Human/machine interface for automobile

• US 9,143,350 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Ziad, El Khoury, Autran, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAZZARA, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/255,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• 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: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The invention relates to a human/machine interface (3) that includes a control board (30) provided with at least one control (31, 32, 33) and/or at least one indicator and with at least one controller (36) for managing the operation of the control board (30) and the communications thereof with a vehicle multiplex network via at least one associated connector (37), characterized in that said interface also includes a multifunction screen (41) connected to the controller (36) of the control board so that said controller (36) can also manage the operation of the multifunction screen (41) and the communications thereof with the vehicle multiplex network via said associated connector (37).

Claims

1. A human/machine interface for a motor vehicle comprising:

a control board provided with at least one control and at least one indicator; and

a controller for managing operation and communications of the control board, via at least one associated connector, with a multiplexed network of the motor vehicle; and

a multifunction screen linked to the controller of the control board, wherein the controller manages operation and communications of the multifunction screen, via the associated connector, with the multiplexed network of the motor vehicle,

wherein the multifunction screen, the controller, and the control board are all integrated into the human/machine interface,

and wherein an internal cover and a protection surface or shield plate of the human/machine interface extend over all of a surface of the interface configured to face an engine compartment of the motor vehicle, wherein by virtue of the internal cover and the protection surface, all elements of the human/machine interface are incorporated into a single block for installation into the dashboard of the motor vehicle.

2. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multifunction screen is provided with a touch-sensitive surface linked to the controller.

3. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller includes means for processing multiplexed signals, transmitted via the associated connector, at a frequency significantly lower than a processing frequency for video signals received by the multifunction screen.

4. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multifunction screen is associated with a shielding for limiting an electromagnetic radiation emitted by the multifunction screen and/or by video components dedicated to processing video signals.

5. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 4, wherein the video components dedicated to processing video signals are linked to a video signal transmission network via a video connector.

6. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein the video connector includes means for transmitting a video stream from a multimedia player and/or from a satellite navigator to the multifunction screen.

7. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller and the video components are situated on one electronic card comprising a main surface that is substantially parallel to the touch-sensitive surface of the interface intended to be facing a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

8. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller is situated on a first card and the video components are situated on a second card, the first and second cards being linked by flexible connections allowing for transmission of operating signals from the controller to the second card.

9. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller includes means for managing the operation of the control board and of the multifunction screen by performing at least one of the following operations necessary to interface activity:

acquiring a command and/or driving an indicator, switching the multifunction screen on/off, processing information relating to a diagnosis, and controlling a display light intensity.

10. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protection surface and a cover extending over all of a surface of the interface configured to face a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

11. The human/machine interface as claimed in claim 1, further comprising tabs for fixing the interface on a dashboard.

12. A method for assembling a human/machine interface for a motor vehicle, comprising:

inserting the human/machine interface into a dashboard of the motor vehicle in a single block, wherein the human/machine interface comprises;

a control board provided with at least one control and at least one indicator,

a controller for managing operation and communications of the control board, via at least one associated connector, with a multiplexed network of the motor vehicle,

a multifunction screen linked to the controller of the control board,

wherein the multifunction screen, the controller, and the control board are all integrated into the human/machine interface,

and wherein an internal cover and a protection surface or shield plate of the human/machine interface extend over all of a surface of the interface configured to face an engine compartment of the motor vehicle, wherein by virtue of the internal cover and the protection surface, all elements of the human/machine interface are incorporated into a single block for insertion into the dashboard of the motor vehicle.