Operating device for a motor vehicle, motor vehicle having an operating device, and method for operating a vehicle function

Abstract

The present invention relates to an operating device (10) for a motor vehicle (16) and a method for operating vehicle functions. The operating device includes: a roller operating element (12); a keycap (14) surrounding the roller operating element (14); a touch sensor (18) for determining touch input; a switch (20) disposed below the roller operating element (12); a drive element (22) that couples the keycap (14) to the roller operating element (12); and a control unit (24). The roller operating element (12) and the keycap (14) are supported in a swingable manner, such that the switch (20) can be actuated by pressing the roller operating element (12). The drive element (22) is configured to drive the roller operating element (12) to actuate the switch (20) when the keycap (14) is pressed, and to decouple the roller operating element from the keycap (14) when the roller operating element (12) is pressed. The control unit (24) is configured to provide a scroll wheel press control signal when only the switch (20) is activated, and a key control signal when a touch input on the keycap (14) is simultaneously determined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an operating device for a motor vehicle. Furthermore, this invention relates to a motor vehicle having such an operating device and a method for operating vehicle functions. Background Technology

[0002] Operating devices with a rotatable scroll wheel for selecting functions or menu items are known. This scroll wheel is typically surrounded by other buttons that provide additional functionality. It is also feasible to construct the scroll wheel as another button, meaning the scroll wheel can be pressed. To distinguish between button input and scroll wheel input, multiple switches are typically provided that take into account the corresponding pressure signal on the button or scroll wheel. However, the disadvantage of using multiple switches is the increased space requirement and higher cost of the operating device.

[0003] According to DE 10 2013 003 574 A1, a pressable and rotatable operating element for a motor vehicle is known. This operating element has a roller-shaped input element rotatably supported on a support, and a rotation sensor for detecting rotational manipulation of the input element. The support is supported on at least one monostable spring element arranged on a base surface, the spring element being able to bear loads perpendicular to the base surface. The support is movably supported and oscillating about two support points. The movement of the support mechanically acts on a bridge-shaped transmission element coupled to the spring element. The transmission element is oscillating, its longitudinal axis always oriented parallel to the base surface, and the oscillation changes the distance of the transmission element from the base surface. Sensors that operate without external force are provided, capable of detecting the movement of the support caused by pressing the input element.

[0004] A multi-functional operating element for a motor vehicle is known from DE 10 2018 120 561 A1. This operating element includes a housing with a support element, on which an input element is arranged. The input element has a touch-sensitive operating surface, particularly a touchpad or touch display, including at least one operating area. The support element is supported relative to the housing by at least one reset element. The input element, particularly the touch-sensitive operating surface, is provided with at least one first touch sensor configured to generate a first touch signal when a user and / or an object touches and / or approaches the input element in the direction of operation. At least the first touch sensor is respectively arranged in the housing. At least one first force sensor is provided at the housing and / or the input element, particularly the touch-sensitive operating surface, the first force sensor being configured to generate a force signal based on a force acting along the operating direction of the input element, wherein at least the first force sensor is respectively arranged in and / or at the housing, wherein the multi-functional operating element includes at least one mechanical rotation adjuster for selecting the function of the motor vehicle, wherein a force transmission rod connected to the rotation adjuster is provided within the housing, wherein, in order to detect the pressing operation of the rotation adjuster, the force transmission rod activates a second force sensor, the second force sensor generating a second force signal when the rotation adjuster is pressed.

[0005] According to DE 103 15 721 A1, an operating device for a motor vehicle is known, which has a display on which menus, functions and function values ​​can be displayed, and can be selected and chosen by means of an operating element. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved operating device for motor vehicles.

[0007] This objective is achieved through the independent claims. Advantageous improvements of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims, the following description, and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] According to the present invention, an operating device for a motor vehicle is provided, the operating device comprising: a roller operating element rotatably supported and having a sensor device for detecting rotation of the roller operating element; a keycap surrounding the roller operating element; a switch / microswitch (Taster) disposed below the roller operating element; a drive element coupling the keycap to the roller operating element; and a control unit. The roller operating element and the keycap are supported in a swingable manner, and the switch is arranged such that it can be actuated / operated by pressing the roller operating element. The drive element is configured to drive the roller operating element to actuate the switch when the keycap is pressed, and to decouple the roller operating element from the keycap when the roller operating element is pressed. The control unit is configured to provide a roller pressing control signal when the switch is activated by the roller operating element. The keycap has a touch sensor configured to detect touch input on the keycap, and the control unit is also configured to provide a key control signal when the switch is activated and touch input on the keycap is detected simultaneously.

[0009] In other words, an operating device is provided, particularly for use in motor vehicles, and for example, for controlling vehicle functions. The operating device may have a roller operating element and a keycap surrounding the roller operating element. Here, the roller operating element may extend at least partially from the surface defined by the keycap, thereby allowing rotational movement at the roller operating element. The rotational movement can be detected by a sensor device for adjusting the function. Preferably, the keycap may have one or more markings representing different key functions. Furthermore, preferably, the keycap may have a touch sensor that can determine a touch on the keycap, and in particular, the touch location.

[0010] A switch, preferably a microswitch / micro-switch, may be arranged below the roller actuating element. "Below the roller actuating element" means a location within the housing of the operating device, i.e., a position facing away from the user / to one side. The switch may be configured to provide tactile and / or auditory feedback when activated or pressed, wherein this feedback is preferably generated mechanically.

[0011] The roller operating element and the button cap can be supported in a swingable manner, particularly relative to the housing of the operating device, so that at least the roller operating element can be pressed towards the switch to activate it. Here, when only the switch is activated, the control unit of the operating device can generate a roller rotation control signal, by means of which vehicle functions can be controlled or selected, for example. When the button cap is operated, it can be specified that the button cap is also pressed downwards, wherein the roller operating element is simultaneously driven by a drive element, thereby activating the switch. The drive element can decouple the button cap and the roller operating element in a separable manner. That is, when the button cap is pressed, the roller operating element is driven by the drive element and thus presses against the switch, while when only the roller operating element is pressed, the roller operating element can be decoupled from the drive element without damage, so that only the roller is pressed downwards.

[0012] If a keycap is pressed and thus activated by the roller actuation element, the control unit can recognize this situation because, in addition to the activation of the switch, a touch input has also occurred on the touch-sensitive keycap. In this case, the control unit can provide a key control signal associated with this touch input.

[0013] The driving element can be provided as a housing or cage within the operating device, wherein the housing may have a shaft for the roller operating element that is supported in a swingable manner. Furthermore, the housing itself can be supported in a swingable manner, wherein the keycap rests against the housing or cage, so that when the keycap is pressed, the entire housing, including the roller operating element, is also swingable.

[0014] The advantage of this invention is that it can save on components and costs, because not every key on the keycap needs a dedicated switch.

[0015] The invention also includes design methods that yield additional advantages.

[0016] One design approach specifies that the touch sensor of the keycap is configured to determine the touch position on the keycap, wherein a control unit is configured to provide key control signals associated with the touch position. Therefore, the manipulation of different keys on the keycap can be distinguished by the touch position.

[0017] A preferred design specifies that the actuating element has a force sensor configured to determine a force signal between the keycap and the roller actuating element when the keycap is pressed. The control unit is configured to provide a key control signal only if a force signal is additionally present. In other words, the activation of the switch can be attributed to the keycap via the force signal from the force sensor. For this purpose, the force sensor can be provided in or at the actuating element and measures the force between the roller actuating element and the keycap. Since the roller actuating element is decoupled from the actuating element when only the roller actuating element is pressed, there is no force or only a very small force between the roller actuating element and the keycap. However, if the keycap is pressed, the roller actuating element is actuated by the actuating element, resulting in a larger force between the roller actuating element and the actuating element that can be determined by the force sensor. The advantage of this additional force sensor is that it allows for a more accurate distinction between whether the roller actuating element or the keycap is pressed. Because when operating the scroll wheel, one might accidentally touch the button cap, which could lead to false detections. This can be avoided by using a force sensor for measurement.

[0018] Force sensors can be provided, in particular, as capacitive force sensors. That is, the force can be determined by the change in capacitance of the sensor. Alternatively, force sensors can be constructed as strain gauges. That is, the force signal can be determined by the deformation and change in resistance of the strain gauge.

[0019] In another alternative, the force sensor can be constructed as a piezoelectric force sensor. Here, a voltage can be generated by compression of the piezoelectric force sensor, and this voltage can provide a force signal.

[0020] Another design approach for the operating device specifies that a second switch is arranged below the keycap, wherein the control unit is configured to provide a key control signal only when the second switch is additionally activated. That is, in addition to the activation of the (first) switch below the scroll wheel operating element and touch input on the keycap, it can be specified that another signal is provided via the second switch, followed by the key control signal. The advantage of the second switch is that accidental touches to the keycap when the scroll wheel operating element is pressed can be prevented, because the second switch is only activated when the keycap is pressed.

[0021] Another aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle having the aforementioned operating equipment. Preferably, the motor vehicle according to the invention is designed as an automobile, particularly as a passenger car or commercial vehicle, or as a bus or motorcycle.

[0022] One advantageous design for a motor vehicle stipulates that the operating equipment is located at the steering wheel. Therefore, the operating equipment is readily accessible while driving.

[0023] According to the present invention, a method for operating vehicle functions is also provided. This method includes the aforementioned operating device, wherein a roller rotation control signal is obtained by rotating a roller operating element; wherein pressing the roller operating element decouples the roller operating element from a driving element and actuates a switch, thereby generating a roller pressing control signal; wherein pressing a button cap drives the roller operating element toward the switch and activates the switch; wherein a button control signal is provided by touch input added to the touch-sensitive button cap when the switch is activated; and wherein the vehicle functions are operated via the roller rotation control signal, the roller pressing control signal, and / or the button control signal. Here, the same advantages and variations as the operating device are obtained.

[0024] For application scenarios or situations that can be obtained in this method but are not explicitly described herein, it may be specified that error reports be output and / or user feedback be requested according to this method, and / or default settings and / or predetermined initial states be set.

[0025] The present invention also includes a control device for a motor vehicle. The control device may have a data processing means or a processor means configured to perform embodiments of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor means may have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). As a microprocessor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or NPU (Neural Processing Unit) may be used, in particular. Furthermore, the processor means may have program code configured to perform embodiments of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor means. The program code may be stored in the data memory of the processor means. For example, the processor means may be based on at least one circuit board and / or at least one SoC (System-on-Chip).

[0026] The present invention also includes improvements to the method according to the invention, which have the features described in conjunction with improvements to the operating apparatus according to the invention. For this reason, corresponding improvements to the method according to the invention will not be described again here.

[0027] As another solution, the invention also includes a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code that, when run by a computer or group of computers, causes it to perform an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium may be provided at least partially as non-volatile data storage (e.g., flash memory and / or SSD - solid-state drive) and / or at least partially as volatile data storage (e.g., RAM - random access memory). The storage medium may be arranged in a computer or group of computers. However, the storage medium may also operate on the Internet, for example, as a so-called app store server and / or cloud server. A processor circuit having, for example, at least one microprocessor may be provided by the computer or group of computers. The program code may be provided as binary code and / or as assembly code and / or as source code in a programming language (e.g., C) and / or as a program script (e.g., Python).

[0028] The present invention also includes feature combinations of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present invention also includes implementations having various feature combinations of the described embodiments, provided that these implementations are not described as mutually exclusive. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention are described below. Wherein:

[0030] Figure 1 The operating equipment is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic structure of an operating device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments, the components described in the embodiments each constitute a single, mutually independent feature of the present invention, and these features also independently improve the present invention. Therefore, this disclosure should also include feature combinations different from the feature combinations of the illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by other features among the features already described in the present invention.

[0033] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote elements that have the same function.

[0034] Figure 1An exemplary operating device 10 is shown, which can be configured to operate vehicle functions. The operating device 10 may have at least one roller operating element 12, which is rotatably supported to detect input through rotational movement. Furthermore, the roller operating element 12 may be supported in a swingable manner, allowing it to be pressed into the operating device 10 to provide a roller press control signal. Additionally, the roller operating element 12 may be surrounded by a keycap 14, which provides one or more additional buttons for the operating device 10. For example, the keycap 14 may include buttons for voice control, making phone calls, and / or other vehicle functions.

[0035] Preferably, the operating device 10 can be provided in a motor vehicle 16, which is shown schematically in the figures. Preferably, the operating device 10 can be arranged in the steering wheel (not shown) of the motor vehicle 12.

[0036] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a schematic structure of the operating device 10. In addition to the scroll wheel operating element 12 and the keycap 14, a touch sensor 18 may also be provided, which can determine touch input on the surface of the keycap 14. Therefore, it is preferable that the touch position on the keycap 14 can be determined, wherein the touch position can be associated with a key on the keycap 14.

[0037] Additionally, a switch 20 can be provided, arranged below the roller operating element 12. Preferably, the switch 20 can be configured as a microswitch that can output tactile and auditory feedback when actuated. Furthermore, the operating device 10 can have a drive element 22 that detachably couples the button cap 14 to the roller operating element 12. In particular, it can be specified that not only the roller operating element 12 but also the button cap 14 is supported in a swingable manner, so that the roller operating element and the button cap can be pressed. Here, the drive element 22 can be configured such that when the button cap 14 is pressed, the roller operating element 12 is driven and pressed against the switch 20. However, if only the roller operating element 12 is pressed, the roller operating element can be decoupled from the drive element 22, so that only the roller operating element 12 is pressed against the switch 20.

[0038] To differentiate between operation of the scroll wheel actuation element 12 and operation of the keycap 14, a control unit 24 can be provided. This control unit evaluates signals from the switch 20 and the touch sensor 18. For example, if only the switch 20 is pressed and no additional touch input is detected by the touch sensor 18, this input can be attributed to the scroll wheel actuation element 12. In this case, a scroll wheel press control signal can be provided by the control unit 24. If, in addition to the switch 20 being activated, the control unit 24 additionally determines touch input via the touch sensor 18, an input can be present on the keycap 14, thereby allowing the control unit 24 to provide a key control signal. Preferably, in this case, the touch location can be associated with a key on the keycap 14, thereby providing a corresponding key control signal.

[0039] Furthermore, it can be specified that the actuating element 22 has a force sensor 26, which can determine the force signal between the button cap 14 and the roller operating element 12. For example, the force sensor 26 can be a capacitive force sensor, a strain gauge, or a piezoelectric force sensor. In this case, if only a press occurs on the roller operating element 12, the roller operating element is decoupled from the actuating element 22, and the force between the roller operating element 12 and the button cap 14 can be very small. Conversely, if the button cap 14 is pressed and the roller operating element 12 is actuated by the actuating element 22, a larger force signal is generated. Therefore, it can be specified that a button control signal is generated only when a force signal, especially exceeding a preset threshold, is additionally present.

[0040] Optionally, a second switch 28 may be provided, located below the keycap 14. If the keycap 14 is pressed down, the second switch 28 is also activated, thereby assigning input to the keycap 14.

[0041] In another example, the scroll wheel actuation element (scroll wheel actuation element 12) not only has a pressing function but also a large, enclosed keycap 14. The keycap 14 can be equipped with finger position recognition functionality using sensor technology. Here, a microswitch (switch 20) can be placed below the scroll wheel (scroll wheel actuation element 12), and the pressing operation on the scroll wheel 12 and keycap 14 can be evaluated through this microswitch 20. Finger position can be recognized on the keycap 14, but not on the scroll wheel 12. When the keycap 14 is manipulated, the scroll wheel 12 is actuated by a drive element (drive element 22), and the pressing function is performed on the microswitch 20.

[0042] When the scroll wheel 12 is operated, the button cap 14 is not moved. In this functional state, the button cap 14 is decoupled from the scroll wheel 12.

[0043] The actuator (actuator 22) may be equipped with a sensor (force sensor 26) that detects the force input between the button cap 14 and the roller 12, for example, through a capacitive sensor or strain gauge. If the sensor (force sensor 26) does not detect the force input but actuation still occurs at the microswitch 20, it can be assumed that the microswitch 20 is actuated by the roller 12 and not by the button cap 14.

[0044] In general, the examples demonstrate how to implement the pressing function of a scroll wheel in a button.

Claims

1. An operating device (10) for a motor vehicle (16), comprising: - A roller operating element (12), which is rotatably supported and has a sensor device for detecting the rotational movement of the roller operating element (12); - A button cap (14) surrounding the roller operating element (14); - A switch (20) arranged below the roller operating element (12); - A drive element (22) that couples the button cap (14) to the roller operating element (12); as well as - Control unit (24); - The roller operating element (12) and the key cap (14) are supported in a swingable manner, and the switch (20) is arranged so that the switch can be actuated by being pressed by the roller operating element (12); - The driving element (22) is configured to drive the roller operating element (12) to actuate the switch (20) when the key cap (14) is pressed, and to decouple the roller operating element (12) from the key cap (14) when the roller operating element (12) is pressed. - The control unit (24) is configured to provide a roller pressing control signal when the switch (20) is activated by the roller operating element (12); - The keycap (14) has a touch sensor (18) configured to determine touch input on the keycap (14); - The control unit (24) is also configured to provide a key control signal when the switch (20) is activated and a touch input on the keycap (14) is simultaneously determined.

2. The operating device (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The touch sensor (18) of the keycap (14) is configured to determine the touch position on the keycap (14), wherein the control unit (24) is configured to provide a key control signal related to the touch position.

3. The operating device (14) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The drive element (22) has a force sensor (26) configured to determine a force signal between the key cap (14) and the roller operating element (12) when the key cap (14) is pressed, wherein the control unit (24) is configured to provide a key control signal only when a force signal is additionally present.

4. The operating device (10) according to claim 3, wherein, The force sensor (26) is a capacitive force sensor.

5. The operating device (10) according to claim 3, wherein, The force sensor (26) is a strain gauge.

6. The operating device (10) according to claim 3, wherein, The force sensor (26) is a piezoelectric force sensor.

7. The operating device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, A second switch (28) is arranged below the button cap (14), wherein the control unit (24) is configured to provide a button control signal only when the second switch (28) is additionally activated.

8. A motor vehicle (16) having operating equipment (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. The motor vehicle (16) according to claim 8, wherein, The operating device (10) is located at the steering wheel of the motor vehicle (16).

10. A method for operating vehicle functions, the method comprising the operating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, A roller rotation control signal is obtained by rotating the roller operating element (12), wherein the roller operating element (12) is decoupled from the driving element (22) and the switch (20) is actuated by pressing the roller operating element (12), thereby generating a roller pressing control signal, wherein the driving element (22) drives the roller operating element (12) toward the switch (20) and activates the switch by pressing the button cap (14), wherein a button control signal is provided by additional touch input on the touch-sensitive button cap (14) when the switch (20) is activated, wherein the vehicle function is operated by the roller rotation control signal, the roller pressing control signal and / or the button control signal.

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