Patent Application
20220305916
The present subject matter relates to a selection controller for an audio control device, in particular in the interior of a vehicle, to an audio control device for the interior of a vehicle as such and to a vehicle, a motor vehicle, or a passenger vehicle.
Modern concepts for the configuration of the interior of a vehicle require technical devices in the vehicle interior to have a design that does without visible switches and instead relies on touch-sensitive elements—for example touch panels, touch sliders and the like.
Operating such devices is comparatively complex, however, because visual attention by the operator is required in order to accomplish the applicable manual actions.
The present subject matter is based on the object of improving convenience and reliability when operating audio control devices by way of selection controllers, without losses of visual aesthetics.
The object on which the present subject matter is based is achieved for a selection controller, for an audio control device for the interior of a vehicle, and for a vehicle. Advantageous developments are the subject of the respective dependent claims.
A first aspect of the present subject matter provides a selection controller for manual selection of or for manually selecting at least one type of operation and/or one operating property of an audio control device, in particular in the interior of a vehicle, which selection controller is produced with a selecting element, the selecting element being designed for manual operation for the selection and so as to be able to be arranged, or so as to be arranged, at least in a first position I, which is not raised from a surface or control surface of the underlying audio control device, and in a second position II, which is raised from the control surface. The effect achieved by these measures is that the overall aesthetic impression of the control surface of the underlying audio control device can remain undisturbed in the first position and the selecting element is raised from the control surface of the underlying audio control device only in the second position, in order to allow appropriate operation by a user.
In principle, all mechanisms that allow the unraised first position I and the raised second position II in regard to the control surface to be realized for the selecting element can be used for the selection controller according to the present subject matter.
It is of particular advantage in this regard if, according to an example embodiment of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, the selecting element is produced or designed so as to be automatically, controllably and/or selectively able to be kept in the first position I and in the second position II.
Additionally or alternatively, the selecting element may be produced or designed so as to be able to be mechanically moved between the first position I and the second position II.
To realize the last-mentioned embodiment, the selection controller according to the present subject matter has, according to a preferred development, a moving device or a connection to a moving device, the moving device being designed to move the selecting element from the first position I to the second position II and/or from the second position II to the first position I.
Such a movement can advantageously take place in each case automatically, selectively and/or in a controllable manner, the moving device being designed accordingly and/or having suitably fashioned means for such a movement.
Precisely arranged guide grooves allow segments and segment bodies to be driven from position I to position II, and vice versa, in a specific displacement rhythm. Furthermore, this achieves decoupling that enables the selection controller to be used. This displacement rhythm can therefore enable the audio control device to be used quickly and intuitively, so as to allow no obstructions to arise for the user in the course of this.
The motor can achieve a precise speed, in order to ensure that the segments are shifted in a specific period of time.
The selecting element can be in an active or activated state fundamentally and regardless of the first and second positions I and II, which means that a selection can be made by the user or operator by way of the selecting element regardless of positions I and II.
In a preferred embodiment of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, however, the first position I of the selecting element is associated with a first operating state, and/or an operating state that is inactive for selection by means of the selecting element, of the selecting element and/or the second position II of the selecting element is associated with a second operating state, and/or an operating state that is active for selection by means of the selecting element, of the selecting element.
In advantageous developments of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, the state of the selection controller, in particular of the selecting element, in respect of the first and second position is made dependent on various operating states of the underlying vehicle and/or the audio control device.
It is of particular advantage in this regard if, according to another advantageous configuration of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, said selection controller is produced with an electronic control unit or a connection to an electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit may be suitably designed to perform or carry out, initiate, control and/or regulate an arrangement or the arranging of the selecting element in the first position I and/or in the second position II, movement from the first position I to the second position II and/or movement from the second position II to the first position I and in particular operation of a or the moving device.
In order to be able to determine states of the vehicle, of the audio control device and/or a user requirement or operator requirement, another preferred example embodiment of the selection controller according to the present subject matter has a sensor or a connection to a sensor, the sensor being designed to detect the presence of and/or a gesture by a user and/or an approach by the user and in particular by a hand of the user in regard to the underlying audio control device and/or the selecting element.
Accordingly detected data in regard to the presence, the gesture and/or the approach can be signalled to the underlying electronic control unit, the electronic control unit then being able to take or instigate appropriate measures after an assessment.
The selection controller may be designed to put the selecting element into the second position II, or to at least temporarily keep it in the second position II, in the event of an approach and/or in the event of the presence of a predefined gesture.
Various configurations of the selection controller and in particular of the respective selecting element can be considered in respect of ergonomic and/or design aspects. The freedom of selection for the different materials in the motor vehicle can also play a special part in this regard.
As such, according to another advantageous development of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, the selecting element may be wholly or partly in segmented form.
In this regard, for example an outer part of the selecting element may be produced with a plurality of segments that are individually, simultaneously, successively and/or coordinately movable between the first and second positions.
In principle, all geometric configurations for the segments as a whole are conceivable in respect of ergonomics and/or design.
However, it is of particular advantage if the segments as a whole substantially form a hollow cylindrical shape or, in cross section, an annular shape.
Additionally or alternatively, the selecting element or a part thereof may be at least partly in optically and/or visually transparent form.
This measure can be used to have light shone through the respective transparent part rearward or in retrograde fashion from a rear that is remote from the interior of the underlying vehicle by means of a lighting device or by means of a connection to a lighting device. Furthermore, this lighting device is used to display to the user his current listening volume. This can be displayed in a central part and expressed by the luminous intensity or size of a cone of light.
In particular, the central part of the selecting element may thus be at least partly in optically and/or visually transparent form, specifically in connection with the central part as inner part and with an outer part in the shape described above, in particular in the hollow cylindrical shape or in the annular shape.
The selection controller configured according to the present subject matter can be used to address different aspects of an underlying audio control device by way of the selecting element.
As such, in another advantageous example embodiment of the selection controller according to the present subject matter, it is possible for the selecting element to be designed to select a volume, a balance, a tone, a filter and/or an operating mode.
According to another aspect of the present subject matter, an audio control device—for the interior of a vehicle—as such is also provided, which has a selection controller configured according to the present subject matter for the purpose of manual selection of at least one type of operation and/or operating property.
In addition, the present subject matter also provides a vehicle as such, which may in particular also be configured as a general means of transport or specifically as a motor vehicle or as a passenger vehicle, an audio control device produced according to the present subject matter being provided for and produced in the respective interior.
Further details, features and advantages of the present subject matter will emerge from the description that follows and from the figures.
Example embodiments and the technical background of the present subject matter are described in detail below with reference to the Figures. Identical and equivalent and also identically or equivalently acting elements and components are denoted by the same reference signs. The detailed description of the denoted elements and components is not reproduced every time they occur.
The depicted features and further properties can be isolated from one another in any form and combined with one another in any way without departing from the essence of the present subject matter.
In the depiction shown in
The audio control device 1 shown in
The body 5 of the audio control device 1 has a selection controller 10, which is configured according to the present subject matter, produced in it in an integrated manner, the selecting element 20 together with the housing 60 being flush and thus not raised in regard to the control surface 1a in state I depicted in
In other words, this means that the front surface 20a of the selecting element 20 terminates flush or substantially flush with the control surface 1a of the audio control device 1, at least locally.
In a preferred configuration of the selection controller 10 according to the present subject matter from
In state II depicted in
In order to achieve a transition from state I from
In order to bring about a controlled shift or movement of this kind between states I and II for the selecting element 20, the moving device 30 is operatively connected to an electronic control unit 50 by way of a detection and/or control line 51.
A further detection and/or control line 52 provides an operative connection between the electronic control unit 50 and a sensor 40 having a proximity sensor 41, said sensor 40 being in finished form in relation to control surface 1a.
This allows for example the approach of the hand of an operator or user in the region of the front surface 20a of the selecting element 20 to be detected, whereupon the moving device 30 is controlled by means of the drive 31 in such a way as to move the selecting element 20 from state I to state II and therefore against the hand of the potential user or operator.
Following operation and/or after the hand of the operator or user has been removed, this can likewise be detected in operative connection between the sensor 40 and the electronic control unit 50, whereupon the moving device 30 is actuated again in order to move the selecting element 20 from the extended state II, considered to be the second state for the purposes of the present subject matter, to the retracted state I, considered to be the first state for the purposes of the present subject matter.
As already mentioned above, precisely arranged guide grooves 36 allow segments and segment bodies 22, 23 to be driven from position I to position II, and vice versa, in a specific displacement rhythm. Furthermore, this achieves decoupling that enables the selection controller 10 to be used. This displacement rhythm can enable the audio control device to be used quickly and intuitively, so as to allow no obstructions to arise for the user in the course of this. The underlying motor can achieve a precise speed, in order to ensure that the segments 22 are shifted in a specific period of time.
In addition and/or as an alternative to the elements depicted in
Furthermore, the multipiece selecting element 20 has an outer part 21 having a plurality of segments 22. The segments 22 as a whole form an annular shape in section and, spatially, the structure of a hollow cylinder or enveloping body. The selecting element 20 has its central part 25 and its outer part 21 enclosed inside the housing 60.
The individual segments 22 are formed by a segment body 23, a guide rod 24 attached to an underside of the segment body 23, which can also be referred to as a control rod, and a sliding pin 26, which is attached to an outer side of the respective guide rod 24.
The segments 22 of the outer part 21 of the selecting element 20 are enclosed by a slide sleeve 34 in the region of the guide rods 24 in such a way that the sliding pins 26 are picked up in corresponding guide grooves 36.
A drive 31 or motor of the moving device 30 is used to rotate the slide sleeve 34 about the axis of symmetry 20x acting as an axis of rotation by way of a coupling by means of a gear 32 having gear components 32-1 and 32-2.
This rotation of the slide sleeve 34 about the axis of symmetry 20x shifts the sliding pins 26 in the guide grooves 36 on the basis of the interaction of the sliding pins 26 and the guide grooves 36, so that all in all the guide rods 24 together with the segment bodies 23, and therefore the individual segments 22 of the outer part 21, are able to be shifted in the x direction or against the x direction in a controllable manner.
This allows the outer part 21 to be extended and retracted in segments or altogether as the segments 22 as a whole between position I, which is depicted in
The accompanying figures also show by and large that the present subject matter provides a selection controller 10 for manual selection of a type of audio operation for an audio control device 1—in particular in the style of a movably retractable and extendable volume control—, in particular for a or the or in a or the interior of a vehicle, specifically having a selecting element 20 that is designed for manual operation for the selection of the type of audio operation and so as to be able to be arranged at least in a first position I, which is not raised from and/or is flush with a control surface 1a of the underlying audio control device 1, and in a second position II, which is raised from the control surface 1a and/or projects into the interior, and/or to be able to be mechanically movable between positions I and II, in particular in a respectively controllable manner.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 114 111.7 | May 2019 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/058640 | 3/27/2020 | WO |
