Vehicle operation panel

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vehicle operation panel, including an appearance layer, a functional layer, a sensing layer and an optical path control layer arranged in sequence from the outside to the inside. The appearance layer includes a high light transmittance surface; the functional layer includes a face cover and a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor is used to send a proximity signal or a distance signal to the optical path control layer when sensing that an external object is approaching or moving away from the operation panel; the sensing layer includes a touch sensor; the optical path control layer includes a light source and a controller connected to each other, the controller is used to activate the light source when receiving the approach signal, and turn off the light source at a predetermined interval after receiving the distance signal. Through the activation display and active hiding actions of the panel, it can be perfectly integrated with the surrounding environment when there is no operation demand, so as to realize an integrated dashboard, thereby optimizing the interior shape and enhancing the sense of technology of the interior.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of automobile manufacturing technology, and more particularly, to a vehicle operation panel. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development and popularization of automobile driving assistance systems, drivers' intervention in vehicles during driving is becoming less and less, and the frequency of using control parts is also decreasing. When autonomous driving technology is popularized and applied, vehicles will be in autonomous driving conditions more often, and the frequency of using automobile control parts will be greatly reduced, or even basically not used, resulting in the frequency of using control parts required for driving becoming lower and lower.

[0003] As the functional requirements for operating parts decrease during driving, and with the increasing demand for interior simplification, integration, and a sense of technology, traditional switches can no longer meet the operational and interior requirements of self-driving cars. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems in the prior art, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle operation panel, characterized in that the operation panel includes an appearance layer, a functional layer, a sensing layer and an optical path control layer arranged in sequence from the outside to the inside. The appearance layer includes a high light transmittance surface; the functional layer includes a cover and a proximity sensor, and the proximity sensor is used to send an approach signal or a distance signal to the optical path control layer when sensing that an external object is approaching or moving away from the operation panel; the sensing layer includes a touch sensor; the optical path control layer includes a light source and a controller connected to each other, and the controller is used to activate the light source when receiving the approach signal, and turn off the light source at a predetermined interval after receiving the distance signal.

[0005] In some embodiments, the operation panel further includes a signal transmission spring connected to the proximity sensing sensor and the optical path control layer respectively, and the signal transmission spring is used to transmit the proximity signal or the distance signal generated by the proximity sensing sensor to the optical path control layer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the proximity sensor is arranged around the operating panel.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bottom of the light path control layer includes an opaque material.

[0008] In some embodiments, the high light transmittance surface comprises a high light transmittance leather surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, the face cover comprises a low light transmittance material.

[0010] In some embodiments, the proximity sensor comprises a capacitive proximity sensor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the touch sensor includes a capacitive touch sensor.

[0012] In some embodiments, the surface transmittance of the high light transmittance surface is greater than or equal to 8%.

[0013] In some embodiments, the operation panel is connected to a controller area network bus of the vehicle and receives ambient brightness information from the controller area network bus. The controller is also used to control the brightness of the light source according to the ambient brightness information.

[0014] The implementation method of the present disclosure proposes a hidden operation panel suitable for cars with high-level driving assistance systems and automatic driving systems, and provides a human-computer interaction method that can accompany the improvement of automobile intelligence. When the vehicle is in automatic cruising or automatic driving, the user has no need to operate the operation panel at this time, and the control panel automatically enters the hidden mode, and the appearance is integrated with the surrounding environment and is invisible; when the vehicle enters the manual driving mode, or the user has the intention of manual operation, the operation panel can be automatically activated by detecting the operator's approach action, so that the operation panel is visible to the user, which is convenient for the driver to operate. When the user's operation is completed, the panel automatically enters the hidden mode again until it is detected that the driver has the intention of manual operation. Through the activation display and active hiding action of the panel, it can be perfectly integrated with the surrounding environment without the need for operation, so as to realize an integrated dashboard, thereby optimizing the interior shape and enhancing the sense of technology of the interior. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 An exploded view of a vehicle operating panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 An external appearance diagram of a vehicle operation panel when activated according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The principles and spirit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0020] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle operation panel. Figure 1 , which shows an exploded view of a vehicle operating panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the operation panel includes an appearance layer 1, a functional layer 2, a sensing layer 3 and an optical path control layer 5 which are arranged in sequence from the outside to the inside.

[0021] The exterior layer includes a high light transmittance surface, for example, a high light transmittance leather surface with the same color and texture as the surrounding environment can be used. While ensuring the light transmittance performance, the appearance consistency with the surrounding environment is ensured. As an example only, the surface transmittance of the high light transmittance surface can be ≥8% to ensure the hiding and display effects.

[0022] The functional layer includes a cover and a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor is used to send an approach signal or a distance signal to the optical path control layer when it senses that an external object (such as a human hand) is approaching or moving away from the operation panel. For example, a smoke-gray, low-transmittance substrate can be used to make the cover of the operation panel. In the absence of internal light source illumination, the cover is covered by the surface leather, and all functional characters are in a low-visibility state and invisible from the outside. When it is detected that the driver has the intention of manual operation, the internal light source of the control panel is activated, and the surface functional characters are illuminated. The illuminated functional characters are visible from the outside through the high-transmittance surface.

[0023] The sensing layer includes a touch sensor, for example, a capacitive touch sensor. The touch sensor can be arranged below the touch panel, and the operating force detection can be achieved by calibrating the difference in capacitance value under different operating forces.

[0024] The light path control layer includes a light source and a controller connected to each other. The controller is used to activate the light source when receiving an approach signal, and turn off the light source at a predetermined interval after receiving a distance signal. The light source can be, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED) light source. After the light source is activated, it is used to illuminate the touch operation area to make it visible to the user. The predetermined time can be flexibly set according to the specific application scenario. As an example only, it can be set to, for example, 5s.

[0025] refer to Figure 2, which shows the appearance of a vehicle operating panel when activated according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that for the purpose of clarity, only the outline of the operating panel and its displayed information is drawn with lines, and the background of the panel and the color, brightness and other information of the icons and text are not shown. In actual scenarios, in order to facilitate hiding, the panel background is dark, and the icons and text have a certain brightness when activated. Figure 2 In the figure, words and icons such as "AUTO", "FRONT", "REAR", "MODE", and "MAX" are shown. These are only for illustration. In actual applications, the text and icon information displayed on the operation panel can be flexibly set according to actual needs, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0026] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom of the light path control layer includes an opaque material, and the interior adopts a closed design to prevent the entry of external light sources and ensure that there is no visible light source inside after the light source is turned off.

[0027] As an implementation of the present disclosure, in order to ensure that the characters in the functional area are still clearly visible to the user after passing through the high-light-transmittance surface, the brightness of the light source can be within the range of 450cd / ㎡±25% to ensure the hiding and display effects.

[0028] The touch panel surface proposed in the implementation mode of the present disclosure is designed with a proximity sensing sensor. When it detects that a human hand is approaching and the user has an operation intention, the internal backlight is actively activated to make the control panel visible to the user, facilitating user operation; when the human hand leaves, the internal lighting is actively turned off, and the control panel enters a hidden mode.

[0029] The vehicle operating panel proposed in the implementation manner of the present disclosure adopts a high-light-transmittance surface. When the touch panel is activated and the internal light source is lit, the function characters in the touch panel operation area are lit. The characters are visible to the user through the high-light-transmittance surface, which is convenient for user operation. When it is detected that the user has no operation requirements, the internal light source is turned off, and the operation area has no backlight, thereby achieving a hidden effect for the entire panel and integrating it with the external environment as a whole.

[0030] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation panel may further include a signal transmission spring 4 connected to the proximity sensor and the optical path control layer respectively, and the signal transmission spring 4 is used to transmit the proximity signal or the distance signal generated by the proximity sensor to the optical path control layer.

[0031] As an example, the operation panel may further include a bottom case 6 .

[0032] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, the proximity sensor is arranged around the operation panel, thereby being able to detect proximity actions in various directions.

[0033] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover includes a low-light-transmittance material. When the internal light source is turned off, the operation area is not backlit and the cover itself is a low-visibility cover, so that the user cannot see the internal cover through the high-light-transmittance surface, thereby better achieving the hiding effect of the entire panel.

[0034] The composite design of low-transmittance cover and high-transmittance surface makes the touch operation panel visible to users only when there is internal light illumination, and invisible to users when the internal light source is off, thus realizing the active switching between hidden and visible operation panel, making it more suitable for switching between automatic driving and manual driving conditions. And through decorative processes such as leather stitching, an integrated instrument panel is realized, which greatly improves the neatness and technological sense of the interior.

[0035] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the proximity sensor includes a capacitive proximity sensor for detecting, for example, human hand operation. When the driver's hand approaches the surface of the touch panel, the capacitance value changes, thereby detecting the user's operation intention. As an example, in order to ensure that the driver's control of the function is not affected, the non-contact detection sensing distance can be set to 40mm±5mm. The capacitive proximity sensor is relatively low in price and can reduce the overall cost of the operation panel.

[0036] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation panel can be connected to a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus of the vehicle and receive ambient brightness information from the CAN bus, and the controller is also used to control the brightness of the light source according to the ambient brightness information. Thus, when the light source is activated, the panel brightness can be provided to match the ambient brightness, thereby improving the user experience.

[0037] The implementation of the present disclosure adopts a trigger-type, hidden panel to replace the traditional mechanical switch. When the user needs to operate, the panel can be activated by induction triggering to perform the corresponding operation; when no manual operation is required, the operation panel enters the hidden mode, improving the integrity and technological sense of the interior.

[0038] After testing, the operation panel proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure meets the operation force detection range of 1.5N to 6N. By replacing the thickness and strength of the structural interlayer of the touch sensor, the operation force detection range can be further expanded.

[0039] In addition, the operating panel proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other occasions besides vehicles, and may be used for operating force detection under all working conditions of -40°C to +70°C.

[0040] The implementation method of the present disclosure proposes a hidden operation panel suitable for cars with high-level driving assistance systems and automatic driving systems, and provides a human-computer interaction method that can accompany the improvement of automobile intelligence. When the vehicle is in automatic cruising or automatic driving, the user has no need to operate the operation panel at this time, and the control panel automatically enters the hidden mode, and the appearance is integrated with the surrounding environment and is invisible; when the vehicle enters the manual driving mode, or the user has the intention of manual operation, the operation panel can be automatically activated by detecting the operator's approach action, so that the operation panel is visible to the user, which is convenient for the driver to operate. When the user's operation is completed, the panel automatically enters the hidden mode again until it is detected that the driver has the intention of manual operation. Through the activation display and active hiding action of the panel, it can be perfectly integrated with the surrounding environment without the need for operation, so as to realize an integrated dashboard, thereby optimizing the interior shape and enhancing the sense of technology of the interior.

[0041] For illustrative purposes, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosure has been given, which is not exhaustive nor intended to limit the present disclosure to the exact form disclosed. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and that elements therein may be replaced with equivalents. In addition, without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, many modifications may be made to adapt specific situations or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode intended for realizing the present disclosure, and the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle operating panel, characterized in that: The operation panel includes an appearance layer, a functional layer, a sensing layer and an optical path control layer which are arranged in sequence from the outside to the inside, wherein: The exterior layer comprises a highly light-transmitting surface; The functional layer includes a cover and a proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor is used to send a proximity signal or a distance signal to the optical path control layer respectively when sensing that an external object is approaching or moving away from the operation panel, and the cover includes a low light transmittance material; The sensing layer includes a touch sensor; The light path control layer comprises a light source and a controller connected to each other, the controller is used to activate the light source when receiving the approach signal, and turn off the light source at a predetermined interval after receiving the distance signal, and the bottom of the light path control layer comprises an opaque material, The operation panel is connected to a controller area network bus of the vehicle and receives ambient brightness information from the controller area network bus, and The controller is further configured to control the brightness of the light source according to the ambient brightness information.

2. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operation panel further includes a signal transmission spring connected to the proximity sensing sensor and the optical path control layer respectively, and the signal transmission spring is used to transmit the proximity signal or the distance signal generated by the proximity sensing sensor to the optical path control layer.

3. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The proximity sensor is arranged around the operation panel.

4. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high light transmittance surface comprises a high light transmittance leather surface.

5. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The proximity sensor includes a capacitive proximity sensor.

6. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The touch sensor includes a capacitive touch sensor.

7. The vehicle operating panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface transmittance of the high light transmittance surface is greater than or equal to 8%.

Images