External rotation controller for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an external rotation controller for a vehicle, to an external control device configured to interact with a modern vehicle and activate different functions in an undistracted manner, and to a system comprising such an external control device. It specifies in particular how to use a new combination of existing user interface methods and devices to improve the user experience. The external control device according to the invention comprises a housing (7) having at least one rotary encoder (5), at least one display (6), at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4), a control unit having a control logic module, and a power supply module. Each shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) activates a pre-configured feature of the vehicle when depressed. Once a feature is selected by the shortcut button, the rotary encoder (5) allows the user to adjust the selected feature by clockwise and counterclockwise rotation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an external control device configured to interact with a modern vehicle and activate different functions in a non-distracting manner, and a system including such an external control device. It particularly specifies how to use new combinations of existing user interface methods and devices to improve the user experience. Background Art

[0002] Safety is of utmost importance when it comes to vehicles and how people interact with them. Controlling different features of a vehicle while driving without distracting the driver from the road is essential for safe driving. Some vehicle manufacturers choose design over functionality and tend to downplay the importance of a seamless and less distracting interaction with the car. Changing basic functions such as opening the glove box, controlling the wipers, changing driving modes, etc. often requires several steps to perform and diverts the driver's attention from the road to, for example, the touchscreen.

[0003] The invention is applicable to all vehicles lacking additional control devices for different functions.The object of the invention is to provide the user with convenient access to control different functions without taking his eyes off the road.

[0004] Most vehicles already have some sort of rotary controller integrated into the center console for controlling different functions, but they offer very limited functionality and cannot be customized in different ways to match the driver's habits and preferences. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an external control device and a system for activating and controlling different systems in a vehicle.

[0006] The above object is achieved by creating an external control device, which is configured to be connected to a central control unit of a vehicle and is capable of receiving data from the central control unit and sending control signals to the central control unit. The external control device according to the present invention comprises a housing having at least one rotary encoder, at least one display, at least one shortcut button, a control unit having a control logic module, and a power module.

[0007] The logic module is configured to operate the device in two modes:

[0008] - a main menu mode, wherein the logic module is configured to change the function of the at least one shortcut button when the at least one rotary encoder is rotated, the at least one shortcut button activating one of a plurality of preconfigured features of the vehicle when pressed;

[0009] - a functional mode opened by pressing said at least one shortcut button in the main menu mode to activate said preconfigured feature of the vehicle, wherein the logic module is configured to adjust said feature of the vehicle when said at least one rotary encoder is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0010] The at least one display is configured to receive and display information of at least one of the following from the control unit: the current configuration of the at least one shortcut button in the main menu mode; the current status of the activated preconfigured features of the vehicle, and the adjustment and change status of the activated preconfigured features of the vehicle by clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the at least one rotary encoder in the functional mode.

[0011] The control unit includes a microcontroller with Bluetooth and / or WiFi connectivity. The logic module is a software program running on the microcontroller that controls all other modules and handles all communications for the device.

[0012] The rotary encoder can also be designed as a shortcut button, where the additional function can be achieved by pressing or pulling the rotary encoder.

[0013] The shortcut buttons can be physical buttons such as micro switches or tactile switches for selecting the desired functions of the car. Such buttons give tactile feedback when pressed. These buttons can also be capacitive with an additional tactile feedback module that generates a slight vibration when the button is pressed.

[0014] The display may be, for example, an LCD or OLED display.The display may be combined with the rotary encoder and arranged within the rotating circle of the rotary encoder.

[0015] The power module may be autonomous, e.g. with a battery, and / or may have a USB-A or USB-C socket for connecting to the car's power system or to an external power source.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle is a car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the following, reference is made to the Figure 1 , the external control device and control system subject of the invention is explained by means of preferred embodiments given as non-exhaustive examples, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the claimed external control device having four buttons. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The external control device according to the invention has a housing 7 with at least one rotary encoder 5, at least one display 6 and at least one shortcut button 1, 2, 3, 4 for activating different functions (features) of the vehicle.

[0019] Each shortcut button 1, 2, 3, 4 activates a preconfigured feature of the vehicle when pressed.

[0020] Pressing or pulling the rotary encoder 5 may or may not be considered as a shortcut button.

[0021] Once a feature has been selected via the shortcut buttons, the rotary encoder 5 allows the user to adjust the selected feature by rotating it clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0022] By default, display 6 shows the current configuration of all shortcut buttons 1, 2, 3, 4.

[0023] The configuration of all buttons 1, 2, 3, 4 can be changed by rotating the encoder 5. All shortcut buttons with different characteristics may have one or more configurations.

[0024] If the end of selection of all available configurations is reached by rotating the encoder, vibration feedback may or may not be sent to notify the user.

[0025] The external control device has two main modes - Main Menu Mode and Function Mode.

[0026] - Main Menu Mode – This is the default mode loaded after booting up the device. The logic module assigns default functions / features to all the shortcut buttons (a shortcut button configuration is a set of predefined shortcuts to different features assigned to each button of the device). The assigned functions of each button are displayed on the display after the instruction is sent from the microcontroller to the display to show the current shortcut button configuration. If there are more functions / features than shortcut buttons, then the software can group the functions in different pages. Each page has as many functions as the number of shortcut buttons. By rotating the encoder clockwise and counterclockwise, the user can change the currently selected page. This will trigger the software program to change the functions of all buttons accordingly and send a command to show the current configuration on the display.

[0027] - Function Mode – The user can switch to Function Mode by pressing one of the shortcut buttons in Main Menu Mode in order to select the feature of the vehicle currently controlled by the rotary encoder. There can be as many Function Modes as there are shortcut buttons or even more. Once the physical button is pressed, the logic module will logically switch the device to the assigned Function Mode. By rotating the encoder clockwise and counterclockwise, the logic module will change the current value of the selected feature of the vehicle and show the new value on the display. To return to Main Menu Mode, the user can press one of the shortcut buttons again and the logic module will switch the device to Main Menu Mode and show the current Home and Shortcut Button functions on the display.

[0028] In an embodiment of the invention where the external control device is intended to be installed in a car, the outer form of the housing of the external control device is adapted to nest in an existing open space inside the car close to the driver's operation. Such a space may be a glove box.

[0029] Furthermore, the outer form of the housing of the external control device can be adapted to appear integrated into the center console storage compartment. In a specific case, the device can be mounted between the cup holder and the door curtain of the center console, not affecting the aesthetics of the car, and ergonomically mounted in the right position for easy and convenient access with one hand. When the device is mounted, the door curtain will not be completely closed, but will appear natural.

[0030] In an alternative variation, the external control device may be manufactured in a manner to fit within a vehicle's cup holder, thereby being usable with even more vehicles (eg, vehicles that lack a door curtain mechanism).

[0031] The external control device may also include a haptic feedback module - a motor that vibrates at a specified frequency to produce indications at different important events (for example, when the end of a list is reached, when a button is pressed, or when a function changes its state).

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, if the end of possible adjustments to a selected feature is reached, tactile feedback can be sent to the user from a small vibration module integrated into the base of the device to inform the user of the current state of the feature without taking his eyes off the road.

[0033] The pre-configured features of the vehicle are the vehicle systems and can be selected between, but not limited to:

[0034] - Cabin temperature;

[0035] -HVAC fan speed;

[0036] -Rear fan speed;

[0037] - Seat cooling;

[0038] -Multimedia volume;

[0039] - Wiper speed;

[0040] -Acceleration mode;

[0041] - Regenerative braking mode;

[0042] -Autopilot setting speed;

[0043] - Open the glove box;

[0044] -Battery preheating;

[0045] -Hazard warning lights activated;

[0046] - Folding mirrors;

[0047] -Ceiling light control.

[0048] Some of the listed features have two extreme positions, for example: "Open glove box" - open and closed, or "Fold mirrors" - fold and unfold. These features can be controlled by pressing the shortcut button alone. Other features need to be adjusted by setting the value of the feature, for example: "Cabin temperature" - temperature value, "Autopilot set speed" - speed value, other "Speed" features - speed level (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), "Regenerative braking mode" 50% or 100%, "Acceleration mode" - Eco or Sport, etc. After activating the feature / system through the shortcut button, the adjustment of the value is controlled by rotating the rotary encoder clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0049] External control devices can be connected to the vehicle in different ways, either individually and independently of each other or all together at the same time, for example:

[0050] 1. Direct wired connection to the vehicle network, which can provide a channel for communication with all other modules in the vehicle. For example, via a communication port for connecting to the vehicle's CAN bus.

[0051] 2. Wireless connection to an additional OBD device which itself is connected to the vehicle to access the vehicle network. The additional device will act as a gateway between the wirelessly connected rotary controller and the physical connection of other modules.

[0052] 3. Wireless connection to the cloud / internet, which allows remote access to vehicle functions. For example, the external control device is connected to a remote server that controls the vehicle via a mobile device (the user's mobile phone with a special application installed).

[0053] An embodiment with two rotary controllers will work in a similar manner to the embodiment with one rotary controller. Each rotary controller has its own main menu and its own configuration of shortcut buttons. The two rotary controllers work independently of each other and do not interfere with each other's functionality. Functions and menus between the two main screens do not overlap in order to avoid conflicts and synchronization issues. In this case, the first rotary controller to request a function from the car wins (priority of execution goes to the first rotary controller that requested the feature change). The presence of a second rotary controller allows two features of the vehicle to be controlled simultaneously.

[0054] Example configuration of an external control device according to the present invention.

[0055] - Rotary controller with a centrally located OLED display and a rotary encoder that can be turned clockwise, counterclockwise or pressed to confirm or perform other actions

[0056] - Four shortcut buttons, two on each side of the rotary controller

[0057] -The device has 2 working modes: main menu mode and function mode.

[0058] - There are 3 home screen pages, activating different button configurations, for example:

[0059] oHome Screen 1:

[0060] ■Center button: activate temperature function

[0061] ■Upper left button: Activate fan speed function

[0062] ■ Lower left button: Activate left seat heating function

[0063] ■Upper right button: Activate rear fan speed function

[0064] ■ Lower right button: Activate right seat heating function

[0065] o Home Screen 2:

[0066] ■Center button: Activate pre-processing function

[0067] ■Upper left button: Activate regenerative braking function

[0068] ■ Lower left button: Activate acceleration mode function

[0069] ■Upper right button: Activate volume function

[0070] ■ Lower right button: Activate the wiper function

[0071] o Home Screen 3:

[0072] ■Center button: Activate the automatic driving function

[0073] ■Upper left button: Activate the glove box function

[0074] ■ Lower left button: Activate the folding mirror function

[0075] ■Upper right button: Activate the ceiling light function

[0076] ■ Lower right button: Activate the Thank You function

[0077] - The rotary controller is configured to change between the 3 home screen pages when rotated clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0078] -When a button is pressed while one of the main screens is displayed, the corresponding function of the car will be activated.

[0079] - As the rotary controller is rotated, the selected function will be adjusted to the desired value. For example, if the lower left button is pressed, then when the main screen 1 is visible, the left seat heating function will be activated and in function mode, by rotating the rotary controller, the seat heating will be controlled between different levels, such as -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3.

[0080] -By pressing the rotary controller in the center, the home screen will return and the user can select a new function.

[0081] The control system according to the present invention comprises:

[0082] - the vehicle's central control unit (central computer), which monitors all commands and converts them into the corresponding control modules of the vehicle systems;

[0083] - The vehicle network, which allows communication between the vehicle's central control unit and all control modules and connects them together;

[0084] - several vehicle systems (features) controlled by a central control unit of the vehicle, which selects between, but is not limited to, the above-mentioned vehicle systems. Said vehicle systems have control modules or actuators which receive commands from the central control unit via the vehicle network and activate, move or change the different features of the vehicle accordingly;

[0085] - An external control device according to the invention, connected to a control unit of a vehicle and configured to receive information from a central control unit and to send control signals / commands to the central control unit to control said selected vehicle systems.

Claims

1. A vehicle external control device, comprising a housing (7) having at least one rotary encoder (5), at least one display (6), at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4), a control unit having a control logic module, and a power module, wherein each shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) is configured to activate one of a plurality of preconfigured features of the vehicle when pressed, and the logic module of the control unit is configured to operate the device in two modes: - a main menu mode, wherein the logic module is configured to The encoder (5) changes the function of the at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) when it rotates, and the at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) changes the function of the at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) when it is pressed. Activates one of several pre-configured features of the vehicle. - a functional mode, opened by pressing in the main menu mode said at least one shortcut button (1, 2, 3, 4) for activating said preconfigured feature of the vehicle, wherein in the functional mode the logic module is configured to control one or more of the preconfigured features of the vehicle and / or to control the at least one rotary encoder The encoder (5) adjusts one or more of the preconfigured features of the vehicle when rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, in, The at least one display is configured to receive and display information of at least one of the following from the control unit: the current configuration of the at least one shortcut button in the main menu mode; the current status of the activated preconfigured features of the vehicle; and / or the adjustment and change status of the activated preconfigured features of the vehicle according to the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the at least one rotary encoder (5) in the functional mode.

2. The vehicle external control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary encoder (5) is also configured as a shortcut button, wherein the shortcut button function is activated by pressing or pulling the rotary encoder (5).

3. The vehicle external control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control unit comprises means for a Bluetooth and / or WiFi connection.

4. The vehicle external control device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: Also included is a tactile feedback module connected to the control unit, wherein the control logic module is configured to activate the tactile feedback module when a predetermined event occurs.

5. A vehicle external control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has a rotary encoder (5) which is combined with an OLED display (6) arranged in the center of the rotary encoder (5) and four shortcut buttons (1, 2, 3, 4) arranged around the rotary encoder (5).

6. A vehicle external control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The vehicle is a car.

7. A vehicle control system comprising: - The vehicle's central control unit, configured to monitor commands and convert them into vehicle A corresponding control module or actuator of a vehicle system; - a vehicle network which allows communication between the central control unit of the vehicle system and said control modules or actuators and connects them together; - a plurality of vehicle systems controlled by a central control unit of the vehicle, the vehicle systems having a plurality of control units configured to receive commands from the central control unit via a vehicle network to control modules or actuators that enable, move or change various features of the vehicle accordingly; - An external control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, connected to a control unit of a vehicle and configured to receive information from the central control unit and send control signals / commands to the central control unit to control the vehicle Vehicle system.

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