Method for reducing misoperation of a touch-sensitive screen

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reducing incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen (1) in a motor vehicle (2), wherein - Data of a finger (3) approaching or touching the touch-sensitive screen (1) and / or data of a hand (4) approaching the touch-sensitive screen (1) are captured by means of a detection device (5) and forwarded to a computer device (6), - the computer system (6) analyzes the data recorded and transmitted by the data acquisition system (5) and determines a corresponding threshold value at which a request for operation can be reliably assumed, - the computer setup (6) adjusts the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen (1) depending on the threshold value.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for reducing operating errors of a touchscreen in a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with a touchscreen for controlling at least one electrical / electronic component and a computer unit communicating therewith for carrying out this method.

[0002] From US patent 2023 / 086516A1, an electronic device is known comprising a housing, a display, an input surface, and a motion detection system. The latter detects relative movement between the input surface and a user's finger approaching the input surface and adjusts an input field on the input surface accordingly. This is intended to reduce incorrect operation of the input surface.

[0003] From DE 10 2022 203 459 A1, a motor vehicle assembly is known, comprising a vehicle door, a control element arranged therein, and a control unit for controlling the opening and closing function of the vehicle door. The control element comprises at least a first control device for generating an operating signal when operated by the user on an outer section and at least a second control device for generating an operating signal when operated by the user on an inner section. The control unit is designed such that, based on an operating signal from the at least one first control device, it triggers a closing function to close the vehicle door, and based on an operating signal from the at least one second control device, it triggers an opening function to open the vehicle door. This is intended to enable simple and intuitive use of the control element.

[0004] From US patent 2023 / 075321A1, a motor vehicle is known that features a touchscreen and a camera which detects a user's gaze and accordingly presets a capacitive sensor of the touchscreen to better detect an actual touch / activation. For this purpose, a threshold is set with respect to the distance between the actual touch and the expected touch.

[0005] From DE 10 2019 202 181 A1, a control system is known with an input device for receiving a feedback signal indicating resistance experienced by the steering wheel of a motor vehicle in response to a force applied to move the steering wheel. This is intended to reliably detect, regardless of whether the driver is wearing gloves or not, whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel and can, if necessary, make a steering intervention.

[0006] US patent 2023 / 157123A1 discloses a display for a motor vehicle with a touch sensor function and an optical recognition function, specifically for capturing fingerprints. To ensure high robustness, the display has a durable, multi-layered structure.

[0007] Touch-sensitive screens, so-called touchscreens, are increasingly used in modern motor vehicles, which offers the great advantage that a large number of different electrical / electronic components can be controlled via such touch-sensitive screens, which previously had to be operated in a complex and expensive manner via individual associated buttons or switches.

[0008] However, a disadvantage of such touch-sensitive screens is that they can be operated incorrectly relatively easily, especially if they are operated by users with or without gloves or with different sized fingers / hands.

[0009] The present invention therefore deals with the problem of providing a method by which, in particular, incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen in a motor vehicle can be reduced.

[0010] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0011] The present invention is based on the general concept of reducing the risk of incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen, for example a touchscreen, in a motor vehicle by continuously adjusting the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen to the respective user. In the inventive method for reducing incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen in a motor vehicle, for example a touchscreen, data from a finger or hand approaching the touch-sensitive screen of a user is first acquired by means of a detection device and transmitted to a computer. The computer is communicatively connected to the detection device.In a subsequent step, the computer analyzes the data captured and transmitted by the sensor and determines a corresponding threshold value at which a reliable user request can be assumed, or at which a reliable user request can be assumed with a sufficiently high probability. The computer then adjusts the sensitivity, particularly the touch sensitivity, of the touchscreen based on this threshold value, so that the touchscreen's sensitivity is individually and continuously adapted to each user. This reliably prevents, or at least reduces, user errors, for example, those caused by users with differently sized fingers or hands, or by users wearing gloves.

[0012] The major advantage of the method according to the invention lies particularly in the fact that, based on a continuous analysis of the user operating the touch-sensitive screen, or the finger approaching the screen and / or the hand touching or approaching the touch-sensitive screen, the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen can be adapted to the respective user. Thus, if the touch-sensitive screen is touched in quick succession by a woman without gloves and then by a man with a comparatively larger hand wearing a glove, the risk of incorrect operation can be significantly reduced by the individually determined threshold value and the correspondingly adjusted sensitivity, achieved using the method according to the invention.In particular, bare hands or hands wearing gloves have different electrical conductivities when they come close together, which can lead to incorrect operation.

[0013] In an advantageous further development of the inventive method, the size of at least a user's finger or hand is used as data captured by the detection device. A threshold value can be determined relatively easily from the size of the finger or hand, as detected by the detection device, with which the touch-sensitive screen is to be operated. The sensitivity is then adjusted accordingly. For example, the threshold value can be lowered and the sensitivity increased if the finger or hand is relatively small, since the electrical conductivity of a smaller finger or hand is lower. Conversely, the threshold value can also be raised and the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen decreased if a finger or hand approaching the touch-sensitive screen has a lower electrical conductivity.A hand approaching the touch-sensitive screen is comparatively large. Generally, the sensitivity can be continuously and optimally adjusted to each user by means of the detection device and the inventive method, thereby significantly reducing the risk of incorrect operation.

[0014] The data collected by the detection device is appropriately based on whether a user's finger or hand is clothed or unclothed. For example, if the device detects that a bare finger or hand is approaching the touchscreen, this indicates higher electrical conductivity, which raises the threshold and lowers the sensitivity. Conversely, if the device detects a clothed hand, such as a gloved hand, the threshold can be lowered, increasing the sensitivity of the touchscreen and thus enabling easier and faster activation / response of the touchscreen.

[0015] In an advantageous further development of the inventive method, the data captured by the detection device includes information about the properties, in particular the material, of the covering of the finger or hand. Thus, if the detection device recognizes, for example, that the finger or hand is covered by a glove, the corresponding threshold can be lowered accordingly, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the touchscreen. Such a glove significantly reduces electrical conductivity, which, with an unchanged threshold and thus unchanged sensitivity, would considerably increase the risk of incorrect operation.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the detection device acquires the data by means of a camera, in particular an RGB camera. Such a camera, especially an RGB camera (red-green-blue), enables reliable detection of the hand or the finger approaching the touch-sensitive screen, whereby it can be easily and simply recognized via the camera whether the user's hand is, for example, covered by a glove.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively, the detection device can capture the data using an infrared camera; combined RGB / infrared cameras are also conceivable. By additionally or alternatively capturing infrared radiation, it is relatively easy to determine whether a finger or hand approaching the touchscreen is bare or covered by a glove. This allows for relatively simple adjustment of the threshold and thus the sensitivity of the touchscreen.

[0018] The present invention is further based on the general concept of providing a motor vehicle which has a touch-sensitive screen for controlling at least one control unit or for controlling at least one electrical / electronic component, as well as a detection device for acquiring data from a finger approaching the touch-sensitive screen and / or data from a hand approaching the touch-sensitive screen. Furthermore, the motor vehicle according to the invention has a computer system that communicates with the touch-sensitive screen and the detection device and is configured to carry out the method described in the preceding paragraphs. This allows the advantages described with respect to the method according to the invention to be transferred to the motor vehicle according to the invention.Specifically, these advantages lie in the fact that by individually and permanently adjusting the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen using the data transmitted from the detection device to the computer system, the risk of incorrect operation can be significantly reduced and thus ease of use can be significantly increased.

[0019] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention, the touch-sensitive screen is designed as a touchscreen in a center console or dashboard. Such a touchscreen can serve both for displaying images, for example, a map from a navigation system, and for inputting operating commands. Naturally, the touch-sensitive screen can also be designed as a swipe surface, particularly for adjusting the volume of a radio, or as a touch-sensitive button. This non-exhaustive list already suggests the wide variety of embodiments possible for the touch-sensitive screen in a motor vehicle.

[0020] The detection device is preferably designed as a camera, in particular as an RGB camera, an infrared camera, or a combined RGB / infrared camera. Such a camera can easily determine the clothing and / or size of a hand touching or approaching the touchscreen, thereby adjusting a corresponding threshold and, consequently, the sensitivity of the touchscreen. For example, if a relatively small hand approaches the touchscreen, this can be detected by the detection device and transmitted to the computer, which then lowers the sensitivity threshold and thus increases the sensitivity.In the case of a significantly larger hand, for example a man's hand, the threshold can be raised and thus the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen lowered, since the electrical conductivity of a larger hand or a larger finger of such a larger hand is significantly higher.

[0021] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0022] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The components of a higher-level unit, such as a device, apparatus, or arrangement, mentioned above and those to be mentioned below, which are designated separately, can form separate parts or components of this unit or be integral areas or sections of this unit, even if this is depicted differently in the drawings.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0024] They show, each schematically Fig. 1 different process steps of a method according to the invention for reducing incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen in a motor vehicle, Fig. 2 an interior view of a motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0025] According to the Fig. 1 discloses a method according to the invention for reducing incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen 1 (compare Fig. 2) in a motor vehicle 2 a total of three process steps A to C on: In a first process step A, data from a finger 3 and / or a hand 4 approaching the touch-sensitive screen 1 are captured by a sensor 5 and transmitted to a computer 6. In the subsequent process step B, the computer 6 analyzes the data captured and transmitted by the sensor 5 and determines a corresponding threshold value at which a reliable user request can be assumed. Then, in process step C, the computer 6 adjusts the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen 1 based on the determined threshold value, thereby significantly reducing the risk of incorrect operation or misinterpretation of a user request.

[0026] The core idea of ​​the method according to the invention is therefore to use an additional detection device 5, for example an RGB camera, an infrared camera or a combined RGB-infrared camera, in order to reduce the probability of incorrect operation.

[0027] The touch-sensitive screen 1 can, for example, be designed as a touchscreen in a center console 7 or a dashboard 8 of the motor vehicle 2 according to the invention, wherein additionally or alternatively corresponding buttons or switches or controls can also be provided which are equipped with such a touch-sensitive screen 1.

[0028] The detection device 5 can, for example, detect the size of the hand 4 touching or approaching the touch-sensitive screen and / or the finger 3 approaching or touching the touch-sensitive screen 1 and adjust the threshold for the sensitivity accordingly, depending on the size of the hand 4 or finger 3.

[0029] Additionally or alternatively, the detection device 5 can also detect whether finger 3 or hand 4 is covered or uncovered and use this information to determine the threshold value, since, for example, a glove 8 covering finger 3 or hand 4 significantly reduces electrical conductivity and thus considerably increases the risk of incorrect operation. The wearing or not wearing of a glove 8 can be detected relatively easily, for example, using appropriate infrared radiation.

[0030] In the left area of ​​the Fig.Figure 2 shows hands 4 of different sizes with fingers 3 of different sizes. The topmost hand 4 shows a relatively small hand 4 with small fingers 3, while the middle hand 4 shows a relatively large hand 4 with large fingers 3. The bottommost hand 4 is of average size with average-sized fingers 3, which are covered by a glove 8.

[0031] All in all, the inventive method and the inventive motor vehicle 2 can significantly reduce the risk of false sensing and thus also of incorrect operation, so that, for example, the input of control commands into a navigation system or a media unit can be made considerably less error-prone. The inventive method and the inventive motor vehicle 2 can therefore achieve significantly increased ease of use and ultimately also significantly increased driving comfort. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 2023 / 086 516 A1

[0002] DE 10 2022 203 459 A1

[0003] US 2023 / 075 321 A1

[0004] DE 10 2019 202 181 A1

[0005] US 2023 / 157 123 A1

[0006]

Claims

[1] Method for reducing incorrect operation of a touch-sensitive screen (1) in a motor vehicle (2), wherein - Data of a finger (3) approaching or touching the touch-sensitive screen (1) and / or data of a hand (4) approaching the touch-sensitive screen (1) are captured by means of a detection device (5) and forwarded to a computer device (6), - the computer system (6) analyzes the data recorded and transmitted by the data acquisition system (5) and determines a corresponding threshold value at which a request for operation can be reliably assumed, - the computer setup (6) adjusts the sensitivity of the touch-sensitive screen (1) depending on the threshold value. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by, that the data captured by the recording device (5) shall be at least the size of the finger (3) or the hand (4). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the data recorded by the recording device (5) shall be whether the finger (3) or hand (4) is covered or uncovered. [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized by , that the data recorded by the recording device (5) is a quality, in particular a material, of the clothing of the finger (3) or of the hand (4). [5] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the recording device (5) records the data by means of a camera, in particular an RGB camera. [6] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the recording device (5) records the data using an infrared camera. [7] Motor vehicle (2) with a touch-sensitive screen (1) for controlling at least one electrical or electronic component, with a detection device (5) for detecting data of a finger (3) approaching or touching the touch-sensitive screen (1) and / or for detecting data of a hand (4) approaching the touch-sensitive screen (1), a computer device (6) communicating with it, which is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims. [8] Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 7, characterized by , that the touch-sensitive screen (1) is designed as a touchscreen in a center console (7) or a dashboard (8). [9] Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by , that the detection device (5) is designed as a camera, in particular as an RGB camera. [10] Motor vehicle (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by , that the detection device (5) is designed as an infrared camera.

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