Configurable touch screen LCD steering wheel controls

• US 9,164,619 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Goodlein, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/638,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

An entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a graphical LCD with a configurable touch screen. The graphical LCD is disposed on the steering wheel. A processor is communicatively coupled to the graphical LCD. The processor prompts a user to select a function to assign to the configurable touch screen. The processor assigns the selected function to the configurable touch screen.

Claims

1. An entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a graphical liquid crystal display with a configurable touch screen that includes a plurality of sections, the graphical liquid crystal display and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the graphical liquid crystal display and configured to;

prompt a user to select a function to assign to the configurable touch screen;

assign the selected function to one of the sections of the configurable touch screen;

automatically assigning a first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen a yes/accept function;

automatically assigning a second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen a no/reject function;

propose to the user a function for a third one of the sections;

receive an acceptance or rejection of the proposed function via the user touching the first one of the sections or the second one of the sections; and

present a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the first one and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen, including a plurality of functions which the user selects to be assigned to the first one and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the first one and the second one of the sections occurring after the user has used the first one and the second one of the sections to indicate acceptance or rejection of the proposed function for the third one of the sections.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive a selection of a function from the user.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to:

prompt a user to select a respective function to assign to each of the sections of the configurable touch screen; and

assign the selected functions to respective said sections of the configurable touch screen.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen is automatically assigned a first arrow function and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen is automatically assigned a second arrow function, the first arrow pointing in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the second arrow points, and wherein the processor is configured to:

present a menu of functions to assign to the third one of the sections;

enable the user to navigate the menu via the user touching the first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen;

receive a selection of one of the functions in the menu; and

assign the selected function to the third one of the sections of the configurable touch screen.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the sections are of different sizes.

6. A method of providing an entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing a steering wheel;

providing a graphical display device with a configurable touch screen, the graphical display device and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel;

communicatively coupling a processor to the graphical display device;

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a first function to a first portion of the configurable touch screen;

sensing the user'"'"'s indication, the indication comprising the user touching either a second portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or a third portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment;

assigning the first function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen only when the user touching the second portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed;

prompting the user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a second function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen when the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed; and

presenting a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the second portion and the third portion of the configurable touch screen, including a plurality of functions which the user selects to be assigned to the second portion and the third portion of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the second portion and the third portion occurring after the user has used the second portion and the third portion to indicate acceptance or rejection of the proposed assignments for the first portion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical display device comprises a graphical liquid crystal display.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sensing the user'"'"'s indication of acceptance or rejection of the proposed assignment of the second function, the indication comprising the user touching either the second portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or the third portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment; and

assigning the second function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen only if the user touching the second portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising automatically assigning a yes/accept function to the second portion of the configurable touch screen and a no/reject function to the third portion of the configurable touch screen.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

automatically assigning a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen a first arrow function;

automatically assigning a fifth portion of the configurable touch screen a second arrow function, the first arrow pointing in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the second arrow points;

presenting a menu of functions to assign to a sixth portion of the configurable touch screen;

enabling the user to navigate the menu via the user touching the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen and the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen;

receiving a selection of one of the functions in the menu; and

assigning the selected function to the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first portion and the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen are of different sizes.

12. A method of providing an entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing a steering wheel;

providing a graphical display device with a configurable touch screen, the graphical display device and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel;

communicatively coupling a processor to the graphical display device;

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a first arrow to a first portion of the configurable touch screen and a second arrow to a second portion of the configurable touch screen;

sensing the user'"'"'s indication, the indication comprising the user touching either a third portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment;

assigning the first arrow to the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second arrow to the second portion of the configurable touch screen only when the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed;

presenting on the graphical display device a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the configurable touch screen;

enabling the user to navigate through the menu by selectively touching at least one of the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second portion of the configurable touch screen;

presenting a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the third portion and the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen, including a plurality of functions which the user selects to be assigned to the third portion and the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the third portion and the fourth occurring after the user has used the third portion and the fourth portion to indicate acceptance or rejection of the proposed assignments for the first portion and the second portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first arrow points in a first direction, and the second arrow points in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the proposed assignment comprises a first proposed assignment, the method further comprising:

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a second proposed assignment of a third arrow to a fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and a fourth arrow to a sixth portion of the configurable touch screen, the third arrow pointing in a third direction at an angle of ninety degrees relative to each of the first direction and the second direction, the fourth arrow pointing in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction;

sensing the user'"'"'s indication, the indication comprising the user touching either the third portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the second proposed assignment or a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the second proposed assignment;

assigning the third arrow to the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and the fourth arrow to the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen only if the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed; and

enabling the user to navigate through the menu by selectively touching at least one of the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the configurable touch screen includes a plurality of functions which the user may choose to be assigned to the third and fourth portions of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the third and fourth portions occurring after the user has used the third and fourth portions to indicate acceptance or rejection of the second proposed assignment.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that he would like to reconfigure at least one of the portions of the configurable touch screen after each of the portions of the configurable touch screen have been configured, the indication comprising the user touching at least one of the portions of the configurable touch screen,

in response to the receiving, presenting on the graphical display device a menu of a plurality of reconfiguration choices for the configurable touch screen; and

enabling the user to navigate through the reconfiguration menu by selectively touching at least one of the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second portion of the configurable touch screen.