Vehicle user interface system indicating operations of an operation part of a vehicle

• US 9,975,427 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hisatsugu, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Kevin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farhadian, F J
• Application Number:
  US14/258,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/113 Scrolling through menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/119 Icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/137 Jog-dials
• 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 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle user interface system including an operation device, a display device, and a control device, is provided. The operation device is positioned at a position where a driver operates, and inputting multiple operations. The display device displays a display image with using a windshield. The control device controls the display device to display multiple icons, which are selectable by operating the operation device. In a case where a selected icon, which has been selected among the multiple icons displayed by the display device, is distinguishably displayed, the control device controls the display device to display an operation display image and the selected icon. The operation display image indicates one of the multiple operations to which a processing is assigned among the multiple operations.

Claims

1. A vehicle user interface system comprising:

a control knob that is disposed at a position where a driver operates and that receives a plurality of operations including a tilt operation, a rotation operation, and a push operation from the driver and that provides the driver with a predetermined sense-of-touch notification recognized through a sense of touch;

a head-up display that displays a display image on a windshield; and

a controller that controls the head-up display to display a plurality of icons, which are selectable by the control knob and that changes a display mode of the icons between a first display mode and a second display mode, the icons displayed in the second display mode are displayed smaller than the first display mode, wherein

when the controller causes the head-up display to display a selected icon, which has been selected from among the plurality of icons, to be distinguishably displayed, the controller causes the head-up display to display an operation display image associated with the selected icon, the operation display image indicating any one of the operations of the control knob to which a processing is assigned,

the controller causes the control knob to provide a first sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the first display mode and also when the operation device is operated,

the controller causes the control knob to provide a second sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the second display mode and also when the control knob is operated, the second sense-of-touch notification continuing for a time longer than the first sense-of-touch notification,

when a predetermined field-of-view secured condition, in which a wide field of view of the driver is required, is satisfied, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons into the second display mode, and

when (i) the display mode of the plurality of icons is in the second display mode, (ii) the predetermined field-of-view secured condition is not satisfied, and (iii) the one of the plurality of operations is performed by the control knob, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons from the second display mode to the first display mode.

2. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the control device controls the head-up display to display a display screen, the display screen including

a first display area displaying the plurality of icons, and

a second display area displaying the display image directly unrelated to the plurality of operations inputted by the control knob,

the control knob is positioned at one side of a vehicle width direction with respect to a center of a steering wheel, and

the first display area is positioned to the one side of the vehicle width direction along a horizontal direction in the display screen.

3. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 2, wherein

the control knob is positioned to the one side of the right-and-left sides with respect to the center of the steering wheel, and

the one side of the vehicle width direction corresponds to an outer side in the vehicle width direction.

4. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

when (i) the display mode of the plurality of icons is in the first display mode, and (ii) the one of the plurality of operations with using the operation device is not performed for more or equal to a predetermined period of time, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons from the first display mode to the second display mode.

5. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation display image is displayed and accompanied by the selected icon, or is displayed in a proximity of the selected icon, so that the processing assigned to the operation display image is intuitively recognized by the driver.

6. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control knob is configured to move in a plurality of directions that each correspond to one of the operations of the control knob, which are each indicated by the operation display image.

7. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 6, wherein:

the control knob includes a button that corresponds to one of the operations of the control knob, which is indicated by the operation display image.

8. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller is configured to cause the head-up display to display a corresponding operation display image for each of the plurality of directions assigned to the selected image in response to the selected image being selected to be distinguishably displayed.

9. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 6, wherein:

the controller is configured to cause the head-up display to display a corresponding operation display image for each of the plurality of directions assigned to the selected image in response to the selected image being selected to be distinguishably displayed.

10. A vehicle user interface system comprising:

a control knob that is disposed at a position where a driver operates and that receives a plurality of operations including a tilt operation, a rotation operation, and a push operation from the driver and that provides the driver with a predetermined sense-of-touch notification recognized through a sense of touch;

a head-up display that displays a display image on a windshield; and

a controller that controls the head-up display to display a plurality of icons, which are selectable by the control knob and that changes a display mode of the icons between a first display mode and a second display mode, the icons displayed in the second display mode are displayed smaller than the first display mode, wherein

when the controller causes the head-up display to display a selected icon, which has been selected from among the plurality of icons, to be distinguishably displayed, the controller causes the head-up display to display an operation display image associated with the selected icon, the operation display image indicating any one of the operations of the control knob to which a processing is assigned,

the controller causes the control knob to provide a first sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the first display mode and also when the operation device is operated,

the controller causes the control knob to provide a second sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the second display mode and also when the control knob is operated, the second sense-of-touch notification continuing for a time longer than the first sense-of-touch notification,

the first display mode is an operation display mode,

the second display mode is a reduction display mode,

the controller controls the head-up display to display a display screen that includes a support information display area, a traveling information display area, and a graphical user interface area,

the graphical user interface area of the display screen includes the plurality of icons that are selectable by the control knob,

the controller is configured to determine whether a field-of-view secured condition is satisfied or is not satisfied,

the controller controls the head-up display to display the graphical user interface area to display the operation display mode and the controller controls the head-up display to change from the operation display mode to the reduction display mode without changing the traveling related information display area in response to determining that the field-of-view secured condition is not satisfied,

the controller is configured to control the control knob to provide the second sense-of-touch notification in response to a user operating the control knob while the graphical user interface area displays the reduction display mode to alert a user that operation of the plurality of icons is not permitted during the reduction display mode of the graphical user interface area,

the display screen is a horizontally elongated rectangle displayed on a windshield of a vehicle and the traveling related information display area and the graphical user interface area are located at different corners of the display screen, and

a total display-area of the graphical user interface area in the reduction display mode is smaller than in the operation display mode of the graphical user interface area and the total display-area of the graphical user interface area in the reduction display mode is positioned closer to a corner of the display screen than the total display-area of the graphical user interface area in the operation display mode.