Patent Application
20200036381
The present disclosure relates to a control apparatus and method for controlling operation of a component. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a control apparatus including sensing means for receiving inputs in relation to operation of the apparatus. The control apparatus has particular but not exclusive application in a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a control apparatus for a component, to a component, a vehicle, and to a method.
Modern day motor vehicles have numerous different systems and subsystems which require electronic control units (ECUs), or controllers, to power and control their functionality. Examples of the control units required include those for the various air bags distributed around the vehicle cabin, interior lights, front and rear seats, the entertainment module and/or DVD players, parking aids, various motion and other sensors, the power steering unit, and the terrain and navigation systems, to name but a few. Further electronic control units are also required to control the powertrain and the vehicle engine.
Many of the controllers include user interfaces such as switches and the like. Certain of these interfaces may have stricter requirements in relation to their mode of operation so as to improve user convenience. For example, it may be more important to avoid inadvertent operation of systems and subsystems controlled by certain control apparatus. In this way, the manner in which the user interacts with these controllers must be carefully considered.
It is an object of embodiments of the invention to at least mitigate one or more of the problems of the prior art.
Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control apparatus for a component, to a component, a vehicle, and to a method as claimed in the appended claims.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a control apparatus for controlling operation of a component, the apparatus comprising a first pressure sensing means adjacent to a gesture sensing means, the first pressure sensing means being adapted to detect a first press input and the gesture sensing means being adapted to detect a gesture input at the control apparatus, such that the first press input and the gesture input combine to form a command for controlling operation of the component.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a control apparatus for controlling operation of a component, the control apparatus comprising a user-interaction surface visible to a user of the apparatus, in use, and a first pressure sensing means adjacent to a gesture sensing means, the first pressure sensing means being adapted to detect a first press input and the gesture sensing means being adapted to detect a gesture input proximal to the control apparatus, wherein the first pressure sensing means and the gesture sensing means are horizontally adjacent beneath the user-interaction surface, such that movement of a finger to provide the first press input and the gesture input are combinable to form a single command for controlling operation of the component.
In this way, operation of the component requires two distinct input operations from the user. This increases the robustness of the mode of operation of the control apparatus and reduces the opportunities for inadvertent operation of the component. As such, the control apparatus provides for improved operation of the component. The distinct operations may be carried out using one hand, which is particularly useful for use in a vehicle.
Advantageously the two distinct operations form part of a single command. By single command it is meant that the finger forms one substantially continuous motion.
A control apparatus as described above wherein the first pressure sensing means comprises a pressure sensor and the gesture sensing means comprises a gesture sensor wherein each sensor has an output for providing an indication of the sensed quantity.
Optionally, the gesture sensing means is adapted to detect the direction of the gesture input. Sensing the direction of the gesture input provides a further factor that may be combined to form the command, thus advantageously increasing the robustness of the mode of operation of the control apparatus.
In an embodiment, the gesture sensing means is adapted to detect a swipe input. A swipe input is a user-friendly and efficient gesture to combine with a press input.
The control apparatus may comprise a processor adapted to receive a signal from the gesture sensing means in dependence on the gesture input and a signal from the first pressure sensing means in dependence on the first press input; and adapted to output the command to the component in dependence on the received signals. The processor may have electrical inputs for receiving the signals from the sensing means. The processor may have an electrical output for communicating a command signal to the component.
Optionally, the processor comprises a timing module adapted to monitor the relative timing of the gesture input and the first press input, and the processor is adapted to output the command if the relative timing is within a certain limit. In this way, the user must make the press input and the gesture input within only a limited delay between them. Advantageously, this contributes to the robustness of the mode of operation, providing further protections against inadvertent operation of the component.
In an embodiment, the first press input has a pressure above a first predetermined threshold.
The control apparatus may be adapted to generate a set of commands in dependence on different inputs received. In this way, different combinations of the inputs via the pressure sensing means and the gesture sensing means may be defined as different commands for the component.
Optionally, the gesture sensing means is adapted to detect a gesture input in contact with the control apparatus. In this way, the user is required to touch the control apparatus to generate the gesture input.
In an embodiment, the gesture sensing means are adapted to detect a gesture input in proximity to the control apparatus. In this way the control apparatus can be optionally configured to cater for an incidence where a user's touch is inadvertently and momentarily not in contact with the gesture sensing means. Additionally, the control apparatus can be configured differently according to the required interactions associated with different situations or usage.
The control apparatus may comprise a second pressure sensing means separated from the first pressure sensing means by the gesture sensing means, wherein the command includes a second press input at the second pressure sensing means. Advantageously, this further increases the robustness of the mode of operation of the control apparatus by providing a third required input to generate a command. Additionally, the option of a third input is useful in allowing a set of commands to be generated by different combinations of user inputs.
Optionally, the second press input has a pressure above a second predetermined threshold In an embodiment, the first threshold input is equal to the second threshold input.
The processor is adapted to receive a signal from the second pressure sensing means in dependence on the second press input; and is adapted to output the command to the component in dependence on the received signals.
Optionally, the timing module of the processor is adapted to monitor the relative timing of the gesture input, the first press input, and the second press input; and the processor is adapted to output the command if the relative timing are within a certain limit.
In an embodiment, the control apparatus may be formed from at least a first sensing layer implementing the first pressure sensing means; a second sensing layer implementing the gesture sensing means; a circuit-carrying layer, and an injection moulded layer. Such a structure has the advantages of being convenient to manufacture and in the final version provides a lightweight yet robust control apparatus that occupies little accommodation space in the component in which it is used.
The control apparatus may be at least partially flexible.
Optionally, the sensing means are implemented using printed electronics.
In an embodiment, the gesture sensing means may comprise a piezoelectric sensing means.
The gesture sensing means may comprise a resistive sensing means. In an embodiment, the resistive sensing means may comprise force sensitive resistive ink.
The capacitive sensing means may comprise a plurality of capacitive sensing elements. In an embodiment the plurality of capacitive sensing elements may be arranged side by side, having increasing distance from the first pressure sensing means. Advantageously, this allows the direction of a gesture traversing the sensing means to be detected my monitoring the change in output of each capacitive sensing element.
In an embodiment the first pressure sensing mean or second pressure sensing means may comprises a piezoelectric sensing means.
Optionally, the first pressure sensing means or second pressure sensing means comprises a resistive sensing means.
The first pressure sensing means or second pressure sensing means may comprise a capacitive sensing means.
The capacitive sensing means may comprise a plurality of portions arranged in relation to one-another. The capacitive sensing means may be shaped as a chevron. Advantageously the chevron shape may improve accurate detection of the gesture.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a component controlled by the control apparatus described previously. In an embodiment, the component may form part of a vehicle. For example, the component may be a sunroof or the like in a vehicle.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a control unit incorporating the control apparatus.
According to a yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a component controlled by the control apparatus described previously.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling operation of a component comprising receiving a first signal in dependence on a first press input at a first sensing means; receiving a second signal in dependence on a gesture input at a gesture sensing means; and outputting a command for the component if the signals indicate a combination of inputs matching a predefined combination of inputs.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling operation of a component comprising receiving a first signal in dependence on a first press input at a first pressure sensing means arranged beneath a user-interaction surface visible to a user, receiving a second signal in dependence on a gesture input at a gesture sensing means arranged beneath the user-interaction surface horizontally adjacent to the pressure sensing means, and outputting a command for the component if the signals indicate movement of a finger to provide single command comprising a combination of inputs matching a predefined combination of inputs.
Optionally, the method comprises receiving a third signal in dependence on a second press input at a second sensing means.
Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.
One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
Referring now to
The first pressure sensing means 202, gesture sensing means 204 and means to combine their output signals, in this case the processor 206 may be considered to form a control apparatus, adapted to generate a control signal for the actuator and so control operation of the component 200.
The first pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 are located horizontally adjacent each other such that a user may move her finger quickly and easily from one to the other. This arrangement allows the user to perform a single movement that engages the two different sensing means so as to complete a single command for controlling operation of the component. The user may be unaware that they have in fact completed two separate movements. In this way, a two-part command that reduces inadvertent activation of the component is provided for without requiring the user to carry out two separate movements.
It will be understood that the term horizontally adjacent is intended to mean that the first pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 are located next to one-another. The first pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 are located proximal to each other in a generally horizontal plane such that movement of the user's finger between the pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 forms the single command In some embodiments, the pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 are contiguous i.e. located immediately adjacent in the horizontal plane. The pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 may horizontally abut one another in some embodiments. The pressure sensing means 202 and gesture sensing means 204 may be arranged so as not to overlap vertically.
The pressure sensing means 202 may comprise a pressure sensor that will react to a press input from a user. The pressure sensing means may comprise a piezoelectric pressure sensor, a resistive pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, a mechanical pressure sensor or other suitable sensor. Depending on the type of pressure sensor used, the output signal 210 may be analogue value indicative of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor. Alternatively, it may be a simple signal value simply indicating that a pressure above a defined threshold has been applied, for example a signal equivalent to a binary 1. If an analogue signal is received by the processor, the processor may analyse the pressure value to determine if it is above a defined threshold.
The gesture sensing means 204 may comprise a sensor that will react to a gesture input from a user. The gesture sensing means may comprise a piezoelectric sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, or other suitable sensor. Typically, the output of the gesture sensing means 204 is processed by the processor 206 to determine characteristics of the gesture input. Such characteristics may include the direction of the gesture, the length of the gesture, the duration of time that the user's finger was in contact with or in proximity to the gestures sensing means, and the like. The gesture input is detected by the gesture sensing means 204 when proximal to the gesture sensing means 204 i.e. within a detection range of the gesture sensing means 204.
The processor 206 may have timing means (not shown) to monitor and analyse the respective timings of inputs from the sensor means. The timing means may analyse the time between the first press input and the gesture input, and if the time between the inputs is too long, the processor 206 will not generate the command to the actuator 208.
Referring now to
Referring now to
It has been observed that the shape of the capacitive sensing element 2400 influences the parasitic capacitance CP of the capacitive sensing element 2400. Square and circular shapes of capacitive sensing element were observed to have good sensitivity to the presence of the user's fingertip, but increased a bouncing effect due to electric field being generated by a point source. However, the chevron shape of the capacitive sensing element 2400 creates a planar or more distributed source of electric field, as illustrated in
It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a gesture sensing means 404 of this type can be arranged to generate command signals in response to pressure patterns applied as stokes or taps by a finger or stylus. It will be further apparent to the person skilled in the art that the gesture sensing means 404 may also be implemented using a resistive pressure sensor, a piezoelectric pressure sensor or other suitable sensor. The gesture sensing means may be provided in a groove, sized to fit a finger, such that the user is encouraged to swipe their finger along the groove.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In use, a user will use the control apparatus 400, 500, 600 to generate command for a component. Typically, the component is within a vehicle. In order for the command to be generated, the user will press a finger to the first pressure sensing means then move her finger along the gesture sensing means and finish by pressing on the second pressure sensing means. Each press generates an input signal. The gesture sensing means may generate an input from the presence (in contact or in proximity) of a finger, and may also generate an input relating to the movement of that finger, and finally may generate an input from the detected direction of the movement. The processor may be programmed to react to various combinations of these inputs. One command is defined by a press on the first pressing sensing mean immediately followed by movement on the gesture sensing means, the movement being away from the first sensing means. A further command may be defined as including the same actions as the original command and further including a terminating press input on the second pressure sensing means. Further commands may include the reverse of the commands previously discussed here. For example, if these commands are used for the operation of a vehicle sunroof, then press1-swipe could be defined as the instruction to open the sunroof half way; press1-swipe-press2 could be defined as the instruction to open the sunroof fully; press2-swipe could be defined as the instruction to close the sunroof halfway; and press2-swipe-press1 be defined as the instruction to close the sunroof fully.
Referring now to
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Referring again to
A particular challenge with known control units is the limitation of their shape and size which restricts where the units can be housed. Traditionally control units are formed of a printed circuit board containing various electronic components and wiring which are housed within a rigid casing. The units need to be hidden within the vehicle, for aesthetic and operational reasons, and are often located behind the trim panels in the cabin. However space is limited in these regions and the inflexible design of the packaging for the control units means they cannot readily be accommodated in restricted spaces. Where a control unit comprise a control apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, the location of the control unit in question may be even more limited. For example, the control apparatus for a sunroof or electric window may be located near the sunroof or window.
The control unit 10 further comprises a second member 18 which defines a B-surface 20 of the unit, and an intermediate member in the form of an injection moulded layer 22 interposed between the first and second members 14, 18. Typically in a vehicle, reference to an “A-surface” is a surface which is presented to a user of the vehicle and/or with which a vehicle user interacts, for example for the purpose of initiating control of a function within the vehicle, whereas a “B-surface” is a non-interacting surface that is usually hidden from the view of the user. The A- and B-surfaces may be defined by opposed surfaces of the same member, or as is shown in
It will be appreciated from the following description that either the first or the second member may form the circuit-carrying member of the control unit 10 (i.e. that component upon which the electronic circuit is printed). The phrase ‘member’ may be taken to mean any part, element, layer or other component of the control unit.
The first and second members 14, 18 are generally plate-like members, but in other configurations may take the form of thinner members, and even flexible layers, as discussed in further detail below. The first and second members 14, 18 are pre-formed members. The pre-formed first and second members 14, 18 are placed in the injection mould prior to the injection moulding process which produces the control unit 10 by forming layer 22.
Referring to
The B-surface 20 is defined by a second thermoformed member 18, formed in the same way as described previously for the first member, to which a plurality of active and passive electronic components and printed tracks or wires are applied using known techniques. Typical passive components take the form of resistors, capacitors, inductors and transformers and diodes, whereas typical active components are those which act upon a source of current, such as amplifiers, switches, light emitting diodes (LEDs), integrated circuits, memories and microcontrollers. Typically, the B-surface 20 may be provided with one or more of the following features; an integrated circuit, a microprocessor, light emitting diodes (LEDs), user-interactive components such as pressure sensitive track, grid sensors, resistors, antennae, capacitors, sensors, quartz clocks, inductors, and conductive prints or tracks for carrying current. Known techniques for printing of the wires and tracks onto the B-surface 20 include screen printing, flexo printing, gravure, offset lithography, inkjet, aerosol deposition or laser printing.
Being pre-formed, thermoformed parts, the first and second members 14, 18 are lightweight and robust in nature, and can be formed with an aesthetically pleasing shape, contour and/or finish. This is particularly relevant for the A-surface 16 which provides the interaction surface for the user and is visible to the user within the vehicle cabin. The thermoforming process also enables a whole host of different shapes to be achieved for the members 14, 18. In the present embodiment the first and second members 14, 18 are generally planar with a slight curvature on their upper surfaces. In other embodiments, for example, the members may be more fully curved or rounded, at least in part, as determined by the shape of the available accommodation space which they are intended to occupy within the vehicle. Typical materials from which the first and second members 14, 18 are formed include polycarbonate materials or thermoplastic polymer resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Other examples of injection moulding engineered thermoplastic materials include polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether sulfone, acetals, polypropylenes, polyether imide (PEI), polyethylenes, polyphenylene oxide (PPO), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyurethanes (PUR), thermoplastic elastomers, polyphthalamide (PPA), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), including plexiglass.
In other embodiments of the invention the first and second members 14, 18 may take the form of vacuum formed elements or members, as opposed to thermoformed elements or members. Other pre-forming methods may also be used to produce the ‘pre-formed’ members 14, 18, prior to performing the injection moulding process.
The B-surface 20 is provided with a printed electronics layer including a first set 30 of four LEDs provided in a horizontal arrangement in a first zone (top left) of the surface, a second set 32 of three LEDs provided in a vertical arrangement in a second zone just to the right of the vertical centreline of the surface and a third set 34 of LEDs provided in an arc arrangement located adjacent to the second zone. It will be appreciated that the use of the terms horizontal and vertical in this description is made with reference to the orientation in the figures, but is not intended to be limiting.
The positions of the first, second and third zones on the B-surface 20 correspond to associated regions on the A-surface 16 which are provided with graphical features to identify the positions of the zones underneath when the members 14, 18 are assembled in a ‘stack’, as indicated in
The B-surface 20 is further provided with a hybrid integrated circuit 36 for controlling and powering the various electronic components 30, 32, 34. Conductive prints or conductive tracks (two of which are identified by 38) are printed on various regions of the B-surface to provide current to the various components 30, 32, 34. In practice a greater number of tracks may be provided than is necessary for each component 30, 32, 34, for reasons which shall be explained later. The conductive tracks 38 include copper tracks (e.g. forming part of the hybrid integrated circuit 36) which provide fast connections to the microcontrollers and microprocessors of the hybrid integrated circuit 36, and silver tracks which carry current from the hybrid integrated circuit 36 to the other components (e.g. components 30, 32, 34) of the printed electronics layer. The substrate for the printed electronics layer may take the form of a polyester (PET), polyethylene naphthalate, polyimide, or plexiglass.
A grid sensing region 40 is provided in a three-dimensional groove formed along the upper edge of the B-surface 20 which corresponds to the position of the aforementioned three-dimensional groove provided in the A-surface. The groove 40 is shaped to receive the groove formation 26 of the A-surface when the members 14, 18 are assembled together. In use, sliding movement of the user's finger along the groove 26 provides a variable control function, or ‘slider’ function (for example using a piezoelectric or capacitive touch function) which may be used in particular to control the opening of a vehicle sunroof, as described in further detail below. The groove and its associated sensing means may be considered as gesture sensing means.
In the centre of the B-surface 20, and in each of the four outermost corners, openings are provided, also referred to as ‘gates’ 44, into which a moulding material is injected in order to form the third member 22 between the first and second members 14, 18. The first and second members 14, 18 are first placed into respective injection moulds with their various features in place, as described previously, and then the material for the intermediate member 22 is injected through the gates 44 into the cavity between the outer members 14, 18. Typically the material that is injected between the first and second members 14, 18 is a polycarbonate material, or other material suitable for injection moulding. Such polycarbonate materials are highly robust and may be transparent. The material is injected into the cavity at high temperature and pressure, and is then cooled so that the material adopts the shape of the cavity between the first and second members 14, 18, to complete the three-layer structure of the control unit shown clearly in
The position of the gates 44 is an important feature of the assembly in that the gates need to be positioned in areas where the high pressures and temperatures associated with the injection moulding process do not cause damage to any of the more sensitive and fragile electronic components on the B-surface 20. By way of example with reference to
Once the moulded layer 22 is formed between the two members 14, 18 the control unit takes its final form, comprising the first member 14 defining the A-surface 16 with graphical features with which the user can interact, the second member 18 defining the B-surface 20 which carries the various electronic components controlled by the user interactions with the A-surface 16, and the moulded layer 22 between the first and second members to provide rigidity and structure to the unit.
Control units having a construction as described in relation to
The B-surface 20 is provided with a printed electronics layer including a first set 30 of four LEDs provided in a horizontal arrangement in a first zone (top left) of the surface, a second set 32 of three LEDs provided in a vertical arrangement in a second zone just to the right of the vertical centreline of the surface and a third set 34 of LEDs provided in an arc arrangement located adjacent to the second zone. It will be appreciated that the use of the terms horizontal and vertical in this description is made with reference to the orientation in the figures, but is not intended to be limiting.
The positions of the first, second and third zones on the B-surface 20 correspond to associated regions on the A-surface 16 which are provided with graphical features to identify the positions of the zones underneath when the members 14, 18 are assembled in a ‘stack’, as indicated in
The B-surface 20 is further provided with a hybrid integrated circuit 36 for controlling and powering the various electronic components 30, 32, 34. Conductive prints or conductive tracks (two of which are identified by 38) are printed on various regions of the B-surface to provide current to the various components 30, 32, 34. In practice a greater number of tracks may be provided than is necessary for each component 30, 32, 34, for reasons which shall be explained later. The conductive tracks 38 include copper tracks (e.g. forming part of the hybrid integrated circuit 36) which provide fast connections to the microcontrollers and microprocessors of the hybrid integrated circuit 36, and silver tracks which carry current from the hybrid integrated circuit 36 to the other components (e.g. components 30, 32, 34) of the printed electronics layer. The substrate for the printed electronics layer may take the form of a polyester (PET), polyethylene naphthalate, polyimide, or plexiglass.
A grid sensing region 40, adapted to operate as a gesture sensing means, is provided in a three-dimensional groove formed along the upper edge of the B-surface 20 which corresponds to the position of the aforementioned three-dimensional groove provided in the A-surface. The groove 40 is shaped to receive the groove formation 26 of the A-surface when the members 14, 18 are assembled together. In use, sliding movement of the user's finger along the groove 26 provides a variable control function, or ‘slider’ function (for example using a piezoelectric or capacitive touch function) which may be used in particular to control the opening of a vehicle sunroof, as described in further detail below.
In the centre of the B-surface 20, and in each of the four outermost corners, openings are provided, also referred to as ‘gates’ 44, into which a moulding material is injected in order to form the third member 22 between the first and second members 14, 18. The first and second members 14, 18 are first placed into respective injection moulds with their various features in place, as described previously, and then the material for the intermediate member 22 is injected through the gates 44 into the cavity between the outer members 14, 18. Typically the material that is injected between the first and second members 14, 18 is a polycarbonate material, or other material suitable for injection moulding. Such polycarbonate materials are highly robust and may be transparent. The material is injected into the cavity at high temperature and pressure, and is then cooled so that the material adopts the shape of the cavity between the first and second members 14, 18, to complete the three-layer structure of the control unit 10 shown clearly in
The position of the gates 44 is an important feature of the assembly in that the gates need to be positioned in areas where the high pressures and temperatures associated with the injection moulding process do not cause damage to any of the more sensitive and fragile electronic components on the B-surface 20. By way of example with reference to
Once the moulded layer 22 is formed between the two members 14, 18 the control unit 10 takes its final form, comprising the first member 14 defining the A-surface 16 with graphical features with which the user can interact, the second member 18 defining the B-surface 20 which carries the various electronic components controlled by the user interactions with the A-surface 16, and the moulded layer 22 between the first and second members to provide rigidity and structure to the unit.
In
In addition, a piezoelectric layer (not shown) may be laid immediately beneath the first member 14 (i.e. in intimate contact with or in very close proximity to the first member 14). The piezoelectric layer is a pressure-sensitive layer via which the underlying electronic components 30, 32, 34 are controlled by the user applying a pressure to the surface of the first member 14 to provide a piezoelectric control function for the underlying electronic components 30, 32, 34.
In other embodiments (not shown), electrode and dielectric layers may be provided in the layer-structure of the control unit 10 to provide a capacitive touch functionality for the unit. The electrode layer and dielectric layers may be provided by the conductive tracks (such as 38). In this configuration a small voltage is applied to conductive tracks on the second member 18, resulting in a uniform electrostatic field. When a conductor, such as a human finger, touches the surface of the first member 14 a capacitor is dynamically formed with the conductive tracks. An underlying controller printed on the second member 18 can then determine the location of the user's touch indirectly from the change in the capacitance as a result of the touch. This in turn can be used to control the underlying electronic components 30, 32, 34. The three dimensional grooves 26, 40, and the slider function provided by a user sliding their finger through the groove 26 of the first member 14, may be implemented by means of a piezoelectric or capacitive touch function.
In practice the capacitive touch effect may be enhanced if a ground plane is incorporated into the structure at the rear of the second member 18 (i.e. on the opposite side to the moulded layer 22).
In the case of capacitive touch embodiments there is no need for intimate contact between an electrode layer and the first member 14 in the same way as for a piezoelectric-based activation, because the change in capacitance as a result of touch is enough to indicate control.
Many other layers may be incorporated into the structure to provide touch-sensitive or other user-control functions of the control unit 10, including resistive layers, piezoelectric layers, electromagnetic layers, Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC) layers, electric field (e-field) layers and RF layers.
A further alternative embodiment of the control unit may comprise having both the first and second members 14, 18 provided with electronic components, identified as 30, together with the necessary conductive tracks 38. As mentioned previously the first member 14 may be provided with a protective coating 50, although this is not essential. This embodiment may be particularly useful for a control unit which is configured for gesture control, wherein the electronic components need to be located close to the A surface of the control unit but other electronic components may be located on the B surface of the control unit. For example, it may be that one surface of the control unit is not of sufficient area to accommodate all the necessary electronic components, or alternatively it may be beneficial to spread the distribution of the electronic components, for example to minimize local heat generation from the components, in use. The control unit may be provided with a connector which is configured to apply the required currents to the electronic components. It may be desirable to control the electronic components on each of the first and second members 14, 18 using a common connector, as opposed to individual connectors being used for each one.
Referring now to
Located above the B-film is the injection moulded layer 22, and above that is the first member 14. The first member 14 of the configurations shown in
Referring now to
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In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the pressure sensitive inks spots are very small, typically having a diameter around 1 mm and are in the form of a bubble or dimple. This embodiment uses the concept of pressure, P, being equal to the force, F, being divided by the area, P=F/A. Reducing the relevant area by using very a very small boss of pressure sensitive ink increases the pressure for the same force applied. In this way, the sensitivity requirement of the pressure sensitive ink is reduced. The area of pressure detection and applied pressure contribute to the determination of the dimensions of the ink spot. In an embodiment, the ink spot will be substantially hemispherical.
Referring now to
In other embodiments (not shown) the hard protective coating 50 applied to the front surface of the first member 14 may take the form of a veneer, such as a wood effect veneer, which matches or complements the trim of the vehicle cabin in which the control unit 10 is intended to be used. In this way the control unit, comprising the control apparatus of the invention, readily lends itself to occupying a prominent location within the vehicle cabin, and as such can be accommodated within an arm rest, overhead panel or the dashboard, for example, due to its aesthetically attractive finish. For example, the veneer may take the form of any thin layer of suitable material, such as wood, carbon-fibre, polymer heat shrink plastic, metal, textile or leather.
Because of the high temperatures and pressures of the aforementioned injection moulding process, and despite the careful positioning of the gate(s) away from the most fragile and sensitive electronic components, some damage may occur to the conductive elements or tracks as the injected material is introduced through the gate(s) into the mould cavity. For this reason it may be beneficial to locate active electronic components in positions away from the gates 44, and passive electronic components closer to the gates 44, as the passive components are less likely to be susceptible to damage.
In addition, some electronic components require a higher current for performance (e.g. higher powered LEDs), so it is beneficial to allow for redundancy of these tracks to ensure that, even allowing for some breakage or damage during the injection moulding process, enough current can be delivered to the components through the remaining tracks which are not broken or damaged.
For the reasons described above the selection criterion for where particular components are located may be to locate active electronic components away from the gates, and passive components in closer proximity to the gates. Another criterion may be to consider whether a component is critical for the desired functioning of the control unit 10. If a component is considered critical to the operation of a control unit (for example, an LED light that provides illumination for a control unit for an indicator), then it is beneficial to locate the critical component away from the location of the gate so that the likelihood of damage to the conductive tracks supplying current to the LED, and/or damage to the LED itself, is minimised. It is also beneficial to locate the more fragile copper conductive tracks of the B-surface further away from the gates, whereas the silver conductive tracks may be more robust to the high pressure flows through the gates during injection moulding.
To counter any damage which may arise, it may be beneficial to provide an excess of conductive prints or tracks to provide some redundancy for the tracks in the event that such damage arises. In particular, redundant conductive tracks 38 may be provided in the regions local to the gate(s) 44, which are those regions most susceptible to damage as they experience the highest pressures.
Another problem which may arise is that the cooling and curing process which follows the high temperatures and pressures associated with the injection moulding process may lead to shrinkage and breakage of the tracks 38 due to the deformation of the underlying layer or substrate to which they are applied. Care therefore needs to be taken in selecting an appropriate ink viscosity for the conductive tracks 38 and the density of the track lines. The size and density of the tracks is dependent not only on the positioning relative to the gates, but also the electrical load requirements for the components to which the tracks connect.
As described further below, other methods of manufacturing the control apparatus of the invention may be employed to avoid the aforementioned problems altogether.
In order to provide additional protection for the more thermally sensitive electronic components it may be beneficial to incorporate a heat-sink arrangement into the control unit to transfer heat that builds up during the injection moulding process away from the sensitive components. The provision of a heat-sink arrangement also has benefits in operation of the control unit as it allows heat that is generated in use to be dissipated away from the areas of the control unit which may be damaged or caused to malfunction in the event of overheating.
A further alternative embodiment (not shown) makes use of a heat-sink feature which does not form a part of the final control unit 10 structure, but instead forms a part of the manufacturing tool used for the injection moulding process. This provides protection from heat for the electronic components during manufacture only.
In a still further embodiment (not shown) in which a heat sink arrangement is employed, a Peltier heat pump or a loop heat pipe may be used in combination with the thermally conductive element so as to provide a means of active control of heating or cooling of the encapsulated electronic circuit.
In other embodiments it is envisaged that the thermally conductive heat sink arrangement may be configured to conduct heat to the printed electronic circuit, for example, without limitation if there are other features of the control unit 10 require heat to be transferred away from them.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the invention provides a robust, lightweight structure for the control unit 10 which lends itself to be located within a vehicle cabin where it is visible to the user due to the high-quality and versatile finish that can be achieved on the A-surface 16 with which the user interacts. One such embodiment is the over head control panel described previously and as shown in
In another embodiment (not shown), the control unit 10 forms a part of a vehicle sun-visor. Typically, the sun-visor in a vehicle takes the form of a pull-down flap which obscures a region of the windscreen when in its pulled-down configuration so as to reduce glare for the user, but can be stowed in an upper substantially horizontal configuration, resting against the top of the windscreen frame, when not in use. Conventional sun visors are often provided with a vanity mirror and a light source which illuminates the area around the mirror and the user's face when the sun visor is pulled down. The light source is either operable by a switch on the sun visor or may light up automatically as the visor is pulled down. In the present invention the control unit 10 may be mounted on the sun visor so that the electronic components (whether mounted on the reverse of the A-surface or on a B-surface) are packaged conveniently within the sun visor unit to provide enhanced functionality for the lighting. By way of example, the level of lighting provided by the light source may be controlled in dependence on ambient lighting levels, or the timing of illumination from the light source may be controlled in dependence on other vehicle parameters or operating modes. The invention therefore enables an integrated light emitting system to be provided in the small confines of a vehicle sun visor to give improved lighting features.
In other embodiments of the invention when utilised in a vehicle, the control unit 10 may take the form of a display panel for presenting information to the user, rather than providing an interaction surface for the user. For example, the control unit may be configured to control a hidden-until-lit feature of the vehicle whereby illumination of the feature by a light source (e.g. LED) of the control panel highlights the feature to the user which is otherwise not visible.
Certain of the previously described embodiments of the invention are formed using an injection moulding process to produce the intermediate layer and/or the encapsulation layer(s). In order to avoid the problems associated with the high temperatures and pressures of the injection moulding process, alternatively the control unit structure may be formed using a lamination process to replace the injection moulded layer with a laminate layer.
In order to assemble the control apparatus 110 using the lamination process the first member 114 is first pre-formed using a thermoforming process, as described previously, and is laid into a mould. The second member 118 is formed using a similar process, as described previously, and is laid into a facing mould. The glue layer 122 is then laid onto the first or second member. The glue layer is pre-warmed so that it is pliable, but is formed of a material that does not require excessive pre-warming to give the required pliability.
Once the glue layer 122 is laid onto the first or second members 114, 118 the mouldings are brought together to apply pressure to the parts, sandwiching the glue layer 122 between the first and second members 114, 118. Heat is then applied to the structure so that the glue moulds itself exactly to the shape of the first and second members 114, 118 and adheres the parts together. The presence of the glue on the second member 118 is beneficial in that it provides a protective layer for the electronic components and circuitry during the heating phase. Moreover, as the glue layer is heated its phase change from a more solid to liquid form takes energy away from the components and circuitry. Finally the assembled structure is cooled so that the glue ‘sets’ to fix the first and second members 114, 118 securely together in a rigid structure with the glue forming an intermediate layer 122 between them.
In another embodiment (not shown) in which a laminate glue layer is used to hold the members of the control apparatus together, the need for two base members 114, 118 may be removed if the graphical features are laid directly into a mould rather than applying them to a first member 114. The glue is then laid directly into the mould, on top of the graphical features, and is sandwiched together with the second member 118 to form a two-layer structure with the graphical features being embedded or imprinted on the surface of the glue layer.
In a still further embodiment (not shown) the control apparatus may comprise two or three layers formed from a lamination process so that the layer upon which the electronic components and conductive tracks are printed is a flexible sheet or layer, rather than taking a rigid pre-form.
One benefit of the glue lamination process is that the high temperatures and pressures required for the injection moulding process are avoided. In addition, there is no need to accommodate gates within either the first and/or second members 114, 118 as the glue is simply laid onto one of the layers in pliable form. The lamination process also enables the stacking of integrated circuit components onto the B-surface (or the reverse of the A-surface) which may not otherwise be achievable due to the high temperatures and pressures of the injection moulding process which would too readily deform the stacked circuitry. Suitable materials for the lamination process include resins, vinyls, and ethylene copolymer resins.
Other embodiments envisage a hybrid arrangement of a laminated control unit structure in one part of the vehicle which is integrated with a moulded control unit structure in a common assembly. For example the arm rest of the vehicle may include a moulded high gloss unit with a wood-effect veneer having the control functions of the A-surface, with the laminated unit being adjacent to it to provide the resting surface for the arm.
Referring now to
When used in a vehicle, the control apparatus provides the advantage that it is convenient to manufacture and in the final version provides a lightweight yet robust control apparatus that occupies little accommodation space within the vehicle. This is a particularly useful feature in modern day vehicles where vehicle functionality is high, and there is an ever increasing need for additional control functions. Furthermore, the printed electronic circuit is protected by the injection moulded layer which encapsulates the fragile and sensitive electronic components and circuitry.
It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention can be realised in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage such as, for example, a storage device like a ROM, whether erasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, for example, RAM, memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a CD, DVD, magnetic disk or magnetic tape. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are embodiments of machine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a program or programs that, when executed, implement embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing a system or method as claimed in any preceding claim and a machine readable storage storing such a program. Still further, embodiments of the present invention may be conveyed electronically via any medium such as a communication signal carried over a wired or wireless connection and embodiments suitably encompass the same.
All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.
Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. The claims should not be construed to cover merely the foregoing embodiments, but also any embodiments which fall within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1703580.9 | Mar 2017 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/055011 | 3/1/2018 | WO | 00 |
