Managing the display of interactive visual content related to navigation via touch interaction with a digital instrument cluster in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of a digital and touchscreen instrument cluster (2) in a motor vehicle (1), which is located behind the steering wheel of the vehicle (1) and on whose screen a navigation display (3) is shown by means of a navigation system (4) of the vehicle (1). The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Management of the display of interactive visual content related to navigation via touch interaction with a digital instrument cluster of a motor vehicle. Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle instrument clusters. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the operation of a digital and touchscreen instrument cluster in a motor vehicle, which is located behind the steering wheel and on whose screen at least one navigation display is shown by means of a vehicle navigation system. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle incorporating such a device. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles such as motor vehicles, particularly cars. Prior art

[0002] Some modern motor vehicles are equipped with a digital instrument cluster located behind the steering wheel, on whose screen the analog needle dials of traditional instrument clusters are represented by graphic objects. In addition, a guidance display is often shown during journeys guided by the navigation system, for example, in the center of the screen. However, the amount of navigation information that must be displayed on the relatively small screen of such a cluster may necessitate choosing to display certain navigation information at the expense of other information that is nevertheless relevant to helping the driver better understand the navigation.In particular, existing digital instrument clusters are generally only capable of displaying visual guidance in the form of a map and / or navigation instructions, without providing any other navigation-related information (e.g., points of interest, traffic, weather, etc.). Similarly, they offer no means of facilitating the reading of informative elements that elaborate on navigation. From this perspective, these existing digital instrument clusters lack user-friendliness. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to solve this problem. In particular, it seeks to provide a solution enabling a driver of a motor vehicle to easily and conveniently obtain sophisticated navigation information, especially through a digital instrument cluster. In this way, the invention aims to improve the ergonomics of motor vehicles.

[0004] In order to achieve these goals, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method of managing, by means of a computer device embedded in a motor vehicle, the operation of a digital and touchscreen instrument cluster of the vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one guidance display is shown by means of a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising the steps of: • determine whether an initial tactile interaction with the visual guidance system has occurred; and, when it is established that this has been the case, • cause the display on the screen of a first interactive visual content containing at least one informative element.

[0005] According to one variant, the first visual content may include a first interactive area allowing the specification by touch interaction of at least one setting of a guidance parameter of the navigation system.

[0006] According to another variant, the first visual content may include at least a second interactive area allowing the display of a second visual content to be triggered by touch interaction.

[0007] According to yet another embodiment, the method may include the steps of: • determining whether a second pre-established tactile interaction is performed in an area of ​​the instrument handset while the first visual content is displayed; and, when it is established that this is the case, • cause the disappearance of the first visual content.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the operation of a digital and touch instrument cluster of a motor vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one pictogram indicating the current speed of the vehicle is displayed, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, including at least one processor, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0009] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for the execution of the steps of a process as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0013] [Fig-1] is a diagram illustrating a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0014] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention;

[0015] [Fig.3] is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a process according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.4] illustrates the implementation of at least one step of the process according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig.5] illustrates the implementation of at least one step of the process according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This vehicle is equipped with a digital, touchscreen instrument cluster 2 located behind the steering wheel of the vehicle 1, on the screen of which a navigation display 3 is shown. Such a navigation display 3 conventionally contains a miniature map and / or navigation instructions similar to those displayed on the screen of a conventional navigation system during a guided journey. To enable the display of such a navigation display 3, the instrument cluster 2 interacts conventionally with a navigation system 4 of the vehicle 1, which typically uses a satellite positioning system (e.g., GPS, Galileo, Beidou, etc.) to, among other things, determine the current location of the vehicle 1 in real time. Preferably, the navigation system is of the connected type, i.e., it regularly receives data (e.g.,mapping, real-time traffic, applicable road regulations, weather conditions, etc.) using a radio frequency signal communication system.

[0019] Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also includes a device 100 for managing the operation of a digital and touch instrument cluster of a motor vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one guidance visual is displayed by means of a vehicle navigation system, as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of a digital and touch instrument cluster of a motor vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one guidance visual is displayed by means of a vehicle navigation system, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0020] During the implementation of the method, the driver can control the display of visual content explaining the navigation in detail, in a highly ergonomic manner, since it consists of a simple touch interaction with the guidance display 3, for example, a short press, a long press, two successive short presses, etc. Once the driver has reviewed this content, they can The return to the nominal display of the instrument cluster 2 can be easily controlled by performing a new touch interaction, for example, a short press or a lateral movement. As will be seen below, this is how the invention contributes to improving the ergonomics of the instrument cluster 2 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention compared to known digital instrument clusters.

[0021] The device 100 according to the invention is illustrated in [Fig.2]. It is essentially a computer device, which includes at least one information processing unit 101, with one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which includes program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the process according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0022] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into a separate computer and interacts, via its input / output interface 103 and by means of a wired vehicle communication network (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, MOST) – represented in [Fig. 1] by the double-headed arrows – with the instrument cluster 2. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or entirely part of the instrument cluster 2. Consequently, the device 100 according to the invention can, in particular, determine whether a touch interaction with the visual guidance display 3 is occurring. It can also cause visual content to be displayed on the screen of the instrument cluster 2.

[0023] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the operation of a digital and touch instrument cluster of a motor vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one guidance visual is displayed, as described below in particular with reference to figures 3-4.

[0024] Fig. 3 illustrates in the form of a flowchart the steps of the process according to the invention.

[0025] According to a first step 301 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether a first tactile interaction with the visual guidance display 3 has occurred. In other words, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether a situation like that schematically illustrated in [Fig. 4] is occurring, in which the driver performs a tactile interaction (e.g., short press, long press, double press, etc.) on the visual guidance display 3, which is displayed on the instrument cluster screen 2. And when it determines that this has occurred, the device 100 according to the invention carries out the next step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0026] According to a second step 302 of the process according to the invention, the device 100 according the invention causes, as illustrated in [Fig.5], the display on the instrument cluster screen 2 of a first interactive visual content 501 which contains at least one informational element 502 relating to navigation.

[0027] Preferably, this first visual content 501 thus displayed at this stage takes the form of a window displayed in the foreground (i.e. in superposition), and it preferably includes a first interactive area 503 which allows the specification by touch interaction of at least one setting of a navigation parameter of the navigation system 4. In addition, it also includes a second interactive area 504 which allows the display of a second visual content to be triggered by touch interaction.

[0028] In one embodiment, the information element 502 takes the form of an enlarged map similar to that which is usually displayed on the screen of a conventional navigation system. In another embodiment, the second interactive area 504 displays the vehicle's range, and a touch interaction on this area triggers the display of second visual content showing the locations of charging stations, possibly on the map 502.

[0029] According to an advantageous alternative, the device 100 of the invention then performs a further step in which it determines whether a second pre-established touch interaction (e.g., a short press outside the visual content, a lateral swipe gesture, etc.) is performed in an area of ​​the instrument cluster 2 while the first visual content 501 is displayed on the instrument cluster 2 screen. Then, when it determines that this is occurring, the device 100 of the invention performs another further step in which it causes the first visual content 501 and / or the second visual content to disappear. The driver can thus easily return to the nominal display of the instrument cluster 2 with a simple gesture whenever desired.

[0030] Therefore, thanks to the method and device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided to enable a driver of a motor vehicle to easily and conveniently obtain detailed information that explains navigation, particularly by means of a digital instrument cluster. By these means, the invention thus significantly improves the ergonomics of digital instrument clusters in motor vehicles.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for managing, by means of a computer device (100) installed on board a motor vehicle (1), the operation of a digital and touch-sensitive instrument cluster (2) of the vehicle, which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle (1) and on the screen of which at least one guidance visual (3) is displayed by means of a navigation system (4) of the vehicle (1), characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: • determining whether a first touch interaction with the guidance visual (3) is carried out; and, when it is established that such is the case, • causing the display on the screen of a first interactive visual content (501) containing at least one informational element (502).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first visual content (501) comprises a first interactive area (503) allowing the specification by touch interaction of at least one setting of a guidance parameter of the navigation system (4).

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first visual content (501) comprises a second interactive area (504) enabling the display of a second visual content to be triggered by touch interaction.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: • determining whether a second pre-established touch interaction is performed in an area of ​​the instrument cluster screen (2) while the first visual content (501) is displayed; and, when it is established that this is the case, • causing the first visual content (501) to disappear.

5. Device (100) for managing the operation of a digital and touchscreen instrument cluster (2) of a motor vehicle (1), which is arranged behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and on the screen of which at least one guidance visual (3) is displayed by means of a navigation system (4) of the 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), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. Computer program comprising program code instructions for carrying out the steps of a process according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

7. A medium usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 6 is stored thereon.

8. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that it comprises a device (100) according to claim 5.

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