Method of controlling a touch-surface control device and corresponding control device

• US 9,170,729 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DAV Société par actions simplifiée
• Original Assignee: DAV Société par actions simplifiée
• Inventors: Cottarel, Bruno, De Vaux Bidon, Florent, Chartrain, Cedric
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Yuk
• Application Number:
  US12/747,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345/684, 341/20, 382/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of controlling a touch-surface control device characterized in that it comprises a step of shape recognition of a control trajectory on a touch surface from among at least two predefined shapes of trajectory, in which in the course of a predetermined duration (dT): the control trajectory is sampled in order to determine a sampled angle (dθ) of the control trajectory for each sampling period (Te), a parameter representative of the evolution of at least two sampled angles (dθ) is compared with a predetermined threshold, and a predefined trajectory shape is assigned to the control trajectory as a function of the result of the comparison. The invention also relates to a control device comprising a tough surface characterized in that it comprises a processing unit for implementing a control method as described above.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a touch-surface control device comprising recognizing a shape of a control trajectory on a touch surface from among at least two predefined trajectory shapes, wherein shape recognition comprises, in the course of a predetermined duration:

sampling the control trajectory to determine a sampled angle of the control trajectory for each sampling period;

comparing a parameter representative of the evolution of at least two sampled angles with a predetermined threshold, wherein the representative parameter is a standard deviation of the sampled angles with respect to a mean of the sampled angles;

assigning a predefined trajectory shape to the control trajectory as a function of a result of the comparison;

determining a length of displacement of the control trajectory;

comparing the length of displacement of the control trajectory with a predetermined distance; and

assigning a stationary trajectory to the control trajectory if the length of displacement of the control trajectory is less than the predetermined distance,

wherein a circular trajectory is assigned to the control trajectory when said representative parameter is greater than the predetermined threshold, and wherein a rectilinear trajectory is assigned to the control trajectory when said parameter is less than or equal to said threshold, wherein the circular or rectilinear trajectories allow parametrization of a control.

2. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary trajectory allows a validation or a function selection.

3. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the comparison of the shape recognition, the shape of the predefined trajectory is assigned to the control trajectory if the shape of the predefined trajectory satisfies an additional validation criterion.

4. The control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the additional validation criterion is satisfied when a pressing force detected on the touch surface is greater than a predefined force.

5. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sampling period is variable.

6. A control device comprising a touch surface, wherein the touch surface comprises:

a processing unit for the implementation of a control method, comprising;

recognizing a shape of a control trajectory on a touch surface from among at least two predefined trajectory shapes, wherein shape recognition comprises, in the course of a predetermined duration;

sampling the control trajectory to determine a sampled angle of the control trajectory for each sampling period;

comparing a parameter representative of the evolution of at least two sampled angles with a predetermined threshold, wherein the representative parameter is a standard deviation of the sampled angles with respect to a mean of the sampled angles;

assigning a predefined trajectory shape to the control trajectory as a function of a result of the comparison;

determining a length of displacement of the control trajectory;

comparing the length of displacement of the control trajectory with a predetermined distance; and

assigning a stationary trajectory to the control trajectory if the length of displacement of the control trajectory is less than the predetermined distance,

wherein a circular trajectory is assigned to the control trajectory when said representative parameter is greater than the predetermined threshold, and wherein a rectilinear trajectory is assigned to the control trajectory when said parameter is less than or equal to said threshold, wherein the circular or rectilinear trajectories allow parametrization of a control.

7. The control device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control device is configured to control the functions of at least one set of electrical or electronic members of a motor vehicle.

8. The control device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one set of electrical or electronic members of a motor vehicle comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of an air-conditioning system, an audio system, a navigation system, a telephone system, motorized window winder controls, controls for adjusting exterior rear-view mirrors, controls for adjusting the position of a sunroof, controls for interior lighting, and controls for adjusting a motor vehicle seat.