Motor vehicle and method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle

• US 9,751,406 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schlittenbauer, Michael, Kuehne, Marcus, Mueller, Ulrich, McClain, Megan, Paffett-Lugassy, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R
• Application Number:
  US14/678,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/141 Activation of instrument input devices by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/115 Selection of menu items
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/141 Activation by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/186 Displaying Information according to relevancy
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

A method controls a climate control system in a motor vehicle. The method involves displaying climate control information on a primary display, determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system, and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle. The method may therefore provide the information to the occupant of the vehicle when it is needed, before the climate control system is adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

displaying climate control information on a primary display;

determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and

displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein

the secondary display is a line-of-sight display normally within a driver'"'"'s line-of-sight when the driver operates the motor vehicle, and

if it is determined that only a passenger'"'"'s hand is approaching the manual control element, the climate control information is not displayed on the secondary display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a time-of-flight camera determines when the hand is approaching the manual control element.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary display is a head-up display projected onto a windshield of the motor vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate control information is selected from the group consisting of temperature setting, fan setting and actual temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate control information remains displayed in the secondary display while the hand touches the manual control element.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the climate control information is removed from the secondary display as soon as the hand is removed from the manual control element.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, when the hand is removed from the manual control element, the climate control information remains displayed on the secondary display for a time shorter than a time period that would be required for a driver to understand the climate control information if the climate control information first appeared on the secondary display only after the manual control element was moved.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the manual control element is a rotary or pushbutton controller in a control panel.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the climate control information is displayed on the primary display at least when a driver is looking at the primary display.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the primary display is a center console screen,

the secondary display is a heads-up display or an instrument cluster display,

the method further comprises determining a driver'"'"'s direction of view, and

the climate control information is displayed in the primary display only when the driver is looking at the primary display.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein an eye-tracker camera is used to determine the driver'"'"'s direction of view.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the secondary display displays navigation information for a navigation system of the motor vehicle, and

at least a part of the navigation information is excluded from the secondary display when displaying climate control information in the secondary display.

13. A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

displaying climate control information on a primary display;

determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and

displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein

the climate control information remains displayed in the secondary display while the hand touches the manual control element, and

when the hand is removed from the manual control element, the climate control information remains displayed on the secondary display for a time shorter than a time period that would be required for a driver to understand the climate control information if the climate control information first appeared on the secondary display only after the manual control element was moved.

14. A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

displaying climate control information on a primary display;

determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and

displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein

the primary display is a center console screen,

the secondary display is a heads-up display or an instrument cluster display,

the method further comprises determining a driver'"'"'s direction of view, and

the climate control information is displayed in the primary display only when the driver is looking at the primary display.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein an eye-tracker camera is used to determine the driver'"'"'s direction of view.

16. A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

displaying climate control information on a primary display;

determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and

displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein

the secondary display displays navigation information for a navigation system of the motor vehicle, and

at least a part of the navigation information is excluded from the secondary display when displaying climate control information in the secondary display.

17. A motor vehicle comprising:

a climate control device having a manual control element;

a primary display for climate control information;

a secondary display for climate control information, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle;

a gesture recognition device to recognize when a hand is approaching the manual control element of the climate control device; and

a controller to display climate control information on the secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, wherein

the secondary display is a line-of-sight display normally within a driver'"'"'s line-of-sight when the driver operates the motor vehicle, and

if it is determined that only a passenger'"'"'s hand is approaching the manual control element, the climate control information is not displayed on the secondary display.