Method for providing an operating option with regard to functions of a vehicle and motor vehicle

Abstract

A touchscreen (3) can heat up differently in different areas. Information about the temperature at at least two different locations (S1, S2, S3) of the surface (30) of the touchscreen (3) is obtained, and image elements displayed on the touchscreen to control actuators and / or sensors and / or a data processing device are positioned depending on the information obtained.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for providing an operating option for functions in a vehicle, in particular for actuators and / or sensors and / or the settings, etc., in a data processing unit of this vehicle, by means of at least one image element provided on a touchscreen. It also relates to a motor vehicle in which the method can be carried out.

[0002] It is known that touchscreens can heat up due to sunlight.

[0003] German patent DE 10 2016 225 534 A1 describes a method for reducing the time a user's finger spends on a hot touch surface, thereby minimizing discomfort. A thermometer measures the temperature of the control element. The hot areas of the touch surface are decoupled from the operating force sensor, thus reducing the contact time of the finger with the contact surface.

[0004] From DE 11 2006 002 269 T5, a display device is known that is capable of measuring its own temperature. When high temperatures are reached, the device reduces the number of displayed elements in order to minimize the self-heating caused by the electrical components. For example, in a map display, narrow streets are removed.

[0005] US patent 2017 / 0313192A1 discloses a system consisting of two displays: a main display and a smaller, secondary display. The system monitors the temperature of at least the main display. At low temperatures, a message (such as a warning) can appear on the main display, while at higher temperatures, the corresponding information is displayed on the smaller, secondary display.

[0006] DE 10 2019 204 124 A1 describes a method for operating a screen in a temperature-dependent manner, whereby the temperature of different display areas is detected and a reaction is made.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to further improve the comfort for users of touchscreens in vehicles.

[0008] The problem is solved by a method with the features according to claim 1 and a motor vehicle with the features according to claim 4.

[0009] Advantageous embodiments are found in the dependent claims.

[0010] The inventive method for providing an operating option with regard to functions of a vehicle, in particular for actuators and / or sensors and / or a data processing unit of a vehicle, by means of at least one image element provided on a touchscreen, comprises: - Obtaining information about the temperature at at least two (naturally different) points on the surface of the touchscreen; - Placing at least one image element depending on the information obtained.

[0011] Within the scope of the invention, such image elements are adaptively positioned. These image elements can generally also be referred to as "graphical user interface elements."

[0012] This allows for greater flexibility in the use of the touchscreen, and cooler areas can take priority over hotter areas.

[0013] According to the invention, at least two image elements are provided, a rank is assigned to the image elements, and the placement is carried out depending on this rank such that lower-ranking image elements are provided on the touchscreen in a warmer area of ​​the surface than higher-ranking image elements.

[0014] The ranking can depend on other factors such as the driving situation.

[0015] In this way, the flexibility in the placement of the image elements goes hand in hand with a meaningful design of this movement of the image elements.

[0016] According to the invention, a first image element has a higher priority than a second if the first image element requires a longer press for a predetermined operation than the second image element requires a predetermined operation (associated with it). For example, an operation might consist of a simple tap, in which case the image element has a lower priority than if the operation requires a longer press on the control surface, for example, to navigate through a menu ("scrolling," etc.).

[0017] The method according to the invention is particularly advantageous when it is carried out at the beginning of a journey of the vehicle, because when stationary the touchscreen may have already heated up due to exposure to sunlight.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided in this framework that at least one image element is selected from: - at least one image element that is associated with an air conditioning system of the vehicle; - at least one image element that is associated with the operation of a closing device for a window and / or sunroof of the vehicle; - at least one image element that is assigned to a parking assistance system of the vehicle.

[0019] Especially at the beginning of the journey, it can be important to adjust the vehicle's climate control, open or close the windows / sunroof using a locking device, and, for example, to switch a signal ("beeping") on or off as part of the parking assistance system, activate / adjust a reversing camera, and so on.

[0020] According to a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, a standard placement of the at least one image element is defined, from which the placement is modified depending on the information obtained, preferably while maintaining the appearance of the image element. This can include the at least one image element already occupying the position deviating from the standard placement immediately upon switching on the vehicle / starting the engine and the associated activation of the touchscreen. Alternatively, it would be possible to first display the standard placement and then allow the image elements to move slowly so that the user recognizes that the image elements are in an unfamiliar position.

[0021] The motor vehicle according to the invention comprises actuators and / or sensors and / or a data processing unit and at least one touchscreen for displaying image elements, wherein the touchscreen is designed to receive a touch on its surface and to enable the control of actuators and / or sensors and / or the data processing unit. In other words, a touch on the surface of the touchscreen related to an image element enables the control of actuators and / or sensors and / or the data processing unit. The touchscreen has a control unit designed to determine the placement of the image elements. The motor vehicle further comprises a measuring device for obtaining temperature measurement data at at least two locations on the surface of the touchscreen, wherein the measuring device is coupled or can be coupled to the control unit of the touchscreen.The control unit is now designed to determine the placement of the image elements based on the measurement data.

[0022] Within the scope of the invention, at least two image elements are provided, wherein the image elements are assigned a rank, wherein a first image element is of higher rank than a second image element if the first image element must be actuated for a longer time for a predetermined operation than the second image element for a predetermined operation, wherein the placement is such that lower-ranking image elements are provided on the touchscreen in a warmer area of ​​the surface than higher-ranking image elements.

[0023] The motor vehicle according to the invention is thus designed to carry out the method according to the invention, wherein in particular the above-mentioned information can be provided by the measurement data itself or by data derived and processed therefrom.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, the vehicle's measuring device is part of the touchscreen, and preferably it is provided by sensors integrated into the touchscreen, for example between 4 and 20 sensors, in particular 12 sensors. Each sensor relates to a sub-area of ​​the touchscreen, wherein these sub-areas are preferably at least 10% exactly the same size, and more preferably exactly the same size.

[0025] According to an alternative or additional embodiment, the measuring device includes an infrared camera directed at the touchscreen (from the operator side). This camera can directly acquire image data as measurement data, which can then be processed to derive at least a rough indication of the temperature of surface areas.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally to the embodiment with the sensors and / or the infrared camera, the measuring device can also include an optical camera. For example, image data from the optical camera can be used as measurement data to derive the intensity of solar radiation on the surface of the touchscreen and from this estimate the temperature at different points on the touchscreen.

[0027] Preferably, in this context, the optical camera is equipped with a control unit that triggers the sequential capture of multiple images. This is already commonly implemented in motor vehicles for theft prevention purposes (images are captured at intervals between 20 seconds and 5 minutes when the vehicle is stationary, for example, at 1-minute intervals). Furthermore, an evaluation unit is provided that uses the multiple images to derive information about the temperature at at least two points on the touchscreen surface. The multiple images reveal, for example, how the shadows developed and thus how long sunlight was applied to which areas of the touchscreen surface, from which the local temperature increase is then deduced.

[0028] In conjunction with the infrared camera and the optical camera, an additional temperature sensor inside the vehicle and / or an external temperature sensor can be used to compare the derived information about the temperatures at at least two points on the surface of the touchscreen.

[0029] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the procedure and are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, according to the procedure, an error message and / or a request for user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0030] The invention also includes the control device for the motor vehicle. The control device can comprise a data processing device or a processor circuit configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor circuit can comprise at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In particular, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can be used as the microprocessor. Furthermore, the processor circuit can comprise program code configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor circuit.The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device. The processor device can be based, for example, on at least one circuit board and / or on at least one SoC (System on Chip).

[0031] The invention also includes further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention, which have features as already described in connection with the further developments of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention are not described again here.

[0032] The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.

[0033] As a further solution, the invention also includes a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or a computer network, causes it to execute an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can be provided at least partially as a non-volatile data storage medium (e.g., as flash memory and / or as an SSD - solid state drive) and / or at least partially as a volatile data storage medium (e.g., as RAM - random access memory). The storage medium can be located within the computer or computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated, for example, as an app store server and / or cloud server on the internet. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with, for example, at least one microprocessor.The program code can be provided as binary code, assembly code, source code in a programming language (e.g., C), or a program script (e.g., Python). Alternatively, the computer-readable storage medium can be implemented as a signal containing computer-readable data, such as a time-varying voltage signal or a radio signal.

[0034] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also includes realizations that each exhibit a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.

[0035] The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention described. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1a a perspective view of a vehicle interior according to a first embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention with a freestanding touchscreen display in the area of ​​the instrument panel; Fig. 1b a perspective view of a vehicle interior according to a second embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention with a freestanding touchscreen display in the area of ​​the instrument panel; Fig. 1c a perspective view of a vehicle interior according to a third embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention with a freestanding touchscreen display in the area of ​​the instrument panel; Fig. 2 in schematic representation the components of a touchscreen as it can be used within the framework of the method according to the invention; Fig. 3a the representation of a touchscreen in a motor vehicle during the initial positioning of a picture element and Fig. 3b the display of the touchscreen from Fig. 3a when the same image element is positioned a second time; Fig. 4 a flowchart to illustrate an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0036] The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently of one another and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0037] In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0038] One in the Fig. The vehicle shown in Figures 1a-c, and designated as a whole by 1, includes the touchscreen display 3 on the so-called instrument panel in the vehicle interior. In this embodiment, the display is freestanding, meaning its back is visible from the front of the vehicle 1. Such a freestanding display is known, for example, from the current model (from model year 2024) of the Volkswagen Tiguan.

[0039] The front surface 30 of the display 3 can be made of glass. If the display 3 heats up excessively from its back (i.e., due to light entering through the windshield 1c of the vehicle 1) or if the glass 30 is directly exposed to sunlight, it can become too hot, potentially making operation uncomfortable. However, the heating of the front surface 30 of the display 3 can vary locally.

[0040] To capture these local differences, in a first embodiment according to Fig. 1a It is provided that the touchscreen display 3 has integrated temperature sensors 32, each of which detects the temperature in a subfield of the front surface 30. In the example case, with a touchscreen display 3 that is wider than it is tall, three rows of four sensors each are formed, which can be evenly distributed.

[0041] According to an alternative embodiment according to Fig. 1b an infrared camera acquires 40 thermal images, from which a rough information on the temperature distribution on the front surface 30 of the touchscreen display 3 can be determined.

[0042] According to a further embodiment according to Fig. In the vehicle interior, there is an optical camera 50 and an associated control unit 52. Particularly when the vehicle 1 is stationary, images are to be taken every minute. These images, for the purpose of theft protection, can capture the entire vehicle interior and, in this case, serve specifically to detect the light exposure on the front surface 30 of the touchscreen display 3 (detection of shadows and / or light intensity). The control unit 52 is designed, for example, as a data processing device (microprocessor or similar) that can also perform an evaluation of the image data. If, for example, it is detected that certain areas of the front surface 30 of the touchscreen display 3 have been illuminated for several minutes, while others have not, a higher temperature is assigned to the former than to the latter.

[0043] The touchscreen display 3 is shown schematically with all its individual components in Fig. 2 shown. In addition to the core touchscreen 31 with the front surface 30, it comprises a plurality of touch sensors 34 and a display unit 35. Furthermore, the aforementioned temperature sensors (see Fig. 1a) 32 are integrated into the core touchscreen 31. A control unit 36 ​​of the touchscreen display 3 is configured to control the screen unit 35, on which image elements are displayed, whereby the control unit 36 ​​accesses a memory 37 in which such image elements are stored. The control unit 36 ​​receives input signals from the touch sensors 34 and simultaneously measured values ​​from the temperature sensors 32. The user can enter commands via the touch sensors 34, which in turn lead to the control unit changing the display on the screen unit 35. As described in more detail below, the values ​​from the temperature sensors 32 are also used to determine the display on the screen unit 35. The control unit 36 ​​will, in particular, also implement the commands entered via the touch sensors 34 in order to ultimately send commands B to actuators A of the motor vehicle 1.For example, the air conditioning system, a window regulator, a motor for adjusting the sunroof, a parking assist component, and the like can be controlled. In the case of the embodiment according to... Fig. 1b or Fig. In 1c, the control unit 36 ​​also receives data from units 40, 50, or 52. In these embodiments, the temperature sensors 32 can also be omitted. The operation can alternatively involve controlling sensors of the vehicle 1, or it can also involve internal processes in a data processing unit of the vehicle.

[0044] For the purposes of this application, the touchscreen display 3 as a whole is also referred to simply as the "touchscreen" and includes, in addition to the core touchscreen 31, the other units such as 36, 37, etc. Alternatively, it can be referred to as the "touchscreen unit".

[0045] Fig. Figure 3a illustrates again the interior of the motor vehicle 1 with a touchscreen display 3, where, due to sunlight S, a heating occurs particularly at point S3, as can be detected by the sensors 32 and / or the camera 40 and / or the camera 50 with the control unit 52. Fig. Figure 3a shows that an image element 60 is located at point S1. Here it is situated near the strongly heated area S3. According to the invention, it is provided that Fig. 3b the image element 60 moves to position S2. This movement can occur as an actual movement of the image element 60 from position S1 to position S2, but preferably, deviating from a standard placement of the image element 60 at position S1, the touchscreen display 3 is immediately displayed at position S2, for example, at the start of a journey. The user N (symbolized here by his hand) can operate the image element 60 more easily at position S2 because the surface 30 at position S2 is less hot than at position S1 and significantly less hot than at position S3.

[0046] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, step S10 begins with the acquisition of measurement data, for example, by the temperature sensors 32 and / or the infrared camera 40 and / or the optical camera 50. In the subsequent step S12, the actual information about the temperature at the locations on the surface of the touchscreen display 3 is obtained by evaluating a single image from the infrared camera 40, by evaluating several images from the optical camera 50, or by processing the data from the temperature sensors 32. In step S14, the information is further processed and ranked: ranks are assigned to individual surface areas of the front surface 30 of the touchscreen display 3. Accordingly, in step S16, image elements are positioned according to the type of image element 60. Fig.3a / 3b depending on the surface ranks assigned in step S14, where the image elements preferably themselves have a rank. For example, the image element with the highest rank can be assigned to a surface area with the highest rank, the image element with the second-highest rank to the surface area with the second-highest rank, and so on. Image elements can also be grouped, for example, if two image elements are always to be displayed next to each other.

[0047] Overall, the examples show how the positioning of GUI elements (“Graphical User Interface Elements”) can be provided depending on the temperature distribution of the touchscreen surface. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 1 vehicle, motor vehicle 1c Windscreen 3 Touchscreen 30 surface 31-core touchscreen 32 temperature sensors 34 touch sensors 35 screen unit 36 Control unit 37 storage 40 Infrared camera 50 optical camera 52 Evaluation unit 60 image elements A Actuators B commands N users Sun S1, S2, S3 positions S10, S12, S14, S16 Steps of an embodiment of the method according to the invention

Claims

[1] Method for providing an operating option with regard to functions in a vehicle (1), in particular for actuators and / or sensors and / or a data processing unit of the vehicle (1), by means of at least one image element (60) provided on a touchscreen (3), comprising: - Obtaining information about the temperature at at least two locations (S1, S2, S3) of the surface (30) of the touchscreen (3); - Placing the at least one image element (60) depending on the information obtained, wherein at least two image elements are provided and a rank is assigned to the image elements, wherein a first image element is higher rank than a second image element if the first image element must be actuated for a longer time for a predetermined operation than the second image element for a predetermined operation, wherein the placement is carried out such that lower-ranking image elements are provided on the touchscreen in a warmer area of ​​the surface than higher-ranking image elements. [2] The method of claim 1, which is carried out at the beginning of a journey of the vehicle (1), and wherein the at least one image element is selected from: - at least one image element that is assigned to an air conditioning unit (A) of the vehicle; - at least one image element that is associated with the operation of a closing device (A) for a window and / or sunroof of the vehicle; - at least one image element that is assigned to a parking aid (A) of the vehicle. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a standard placement of the at least one image element (60) is defined, from which the placement is deviated depending on the information obtained, preferably while maintaining the appearance of the image element. [4] Motor vehicle with actuators (A) and / or sensors and / or a data processing device and a touchscreen (3) for displaying image elements (60), wherein a touch of a surface (30) of the touchscreen (3) related to an image element (60) enables the control of actuators (A) and / or sensors and / or the data processing device, wherein the touchscreen (3) has a control unit (36) designed to determine the placement of the image elements (60), with a measuring device (32, 40, 50) for obtaining measurement data regarding the temperature at at least two locations (S1, S2, S3) of the surface (30) of the touchscreen (3), which is coupled or can be coupled to the control unit (36) of the touchscreen, wherein the control unit (36) is designed to determine the placement of the image elements depending on the measurement data, wherein at least two image elements are provided and a rank is assigned to the image elements,wherein a first image element is higher priority than a second image element if the first image element must be actuated for a longer time for a predetermined operation than the second image element for a predetermined operation, wherein the placement is such that lower-priority image elements are provided on the touchscreen in a warmer area of ​​the surface than higher-priority image elements. [5] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 4, wherein the measuring device is provided by sensors (32) integrated into the touchscreen (3). [6] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the measuring device comprises an infrared camera (40). [7] Motor vehicle (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the measuring device comprises an optical camera (50). [8] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 7 with a control unit (52) associated with the optical camera (50) which causes the recording of a plurality of images successively, and with an evaluation unit (52) which is designed to derive information on the temperature at at least two locations (S1, S2, S3) of the surface (30) of the touchscreen (3) from the plurality of images.

Images