Operating unit

• US 20040012361A1
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Gaertner, Ulrich, Pflug, Christopher, Karp, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/258,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012361A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/567
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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

Abstract

Proposed is an operating unit for operating a user interface of an electrical device, the operating unit having a rotating body (1) that may rotate about an axis (9). According to the present invention, the rotating body may be tilted about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Claims

1. An operating unit for operating a user interface of an electrical device, having a rotating body (1, 18) that may rotate about an axis of rotation (9), the axis of rotation (9) of the rotating body (1, 18) being positioned in a direction essentially parallel to the operator interface (8, 20), the rotating body (1, 18) being able to tilt about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation (9), and the rotating body being positioned on an operator interface in such manner, that a narrow side of it protrudes from the operator interface,

wherein an operating element (7, 26, 27, 28) is situated adjacent to the rotating body (1, 18), the operating element (7, 26, 27, 28) is a switching element, preferably a push-button, and the operating element (26, 27) is situated on the operator interface (20), next to the rotating body (18).

2. The operating unit as recited in claim 1,

wherein the movement of a cursor on a display area (11), in particular in a letter field, may be controlled by operating [manipulating] the rotating body (1, 18).

3. The operating unit as recited in claim 2, wherein a menu mode [menu control] displayed in the display area (11) may be called up, using the operating element (26).

4. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein a desired input may be acknowledged, using the operating element (7, 26, 27).

5. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein an operating element (26, 27) is situated at each of the two ends of the rotating body (18) protruding from the operator interface.

6. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein, in the vicinity (19) of the rotating body (1, 18), the operator interface (8, 20) is raised above the rest of the operator interface (8, 20).

7. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein an operating element (28) for undoing an input is situated next to the rotating body (18).

8. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the rotating body (1, 18) may tilt to both sides, about an axis perpendicular to its axis of rotation (9).

9. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the axis of rotation (9) may be tilted.

10. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the rotating body (1, 18) is supported at the axis of rotation (9) so as to be able to tilt.

11. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein only a part of the rotating body (1, 18) protrudes from an operator interface (8, 20).

12. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the rotating body (1, 18) and/or the bearing [support] of the rotating body are such that, in the event of rotation, an increased haptic feedback is perceptible to the user.

13. The operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein, in relation to the rotating body (1, 18), the operating element (7, 16, 27) is situated within the reach of a hand.

14. An operating device in a vehicle, in particular for operating a driver-information device, comprising a display area (11) for displaying a user interface (14, 30, 34), and an operating unit as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the operating unit (17) is situated next to the display area (11).