Method and device for adjusting vehicle components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control method for adjusting vehicle components, comprising the following steps: selecting a function of an operating element by a first operating action, and adjusting the vehicle component by a second operating action manually performed on the operating element. According to the present invention, the first operating action is implemented by voice input, gesture and / or gaze.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for adjusting vehicle components. Background Art

[0002] DE 10229841 A1 discloses an operating element for adjusting a vehicle rearview mirror. The right or left exterior rearview mirror can be selected for adjustment by means of a switch. The actual rearview mirror adjustment is performed using an operating element designed as a 4-way button, which allows the rearview mirror to be adjusted in two planes.

[0003] The disadvantage is that the driver is required to look away to operate the switch, and the driver must at least verify the switch position before operating the 4-way button. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for easily adjusting various vehicle components using operating elements.

[0005] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and a device having the features of claim 9 .

[0006] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0007] In the method according to the invention, the first operating action for selecting the function of the operating part is implemented by means of voice input, gesture and / or gaze (line of sight / blick). The user can select the vehicle component to be adjusted by the operating part by means of voice input. For example, the user says "right front seat backrest", for which the operating part can be used to perform a second operating action to adjust the backrest of the right driver's seat. Conversely, after the voice input "left front seat seat height", the same operating part can be used to adjust the seat height of the right driver's seat. For example, the operating part can be operated in two directions with one finger and is designed as a roller, a sliding control, a joystick, a touchpad or a touch display. Alternatively, a 4-way switch or a multi-way switch can also be used to operate the function part in multiple planes. According to the invention, the first operating action in the form of voice input can also be combined with a pointing gesture, for example, the driver says "longitudinal adjustment seat" and points with a finger or looks at the right vehicle seat with his eyes. Gaze includes the following gaze gesture, in which the line of sight looks at the vehicle component. Then, the right vehicle seat can be moved in the direction of travel or against the direction of travel by means of the operating part. For example, by rotating the roller in the direction of travel or against the direction of travel, the seat is moved in the corresponding direction. By manually operating the roller, the seat displacement can be adjusted very finely. Ideally, the operating element, such as the roller, is arranged in a position that is easily accessible to the vehicle user, which allows the operating element to be operated without distracting the line of sight from the driving activity, for example, it is arranged on the steering wheel or on the vehicle decoration. In another embodiment, the first operating action is performed only with the help of a gesture. For example, the vehicle user points to a vehicle component such as a sunroof, and then can use the operating element to open or close the sunroof. This method advantageously allows a plurality of vehicle components to be manually adjusted with a single operating element without distracting attention from the driving activity.

[0008] According to one design of the present invention, the method is used to determine the position in the vehicle at which the voice input is initiated, and the vehicle component assigned to the position is adjusted by a second operating action. In other words, it is determined where the vehicle user who completes the voice input and / or gesture is sitting in the vehicle, such as the driver's seat or the front passenger seat. If the content of the voice input is, for example, "adjust the headrest" and it is determined that the user who completes the voice input and / or gesture is sitting in the front passenger seat, the headrest on the front passenger seat is adjusted by manually operating the operating member. If it is determined that the voice input and / or gesture comes from the driver's seat, the headrest of the driver's seat is adjusted by manually operating the operating member. In addition to the seat, the vehicle components corresponding to the seat position also include, for example, displays, vents, doors or side windows. By determining the source position of the voice input and / or gesture in the vehicle, it is advantageously possible to determine which vehicle component existing on each seat should be adjusted by the second manual operating action on the operating member without pre-specifying the position by voice or gesture.

[0009] According to another design of the present invention, as an alternative or in addition to the source location of the voice input and / or gesture, it is determined where in the vehicle the second operating action originated. If it is known that the driver or the front passenger operated the operating element, for example, the driver's seat or the front passenger seat can be adjusted accordingly using the operating element.

[0010] If, in addition to determining the location at which the voice input and / or gesture was issued, the location at which the second operating action was performed in the vehicle is also determined, these origin locations of the first and second operating actions can be checked against each other for authenticity, thereby making the method more reliable. If the two locations agree, it can be determined very reliably which vehicle component should be set. If the two locations disagree, there is a possibility that the identification was incorrect. The vehicle user is then informed that the identification of the vehicle component to be set failed.

[0011] According to another design of the present invention, the function selected by the first operating action is confirmed by voice feedback, graphic feedback or tactile feedback. Information about "which vehicle component is adjusted by manually operating the operating element" will be transmitted to the user. The user confirms through the feedback that the input made by the first operating action has been correctly understood and the desired vehicle component can be adjusted by means of the operating element.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the invention, manually executed vehicle component operating actions are stored under a tag / identifier. The tag represents, for example, the profile of the vehicle user, in which the settings are stored. The storage takes place, for example, by voice input by the user. In the case of an autonomous recognition of the user by the vehicle, for example by biometric data, a voice command such as "save" is sufficient, otherwise the tag must be spoken to save the settings.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the invention, the stored settings can be called up by voice input of the label in the vehicle or outside the vehicle.

[0014] According to a further design of the invention, after the first operating action, a second operating action performed manually causes the adjustment of a vehicle seat, a vehicle rearview mirror, a sunroof, an entertainment system, a steering wheel or the operation of a vehicle window. This non-exhaustive list shows that a wide variety of vehicle components can be advantageously operated with the operating element according to the method.

[0015] According to another design of the present invention, in the absence of user input, the selected function of the operating element is cancelled after a predetermined time period has passed. If the operating element is not operated or further operated or there is no voice input within the predetermined time period, the operating element is switched to a non-functional state or has a basic function for operating one of the above-mentioned vehicle components. By resetting the operating element function to the specified function, erroneous operation is prevented. Alternatively, the operator can also cancel the function by an operating action, for example, by means of a voice command such as "setting completed" or by means of a suitable special operation of the operating element, such as a multi-finger gesture on the touch area.

[0016] According to the present invention, a device for executing the above method is provided, the device comprising:

[0017] - operating parts,

[0018] - a mechanism capable of selecting the function of the operating element,

[0019] a controller connected to the operating element and for receiving the function of the operating element selected by means of the mechanism, and

[0020] - an actuator for adjusting a vehicle component, which actuator can be controlled by the controller according to a selected function and an operation of the operating element,

[0021] The means for selecting the function of the operating element may include a microphone for recognizing voice input and / or a camera for detecting gestures and / or a direction of sight.

[0022] The device allows a single switch to operate multiple vehicle components without distracting attention from driving activities. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below by means of embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention,

[0025] Figure 2 A flow chart showing the method is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1 An operating element 1 is shown which comprises a roller element / rolling element 5 which can be operated by a finger 3. The roller element 5 can be rotated in two directions according to arrow 7 by means of the finger 3.

[0027] The operating part 1 is connected to a control unit 9. The control unit 9 is connected to a microphone 11 for voice input 13 and to a camera 15 for detecting gestures. In addition, the control unit 9 is connected to a vehicle seat 19 and is configured to control actuators (not shown) for adjusting the seat. The control unit 9 is specifically configured to control the following actuators, which are respectively used for seat longitudinal adjustment 21, seat height adjustment 23, seat back inclination adjustment 25 and headrest height adjustment 27. Control signals are transmitted from the control unit 9, for example via a data bus 29, to a seat control unit (not shown), by means of which the individual actuators for seat adjustment can be controlled. The control unit 9 can be at least partially integrated in the operating part 1.

[0028] In the basic setting, for example, no function is assigned to the operating element 1 , ie in this state no adjustment of the seat 19 or any other vehicle component can be achieved by rotating the roller element 5 .

[0029] If the vehicle user makes a voice input 13, the voice input is received by the microphone 11 and transmitted to the control unit 9. The voice input 13 is analyzed and interpreted in the control unit 9. Based on the voice command 13 understood in terms of its content, a function is assigned to the operating element 1, i.e., in other words, based on the voice command understood in terms of its content, the signal transmitted from the operating element 1 to the control unit is executed. If the voice command 13 is, for example, "adjust seat height", the signal transmitted to the control unit 9 by operating the roller element is received and transmitted to the actuator for seat height adjustment 23 via the data bus 29 and the seat control unit. Similarly, after the voice command 13 such as "seat longitudinal adjustment" 21, "seat backrest inclination adjustment" 25 or "headrest height adjustment" 27 is transmitted to the control unit 9, the signal generated by operating the operating element 1 is transmitted to the corresponding actuator via the data bus 29 and the seat control unit.

[0030] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the data from the control unit 9 are not transmitted via the data bus 29 but are transmitted directly to the actuator via separate lines.

[0031] In order to ensure that the seat of the user who initiated the voice input 13 is adjusted, it is necessary to determine from which position, that is, from which seat, the voice input 13 is made. For this purpose, a plurality of microphones are provided in the interior; because the microphones are at different distances from the user, they emit staggered electrical signals in response to the voice input 13, from which the position of the user in the vehicle can be determined. Alternatively or additionally, the position of the speaking user can also be determined with the aid of a camera image, for example by analyzing an image of the occupant in relation to lip movements. If the position of the user is known, the vehicle component corresponding to the user is adjusted according to the voice input. If it is determined that the user who made the voice input is located on the passenger seat, the passenger seat is adjusted by operating the operating element 1 in response to the input content "longitudinal adjustment of the seat". Alternatively or additionally, the user's position is determined based on the starting direction of the operation of the operating element 1. If the direction of travel is in Figure 1 In the view of FIG. 1 , the operating element 1 is operated from the right side, ie from the passenger side, with the finger 3 as shown, corresponding to the arrow direction 7. Accordingly, the inclination 25 is set by operating the operating element 1 according to the voice input, for example, "seat back inclination".

[0032] In addition to the voice input 13 , functions can also be assigned to the operating element 1 solely by means of the hand gestures 17 or the gaze gestures 12 , but also by means of the voice input 13 in combination with the hand gestures 17 and / or the gaze gestures 12 .

[0033] If the vehicle user points to the vehicle component to be adjusted, the interior image captured by the camera and the image of the gesture 17 are transmitted to the control unit 9. The control unit 9 determines from the image the vehicle component to be adjusted, for example the headrest 17 specified by the gesture 17. Therefore, the headrest control function is assigned to the operating part 1, that is, the control unit 9 implements the signal generated by the operation of the operating part 1 in such a way that the vehicle component selected by the gesture 17, namely the headrest, is adjusted.

[0034] The combination of voice input 13 with gesture 17 and / or gaze gesture 12 is particularly suitable if only a higher-level vehicle component, such as a vehicle seat, can be selected by gesture 13 due to limited recognition capabilities determined by the system, but not the component to be adjusted itself. In the present example, only the right seat or the left seat can be selected in general by gesture 17, and then the specific vehicle component to be adjusted of the vehicle seat is selected by voice input 13, such as "headrest". The controller 9 determines the vehicle component to be adjusted from the gesture 17 and the voice input 13, and the adjustment of the determined vehicle component is achieved by operating the operating element 1.

[0035] Figure 2The flowchart shown describes an embodiment of the method of the present invention for adjusting one or more vehicle components using a single operating element based on a voice input 13. In step S100, the vehicle user specifies the vehicle component to be adjusted using a voice input 13, for example by saying "headrest". In step S102, the speech transmitted by the microphone is received by a voice recognition system in the controller 9 and the content of the expression is determined. In step 103, the user's position in the vehicle is determined. For example, it is determined that the user is sitting in the driver's seat. In step S104, the user is indicated by a display that his voice input 13 has been understood and the user is directed to the vehicle. Figure 1 The operating element 1 selects the function transmitted by voice input and correspondingly assigned to the user position. If the vehicle component to be adjusted, such as a sunroof, is not correspondingly assigned to a position in the vehicle, ie, not assigned to a seat, step S103 is skipped.

[0036] In the present example, the function "left headrest height adjustment" is assigned to the operating element 1 by the control unit 9. In step S106, the vehicle user actuates the operating element 1, whereupon the signal generated by the actuation causes the headrest to be adjusted. For this purpose, the generated signal is received by the control unit 9 and transmitted to the actuator for adjusting the headrest. The headrest is retracted by actuating the roller element 5 against the direction of travel, while actuation in the direction of travel causes the headrest to be extended.

[0037] In step S107, it is checked whether a further voice input or an operating element operation is performed within the predetermined time period. If a voice input occurs before the end of the predetermined time period, it is checked in step S108 whether the voice input initiated again relates to a setting that has been stored in the archive by specifying a tag or to a new vehicle component. If the voice input relates to storage, the setting is stored in step S109 and the method ends in step S110. If the input relates to a new vehicle component, such as "rearview mirror", the method continues again with step S102.

[0038] After the archive is saved in S109, if no operation of the operating element 1 or a new voice input occurs within the specified time period in S107, the function assigned to the operating element by voice input 13 in S100 or S108 is canceled in step 110, so that the operating element 1 has no function or a default function, such as a volume control device for an entertainment system. The user is shown via a display that the function previously selected by voice input is no longer valid.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a vehicle component, the method comprising the following steps: - selecting a function of the operating element through a first operating action (S100), - adjusting the vehicle component by a second operating action (106) performed manually on the operating element, It is characterized in that the first operation action (S100) is implemented through voice input, gesture and / or gaze, the position in the vehicle where the first operation action is initiated and the position in the vehicle where the second operation action is initiated are determined, the position where the first operation action is initiated and the position where the second operation action is initiated are mutually verified, if the two positions are consistent, the vehicle component assigned to the position is adjusted with the help of the second operation action; if the two positions are inconsistent, the following information is sent to the vehicle user, that is, the identification of the vehicle component to be adjusted failed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The function selected by the first operating action is confirmed by voice feedback, graphic feedback or tactile feedback.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The setting of the vehicle component which is effected by a second operating action manually performed on the operating element is stored under a tag.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The stored settings can be called up by speaking the label either inside or outside the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second operating action manually performed on the operating element causes an adjustment of at least one of the following vehicle components: - Vehicle seats, - Vehicle rearview mirror, - Car window glass, - Skylight, - Entertainment system, -steering wheel.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: After a predetermined period of time without user input, the selected function of the operating element is canceled.

7. A device for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: - an operating element (1), - means (11, 15) for selecting the function of the operating element (1), - a controller (9) connected to the operating element (1), the controller being used to receive the function of the operating element (1) selected by means of the mechanism (11, 15), and - an actuator for adjusting a vehicle component, said actuator being controllable by the control unit (9) as a function of a selected function and an operation of the operating element (1), It is characterized in that The means for selecting the function of the operating element (1) include a microphone (11) and / or a camera (15) for recognizing voice input (13).

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