;

an assistance mode of the vehicle system in which the control device is configured to;

receive control inputs from a user for activating a particular functionality, and

in response to the received user inputs, (a) activate the particular functionality and (b) simultaneously output explanation information which explains the activated functionality, and

an instruction mode of the vehicle system in which the control device is configured to;

receive control inputs from the user for selecting a desired functionality, and

in response to the received user inputs, (a) automatically initiate a change over from the instruction mode to the assistance mode, and (b) after switching to the assistance mode, output only explanation information which instructs the user to trigger and/or to operate the desired functionality and/or explains the desired functionality.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a comparison module by means of which the control inputs in an assistance mode triggered by the instruction mode are compared to the intended control inputs for at least one of triggering and operating the desired functionality, and in case of at least one of a deviation and correlation a feedback is output to the user.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an operating mode in which control inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for operating the provided functionalities and no additional explanation information is output.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an explanation mode in which the control inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for retrieving explanation information.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system comprises a configuration unit by means of which one of the operating modes may be determined into which the vehicle system changes over following a start-up.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein at a first-time change-over into at least one of the instruction mode following a start-up, the assistance mode, and the explanation mode automatically explanation information is output which explains the outputting of explanation information and its control by means of the control inputs.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises operating elements for detecting the control inputs or is coupled to those.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises at least one output device or is coupled thereto.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the interface is coupled to a multi-function display and operating device.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is integrated into a multi-function display and operating device.

11. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-function display and operating device comprises a display device comprising a programmable display surface.

12. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one output device comprises an audio system.

13. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the outputting of the explanation information in the assistance mode comprises providing an audio explanation of the particular functionality being activated simultaneous with the activation of the particular functionality.

14. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the interface and the further interface comprises several differently modal output devices or is coupled to differently modal output devices so that the explanation information may be output multimodal, or optically and acoustically.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the explanation information is designed to display an artificial animated person during the output of the explanation information.

24. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein in the assistance mode the control device is further configured to output further option possibilities related to the particular functionality simultaneous with the activation of the particular functionality.

16. A method for operating a vehicle system of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps:

detecting or receiving control inputs,

evaluating, by a control device, the control inputs and to control and provide the functionalities of the vehicle system according to the control inputs, and

operating the vehicle system in;

(a) an assistance mode in which;

control inputs are received from a user for activating a particular functionality, and

in response to the received user inputs, the particular functionality is activated and explanation information that explains the activated functionality is simultaneously output from a storage medium coupled to the control device, and

(b) an instruction mode in which

control inputs are received from the user for selecting a desired functionality, and

in response to the received user inputs, a change-over from the instruction mode to the assistance mode is automatically initiated, and after switching to the assistance mode, only explanation information that instructs the user to trigger and/or to operate the desired functionality and/or explains the desired functionality is output from the storage medium.

17. The vehicle system according to claim 16, wherein in the assistance mode triggered by the instruction mode the control inputs are compared to intended control inputs for at least one of triggering and operating the desired functionality, and in the case of at least one of a deviation and a correlation a feedback is output to the user.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an operating mode in which user inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs and no additional explanation information is output.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle system is operable in an explanation mode in which the user inputs are only considered and evaluated as control inputs for retrieving explanation information.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein at a first-time change-over into at least one of the instruction mode following a start-up, the assistance mode, and the explanation mode explanation information is output automatically which explains the outputting of explanation information and its control by means of the control inputs.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein control inputs are detected by means of which one of the operating modes is determined into which the vehicle system changes over following a start-up.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the explanation information is output using an animated artificial person.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein outputting the explanation information that explains the activated functionality simultaneous with activating the functionality in the assistance mode comprises providing an audio explanation of the functionality being activated simultaneous with the activation of the functionality.