Touch panel input system for vehicle

• US 8,164,574 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yuuji, Sato, Yuji, Ito, Toshiyuki, Oki, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US11/798,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-184, 701 1- 3
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• 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

An input operation system for use in a vehicle has a protruding marking on a surface of a touch panel, and displays a composite image generated by superposing an outline of user'"'"'s finger on a switch operation screen. The composite image of the switch operation screen is backed by an image of the protruding marking on the surface of the touch panel, and the user'"'"'s finger receives a tactile feedback from the protruding marking on the surface of the touch panel to cause sensations of an intuitive positioning in the switch operation screen for controlling a menu item that is displayed on a display unit for an input operation of vehicular devices.

Claims

1. An input operation system for use in a vehicle comprising:

a touch panel that senses a touching finger of a user;

an imaging unit that images the touch panel;

an outline extraction unit that extracts an outline image of the touching finger of the user based on an image of the touch panel;

an image generation unit that generates a composite image by superposing the outline image of the touching finger extracted by the outline extraction unit on a switch operation screen;

a display control unit that displays the composite image generated by the image generation unit representation on a display panel;

an operation detection unit that detects whether the touching finger of the user is in an in-contact condition or an out-of-contact condition with a vehicular device that controls vehicular equipment, the vehicular equipment being a steering wheel, the operation detection unit being disposed on the steering wheel;

a lamp control unit that lights a lamp for increasing lighting of the touch panel to a predetermined brightness to notify the user of a location of the touch panel, when the operation detection unit detects an out of contact condition with the vehicular device that controls vehicular equipment for a period of time greater than a preset first lapse time; and

a panel control detection unit that detects whether the user is in an in-contact condition or an out-of-contact condition with the touch panel by the touching finger of the user, wherein

the lamp control unit continually increases the brightness of the lamp when a second lapse time has passed after lighting the lamp with the predetermined brightness without detection of the in-contact condition of the touching finger of the user with the touch panel by the panel control detection unit,

the lamp control unit extinguishes the lamp when a third lapse time has passed after lighting the lamp with the predetermined brightness without a detection of the in-contact condition of the touching finger with the touch panel by the panel control detection unit,

the third lapse time is longer than the second lapse time,

the lamp control unit changes the brightness of the lamp to the predetermined brightness when the in-contact condition of the touching finger is detected by the panel control detection unit after increasing the brightness of the lamp,

the lamp control unit extinguishes the lamp when both of a first condition and a second condition is detected,

the first condition is defined as detection of the out-of-contact condition of the touching finger of the user with the touch panel by the panel control detection unit after detection of the in-contact condition of the touching finger of the user with the touch panel by the panel control detection unit, and

the second condition is defined as a detection of the in-contact condition of the touching finger with the vehicular equipment by the operation detection unit.

2. The input operation system for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

a display panel disposed at one position in the vehicle;

wherein

the touch panel that senses the touching finger of the user includes a touch sensitive surface having a position-marking protrusion disposed thereon, where the touch panel is disposed at a position separate from the display panel in the vehicle;

the switch operation screen includes menu items that can be selected by the user; and

the image generation unit generates the composite image by superposing the outline image of the touching finger on the switch operation screen that is backed by an image of the position-marking protrusion,

the position coordinates of the position-marking protrusion on the touch panel are substantially same as display coordinates of the image of the position-marking protrusion for displaying the composite image on the display panel, and

the image of the position-marking protrusion on the display panel is outside the menu items of the switch operation screen, further wherein the position-marking protrusion on the touch screen does not represent the menu items on the switch operation screen.

3. The input operation system of claim 2, wherein

the position-marking protrusion is a readable alphabet character string.

4. The input operation system of claim 2, wherein

the position-marking protrusion is a horizontal arrangement of geometrical figures.

5. The input operation system of claim 2, wherein

the position-marking protrusion is displayed by using a different color that is different from a touch panel surface color in the composite image.

6. The input operation system of claim 2, wherein

the position-marking protrusion is formed in a height that allows smooth finger movement on the touch panel.

7. The input operation system of claim 1, wherein

the operation detection unit further being disposed on a shift knob of the vehicle, wherein the touching finger is determined to be in the in-contact condition and out-of-contact condition with the vehicular device based on the shift knob in combination with the steering wheel.

8. The input operation system of claim 1, wherein the operation detection unit further measures time, and determines from the time which is measured whether the preset first lapse time has passed.

9. The input operation system of claim 8, wherein the operation detection unit further measures time, and determines from the time which is measured whether the second lapse time has passed.

10. The input operation system of claim 8, wherein the operation detection unit further measures time, and determines from the time which is measured whether the third lapse time has passed.

11. The input operation system of claim 10, wherein the operation detection unit further measures time, and determines from the time which is measured whether the third lapse time has passed.

12. The input operation system of claim 1, wherein the lamp control unit continually increases the brightness of the lamp from the predetermined brightness until reaching a predetermined maximum, when a second lapse time has passed.