Passenger vehicle with a modular control panel

• US 9,440,536 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Camhi, Jaime, Toggweiler, James Leigh, Jolda, Matthew, Paffett-Lugassy, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US14/265,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20150314683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/139 Clusters of instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1468 Touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/68 Features of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/828 Mounting or fastening exchangeable modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/122 with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/139 Clusters of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/145 Input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1468 Touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/158 Haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/68 Features of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/828 Exchangeable modules
• 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 35/25 : using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 : Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• 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: G06F 1/16 : Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 : Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: 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

Abstract

A passenger vehicle includes a control panel that receives user inputs. The control panel includes a contact sensor and a face plate that extends over the contact sensor. The face plate has a plurality of control elements that interact with the contact sensor during use of the control panel.

Claims

1. A modular control panel adapted for use in a passenger vehicle dashboard, the modular control panel comprising

a contact sensor that detects contacts over a substantially monolithic contact area, and

a face plate that extends over the substantially monolithic contact area, the face plate including a mount frame and a plurality of movable control elements each coupled to the mount frame to move relative to the mount frame, each of the plurality of movable control elements engage the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in response to a user moving the movable control elements relative to the mount frame,

wherein at least one of the plurality of movable control elements is a button coupled to the mount frame to move relative to the mount frame and at least one of the moveable control elements is a knob coupled to the mount frame to rotate relative to the mount frame about an axis.

2. The modular control panel of claim 1, wherein the button is coupled to the mount frame to move from a deactivated position spaced apart from or lightly contacting the substantially monolithic contact area to a push-activation position that engages the substantially monolithic contact area and the knob is coupled to the mount frame to rotate from a first position engaging the substantially monolithic contact area at a first location along a circle that extends around the axis to a second position that engages the substantially monolithic contact area at a second location along the circle that extends around the axis.

3. The modular control panel of claim 1, wherein the face plate includes a flexible membrane that includes a main sheet and a plurality of deformable control elements that engage the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in response to a user applying a force onto the deformable control elements.

4. The modular control panel of claim 3, wherein at least one of the deformable control elements is an indentation extending from the main sheet toward the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor.

5. The modular control panel of claim 4, wherein the indentation is elongated to form a channel sized to receive a fingertip and to allow a fingertip to swipe along the channel.

6. A passenger vehicle comprising:

a plurality of subsystems;

a controller coupled to the subsystems to direct operation of the plurality of subsystems; and

a modular control panel coupled to the controller to provide signals to the controller indicative of user inputs received by the modular control panel associated with the plurality of subsystems, the modular control panel including a contact sensor that detects contacts over a substantially monolithic contact area and a face plate extending over the substantially monolithic contact area,

wherein the face plate includes a mount frame and a plurality of movable control elements each coupled to the mount frame to move relative to the mount frame, each of the plurality of movable control elements engage the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in response to a user moving the movable control elements relative to the mount frame,

wherein at least one of the plurality of movable control elements is a button coupled to the mount frame to slide relative to the mount frame from a deactivated position spaced apart from or lightly contacting the substantially monolithic contact area to a touch-activation position apply a touch-activation pressure on the substantially monolithic contact area in response to a user applying a touch force on to the button and further to a fully-activated position apply a push-activation pressure, greater than the touch-activation pressure, on the substantially monolithic contact area in response to a user applying a press force, greater than the touch force, on to the button.

7. The passenger vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller adjusts a parameter of at least one subsystem at a first rate of change in response to receipt of a signal from the modular control panel associated with the button being moved to the push-activation position and maintained in the push-activation position by a first amount of force and the controller adjusts the parameter of the at least one subsystem at a second rate of change, greater than the first rate of change, in response to receipt of a signal from the modular control panel associated with the button being moved to the push-activation position and maintained in the push-activation position by a second amount of force, greater than the first amount of force.

8. The passenger vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a display coupled to the controller, wherein the controller displays indicia suggestive of a parameter of at least one subsystem that will be changed in response to receipt of a signal from the modular control panel associated with the button being moved to the touch-activation position and the controller changes the parameter of the at least one subsystem in response to receipt of a signal from the modular control panel associated with the button being moved to the push-activation position.

9. The passenger vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of movable control elements is a button coupled to the mount frame to move relative to the mount frame and at least one of the plurality of moveable control elements is a knob coupled to the mount frame to rotate relative to the mount frame about an axis.

10. The passenger vehicle of claim 9, wherein the button is coupled to the mount frame to move from a deactivated position spaced apart from or lightly contacting the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor to a push-activation position engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor at a predetermined pressure and the knob coupled to the mount frame to rotate from a first position engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor at a first location along a circle that extends around the axis to a second position engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor at a second location along the circle that extends around the axis.

11. The passenger vehicle of claim 9, wherein the face plate includes a flexible membrane that includes a main sheet and a plurality of deformable control elements engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in response to a user applying a force onto the deformable control elements.

12. The passenger vehicle of claim 11, wherein at least one of the deformable control elements is an indentation extending from the main sheet toward the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor.

13. A modular control panel system for use in a passenger vehicle, the modular control panel system comprising

a contact sensor detects contacts over a substantially monolithic contact area,

a first face plate sized to extend over the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor, the first face plate including a first mount frame and a first plurality of movable control elements, and

a second face plate sized to extend over the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor, the second face plate including a second mount frame and a second plurality of movable control elements, different from the first plurality of movable control elements.

14. The modular control panel system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first plurality of movable control elements is a button coupled to the mount frame to move relative to the mount frame and at least one of the first plurality of moveable control elements is a knob coupled to the mount frame to rotate relative to the mount frame about an axis.

15. The modular control panel system of claim 14, wherein the first face plate includes a first flexible membrane that includes a first main sheet and a first plurality of deformable control elements engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in response to a user applying a force onto the deformable control elements.

16. The modular control panel of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first plurality deformable control elements is an indentation extending from the first main sheet toward the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor.

17. The modular control panel system of claim 13, further comprising a face-plate-identification mechanism that determines if the first face plate is mounted adjacent to the contact sensor or if the second face plate is mounted adjacent to the contact sensor.

18. The modular control panel system of claim 17, wherein the face-plate-identification mechanism includes at least one identification protrusion that extends from the mount frame of the first face plate, the at least one identification protrusion engaging the substantially monolithic contact area of the contact sensor in a predetermined location when the first face plate is mounted adjacent to the contact sensor.

19. The modular control panel of claim 13, wherein the contact sensor includes a pressure-sensitive pad.

20. The modular control panel of claim 13, wherein the contact sensor includes a sensor selected from a capacitive pad, an optical sensor, and a magnetic field distortion sensor.