Control system for at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, associated method and computer program

Abstract

Control system for at least one feature from a set of features in a vehicle interior, associated method and computer program. This control system includes a display screen (8), at least one image sensor (12) and a physical element (10) mechanically linked to said display screen and movable by a user between at least two distinct positions, said physical element (10) not being electrically connected to said display screen (8), said at least one image sensor (12) being configured to capture images of said physical element (10) and of at least a part of the display screen (8).The system includes an electronic control unit configured to: assign a function to said physical element, detect in at least one image captured by said sensor (12) a position of said physical element following a user manipulation, determine an action associated with said function, the action being variable according to the position of the physical element, and command the implementation of the action corresponding to the position of the physical element. Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Control system for at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, method and associated computer program

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for at least one function among a set of functions in a vehicle passenger compartment.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method of controlling at least one function from a set of functions in an associated vehicle cabin, as well as an associated computer program.

[0003] The invention lies in the field of human-machine interfaces for vehicles, and in particular for motor vehicles.

[0004] Various vehicles, and in particular motor vehicles, include on-board computing systems, which are configured to control many on-board equipment, and to control actions associated with various functionalities.

[0005] To control actions associated with various functionalities, particularly comfort features such as adjusting the temperature in the vehicle's passenger compartment, the lighting, the ventilation level, etc., it is common practice to use dedicated human-machine interfaces. Installing a large number of interfaces in the passenger compartment, typically at the front of the vehicle, near the dashboard, results in a significant amount of space. Furthermore, each interface must be connected to the equipment and / or an electronic control unit, leading to complex wiring.

[0006] To alleviate this clutter, it has been proposed to use gesture controls performed by vehicle users, for example, the driver, with the vehicle equipped with cameras that detect the direction of the driver's and / or passengers' gaze. However, this solution is not satisfactory because numerous gestures must be learned to control many interfaces. Furthermore, such controls are not intuitive and are not well-received by users. In addition, this type of control adds a mental burden to the driver, which presents safety risks.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a human-machine interface that is simplified in terms of size and electrical wiring, while being easy to use for a vehicle user, for example the driver.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a control system for at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, comprising a display screen and at least one image sensor. This system comprises a physical element mechanically linked to said display screen and movable by a user between at least two distinct positions, said physical element not being electrically connected to said screen, said at least one image sensor being configured to capture images of said physical element and of at least a portion of the display screen, the system further comprising an electronic control unit connected to said image sensor, the electronic control unit being configured to: - assign a functionality to said physical element, - detect, in at least one image captured by said sensor, a position of said physical element following manipulation by the user, - determine an action associated with said functionality, the action being variable depending on the position of the physical element, and - to order the implementation of the action corresponding to the position of the physical element.

[0009] Advantageously, the use of a physical element that is simply linked by a mechanical connection to the display screen and that is not electrically connected makes it possible to minimize the number of interface elements and electrical connections required, while being simple and intuitive to use for a vehicle user.

[0010] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the control system comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations.

[0011] The physical element is a button, a change in the position of said button being effected by rotating the button.

[0012] The physical element is a cursor, a change in the position of said cursor being effected by a translation of said cursor.

[0013] The system is configured to display, on said display screen, a menu relating to the functionality assigned to said physical element, the menu having sections arranged so that the selected position of the physical element indicates one of said sections.

[0014] The system is configured to display, on said display screen, a main menu of the features of said feature set.

[0015] The system further includes a module for tracking the direction of the gaze of one of the vehicle's users, and the assignment of a function to said physical element is carried out according to the direction of the gaze detected, the function of the main menu towards which the direction of the gaze is oriented being assigned to said physical element.

[0016] The assignment of a functionality to said physical element is carried out by implementing manipulation of the physical element to indicate a functionality displayed in the main menu, and detection, in an image captured by said sensor, of the position of said physical element.

[0017] The system further includes a voice recognition module, and the assignment of a function to said physical element is carried out by voice command.

[0018] The invention also relates to a method for controlling at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, implemented by a system as briefly described above. The system comprises the following steps: - assigning a function to said physical element, - detection, in at least one image captured by said sensor, of a position of said physical element following manipulation by the user, - determination of an action associated with said functionality, the action being variable depending on the position of the physical element, and - command to implement the action corresponding to the position of the physical element.

[0019] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement a method for controlling at least one feature from a set of features in a vehicle interior as defined above.

[0020] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0021] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a schematic view of a part of a vehicle passenger compartment in in which a control system is installed;

[0022] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a synoptic diagram of a control system according to one embodiment;

[0023] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the main steps of a control process according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 1 schematically illustrates part of the passenger compartment 2 of a motor vehicle 5.

[0025] The invention applies more generally to any other type of vehicle.

[0026] The passenger compartment part 2 is a front part of the vehicle, comprising a windshield 4 and a dashboard 6.

[0027] A display screen 8 is for example inserted into the dashboard 6.

[0028] Advantageously, a physical element 10, represented by a button that can be rotated between at least two distinct positions, is mechanically attached to the display screen 8.

[0029] Advantageously, the physical element 10 is not electrically connected to the display screen 8.

[0030] In addition, the vehicle cabin 2 includes an image sensor 12, in the illustrated example a camera 12, which is positioned so as to capture, in its shooting angle, images of said display screen and said physical element.

[0031] The physical element 10 can be manipulated by a user, in particular by an action of the user's hand 14. The user is typically a user of the vehicle 5, for example the driver or the front passenger.

[0032] In the illustrated example, the rotary knob 10 is capable of being turned in a first direction (e.g. to the left) and in a second direction (e.g. to the right) by the user.

[0033] On the display screen 8 is displayed a menu 16, comprising several sections 18^182, 183, 184.

[0034] In one embodiment, a functionality is previously assigned to the physical element 10, and each section 18 of the displayed menu 16 is associated with an action associated with the assigned functionality.

[0035] Manipulating the physical element 10, i.e. rotating the button to indicate one of the sections, allows the user to position the button by indicating, by the position of the button 10.

[0036] Preferably, the button is provided with a marker, for example a colour mark, the marker pointing in a direction chosen by the user.

[0037] The function associated with the button is, for example, the control of the ventilation speed or the adjustment of the temperature in the passenger compartment.

[0038] Advantageously, it is proposed to detect in images captured by the image sensor 12, a change in the position of the physical element 10 by a user, and to determine an action associated with the functionality attributed to the physical element, the action being variable depending on the position of the physical element 10.

[0039] Alternatively or in addition, menu 16 is a main menu, and each displayed section 18 represents a functionality, with all 18 sections corresponding to a set of functionalities. The user's manipulation of the physical element 10 then allows them to select one of the functionalities, and thus assign a functionality from the set of available functionalities to the physical element 10.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the menu sections 18 and 16 are represented as small icons. Alternatively, any shape of menu sections is usable, provided that manipulating the physical element 10 allows the user to select a section. For example, for a rotary knob, the sections, of any shape, are positioned so as to be angularly distributed around the rotary knob.

[0041] According to one variant, the physical element is a slider that can be moved in translation, and the menu sections are then distributed linearly along the intended movement path of the slider.

[0042] Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a control system 20 for at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle passenger compartment.

[0043] The system 20 includes a display screen 8, a physical element 10 mechanically linked to the display screen and manipulable by the user with at least one degree of freedom and at least one image sensor 12.

[0044] The physical element 10 is advantageously movable between at least two distinct positions, preferably movable gradually, in a quasi-continuous manner, between two stop positions.

[0045] The system 20 further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) 22, which is connected to the image sensor(s) 12, to the display screen 8, via a communication bus.

[0046] The electronic control unit 22 forms a programmable electronic device comprising a computing processor 23, an electronic memory unit 24 and communication interface units 25, connected by an internal communication bus 26.

[0047] The electronic control unit 22 configured to command actions for the implementation of various functionalities by on-board devices 28. The on-board equipment 28 is diverse, for example a cabin thermal module, seat control module, infotainment system.

[0048] In addition, the electronic control unit 22 is configured to communicate with the image sensor 12.

[0049] The electronic control unit 22 is further configured to control the display on the display screen 8.

[0050] The computing processor 23 of the electronic control unit 22 is configured to execute a module 30 for assigning a function to the physical element 10, a module 32 for detecting the position of the physical element 10 in an image captured by the image sensor 12 following manipulation of the physical element by the user, and a module 34 for determining an action associated with the position of the physical element 10 and a control module 36 for implementing the action corresponding to the position of the physical element.

[0051] Optionally, the system 20 further comprises a voice recognition module 38, which is either independent and connected to the electronic control unit 22, or integrated into the electronic control unit 22.

[0052] The voice recognition module 38 is configured to recognize a voice command to assign a function to the physical element. The voice command is formulated, for example, by the driver or another user of the vehicle.

[0053] Optionally, the system further comprises a gaze direction detection module 40 for one of the vehicle's users, for example, the driver. Module 40 is either independent and connected to the electronic control unit 22, or integrated into the image sensor 12. The gaze direction detection module 40 integrates, for example, an image sensor strategically positioned in the vehicle's passenger compartment and a processing unit for detecting the driver's gaze direction, for example, by means of a 3D vector in a given spatial reference frame. Such driver gaze direction detection modules are known, for example, in the field of driver monitoring systems (DMS).

[0054] The module 40 is configured to detect the direction of gaze, for example of the driver of the vehicle, and to transmit this direction to the electronic control unit 22, which is configured to assign a function to the physical element 10 according to the direction of gaze detected.

[0055] Each of the voice recognition module 38 and gaze direction detection module 40 is connected to the electronic control unit 22.

[0056] Advantageously, the physical element 10 is not electrically connected to the display screen.

[0057] More generally, in embodiments, the physical element 10 does not have an electrical connection cable, therefore it is not electrically connected to any other element of the system 20.

[0058] In one embodiment, modules 30, 32, 34, 36 and optionally 38, 40 are implemented in the form of software instructions forming a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, implements a control method according to the invention.

[0059] The computer program comprising software instructions is further capable of being recorded on a non-transient, computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium is, for example, a medium capable of storing electronic instructions and being connected to a bus of a computer system. By way of example, The readable medium is an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, a ROM memory, a RAM memory, any type of non-volatile memory (e.g. EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, NVRAM), a magnetic card or an optical card.

[0060] In an alternative not shown, modules 30, 32, 34, 36 and optionally 38, 40 are each implemented as programmable logic components, such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), microprocessors, GPGPUs (General-purpose processing on graphics processing) components, or dedicated integrated circuits, such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits).

[0061] The [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the main steps of a method for controlling at least one functionality from a set of functionalities according to an embodiment.

[0062] The process is implemented by a control system 20 as described above.

[0063] The method includes a step 50 of assigning a functionality, from among a plurality of functionalities, to a physical element 10.

[0064] Preferably, the assignment of a feature is carried out in interaction with the user.

[0065] Several embodiments of this step are envisaged.

[0066] For example, step 50 is implemented by speech recognition, the functionality being selected by the user and spoken aloud. A speech recognition module 38 is then implemented.

[0067] According to one variant, during step 50, a menu called the main menu, comprising a plurality of proposed functionalities, is displayed (step 52) on the display screen.

[0068] The assignment of a feature is carried out for example following the detection of the direction of the gaze of a chosen user, for example the driver, the assigned feature being the one towards which the detected direction of the gaze is oriented among the displayed features.

[0069] According to another variant, the display screen is a touch screen, and the user selects by pressing on the screen, using a finger for example, on a section of the display screen containing the display of a function.

[0070] According to another variant, following the display of the main menu, the main menu having several sections, each section containing the display of a functionality, the user's selection is made by manipulating the physical element to indicate by the position of the physical element the selected functionality.

[0071] Two or more of the preceding variants can be combined, which makes it possible to improve ergonomics for users and to make the assignment of a function to the physical element more robust.

[0072] After assigning a function to the physical element, the method includes an optional step of displaying a menu relating to the assigned function, the menu having sections, each section being associated with an action related to the function assigned to the physical element.

[0073] Displaying a menu related to the function is optional, as such a display is not necessary for some functions. For example, for the "temperature control" function, a convention for the movement of the physical element can be applied: for example, if it is a rotary knob, rotation in one direction, for example to the left, indicates a decrease in temperature, and rotation in a second direction, to the right, indicates an increase in temperature. Similarly, when the physical element is a slider, moving the slider in one direction, for example to the left, indicates a decrease in temperature, and moving it in a second direction, to the right, indicates an increase in temperature. This type of operation also applies, for example, when the function is adjusting the amount of ventilation or the level of lighting in the passenger compartment.

[0074] For other features, it is useful to display several sections, for example icons containing text or illustrations, to indicate categories of actions associated with the feature.

[0075] The method includes a step 54 of acquiring at least one image, obtained by the image sensor, showing the physical element and all or part of the display screen, then a step 56 of analyzing the image(s) captured to determine a position of the physical element following a manipulation by the user.

[0076] The position of the physical element is for example relative to a predetermined axis when, for example, a vertical axis for a rotary knob, a horizontal axis relative to a slider.

[0077] The process then includes a step 58 of determining an action, associated with the functionality attributed to the physical element, according to the position of the physical element.

[0078] For example, when a menu relating to the functionality is displayed, the position relative to the predetermined axis indicates (i.e. points to) one of the displayed sections, and the action associated with the indicated section is the action determined in step 58.

[0079] More generally, the action to be ordered varies depending on the position of the physical element.

[0080] The method further includes a step 60 of controlling the implementation of the action determined in step 58.

[0081] The invention has been described in an embodiment in which a physical element 10 is placed on the dashboard and mechanically linked to the dashboard.

[0082] According to variants, several such physical elements (e.g. buttons and / or sliders) are installed, so as to easily allow the control of several functions at the same time.

[0083] Advantageously, the electrical wiring required is greatly reduced, and the number of human-machine interface elements is also reduced.

[0084] Advantageously, the connection between the physical element and the screen is simply mechanical, maintenance and upkeep are facilitated.

[0085] Advantageously, any evolution or update of the functionalities is done mainly by software programming, without needing to modify the wiring, so the updating of the on-board functionalities is facilitated.

Claims

Demands

1. A control system (20) for at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, comprising a display screen (8) and at least one image sensor (12), characterized in that it comprises a physical element (10) mechanically linked to said display screen and movable by a user between at least two distinct positions, said physical element (10) not being electrically connected to said display screen (8), said at least one image sensor (12) being configured to capture images of said physical element (10) and of at least a portion of the display screen (8), the system (20) further comprising an electronic control unit (22) connected to said image sensor (12), the electronic control unit being configured to: - assign (30) a function to said physical element, - detect (32) in at least one image captured by said sensor (12),a position of said physical element (10) following manipulation of said physical element (10) by the user, - determine (34) an action associated with said functionality, the action being variable depending on the position of the physical element (10), and - command (36) the implementation of the action corresponding to the position of the physical element, - the system being configured to display, on said display screen (8), a main menu of the functionalities of said set of functionalities, the assignment of a functionality to said physical element (10) being carried out by implementing a manipulation of the physical element (10) to indicate a functionality displayed in the main menu, and detection, in an image captured by said sensor, of the position of said physical element (10).

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said physical element (10) is a button, a change in the position of said button being effected by rotation of the button.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein said physical element (10) is a slider, a change in the position of said slider being effected by a translation of said slider.

4. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to display, on said display screen (8), a menu relating to the functionality attributed to said physical element, the menu having sections (181,.., 184) arranged so that the selected position of the physical element (10) indicates one of said sections.

5. System according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a voice recognition module (38), wherein the assignment of a function to said physical element (10) is carried out by voice command.

6. A method for controlling at least one function from a set of functions in a vehicle interior, implemented by a system according to claims 1 to 5, comprising the steps of: - assigning (50) a function to said physical element, - detecting (54, 56), in at least one image captured by said sensor, a position of said physical element following manipulation of said physical element by the user, - determining (58) an action associated with said function, the action being variable depending on the position of the physical element, and - controlling (60) the implementation of the action corresponding to the position of the physical element, the method comprising: - displaying a main menu of the functions of said set of functions,The assignment of a function to said physical element is carried out by implementing a manipulation of the physical element to indicate a function displayed in the main menu, and by detecting, in an image captured by said sensor, the position of said physical element.

7. A computer program comprising executable code instructions which, when executed by a programmable electronic device, implement a control method according to claim 6.

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