Managing the privacy of visual content in a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen (3) of a human-machine interface (2) of a motor vehicle (1) by means of a computer device (100) embedded in the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method and to a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Management of the private nature of the visual contents of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of graphical interfaces of human-machine interfaces of motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle by means of a computer device on board the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] It is known that human-machine interfaces in motor vehicles traditionally included an instrument cluster composed of several analog dials with needles and push buttons or other levers for controlling the vehicle functions, which have been replaced in certain current vehicles by flat screens, sometimes touch screens, on which graphic interfaces are displayed in which graphic elements replace the counters and other traditional push buttons. These screens are generally arranged at the level of the central console of vehicles or behind the steering wheel in the driver's direct line of vision. However, although these screens are effective in presenting certain types of information to vehicle occupants, it is realized that they are not sufficient to allow certain display functions.For example, the use of flat screens does not allow for segmenting displayed visual content to allow the privacy of certain displayed content between different occupants of a vehicle. From this point of view, the graphical interfaces of human-machine interfaces in current motor vehicles still lack ergonomics. Summary of the invention.

[0003] The invention aims to solve this problem. The invention aims in particular to provide a method and a device which make it possible to improve the ergonomics of the graphical interfaces of the human-machine interfaces of motor vehicles in order, in particular, to allow the private nature of certain visual contents displayed between different occupants of a vehicle.

[0004] In order to achieve this aim, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle by means of a computer device on board the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i. cause the display on a first portion of the screen surface of a first part of the graphical interface comprising a first visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part of the first portion; ii. cause the display on a second portion of the screen surface of a second part of the graphical interface comprising a second visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part of the second portion; and iii. cause the display on a third portion of the screen surface of a third part of the graphical interface comprising a third visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out at an upper part of the third portion.

[0005] According to a variant, the first portion may extend on one side of a vertical plane passing through the center of the screen while the second portion may extend on the other side of said plane.

[0006] According to another variant, the third portion can extend symmetrically on each side of said plane.

[0007] According to yet another variant, the method may comprise a step consisting of causing the first visual content to move from the first to the second or third portion when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is carried out within the first portion.

[0008] According to yet another variant, the method may comprise a step consisting of causing the second visual content to move from the second to the first or third portion when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is carried out within the second portion.

[0009] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0010] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a human-machine interface comprising a spherical screen and a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0014] [Fig-1] is a diagram of a vehicle according to the invention;

[0015] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention;

[0017] [Fig.4] is a planar projection of an example of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle according to the invention; and

[0018] [Fig.5] is an example of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0019] [Fig.l] illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention which has a man-machine interface 2 comprising a screen 3 of spherical shape and a device 100 for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a screen of spherical shape of a man-machine interface of a motor vehicle which implements the method according to the invention described below. When implementing the method according to the invention, a graphical interface is displayed on the screen 3 which comprises a first part displayed on one side of the screen 3, a second part displayed on the other side of the screen 3 and a third part displayed between the first and the second part.Thus, by appropriately arranging the screen 3 in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 such that the first part of the graphical interface faces a first occupant of the vehicle while the second part of the graphical interface faces a second occupant of the vehicle, for example at the level of the central console, the method and the device according to the invention make it possible to ensure the private nature of certain visual contents displayed between different occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0020] The device 100 for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle according to the invention which is on board the vehicle 1 according to the invention is illustrated in [Fig.2]. It is a computer device, which comprises at least one unit information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on one or more computers, electronic control units or other telematics boxes of the vehicle 1. According to the preferred embodiment, that illustrated in [Fig.2], the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (eg CAN, Ethernet) - materialized in [Fig.l] by the arrow - with a computer of the human-machine interface 2 of the vehicle. According to another embodiment, the device 100 according to the invention is an integral part of a computer of the human-machine interface 2 of the vehicle.

[0022] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen of a man-machine interface of a motor vehicle, as described below in connection with figures 1, 3-5.

[0023] According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the display on a first portion 301 of the surface of the screen 3 of a first part of the graphical interface comprising a first visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part 301a of the first portion 301. Thus, as can be seen in [Fig. 4], which represents a planar projection of an example of a graphical interface which can be displayed on the spherical screen 3 of the human-machine interface 2 of the vehicle 1, and in [Fig.5], which illustrates from left to right several views of the screen 3 when the viewing angle of the observer moves around it in an anticlockwise direction, the graphical interface displayed during the implementation of the method according to the invention comprises a first part displayed on a first portion 301 of the surface of the screen 3 which allows the display of a first visual content, in particular at the level of the lower part 301b of the first portion 301. Indeed, the screen 3 is preferably tactile and the first part of the graphical interface displays on the upper part 301a of the first portion 301 icons which allow a user to choose a visual content to be displayed by means of tactile interactions carried out at the level of the upper part 301a of the first portion 301.And when the device 100 according to the invention establishes that a tactile interaction is carried out within the upper part 301a of the first portion 301, it then causes the display. of visual content at the lower portion 301b of the first portion 301. Therefore, due to the spherical shape of the screen 3, and considering that it is arranged in a central position in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, visual content displayed on the first portion 301 of the surface of the screen 3, in particular at the lower portion 301b thereof, faces a single occupant of the vehicle, in particular an occupant seated on the left side of the vehicle. Thus, by causing visual content to be displayed in the lower portion 301a of the first portion 301 when a touch interaction is performed at the upper portion 301b of the first portion 301, it is ensured that such content can only be seen by an occupant seated on the left side of the vehicle.

[0024] Similarly, according to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the display on a second portion 302 of the surface of the screen 3 of a second part of the graphical interface comprising a second visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part 302a of the second portion 302. Indeed, the graphical interface displayed during the implementation of the method according to the invention comprises a second part displayed on a second portion 302 of the surface of the screen 3 which allows the display of a second visual content, in particular at the level of the lower part 302b of the second portion 302.As for the first part of the graphical interface, the second part thereof preferentially displays on the upper part 302a of the second portion 302 icons which allow a user to choose visual content to be displayed by means of tactile interactions carried out at the level of the upper part 302a of the second portion 302. And as during the previous step 201 of the method, when the device 100 according to the invention establishes that a tactile interaction is carried out within the upper part 302a of the second portion, it then causes the display of visual content at the level of the lower part 302b thereof.However, while the first portion 301 of the surface of the screen 3 on which the first part of the graphical interface is displayed at the end of the first step 201 of the method extends on one side of a vertical plane passing through the center of the screen, the second portion 302 on which the second part of the graphical interface is displayed at the end of this second step 202 of the method extends on the other side of this plane. Consequently, if we still consider that the screen 3 is arranged in a central position in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, visual content displayed on the second portion 302 of the surface of the screen 3, in particular at the level of the lower part 302b thereof, faces a single occupant of the vehicle, in particular an occupant installed on the right side of the vehicle.Thus, by causing the display of visual content in the lower part 302b of the second portion 302 of the surface of the screen 3 when a tactile interaction is carried out at the level of the . upper part 302b of the second portion 302, it is ensured that such content can only be seen by an occupant who is installed on the right side of the vehicle.

[0025] Finally, according to a third step 203 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the display on a third portion 303 of the surface of the screen of a third part of the graphical interface comprising a third visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out at an upper part 303a of the third portion 303. And, as can be seen in [Fig. 5], the third portion 303 extends symmetrically on each side of the vertical plane passing through the center of the screen 3. Consequently, if we consider that the screen 3 is arranged in a central position in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, visual content displayed on the third portion of the screen 3, in particular at the lower part 303b thereof, can be seen by an occupant installed on the left side or on the right side.Thus, by causing the display of visual content in the lower part 303b of the third portion 303 of the surface of the screen 3 when a tactile interaction is carried out within the upper part 303b thereof, the character of such content is advantageously ensured at this stage, no longer private but shared.

[0026] According to a first alternative, the device 100 according to the invention then performs an additional step during which it causes the first visual content to be moved from the first 301 to the second 302 or the third portion 303 when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is performed within the first portion 301, in particular at the lower part 301b thereof. Similarly, according to a second alternative, the device 100 according to the invention performs an additional step during which it causes the second visual content to be moved from the second 302 to the first 301 or the third portion 303 when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is performed within the second portion, in particular at the lower part 302b thereof.Thanks to these additional steps, a user installed on the left or right of the screen can therefore advantageously select and move visual content displayed on one side of the screen to another portion of the screen surface in order to allow viewing of this content by another occupant of the vehicle. Thus, thanks to these alternatives, it is ensured in particular that the occupants of the vehicle can move visual content previously displayed in a private manner to a portion of the surface of the screen 3 which allows display of the visual content in a shared manner.

[0027] Thus, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided to allow the private nature of certain visual contents displayed between different occupants of a vehicle. By this means, the method and the device according to the invention undeniably improves the ergonomics of the graphical interfaces of human-machine interfaces of motor vehicles.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a spherical screen (3) of a human-machine interface (2) of a motor vehicle (1) by means of a computing device (100) on board the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. causing the display on a first portion (301) of the surface of the screen (3) of a first part of the graphical interface comprising a first visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part (301a) of the first portion; ii. causing the display on a second portion (302) of the surface of the screen (3) of a second part of the graphical interface comprising a second visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out within an upper part (302a) of the second portion; and iii.causing the display on a third portion (303) of the screen surface of a third part of the graphical interface comprising a third visual content when a tactile interaction is carried out at an upper part (303a) of the third portion, the first portion (301) extending on one side of a vertical plane passing through the center of the screen while the second portion (302) extends on the other side of said plane, and the third portion (303) extending symmetrically on each side of said plane.

2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a step consisting of causing the movement of the first visual content from the first (301) to the second (302) or the third portion (303) when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is carried out within the first portion (301).

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a step consisting of causing the movement of the second visual content from the second (302) to the first (301) or the third portion (303) when a drag-and-drop type tactile interaction is carried out within the second portion (302).

4. Device (100) for managing the provision of a graphical interface displayed on a screen (3) of spherical shape of a human-machine interface (2) of a motor vehicle (1), characterized in that the device comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

6. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 5 is recorded therein.

7. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that it comprises a human-machine interface (2) comprising a screen (3) of spherical shape and a device (100) according to claim 4.

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