The present invention relates to a method for controlling at least one function of an apparatus by means of at least one screen and to a user interface configured for executing the introduced method.
In order to provide feedback to a user of a screen, in particular haptic feedback, about a state of a function that is controlled by the screen, actuators are generally used which generate a feedback in the form of vibration pattern, when the function is operated. Such actuators are expensive, heavy and require much installation space.
German document DE 10 315 841 A1 introduces an operating device with haptic feedback for a motor vehicle, in which a touch-sensitive display is mounted in a base position via a spring element by means of a tiltable holder.
German document DE 10 2013 225 463 A1 discloses an operating device for an electric device, in which, for controlling a function, a tilting movement of a spring-mounted touch-sensitive operating device is realized.
International Publication WO 2016 012 277 A1 discloses for a vehicle component an operating unit which is mounted elastically movable via a support element.
Against this background, a method for controlling at least one function of an apparatus by means of at least one screen is introduced, wherein the at least one screen is arranged by at least one retaining element on at least one axis, and wherein the at least one screen is mounted for rotation about the at least one axis, and a movement of the at least one screen relative to the at least one axis activates at least one switch arranged on a movement path of the at least one screen, and wherein the activation of the at least one switch activates or deactivates a control element for controlling the at least one function.
Embodiments become apparent from the description and the dependent claims.
The introduced method is used, in particular for controlling a function of a vehicle by means of a screen, without a feedback of an input of a control command being confirmed via a vibration pattern and a corresponding actuator. For this purpose, the invention provides that the screen is rotatably arranged on an axis, so that the screen moves relative to the axis, or is pivoted about the axis or can be rotated or tilted on the axis, wherein the screen is moved in particular along a movement path, on which a switch is arranged, which is to be contacted or is contacted by the screen as a result of the rotation or tilting movement of the screen, and respectively to be activated, i.e. to be switched or activated, so that a control element displayed on the screen is to be activated or deactivated or is activated or deactivated.
The switch provided in accordance with the invention may be a button, pressure sensor, contact sensor or any other technically suitable element for detecting a change in position of the screen provided in accordance with the invention.
In order to mount or arrange the screen provided in accordance with the invention for rotation on a respective axis, it is provided that the screen is connected to the axis by means of a retaining element. The retaining element can be designed, for example, as part of the screen or separately of the screen, in particular in the form of a plug-in system. Provision is made in particular for the retaining element to be able to at least partially embrace the axis and to move relative to the axis, i.e. in at least one direction about the axis. The retaining element may, for example, have a recess for placement of the axis.
In the context of the present invention, a control element is to be understood as an element which is used for controlling, i.e. in particular suitable for activating or deactivating a function of an apparatus. A control element can, for example, be integrated in a switch or displayed on a screen. In particular, a control element can be displayed as a control symbol on a touch-sensitive screen and enable a control of the function by means of a touch gesture. Correspondingly, an activation of a respective control element results automatically in an activation of a corresponding function or a deactivation of the control element to a deactivation of the function.
In order to control a function of a respective apparatus, such as, e.g., a vehicle, in accordance with the introduced method provision is made in particular to shift a respective screen relative to the axis provided according to the invention, i.e. for example, tilted about the axis or moved laterally along the axis. As a result of a shift of the screen relative to the axis, a switch arranged in a movement path of the screen can be contacted and accordingly switched or activated accordingly by the screen. Depending on a switching state of the switch, a function of an apparatus or of a control element corresponding to the function, which is displayed, for example, on the screen, such as e.g. a radio function of a vehicle, can be activated or deactivated. This means that a defined movement of the screen relative to the at least one axis serves to activate the switch arranged on a movement path of the at least one screen.
According to a possible configuration of the introduced method, it is provided that the at least one screen is a touch-sensitive screen on which a control symbol associated with the control element is displayed, by means of which at least one sub-function of the at least one function is to be controlled.
In particular, it is provided that the screen provided according to the invention enables a control of a functionality in dependence on a respectively activated function, such as, e.g., a sub-function. This means that the screen itself is moved per se to select or to activate a respective function, and in addition a screen symbol, which, e.g. is configured as control symbol for receiving a touch gesture and which is displayed on the screen, is used to, e.g., adjust the respectively activated function or to control a sub-function of the function, e.g. by means of a touch sensor, Thus, provision may be made for example to shift the screen along a respective axis in order to activate a control element, provided from a multiplicity of control element for controlling a fan power (=function to be activated), by tilting the screen at level of the respective control element about the axis and to activate a switch arranged in a movement path of the screen. As soon as the switch for controlling the fan power is activated, the control element is activated and a control symbol appears on the screen with gradations of a fan activity scale, between which it is to be selected by tapping on the screen, which can be configured as a touch-sensitive screen for example.
The term “activating a function” in the context of the present invention relates to a procedure in which a function is switched to a state in which the function can be changed and, optionally, acted upon an apparatus associated to the function. A function can, for example, not only be activated or deactivated directly by means of an actuation of a switch initiated by a movement of the screen provided according to the invention, but in addition also be controlled further. As an alternative, the function may also be controlled by using a sub-function, which is controlled via at least one control symbol displayed on the screen.
According to a possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one axis, on which the at least one screen is arranged, to have at least one ball joint about which the at least one screen is to be rotated or rotatable.
By means of a ball joint, via which a connection between the screen according to the invention and the axis provided in accordance with the invention is implemented, there are many movement options for the screen, so that correspondingly many control elements can be activated and as a consequence respective functions associated to the respective control elements can be controlled.
To attach a respective screen to a respective ball joint, the retaining element provided according to the invention may be configured as clamp, which is pulled over a ball formed on a respective axis and/or the screen.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one screen to move relative to the at least one axis, i.e. in particular in longitudinal direction of the axis, and relative to a display unit, and for a selection of a respective function to be controlled by the at least one screen in dependence on an orientation of the at least one screen relative to the display unit.
It is conceivable that the screen provided according to the invention is used in combination with a further screen or a display unit to display respective control elements to be controlled by a movement of the screen or higher-level control elements to which respective control elements to be displayed on the screen are assigned. By moving the screen relative to the display unit, a respective control element to be controlled can be selected, so that a corresponding functionality, i.e. a corresponding sub-function, which is to be controlled by appropriate control elements on the screen, can be controlled by means of the screen. For this purpose, for example, a plurality of switches can be arranged on the display unit, which can be activated by a movement of the screen. Accordingly, the display unit is able to activate different menus for example for, for example, a vehicle technology and a comfort technology, which can be operated via the screen, when corresponding control elements, displayed on the screen, are activated.
Of course, a selection of a respective control element by means of the screen provided according to the invention enables direct control of a respective function of an apparatus and activation or deactivation of, for example, an interior lighting.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for an arrangement of the at least one screen on the at least one axis such that the at least one axis forms a horizontal axis, a vertical axis, or an applicator axis in relation to the at least one screen.
The screen provided according to the invention can be moved or tilted relative to each geometric axis, in particular relative to a rotation axis, about the axis provided according to the invention. As a result of a connection between axis and screen on the basis of a ball joint, the screen can be moved both horizontally and vertically in relation to the axis. In this case, the axis provided according to the invention can extend horizontally through the screen or along the screen. Furthermore, the axis provided according to the invention can extend vertically through the screen or along the screen or along a vertical axis, i.e. an applicator axis of the screen. This means that the axis provided according to the invention can extend along all geometric axes of the screen.
According to a further possible embodiment of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one screen to act on at least one spring element which the at least one switch includes, when the at least one screen is moved relative to the at least one axis in order to activate or deactivate a control element for controlling a function, and to provide by means of the at least one spring element a haptic feedback of an activation state of the at least one function for a user.
By means of a spring element which, for example, can be accommodated in the switch provided according to the invention and configured, for example, as a button, a user may be provided with a haptic feedback, when the screen provided according to the invention is moved, to indicate an activity state of a respective function to be controlled. For this purpose, the spring element can act on the screen and, for example, exert a continuously increasing force in opposition to a force applied by a user to move the screen. The spring element can hereby be configured such that the force is provided only in the presence of a predefined activation state of the respective function, so that the user recognizes that, for example, a control element is not switchable, when no continuously increasing resistance is perceived as the screen moves towards the switch.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one switch to communicate with the at least one screen in order to transmit an activation state of the at least one function to the at least one screen and to display it on the at least one screen.
To expand with the screen provided according to the invention the functional range of a respective control element, and to provide, for example, sub-functions of a respective function associated to a control element, it is conceivable to transmit to the screen information about a function that is activated or deactivated by a movement of the screen. For this purpose, the screen can be connected via an interface, such as, e.g., a cable or a wireless interface, with a control unit, which is configured to activate the respective function in dependence on a corresponding movement of the screen.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one screen to be tilted about the at least one axis for activating or deactivating the at least one function.
To control a respective control element, i.e. to activate or deactivate, the screen provided according to the invention can be moved in any technically suitable type of movement about the axis provided according to the invention or along the axis. In particular, provision is made for the screen to be tilted about the axis and to be moved or to be movable, for example, between two stops, which can be configured, e.g. as switch.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced method, provision is made for the at least one switch to be in operative contact with the at least one screen and to guide the screen when tilting about the axis along a predefined movement path, which, for example, corresponds to a rotation axis of the axis.
In order to keep the screen provided according to the invention laterally movable on the axis provided according to the invention and yet to allow safe activation of a control of a respective control element when moving the screen about the axis or along the axis, it is provided that the screen is guided by a switch, associated to a respective control element, along a predefined movement path, when the screen is positioned in the effective range of a respective switch. For this purpose, the switch can provide, e.g., a path for a sensor of the screen, wherein a mechanical spring can be arranged on the path, by which a force opposes the sensor, when the sensor moves on the path, so that a user moving the screen perceives a haptic feedback about the movement of the sensor on the path in the direction of the respective control element.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a user interface with at least one screen arranged on an apparatus, at least one retaining element, at least one switch, and at least one axis, wherein the at least one screen is rotatably mounted via the at least one retaining member about the at least one axis, wherein a movement of the at least one screen relative to the at least one axis serves to activate the switch arranged on a movement path of the at least one screen, and wherein the at least one screen includes a control unit which is configured to detect an activation of the at least one switch and in response to the activation of the at least one switch, to activate or deactivate a control element for controlling at least one function of the apparatus.
The introduced user interface is used in particular for carrying out the introduced method.
According to a possible configuration of the introduced user interface, provision is made for the at least one switch to include at least one spring element, and for the at least one switch to be configured to automatically guide the at least one screen on a movement path, when the at least one screen is moved relative to the at least one axis. As a result, a controlled guidance of the screen is ensured when the screen is moved.
Due to a movement path provided by a respective switch, i.e. a structure on which, for example, a sensor of a respective screen moves, a movement path, i.e. a trajectory, of the screen is predefined, so that the screen moves accurately toward a predefined point and activates or deactivates the screen, when the screen is moved relative to the axis provided according to the invention.
According to a further possible configuration of the introduced user interface, provision is made for the apparatus to be a vehicle.
The introduced user interface is provided in particular for controlling at least one function of a vehicle and is advantageously arranged on a dashboard of a respective vehicle in order to be operated by a driver or a passenger of the vehicle. Of course, the introduced user interface is also suitable for controlling any other technical apparatus.
Further advantages and configurations of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.
It is to be understood that the afore-mentioned features and those yet to be explained are applicable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and will be described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawings.
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It is also conceivable to provide a bar, along which several tilting displays are arranged, with each tilting display in turn being assigned to a specific function, which can be both activated and then controlled by a defined movement of the tilting display. For example, such a bar can be provided for climate control in a motor vehicle, wherein e.g. a tilting display for controlling the temperature, a tilting display for controlling air circulation and a tilting display for controlling a seat heating are configured.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2016 214 692.0 | Aug 2016 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2017/070023 | 8/8/2017 | WO | 00 |