ON-SCREEN GEAR SELECTOR FOR AUTOMATIC TRASMISSION

• US 20140149909A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Montes, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 9,410,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 20/08 Dashboard means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• 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: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus

Abstract

An on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission, which provides an interface between the driver and the automatic transmission. The gear selector provides the current selection by the driver to the transmission control unit. The virtual on-screen gear selector provides safety and security features, and is incorporated into the software of the gear selector, such as not allowing the transmission to change from park until the brake pedal is depressed, or not allowing the transmission to change from drive to a lower gear or reverse if the speed of the vehicle is above a predetermined value, thereby avoiding damage to the transmission. The use of the on-screen gear selector also provides the benefit of reducing space and weight of the vehicle, by having less mechanical parts.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission, including;

a touch screen;

an on-screen gear selector for selectively being displayed on the touch screen; and

a one or more icons, each of the one or more icons representing a mode of operation of the automatic transmission, the one or more icons selectively displayed on the touch screen, the one or more icons being part of the on-screen gear selector;

wherein each of the one or more icons is selected to configure the transmission to operate is a desired mode of operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the one or more icons further comprising a plurality of icons, one of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in park, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in drive, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in reverse, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in neutral, and another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in manual low gear.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of icons are arranged horizontally.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an indicator used with the one or more icons for providing an indication of which mode of operation the automatic transmission is configured.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the indicator further comprising an outline substantially surrounding the one or more icons.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more icons and the outline are operable for being placed in a minimized position, allowing other functions to be displayed on the touch screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more icons is displayed on the touch screen when the one or more icons is in the minimized position, the one or more icons being surrounded by the outline.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the on-screen gear selector prohibits the automatic transmission to shift one from gear to another when the vehicle is travelling above a predetermined speed.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an instrument panel, the touch screen being part of the instrument panel.

10. An on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission, comprising:

a touch screen;

an on-screen gear selector for selectively being displayed on the touch screen; and

a plurality of icons selectively displayed on the touch screen, each of the plurality of icons being part of the on-screen gear selector; and

an indicator used one of the plurality of icons, the indicator displayed on the touch screen in proximity to one or more of the plurality of icons;

wherein each of the plurality of icons represents a mode of operation of the automatic transmission.

11. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of icons and the indicator are operable for being placed in a minimized position, allowing other vehicle functions to be displayed on the touch screen.

12. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of icons and the indicator are displayed on the touch screen when the one of the plurality of icons and the indicator are in the minimized position.

13. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, wherein the plurality of icons are arranged horizontally when displayed on the touch screen.

14. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, the indicator further comprising an outline substantially surrounding the one or more icons.

15. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, one of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in park when displayed with the indicator, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in drive when displayed with the indicator, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in reverse when displayed with the indicator, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in neutral when displayed with the indicator, and another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in manual low gear when displayed with the indicator.

16. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, further comprising an instrument panel, the touch screen being part of the instrument panel.

17. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 10, wherein the on-screen gear selector prohibits the automatic transmission to shift one from gear to another when the vehicle is travelling above a predetermined speed.

18. An on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission, comprising:

an instrument panel;

a touch screen mounted as part of the instrument panel;

an on-screen gear selector for selectively being displayed on the touch screen;

a plurality of icons, each one of the plurality of icons representing a mode of operation of an automatic transmission, the plurality of icons being part of the on-screen gear selector; and

an outline surrounding at least one of the plurality of icons, the outline providing an indication in which mode of operation the automatic transmission is configured to operate;

wherein one of the plurality of icons is selected to configure the automatic transmission to operate in the corresponding mode of operation, and the outline surrounds the icon which is selected.

19. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 18, wherein the plurality of icons are arranged on the touch screen horizontally.

20. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 18, one of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in park when surrounded by the outline, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in drive when surrounded by the outline, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in reverse when surrounded by the outline, another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in neutral when surrounded by the outline, and another of the plurality of icons providing an indication that the vehicle is in manual low gear when surrounded by the outline.

21. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 18, wherein the on-screen gear selector prohibits the automatic transmission to shift one from gear to another when the vehicle is travelling above a predetermined speed.

22. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of icons and the outline are operable for being placed in a minimized position, allowing other functions of the touch screen to be used.

23. The on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of icons is displayed on the touch screen when the one of the plurality of icons is in the minimized position, the one of the plurality of icons being surrounded by the outline.