Steering wheel input/interactive surface

• US 8,243,039 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Original Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Inventors: Trachte, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US13/020,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345/168, 345/169, 178 1801- 1811
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1484 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 7/00 Woven fabrics designed to be resilient, i.e. to recover from compressive stress
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/046 Shape recovering or form memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 : using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 : using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• 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

The steering wheel input is a flexible, interactive input, based on a touch-sensitive surface. Groups of functions are available from many positions of hands and fingers, gripping and controlling the steering wheel. For example travel directions indicators, headlight flashing/dipping and windscreen wipers can be controlled without having to raise the hand from the steering wheel. The keypad of a mobile telephone can also be simulated. PDA inputs can be carried out. A computer keyboard can be simulated Continuous encompassment of the hands is corrected by computer. The touch areas are continuously and dynamically adapted in the relationship thereof with respect to the balls of the hands or the thumb and fingers. This concept produces ergonomically appropriate and dynamically updated touch areas.

Claims

1. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized n that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection;

and further wherein the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas comprise ribbon-like material having a flat cross-section that are woven into one of the fabric layers with appropriate pretension to form small arches which protrude slightly out of the surface of the fabric layer and when pressed in elastically by the pressure of a finger spring downwardly to provide a through connection.

2. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection;

and further wherein the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas are preformed in such a way that a series of downward and upward curvature sections occur along the surface repeatedly at specific intervals so that during the weaving process slight arches are formed from groups of said curvature sections which, when pressure is applied by fingers, spring downwardly and also compress in the longitudinal direction, without moving out appreciably in the lateral direction.

3. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection;

and further wherein one of the fabric layers is composed of a lower fabric zone which gives this fabric layer a mechanical stability in tensile strength, and an upper fabric zone comprising the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas, and further wherein the lower and upper fabric zones are woven to one another.

4. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection;

and further wherein the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas are configured to form cantilever elements that are constructed in such a way that one cantilever element is acutely angled to another cantilever element-, wherein said one cantilever element is subjected to tensile loading and said another cantilever element is subjected to compressive loading to activate said through connection.

5. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection, wherein the device consists of a steering wheel or steering wheel element, and is further characterized in that the touching of the input face zones by areas of the hand, in particular by the balls of the hand and by fingers is recognized as being by areas of the hand and fingers and used to calculate the identity of the individual fingers and thus to calculate a temporarily valid basic topography for the areas of the hand and for the fingers with respect to the input face zones.

6. The computer input device of claim 5, characterized in that the determination of a basic topography for the hands of the user with respect to the input face zones takes place in an initialization phase on the basis of the positioned hands of the user and is then continuously adapted to current conditions in an operating phase which dynamically assigns a respective alphanumeric character or a control function to the input face zones.

7. The computer input device of claim 5, characterized in that the determination of the assignment topography which assigns alphanumeric characters or control functions to the input face zones is carried out in an initialization process according to a defined system which corresponds to one of a customary computer keyboard, a customary key assignment system for a mobile phone, or touch zones for up to ten fingers which are arranged in a longitudinal row or around the index finger and thumb, said zones carrying out simple switching and control functions.

8. The computer input device of claim 5, characterized in that a grouping of alphanumeric functions or control functions is available from a large number of basic positions of the areas of the hand and fingers with respect to the input face zones, the assignment of which functions to the specific input face zones is continuously and dynamically adapted to individual, instantaneous conditions.

9. The computer input device of claim 5, characterized in that at least two predetermined control functions can continuously be activated from a large number of positions of the areas of the hand and fingers with respect to the input face zones by means of the index finger, middle finger or thumb of the left hand or the right hand.

10. A computer input device comprising an input face having a plurality of touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected through connections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the device further comprise layers or fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellas integrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers, wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured to provide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'"'"'s fingers to the input face zones such that after a certain small depression thereof, further depression requires the application of force that stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection, thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a to e-lever effect to the user of the activation of said through connection;

and wherein an instantaneously valid assignment of characters or control functions to the input face zones is displayed visually to the user.