The present application claims the benefit of co-pending German Patent Application No. DE 10 2011 055 319.3, filed Nov. 14, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to a control device of a multi-functional system for motor vehicles.
In various vehicles, roller-shaped control elements or control knobs/rotary actuators, rotary-pressing actuators, 4- or 8-path rotary-pressing actuators, joysticks or other control elements and control units formed thereof are employed to control multi-functional systems, preferably through steering-wheel control elements.
To control multi-functional systems through information represented on a display in menus or similar structures requires specific consideration in the design and concept of control elements.
Purely mechanical control elements electrically connected as usual meet the requirements of the car manufacturers to some extent only, particularly with respect to watertight sealing or water-insensitive design.
In DE 101 23 478 A1 a bi-directional control element shaped as a roller is described. The roller is rotatable and pressable. Another configuration of the roller is described as being equipped with two switches arranged laterally.
From US 2008/257701 A a roller-shaped control element is known. The roller is rotatable, pressable and slidable along an axis of rotation. The displacement along the axis of rotation can lead to triggering an electrical switch.
DE 103 15 721 A1 also describes a roller-shaped control element. The roller is rotatable and slidable along the axis of rotation. The sliding along the axis of rotation is linked to a sensor to determine the action of force.
Generally, conventional designs include at least the following drawbacks:
Purely mechanical control elements electrically connected as usual meet the requirements of the car manufacturers to some extent only. These requirements, for example, are an enclosed design of the electronic components and water-tight and dust-tight seal achieved thereby, or at least, a water- or dust-insensitive design, as well as low-wear design to achieve a long service life. Because the electronic input unit and the control component are not separated and cannot be enclosed, no or insufficient protection against water possibly penetrating is provided so that there is a risk of an electrical short circuit, as well as no or insufficient protection against penetrating dust is provided, which results in a lower quality and hence service life of the control element.
In some aspects, a control unit is provided and includes mechanical control elements for controlling multi-functional systems such that the control unit is protected against water and dust having a long service life.
In other aspects, a control device of a multi-functional system for motor vehicles is provided. The control device includes one or more control elements established moving and/or touch-sensitive, an input unit against that the control element is electrically insulated, the input unit provided with a set of two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical sensors that detects a motion of the control element itself and/or touch actions on the control element, a display unit to represent information in lists by means of which the multi-functional system can be controlled, a computing unit in data connection to the input unit and the display unit, the computing unit converting the positional data of the control element and/or the positional data of the touch on the control element into a corresponding position in a selection list of the display unit, and a switching unit that can be actuated over the control element allowing the selection of a list element.
In further aspects, the opto-electronic input unit and the control component are separated from each other. An optical sensing technology is adapted to separate the detection of the motion of the control element, i.e., a rotary motion and/or a displacement, from the mechanical motion of the control element.
In still other aspects, the control unit can include one or more of the following control elements: A roller that is rotatable, pressable and slidable; rotary actuators or rotary-pressing actuators; a mechanical control plate that is slidable in 4-path directions, 8-path directions or freely movable; an optical detection unit (sensing unit, input unit) to detect finger gestures on a touch-sensitive surface; and a so-called trackball.
In still further aspects, at least one of the control elements is roller-shaped and rotatably supported on a first axis of rotation, and at the same time is pressable into a path direction, wherein a possibly performed rotary motion of the roller-shaped control element is detected by the set of two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical sensors of the input unit and the position, that is the orientation of the roller-shaped control element, is converted by the computing unit into a corresponding position in a selection list of the display unit so that a vertical motion through selection lists of the display element is made possible.
A photo or optical sensor is used to detect the rotation and the left-hand or right-hand motion of the roller that is to ensure a two-dimensional or three-dimensional detection. The roller is electrically insulated from the board, thus also insulated from the live electronic components. Therefore, there are no limitations of the product design caused by a direct connection of the control element to the electronic components. Rather, maximum freedom of the product design is given. Moreover, an ideal protection against humidity and water penetration, or insensitivity thereof is ensured. With the rotary motion optically input, no wear of the input unit is produced.
In yet other aspects, an optimized control of complex menu-based systems is provided. Particularly, the control through a roller-shaped control element is similar to that using the scrolling wheel of the computer mouse implemented in the field of computers.
In yet further aspects, the control element is adapted to slide to the left and right, wherein a slide motion possibly performed of the control element is detected by the set of two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical sensors of the input unit and the position of the control element is converted by the computing unit into a corresponding position in a selection list of the display unit so that a left-hand or right-hand motion through selection lists of the display element is enabled.
In other aspects, a control element is provided with a capacitive surface that enables detection of a swipe motion on the surface of the control element at any position by a capacitive sensor, wherein each position of the control element is converted into a corresponding position in a selection list of the display unit. This enables performance of any swipe motion such as a left-hand or right-hand motion, through selection lists of the display unit.
For pressing, a switch can be actuated mechanically or electronically, wherein for the human user actuation is to be in form of tactile or haptic feedback. Advantageously, tactile switches can be chosen for pressing. The tactile feedback of the switch is exchangeable in order to meet the requirements of various car manufacturers. Also the material of each control element is exchangeable.
Also, a roller-shaped control element offers a one-path press function, for which the roller may require a structure lying underneath. Actuating a switch enables the selection of a list element, with the switch hidden below the surface. The switch can be actuated mechanically or electronically. According to one embodiment, the switching device comprises a switch that is mechanically connected to the first axis of rotation in such a manner that a vertical or horizontal motion of a roller-shaped control element and the first axis of rotation caused by pressing results in triggering the switch. This enables the selection of a list element over a one-path press function of the roller-shaped control element.
Continuing, a first lever arm of a toggle element with two lever arms and a vertex originates from the first axis of rotation, with the toggle element supported at its vertex on a second axis of rotation. The second lever arm of the toggle element originates from the second axis of rotation and, upon a vertical motion of the roller-shaper control element and the first axis of rotation, the second lever arm is moved such that the second lever arm with its facing end contacts the switch thereby triggering the switching action.
In further aspects, the switching device includes an optical or capacitive sensor that triggers the switching action when it detects a vertical or horizontal motion of the roller-shaped control element caused by pressing. Also, in this way, the selection of a list element through a one-path pressing function of the roller-shaped control element is made possible.
Further details, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The roller-shaped control element 2 also offers a one-path pressing function 8, indicated by an arrow 8 pointing downwards. For such a pressing function, the roller-shaped control element 2 may include a sub structure (not shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2011 055 319.3 | Nov 2011 | DE | national |