Compact mechatronic control device of the "joystick" type with backlight function.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (14) for controlling a human-machine interface (HMI) embedded in a vehicle. The device comprises a housing configured to receive a ball joint (142) that rotates within the housing about a pivot point and includes a bore configured to receive a shaft of a lever (141). The lever is movable in translation relative to the ball joint along a vertical axis corresponding to the axis of the bore and passing through the pivot point. The lever bears against a first push button. The ball joint also includes lugs bearing against supports (143), each movable in translation relative to the housing along an axis parallel to the vertical axis and bearing against second push buttons. The first and second push buttons are configured, in particular, to control the HMI based on a movement of the lever. (See Figure 2 for abbreviations.)

Description

Title of the invention: Compact mechatronic control device of the "joystick" type with backlighting function. technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a system for controlling or monitoring a human-machine interface of a vehicle, particularly an automobile. The present invention also relates to an embedded system comprising such a device. Technological background

[0002] Contemporary vehicles increasingly incorporate embedded systems, some of which require interaction with a vehicle occupant, such as the driver or a passenger, in order to activate or adjust them. Human-machine interface (HMI) control or command devices connected to these embedded systems are therefore becoming increasingly common on board vehicles, particularly in the passenger compartment of certain vehicles.

[0003] In order to simplify the driving position while maintaining, or even increasing, the number of controls accessible to the driver, it is necessary both to miniaturize control devices and to optimize them, that is to say, to increase the number of possible controls carried out using the same control device.

[0004] A problem then arises of defining a solution for controlling an embedded system, which is at the same time compact, ergonomic and intuitive. Summary of the present invention

[0005] One object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0006] An object of the present invention is in particular to provide a control device which is compact, ergonomic and intuitive, thus enabling precise control of a system embedded in a vehicle.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to simplify a multi-function control lever.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a control device for a human-machine interface, known as an HMI, embedded in a vehicle, the device comprising a housing configured to receive a ball joint, the ball joint being rotationally movable in the housing around a pivot point and comprising a bore configured to receive a shaft of a lever, the lever being translationally movable relative to the ball joint along a vertical axis corresponding to the axis of the bore and passing through the pivot point, the lever being in contact with a first push button, the ball joint comprising lugs bearing on supports each movable in translation relative to the housing along an axis parallel to the vertical axis, the supports being in contact with second push buttons, the first and second push buttons being configured to control the HMI according to a movement of the lever.

[0009] Such a device then makes it possible to control the human-machine interface according to several commands associated with the push buttons, which are activated by moving the lever.

[0010] According to one variant, the lever is in contact with the first push button through a membrane and the supports are in contact with the second push buttons through the membrane.

[0011] According to another variant, the device further comprises a light-emitting diode configured to emit light through the membrane and the lever to a diffusion face of the lever, the membrane and part of the lever being translucent.

[0012] According to yet another variant, the device further comprises an electronic board configured to receive the push buttons and the light-emitting diode.

[0013] According to an additional variant, the lever is made by bi-material injection.

[0014] According to another variant, the device comprises four supports.

[0015] According to yet another variant, the push buttons are micro-contactors.

[0016] According to yet another variant, the device is arranged in a door, on a dashboard or on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

[0017] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to an embedded system comprising a device as described above according to the first aspect of the present invention and a screen.

[0018] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising the device as described above according to the first aspect of the present invention or an embedded system as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention. Brief description of the figures

[0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the particular and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 4, in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates part of a vehicle passenger compartment, according to a example of a particular embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a control device present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle in [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the control device of [Fig.2], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] [Fig.4] illustrates an exploded view of the control device of the [Fig.2], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Description of examples of achievements

[0024] A control device for a human-machine interface, known as an HMI, embedded in a vehicle and an embedded system comprising such a device will now be described in what follows with joint reference to Figures 1 to 4. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description that follows.

[0025] The terms "first," "second" (or "firsts," "seconds"), etc., are used in this document by arbitrary convention to allow for the identification and distinction of different elements (such as operations, means, etc.) implemented in the embodiments described below. Such elements may be distinct or correspond to a single element, depending on the embodiment.

[0026] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the invention relates to a control device for a human-machine interface, referred to as an HMI, embedded in a vehicle. The device comprises a housing configured to receive a ball joint that rotates within the housing around a pivot point and includes a bore configured to receive a shaft of a lever. The lever is movable in translation relative to the ball joint along a vertical axis corresponding to the axis of the bore and passing through the pivot point, the lever being in contact with a first push button.

[0027] The ball joint also includes lugs bearing on supports each movable in translation relative to the housing along an axis parallel to the vertical axis and bearing on second push buttons.

[0028] The first and second pushbuttons are specifically configured to control the HMI according to a movement of the lever.

[0029] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, with electric motor(s), or even a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a land vehicle, for example a car, a truck, a bus.

[0031] The vehicle 10 advantageously incorporates one or more on-board systems such as driver assistance systems, a lighting system, a windshield wiper system, or an infotainment system, referred to as an IVI system, which are connected to a control device 14. This list of on-board systems is not exhaustive but aims to illustrate examples of the use of such a control device 14, which is configured to control numerous on-board systems. This control device 14 is, for example, arranged in a door 15, on a dashboard 11, or on a steering wheel 13 of the vehicle 10, so as to be easily operated by a vehicle occupant, for example, by the driver, without the latter having to take their eyes off the road.

[0032] According to a particular embodiment, the control device 14 directly controls actuators of an embedded system, for example windshield wiper motors or headlights of a lighting system, for example via one or more relays and / or one or more controllers or processors.

[0033] According to another particular embodiment, such embedded systems include or are also connected to a screen 12, which allows graphic objects to be displayed according to the commands activated via the control device 14, for example, to guide the user through menus and / or to indicate to the user the command received by the embedded system. Thus, when an occupant of the vehicle 10 interacts with the control device 14, information relating to their action is then presented on a screen 12, for example, on a screen 12 located in front of the driver of the vehicle 10 and corresponding to a digital instrument panel of the vehicle 10 or to a central screen 12 associated with the IVI system embedded in the vehicle 10.

[0034] The screen 12 corresponds, for example, to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type screen, for example, a TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) type screen, or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) type screen. The screen 12 is configured, in particular, to display content for the driver and / or a passenger of the vehicle 10 and is connected in communication with the control device 14 and a computer of the on-board system to be controlled.

[0035] The screen 12 and the control device 14 are thus part of a human-machine interface associated with an embedded system controlled, for example, by the computer of the windshield wiper system or by another computer, for example that of the infotainment system, known as the IVI system, the latter generally being in charge of the screens embedded in a vehicle.

[0036] According to a particular embodiment, the various computers associated with embedded systems of the vehicle 10, in particular one or more computers in charge of controlling the window wiper system and / or the lighting system and / or the computer of the IVI system of the vehicle 10, form for example a multiplexed architecture for the implementation of various services useful for the proper functioning of the vehicle 10 and for assisting the driver and / or the passengers of the vehicle in the control of the vehicle 10.Computers and various embedded devices communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example a CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (according to ISO 17458) or Ethernet (according to ISO / IEC 802-3) type communication bus.

[0037] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates the control device 14 present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Such a control device 14 includes a housing (not shown in [Fig.1]) configured to receive: - a lever 141, - a ball joint 142, - supports 143, - a membrane 144, - pushbuttons, - a light-emitting diode, and - an electronic board.

[0039] Such a control device 14 is thus mechatronic, that is to say combining mechanical elements such as levers, ball joints or supports and electronic elements such as push buttons, LED and electronic board.

[0040] The control device 14 is configured to allow the user to control an on-board system by moving the lever 141 relative to the housing, the latter being fixed relative to the part of the vehicle receiving it, for example, fixed relative to the steering wheel 13 (the steering wheel 13 not being fixed relative to the vehicle 10). Several commands are then possible, each command being associated with a movement of the lever 141 obtained by the user acting on an interface of the lever 141. Thus, the user generates a first command when pressing on the central face Se3 of the lever 141 interface along an axis hereafter referred to as the vertical axis A. Secondary commands are also generated when the user moves the lever 141 interface in a direction normal to the vertical axis A, by For example, by pressing on the sides or lateral faces of lever 141, the number of possible second commands is defined by the internal structure of the control device 14, and in particular the number of supports 143. According to this particular embodiment, the control device 14 comprises four supports 143 so as to obtain four second commands. Thus, the control device 14 comprises one first command and four second commands, for a total of five commands.

[0041] According to this particular embodiment, it should be noted that the lever 141 also includes a diffusion face Se2 between the lateral face Sel and the central face Se3, this diffusion face Se2 being configured to be backlit, a material of the lever 141 forming the diffusion face Se2 then being translucent.

[0042] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the control device 14 of Figure 2, and Figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of this same control device 14, according to a particular, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Figures 3 and 4 allow for a more detailed view of the internal structure of the control device 14.

[0043] The ball joint 142 is distinguished, which is mobile in rotation in the housing around a pivot point O, the position of this pivot point O being defined in particular by the external surface Se4 of the ball joint, which has a surface of revolution and comes to rest on an internal surface of the housing 140, sliding on the latter when the ball joint 142 moves.

[0044] The ball joint 142 comprises a bore 142a configured to receive a shaft 141a of a lever 141, the shaft 141a sliding in the bore 142a along the vertical axis A of the bore 142a and passing through the pivot point O, a functional clearance being defined between these two elements. The lever 141 is thus movable in translation relative to the ball joint 142 along the vertical axis A, the lever 141 also bearing against a first push button 146 through the diaphragm 144 according to this particular embodiment.

[0045] Pressing the interface 141b along the vertical axis A generates a displacement of the lever 141 relative to the housing and relative to the ball joint 142. The lower face of the end of the shaft 141a, called the first lower face SI, then presses on the first bearing face SI' of the membrane 144 and indirectly on the push button 147 located under the membrane 144 in line with the lever 141, i.e. arranged under the lever 141 along the vertical axis A. The pressing of the lever 141 on the push button 147 then generates an electrical contact in the push button 147, which then generates the first command via an electronic circuit of the electronic board 145 on which the push button 147 is arranged.

[0046] The electronic board 145 is thus configured to receive the pushbuttons 147 and a light-emitting diode, referred to as LED 146. The LED 146 is, according to this example, juxtaposed to the pushbutton 147 arranged under the lever 141, and is configured to emit light through the membrane 144 and the lever 141 to the diffusion face Se2 of the lever 141, the membrane 144 and part of the lever 141 being translucent.

[0047] The lever 141 is for example made of plastic and is then produced by two-material injection. Its external part is for example made of opaque plastic, for example black in color and corresponding to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC) or polypropylene (PP), while the translucent part is for example made of translucent or crystal polycarbonate.

[0048] The membrane 144 is made of a flexible and translucent material, for example, silicone. This membrane's role is, in particular, to ensure the sealing of the control device 14, thereby providing an adequate level of protection for the electrical and electronic components within the housing 140.

[0049] The ball joint 142 also includes lugs 142b in the form of rods extending perpendicularly to the vertical axis A and of which a second lower face, called the second lower face S2, bears against a receiving face S2' of the supports 143, each support 143 being movable in translation relative to the housing 140 along an axis parallel to the vertical axis A. The supports 143 are in particular guided in translation in the housing 140 by means of guides 143a (visible in [Fig.2]) having here a form of parallel straight ribs inserted into grooves arranged in the housing 140.In this way, when a user moves lever 141 in a direction other than that of the vertical axis A, for example by pressing on one of the lateral faces Sel of interface 141b, lever 141 drives the ball joint 142. The movement of ball joint 142 around its pivot point O generates a displacement of the lugs 142b, including a component along the vertical sliding axis of a support 143. An upward displacement of a lug 142b causes that lug 142b to detach from its corresponding support 143, meaning that the second lower face S2 and the receiving face S2' are no longer in contact. Conversely, a downward displacement of a lug 142b, i.e., towards the membrane 144, causes the lug 142b to press against its support 143. corresponding, that is to say that an effort and a displacement are transmitted from the second lower face S2 to the receiving face S2'.The support 143 is then pushed towards the membrane 144, its lower face, called the third lower face S3, pressing on the second support face S3' of the membrane 144 and indirectly on the push button 147 located under the membrane 144 directly above the support 143, that is to say- . arranged under the support 143 along a vertical axis parallel to the vertical axis A. The support 143 pressing on the push button 147 then generates an electrical contact in the push button 147, which then generates a second command via an electronic circuit of the electronic board 145 on which the push button 147 is arranged.

[0050] It should be noted that in the case where the ball joint 142 comprises four lugs 142b distributed uniformly around the vertical axis A (as illustrated in [Fig.2]), an upward movement of a first lug 142b generates a downward movement of a second lug opposite to the first lug 142b. Two pushbuttons associated with two opposite lugs 142b cannot therefore be activated at the same time.

[0051] According to one particular embodiment, the pushbuttons are microswitches, which are activated when their functional surface is moved by less than one millimeter (1 mm). The movement of the lever 141 is therefore particularly small, almost imperceptible, making the control both compact and sensitive. Since the movements of the lever 141 are distinct—one displacement along the vertical axis and, in the case where the control device 14 comprises four supports, four displacements in two directions and two distinct senses, the directions being normal to each other—the controls are very precise, and the user is therefore unlikely to activate a control due to inaccuracy in their movement. Such a control device 14 is thus described as a "joystick" type.

[0052] The rigidity of the various elements and the few parts present between the user's finger and a push button 147 also allow excellent haptic feedback, the activation of a push button 147 being propagated through the elements until received by the user's finger.

[0053] Thus, the first and second pushbuttons are activated according to the movements of lever 141 resulting from actions by a user on this lever 141, who, for example, presses on the central face Se3 or on the side faces Sel with a finger. Since the first and second pushbuttons are configured to control the HMI based on a movement of lever 141, the user is therefore able to precisely control this HMI by moving lever 141 and, in this example, has five distinct controls. Furthermore, the backlighting function allows the user to easily locate the control device 14.

[0054] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land-powered vehicle, comprising the control device previously described and / or a human-machine interface comprising the control device and a screen.

Claims

Demands

1. A device (14) for controlling a human-machine interface, referred to as an HMI, embedded in a vehicle (10), said device comprising a housing configured to receive a ball joint (142), said ball joint being rotationally movable within said housing about a pivot point (0) and comprising a bore (142a) configured to receive a shaft (141a) of a lever (141), said lever being translationally movable relative to the ball joint (142) along a vertical axis (A) corresponding to the axis of said bore (142a) and passing through the pivot point (0), the lever (141) bearing against a first push button (146), said ball joint (142) comprising lugs (142b) bearing against supports (143), each translationally movable relative to the housing along an axis parallel to said vertical axis (A), said supports (143) bearing against second buttons pushers (147),the first and second pushbuttons being configured to control said HMI according to a movement of said lever (141).

2. Device (14) according to claim 1, wherein the lever (141) is in contact with the first push button (146) through a membrane (144) and said supports (143) are in contact with the second push buttons (147) through said membrane (144).

3. Device (14) according to claim 2, further comprising a light-emitting diode (146) configured to emit light through the membrane (144) and the lever (141) to a diffusion face (Se2) of the lever (141), the membrane (144) and a portion of the lever (141) being translucent.

4. Device (14) according to claim 3, further comprising an electronic board (145) configured to receive the pushbuttons (147) and the light-emitting diode (146).

5. Device (14) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lever is made by bi-material injection.

6. Device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which comprises four supports (143).

7. Device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pushbuttons are micro-switches.

8.

9.

10. Device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is arranged in a door (15), on a dashboard (11) or on a steering wheel (13) of said vehicle (10). Embedded system comprising a device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and a screen (12). Vehicle comprising the device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or an embedded system according to claim 9.

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