Control panel integrated with physical switch and automobile

Abstract

The utility model discloses a control panel and car of integrated physical switch, and control panel includes TDDI display screen, TDDI display screen includes the TDDI drive chip and liquid crystal display screen of integrated LIN communication module, liquid crystal display screen includes display area and switch area, the display area deployment liquid crystal panel to show the image, the switch area deployment touch sensor to constitute physical switch, the physical switch is connected with the controller electricity through the LIN communication module in the TDDI drive chip of integration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of display screen technology, specifically relating to a control panel with integrated physical switches and an automobile. Background Technology

[0002] Compared to virtual soft switches, physical switches are not only stable and reliable but also easy to operate (allowing for blind operation). After a period of pursuing a completely switch-free vehicle, the automotive industry has returned to rationality, adding back frequently used or safety-related physical switches such as headlight controls, air conditioning, and hazard warning switches. Some countries and regions even require physical switches for headlights, front defrost, and hazard lights as a necessary condition for a vehicle to achieve a five-star safety rating.

[0003] There are generally two implementation schemes for existing air conditioner physical switches: the first is a separate switch module; the second is to integrate it into the lower part of the central control display screen. Regardless of the scheme, it requires a separate button panel, button touch sensor, button light box, touch IC, MCU, LIN transceiver (for the switch to interact with the air conditioner controller), etc., which is not only costly but also cumbersome in structure. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control panel and vehicle with integrated physical switches. Based on the TDDI display driver chip, a LIN communication module is integrated for communication between the physical switches and the controller, eliminating the need for separate MCUs and LIN transceiver chips; thus making the central control display screen more integrated and the structure thinner and lighter.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is to propose a control panel with an integrated physical switch, including a TDDI display screen. The TDDI display screen includes a TDDI driver chip with an integrated LIN communication module and an LCD screen. The LCD screen includes a display area and a switch area. The display area is equipped with an LCD panel to display images, and the switch area is equipped with a touch sensor to form a physical switch. The physical switch is electrically connected to the controller through the LIN communication module integrated in the TDDI driver chip.

[0006] Furthermore, the switch area is located on one side of the display area.

[0007] The liquid crystal display screen includes a cover glass and a liquid crystal panel. The cover glass extends to one side of the TDDI display screen to form a switch area, and the liquid crystal panel only covers the inner side of the cover glass outside the switch area.

[0008] The cover glass extends to the lower side of the TDDI display to form the switch area, and the display area is located above the switch area. The liquid crystal panel only covers the display area.

[0009] Furthermore, the TDDI display screen also includes a liquid crystal backlight panel, which is located behind the liquid crystal panel and extends toward the switch area, so that the physical switch is located within the backlight area of ​​the liquid crystal backlight panel.

[0010] Furthermore, the TDDI display screen also includes a control circuit board and a rear cover. The TDDI driver chip is electrically connected to the control circuit board. The control circuit board is located on the rear side of the LCD screen backlight panel. The rear cover seals the control circuit board, the LCD screen backlight panel, and the LCD panel on the back side of the cover glass of the LCD display screen.

[0011] Furthermore, the back panel of the rear shell is flush with the back plate, and the physical switch deployed in the switch area is in the heat dissipation space between the LCD screen backlight panel and the back plate.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a touch chip for the physical switch, which is electrically connected to the physical switch / touch sensor and a TDDI driver chip with an integrated LIN communication module.

[0013] The physical switch can specifically be a touch sensor deployed in the switch area, forming a physical switch module that is electrically connected to the touch chip; this is different from the liquid crystal display module formed by the TDDI display screen.

[0014] Furthermore, the LIN communication module is electrically connected to the touch chip and the controller respectively, so that the physical switch is electrically connected to the controller through the LIN communication module.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a video decoding chip, wherein the TDDI driver chip is electrically connected to the liquid crystal display screen and the video decoding chip respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the physical switch includes multiple touch switches, all of which are electrically connected to the controller and can be used to control the air conditioner.

[0017] Furthermore, the electrical connection between the physical switch and the controller is a communication connection.

[0018] This utility model also provides a car equipped with a control panel with an integrated physical switch as described above. The car includes a control terminal for the cockpit area and a controller for the on-board equipment, and the control terminal for the cockpit area and the controller for the on-board equipment are electrically connected to the control panel.

[0019] The control terminal configured within the cockpit can adjust the controller. The control terminal can be implemented through specific buttons, shortcut keys, or intelligent assistants.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0021] This invention proposes a control panel and automotive system with integrated physical switches. The LCD screen uses a TDDI (Touch and Display Driver Integration) solution, and the TDDI driver chip integrates a LIN communication module. The interaction between the physical switches and the controller is realized through the LIN communication module. Compared with existing solutions, it has a higher degree of integration and does not require separate button light boxes, button backlights, button circuit boards, MCUs, LIN transceivers, or connecting cables (FPC) connecting the display screen and the button circuit board. It is more cost-effective and has a thinner and lighter structure.

[0022] This application extends the LCD screen backlight to the switch area as a switch backlight, eliminating the need for separate button light boxes, button backlights, and button circuit boards. It also optimizes the back cover structure of the switch area, making the button area thinner and lighter.

[0023] This application extends the central control screen cover glass to the switch area as a button touch panel, eliminating the need for separate in-mold injection molding of button trim panels.

[0024] After the vehicle in this application is equipped with a control panel, the controller can be controlled relatively independently through the control terminal in the cockpit area and the physical switch on the control panel. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to denote similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. Other drawings will be readily available to those skilled in the art based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of a control panel for an integrated physical switch in a car.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a front view of a control panel for an integrated physical switch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the central control display screen;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a system architecture diagram of an existing central control display screen;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing central control display screen.

[0031] In the diagram: 1. Cover glass; 2. LCD panel; 3. Backlight panel; 4. Control circuit board; 5. Back cover; 6. Touch sensor; 11. Button trim panel; 12. Button light box; 13. Button backlight; 14. Button circuit board; 15. Connecting cable. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model and the prior art, the specific implementation methods of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Furthermore, the design orientation only indicates the relative positional relationship between the components, not the absolute positional relationship.

[0033] First, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 This is a system architecture diagram of an existing technical solution. Figure 5 This includes a front view and a cross-sectional view of the central control display screen that integrates the air conditioning switches.

[0034] It can be clearly known that Figure 4 In the system architecture shown, controlling the air conditioner switch requires a separate LIN transceiver and MCU; Figure 5 The middle section is additionally equipped with an IML (In-Mold Insert) button panel 11, a button light box 12, a button backlight 13, a button circuit board 14, and a connecting cable 15 (FPC) connecting the display screen and the buttons. It also includes the touch sensor 6 for the buttons to achieve touch control. Furthermore, based on... Figure 5 As can be seen from the structure, the rear shell 5 has a raised structure built backward to match the installation of the button light box 12, forming a space structure to accommodate the button light box 12, which affects the overall thickness of the hollow display screen; on the front of the hollow display screen, there is a button decorative panel 11 that is clearly different from the cover glass 1, which has a visual layering effect and obvious internal boundaries; and structurally, this is not conducive to the stability of the overall structure.

[0035] This utility model embodiment provides a control panel with an integrated physical switch. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3It mainly includes a TDDI display screen, which includes a TDDI driver chip (TDDI IC) with an integrated LIN communication module and an LCD screen. The LCD screen includes a display area and a switch area. The display area is equipped with an LCD panel 2 to display images, and the switch area is equipped with a touch sensor 6 to form a physical switch. The physical switch is electrically connected to the controller through the LIN communication module integrated in the TDDI driver chip.

[0036] In a specific implementation, the liquid crystal display screen may include a cover glass 1 and a liquid crystal panel 2. The cover glass 1 extends to one side of the TDDI display screen to form a switch area, and the liquid crystal panel 2 covers the inner side of the cover glass 1 outside the switch area to form a display area. The switch area is based on a touch sensor 6 to form a physical switch, and the physical switch and the controller are electrically connected through a LIN communication module integrated in the TDDI driver chip.

[0037] This application adopts a TDDI (Touch and Display Driver Integration) solution for LCD displays, i.e., TDDI displays. After integrating a LIN communication module, the TDDI driver chip can have communication functions other than video signals. It can establish a communication connection between physical switches and controllers, realize data interaction, transmit switch signals to the controller, and achieve the control effect on the devices to which the controller belongs.

[0038] Please see Figure 1 The physical switch can specifically be a touch sensor 6. In the system architecture, it forms a physical switch module that is electrically connected to the touch chip (touch IC). Although the physical switch module (switch area) is based on part of the structure of the TDDI display screen, it is still different from the liquid crystal display module (display area) formed by the TDDI display screen. In practical applications, the liquid crystal display module is used to realize the conventional functions of the central control display screen, such as displaying images and touch control; the physical switch module is used to realize the adjustment of the devices belonging to the controller.

[0039] In this application, for video signals, the TDDI driver chip can work with the video decoding chip to achieve the corresponding functions. The TDDI driver chip can be electrically connected to the LCD screen and the video decoding chip respectively.

[0040] In this application, for the switching signal of the physical switch, the TDDI driver chip (TDDI IC) can work with the touch chip (touch IC) to realize the corresponding function. The touch chip is electrically connected to the physical switch and the TDDI driver chip with integrated LIN communication module. Specifically, the LIN communication module is electrically connected to the touch chip and the controller, so that the physical switch and the controller are electrically connected through the LIN communication module.

[0041] Please see Figure 2The LCD screen may include two areas: a switch area, in which a touch sensor 6 is deployed to control related devices, thus forming a physical switch; and a display area, in which an LCD panel 2 is deployed to display corresponding images based on video signals, thus forming a central control display screen. Based on the embodiments of this application, the central control display screen and the physical switch are formed on the same cover glass 1, allowing the display of the control panel to be considered as a single unit without obvious internal boundaries.

[0042] The switch area and the display area are both based on TDDI displays, but they have different functions. The switch area is used to deploy physical switches, while the display area can serve as a central control display and also includes touch control functions. This is an effect that is inherent to the characteristics of TDDI LCD displays.

[0043] In one specific embodiment, the cover glass 1 extends to the lower side of the TDDI display to form a switch area. The cover glass 1 in this area has no touch control function, but a physical switch, namely a physical switch touch sensor 6, can be deployed in this area to achieve the touch control effect. Above the switch area is a display area, and the liquid crystal panel 2 covers the display area, so that the display area has display function and touch control function.

[0044] It should be clarified that the relative position of the switch area and the TDDI display screen can be adjusted according to actual needs. It can be located on one or more sides of the TDDI display screen (top, bottom, left, right). Once the relative position of the two is determined, the structure of the liquid crystal display screen can be adjusted so that the cover glass 1 extends in a specific direction to achieve area division. Physical switches are deployed in the switch area, and liquid crystal panels 2 are deployed in the display area.

[0045] It should be clarified that the physical switches deployed in the switch area and the controllers connected to them should not be limited to the air conditioning unit alone. The controlled objects can also include other vehicle-mounted devices, such as door modules and seat controllers. The controlled object is the device to which the controller belongs.

[0046] It is understood that there can be multiple associated devices, each corresponding to a different controller. Therefore, by classifying the physical switches deployed in the switching area according to their associated controllers, various feasible association types can be obtained. Each association type includes one or more physical switches and one associated device. This associated device should have a corresponding controller. Based on the teachings of this application, communication between the physical switches and the controller can be implemented to achieve control. Furthermore, the modules used to implement communication and their integrated locations can be adjusted according to actual needs. This application uses an air conditioner switch and an air conditioner controller as examples for explanation.

[0047] In one specific embodiment, the physical switch can be an air conditioner switch, and the controller can be an air conditioner controller. Based on the control requirements of the specific device, the physical switch may include multiple touch switches, all of which are electrically connected to the controller and can be used to control the air conditioner, including but not limited to temperature adjustment, fan speed adjustment, air outlet adjustment, individual control adjustment, and operating mode adjustment (cooling / heating / ventilation).

[0048] In the embodiments of this application, the TDDI display screen further includes a backlight panel 3, which is located behind the liquid crystal panel 2. The backlight panel 3 extends toward the switch area, so that the physical switch is located within the backlight area of ​​the backlight panel 3, and the extended backlight panel 3 serves as the switch backlight in the switch area.

[0049] It should be clarified that the TDDI display screen also includes a control circuit board 4 and a back cover 5. The TDDI driver chip is electrically connected to the control circuit board 4. The control circuit board 4 is located on the rear side of the backlight panel 3. The back cover 5 encapsulates the control circuit board 4, the backlight panel 3, and the LCD panel 2 on the back side of the cover glass 11. Figure 3 As shown.

[0050] Based on the above embodiments, the switch area does not need to construct a button light box, and the back cover 5 does not need to construct an additional protruding structure to form a receiving space, so that the back panel of the back cover 5 of the central control display screen can be in a flat state; the physical switches deployed in the switch area can form a heat dissipation space between the backlight panel 3 and the back panel, and the heat dissipation space can be located below the control circuit board 4 and directly behind the physical switch deployment area.

[0051] In this application, a LIN communication module is integrated on the TDDI driver chip for communication between the air conditioner switch and the air conditioner controller, eliminating the need for a separate MCU and LIN transceiver chip.

[0052] Specifically, the TDDI driver chip includes a main control MCU, and a LIN communication module is integrated based on the main control MCU. The LIN communication module can be a LIN transceiver, a module or chip in the LIN bus system that is responsible for processing electrical signals and physical connections, or other modules or chips with this function.

[0053] For example, the LIN communication module receives digital signals (typically 0V and 3.3V / 3.5V TTL levels) from the UART module of the host MCU; it converts these digital signals into specific analog voltage waveforms (dominant level ~0V, recessive level ~12V VBAT) for transmission on the LIN single bus; conversely, it also listens for analog signals on the bus and converts them back into digital signals that the host MCU can understand. It also has protection functions (interface protection), which will not be detailed here.

[0054] By fully utilizing the computing and control capabilities of the TDDI driver chip's internal main control MCU, the LIN communication module is integrated and used in conjunction with a LIN transceiver to transmit and convert switch signals. The switch signal of the air conditioner switch is transmitted to the touch chip (touch IC), which converts the touch signal into a switch signal and transmits it to the LIN communication module, converting it into the air conditioner's LIN signal. This allows the system to interact with the air conditioner controller and adjust the air conditioning equipment / system.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, firstly, the TDDI driver chip should be an automotive-grade TDDI chip with a built-in MCU core of sufficient performance, whose GPIO must include at least one UART interface and conform to the AEC-Q100 standard. Secondly, a classic automotive-grade LIN transceiver should be selected to convert the MCU's UART signals to LIN bus levels.

[0056] The TDDI driver chip's main control MCU's UART_TX pin is connected to the TXD pin of the LIN transceiver, and the TDDI driver chip's main control MCU's UART_RX pin is connected to the RXD pin of the LIN transceiver. The LIN transceiver's LIN pin is connected to the LIN bus through a series resistor (22-100Ω) and a TVS diode protection circuit. Other pins are used to connect the display screen and touch sensor.

[0057] It can provide independent and well-filtered power supplies for the TDDI driver chip and the LIN transceiver. The LIN transceiver is typically powered by the vehicle battery (VBAT), while the TDDI driver chip is powered by 3.3V or 5V.

[0058] Regarding the integration of digital controllers, this application focuses on a single application (air conditioner). The LIN protocol can be handled by the UART interface within the main control MCU with a specific timer. Simultaneously, the functionality of the UART / IP in the digital section can be enhanced to efficiently process the LIN frame structure. Alternatively, a lightweight LIN slave node protocol stack can be directly ported, serving only the application and requiring no operating system LIN stack for handling message transmission and reception, verification, and scheduling.

[0059] The TDDI driver chip can create independent power domains for different modules. In particular, the LIN transceiver, which is directly connected to the car battery (VBAT, usually 12V), must be well isolated from other low-voltage core logic (1.8V / 3.3V) to prevent noise crosstalk and latch-up. Therefore, when designing the PCB layout, the LIN transceiver should be placed as close as possible to the UART interface of the TDDI driver chip, with short and thick traces. At the same time, the sensitive display / touch analog area and digital communication area should be strictly separated to avoid noise interference.

[0060] It should be clarified that the purpose of integrating the LIN communication module onto the TDDI driver chip is to form a communication "bridge" between the touch chip and the controller, and to realize signal conversion and interaction between the physical switch and the controller. If other functional modules have these functions, they can also be adaptively replaced. Based on this integration, the chip can demonstrate structural advantages, reducing the thickness of the central control display and production costs.

[0061] It should be noted that, in order to highlight necessary features or provide a brief description, some conventional functional modules, functional units and their connections in TDDI displays may have been omitted. However, for those skilled in the art, these contents are readily apparent and obvious based on the technical knowledge in the field, and are not present in the technical solutions of this application.

[0062] This application also proposes a car equipped with a control panel featuring an integrated physical switch as described above. The car includes a control terminal for the cockpit area and a controller for the on-board equipment, both of which are electrically connected to the control panel. Of course, the car may also include other components, but these will not be detailed here.

[0063] The control terminal configured within the cockpit can adjust the controller. The control terminal can be implemented through specific buttons, shortcut keys, or intelligent assistants.

[0064] Taking the air conditioning controller as an example, the controller can be adjusted through physical buttons in other locations within the cabin domain, and the air conditioning can also be adjusted by calling up the intelligent assistant. This type of control path is cabin domain control. However, the control path of the air conditioning by the physical switch on the control panel in this application is independent of cabin domain control. Both can be implemented independently and act on the controller of the same device.

[0065] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0066] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific embodiments of the present invention are limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control panel integrating a physical switch, characterized in that, The device includes a TDDI display screen, which includes a TDDI driver chip with an integrated LIN communication module and a liquid crystal display screen. The liquid crystal display screen includes a display area and a switch area. The display area is equipped with a liquid crystal panel (2) to display images, and the switch area is equipped with a touch sensor (6) to form a physical switch. The physical switch is electrically connected to the controller through the LIN communication module integrated in the TDDI driver chip.

2. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switch area is located on one side of the display area.

3. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TDDI display screen also includes a backlight panel (3), which is located behind the liquid crystal panel (2). The backlight panel (3) extends toward the switch area, so that the physical switch is located in the backlight area of ​​the backlight panel (3).

4. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 3, characterized in that, The TDDI display screen also includes a control circuit board (4) and a back cover (5). The TDDI driver chip is electrically connected to the control circuit board (4). The control circuit board (4) is located on the back side of the backlight panel (3). The back cover (5) encapsulates the control circuit board (4), the backlight panel (3), and the liquid crystal panel (2) on the back side of the cover glass (1) of the liquid crystal display screen.

5. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, The back panel of the rear shell (5) is flush with the back plate, and the physical switches deployed in the switching area form a heat dissipation space between the backlight plate (3) and the back plate.

6. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a physical switch touch chip, which is electrically connected to the touch sensor (6) and the TDDI driver chip with integrated LIN communication module.

7. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 6, characterized in that, The LIN communication module is electrically connected to the touch chip and the controller respectively, so that the physical switch is electrically connected to the controller through the LIN communication module.

8. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a video decoding chip, and the TDDI driver chip is electrically connected to the liquid crystal display screen and the video decoding chip respectively.

9. The control panel for an integrated physical switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The physical switch includes multiple touch switches, all of which are electrically connected to the controller; the electrical connection between the physical switch and the controller is a communication connection.

10. A car, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a control panel equipped with an integrated physical switch as described in any one of claims 1-9, comprising a cockpit control terminal and an on-board equipment controller, wherein the cockpit control terminal and the on-board equipment controller are electrically connected to the control panel.

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