Control apparatus and method for controlling operation target device in vehicle, and steering wheel

• US 9,267,809 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: Karasawa, Manabu, Nakajima, Koichi, Kondo, Ryo, Doigaki, Toru, Fukuda, Shunsuke, Idegami, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US14/176,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 20/06 mounted on steering column or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 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 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• 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 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes

Abstract

A first detector is configured to detect a state where a first area in a touch sensor mounted on a grip portion that a driver grips on a steering wheel is touched. A second detector is configured to detect a state where a particular input operation is performed on a second area located on the upper side of the first area in the touch sensor. A controller is configured to control an operation target device to be operated with the touch sensor according to the particular input operation when the first detector detects the state where the first area is touched and the second detector detects the state where the particular input operation is performed.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle, comprising:

a touch sensor mounted on a grip portion that a driver grips on a steering wheel, the touch sensor including a first area, a second area and a third area, the first area located in an area where a palm of the driver makes contact, the second area located on an upper side of the first area and located in an area where a thumb or an index finger of the driver makes contact, the third area provided as an operation invalid area where an operation input is invalid and located between the first area and the second area;

a first detector configured to detect a state where the first area is touched;

a second detector configured to detect a state where a particular input operation is performed on the second area, the particular input operation being a sliding pattern by the thumb or the index finger on the second area; and

a controller configured to control an operation target device to be operated with the touch sensor according to the sliding pattern when the first detector detects the state where the first area is touched by the palm and the second detector detects the state where the sliding pattern was performed on the second area by the thumb or the index finger.

2. The control apparatus for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first detector determines that the first area is touched by the palm when the first detector detects a predetermined area or greater of the first area being touched.

3. The control apparatus for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second area includes a front side facing the driver and a rear side, the second detector detects the state where the sliding pattern was performed on the front side by the thumb and the state where sliding pattern was performed on the rear side by the index finger.

4. A method for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a touch sensor mounted on a grip portion that a driver grips on a steering wheel the touch sensor comprising a first area, a second area and a third area, the first area located in an area where a palm of the driver makes contact, the second area located on an upper side of the first area and located in an area where a thumb or an index finger of the driver makes contact, the third area provided as an operation invalid area where an operation input is invalid located between the first area and the second area, the method comprising:

detecting a state where the first area is touched;

detecting a particular input operation being performed on the second, area, the particular input operation being a sliding pattern by the thumb or the index finger on the second area; and

controlling an operation target device to be operated with the touch sensor according to the sliding pattern when the state where the first area is touched by the palm is detected and the sliding pattern was performed on the second area by the thumb or the index finger.

5. The method for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the state where the first area is touched by the palm is detected when detecting a predetermined area or greater of the first area being touched.

6. The method for controlling an operation target device in a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the second area includes a front side facing the driver and a rear side, further comprising detection of the state where the sliding pattern by the thumb on the front side was performed and detection of the state where the sliding pattern by the index finger on the rear side was performed.