In-vehicle operation apparatus

• US 9,195,633 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Hiroaki, Enami, Kazuya, Muroi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/759,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/11 Graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1446 Touch switches
• 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: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 in-vehicle operation apparatus has an operation switch, a candidate selection operation unit, and a command assignment operation unit, all of which are operable by a user. The operation switch may control multiple in-vehicle devices based on a desired command assigned thereto. In particular, the candidate selection operation unit selects a plurality of candidate commands from among a plurality of commands respectively for in-vehicle devices. The command assignment operation unit selects and assigns the desired command from among the plurality of candidate commands to the operation switch. Accordingly, the operation switch controls the in-vehicle device associated with the desired command. Thus, the apparatus reduces the amount of operation switches required and allows the user to easily select and assign a command to the operation switch for controlling a desired in-vehicle device.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle operation apparatus comprising:

an operation switch operable by a user for controlling multiple in-vehicle devices;

a candidate selection operation unit operable by the user for selecting a plurality of candidate commands from among a plurality of commands respectively for the in-vehicle devices;

a command assignment operation unit operable by the user for selecting and assigning a desired command from among the plurality of candidate commands to the operation switch for having the operation switch control the in-vehicle device associated with the desired command;

a display unit displaying at least one of a first operation screen and a second operation screen, wherein

the first operation screen displays the plurality of commands from which the plurality of candidate commands is to be selected by the candidate selection operation unit,

the second operation screen displays the plurality of candidate commands from which the desired command is to be selected and assigned to the operation switch by the command assignment operation unit;

at least one of the candidate selection operation unit and the command assignment operation unit is a touch pad that detects a finger movement on an input plate of the touch pad, the touch pad being a separate device that is separately disposed from the operation switch,

the display unit is disposed on an upward side of the operation switch,

the operation switch is disposed on an upward side of the touch pad, and

the touch pad, the operation switch and the display unit are arranged in a row along an up-down direction.

2. The in-vehicle operation apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the operation switch comprises

a plurality of operation switches;

the in-vehicle operation apparatus further comprising;

a memory unit storing a plurality of command combinations for assigning a command to each of the plurality of operation switches, wherein

the command assignment operation unit is operable to select and assign a desired command combination from among the plurality of command combinations for the plurality of operation switches.

3. The in-vehicle operation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the candidate selection operation unit is prohibited from selecting the plurality of candidate commands when a vehicle is traveling.

4. The in-vehicle operation apparatus of claim 3, wherein

when the touch pad serving as the command assignment operation unit is operated, the display unit displays each of the assigned commands in respective command slots, and displays each of non-assigned commands in a candidate display area, and

the candidate display area moves according to the operation switch that is selected by an input operation on the touch pad, moving the candidate display area adjacent to one of the command slots corresponding to the selected operation switch.

5. The in-vehicle operation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the operation switch comprises:

a plurality of operation switches arranged in a row along a vehicle right-left direction,

the display unit displays the plurality of commands assigned to the plurality of operation switches in a row arrangement, and

the arrangement of the assigned commands is same as the arrangement of the plurality of operation switches along the vehicle right-left direction.