User interface device and display method

Abstract

A sensor unit (10) is provided to a touch operation unit (9) that is subjected to touch operation when a device (13) is operated, and detects a touch operation performed on the touch operation unit (9) by a user. A display control unit (19) displays, on a display unit (14), a state display image (20) graphically representing the current state of the device (13), and controls the display of the display unit (14) on the basis of a sensor signal (Sa) of the sensor unit (10) so as to follow the changing state of the device (13). When the touch operation unit (9) is touch-operated, the display control unit (19) displays, together with the state display image (20), a performance image (21) corresponding to the amount of touch operation, thereby allowing the user to recognize to what extent the state of the device (13) is expected to change due to the touch operation.

Description

User interface device and display method

[0001] The present invention relates to a user interface device and a display method.

[0002] A steering switch provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle is well known, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the case of this type of steering switch, the state of an in-vehicle device is controlled by tracing or flicking the operation surface of the steering switch.

[0003] International Publication No. 2014 / 174832

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, the steering switch is a touch-operated type, so an operation can be performed simply by touching or approaching the switch with a finger. This can lead to a malfunction that the user does not intend. It is also possible to increase the touch sensitivity to prevent malfunctions. However, in this case, a discrepancy occurs between the actual operation and the user's sense, leaving room for improvement in terms of operability.

[0005] A user interface device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is provided on a touch operation unit that is touched when operating an equipment, and includes a sensor unit that detects touch operations on the touch operation unit by a user, and a display control unit that displays a status display image that graphically represents the current status of the equipment on a display unit and controls the display of the display unit to follow the status of the equipment that changes based on a sensor signal from the sensor unit, and when the touch operation unit is touched, the display control unit displays an effect image that corresponds to the amount of touch operation together with the status display image, thereby allowing the user to recognize to what extent the status of the equipment is expected to change due to the touch operation.

[0006] A display method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method in which, when a sensor unit detects a touch operation by a user on a touch operation unit and operates an equipment, a status display image that graphically represents the current status of the equipment is displayed on a display unit, and the display on the display unit is switched to follow the status of the equipment, which changes based on the sensor signal of the sensor unit, and when the touch operation unit is touched, a presentation image corresponding to the amount of touch operation is displayed together with the status display image, allowing the user to recognize to what extent the status of the equipment is expected to change due to the touch operation.

[0007] The present invention can improve the operability of touch operations.

[0008] 1 is a perspective view of a driver's seat in a vehicle according to one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a user interface device; (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of how a tracing operation is detected; (a) to (d) are diagrams of screen transitions when adjusting the volume; (a) to (c) are diagrams of screen transitions when adjusting the volume; and (a) to (e) are diagrams of screen transitions when adjusting the vehicle speed; (a) and (b) are diagrams of screen transitions when changing the scale interval; (a) to (d) are diagrams of screen transitions when adjusting the vehicle speed; (a) to (c) are diagrams of screen transitions when adjusting the vehicle speed.

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. (Overview of Vehicle Interior) As shown in Fig. 1 , a driver's seat 2 of a vehicle 1 is provided with a steering wheel 3 that is operated when steering. The driver's seat 2 is provided with an instrument panel 4 that displays various states of the vehicle 1. In one example, the steering wheel 3 and the instrument panel 4 are provided in front of the driver's seat 2 of the vehicle 1 (i.e., in the front part of the passenger compartment). The instrument panel 4 displays, for example, vehicle speed, gear position, mileage, remaining battery power, remaining gasoline, etc. The vehicle 1 may be an autonomous vehicle or a non-autonomous vehicle.

[0010] (User Interface Device 6) As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a user interface device 6 that enables the user to operate the vehicle while gripping the steering wheel 3. The user interface device 6 is equipped with a touch input switch unit 7 that is operated by touch operation with the user's body (e.g., fingers, etc.). The touch input switch unit 7 is, for example, a steering switch disposed on a spoke portion 8 of the steering wheel 3. The touch input switch unit 7 has a touch operation unit 9 as an operation surface that is operated by touch.

[0011] 2, the user interface device 6 includes a sensor unit 10 that detects a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 by a user. The pair of the touch operation unit 9 and the sensor unit 10 constitutes a touch input switch unit 7. The user interface device 6 includes a control unit 11 that controls the operation of the user interface device 6 based on a sensor signal Sa input from the sensor unit 10. The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, etc.

[0012] The control unit 11 includes an operation detection unit 12 that detects a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 based on a sensor signal Sa from the sensor unit 10. The operation detection unit 12 detects a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 based on a change in capacitance detected by the sensor unit 10. The detected touch operation includes, for example, a "tracing operation" in which a finger is traced across the touch operation unit 9. The control unit 11 controls the device 13 and the display on the display unit 14 based on the detection result of the operation detection unit 12. Examples of the device 13 include an audio device and a speed control device. The display unit 14 is, for example, the instrument panel 4 or is included in the instrument panel 4.

[0013] (Touch Operation Unit 9) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the touch operation unit 9 includes a first touch operation unit 9a and a second touch operation unit 9b. In this example, the first touch operation unit 9a is operated with one hand of the user, and the second touch operation unit 9b is operated with the other hand of the user. The touch operation unit 9 is, for example, an operation surface that is touch-operated with the fingers of the user's hand. For example, the touch operation unit 9 has a substantially rectangular planar shape. The touch operation unit 9 is touch-operated when operating the device 13.

[0014] The first touch operation unit 9a is disposed, for example, on the right spoke 8a. The first touch operation unit 9a is an operation surface for adjusting the volume of an in-vehicle speaker. The second touch operation unit 9b is disposed, for example, on the left spoke 8b. The second touch operation unit 9b is an operation surface for setting the vehicle speed.

[0015] 2 , the sensor unit 10 is provided in the touch operation unit 9 that is touched when operating the device 13. The sensor unit 10 includes a first sensor unit 10a that detects a touch operation on the first touch operation unit 9a, and a second sensor unit 10b that detects a touch operation on the second touch operation unit 9b. In this way, the first sensor unit 10a is disposed on the right spoke unit 8a, and the second sensor unit 10b is disposed on the left spoke unit 8b.

[0016] The sensor unit 10 is, for example, a capacitance sensor that detects contact or approach of an object by a change in capacitance. Examples of capacitance sensors include a self-capacitance type and a mutual capacitance type. The first sensor unit 10a outputs a first sensor signal Sa1 as the sensor signal Sa to the control unit 11. The second sensor unit 10b outputs a second sensor signal Sa2 as the sensor signal Sa to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 detects touch operations on the first touch operation unit 9a and the second touch operation unit 9b based on the first sensor signal Sa1 and the second sensor signal Sa2.

[0017] (Specific Structure of Sensor Unit 10) As shown in Fig. 3(a), a plurality of sensor units 10 are provided and are arranged in a planar direction (X-Y axis planar direction) on the back surface of the touch operation unit 9. For example, a plurality of sensor units 10 are arranged in each of the horizontal direction (X-axis direction in Fig. 3(a)) and the vertical direction (Y-axis direction in Fig. 3(a)). The plurality of sensor units 10 may all have the same shape, or may be a combination having at least one sensor unit 10 of a different shape.

[0018] (Principle of detecting a tracing operation) As shown in FIG. 3A, when detecting a tracing operation, the operation detection unit 12 calculates the center of gravity G of the touch position of the finger on the touch operation unit 9. Specifically, the operation detection unit 12 calculates the center of gravity G on the contact surface 15 where the user touches the touch operation unit 9. The center of gravity G is calculated using sensor signals Sa output from the multiple sensor units 10. In this way, the operation detection unit 12 detects the touch position by finding the center of gravity G from the capacitance of each sensor unit 10.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3B, the operation detection unit 12 detects the movement trajectory of the touch position as the tracing operation direction K. In this example, the tracing operation direction K is detected from the movement trajectory of the center of gravity G. The operation detection unit 12 detects, for example, the movement trajectory (for example, the length or movement amount of the movement trajectory) of the center of gravity G in the Y-axis direction of the paper surface of Fig. 3B, which is detected when a vertical tracing operation (the tracing operation direction K is vertical) is performed on the touch operation unit 9, as the operation amount of the vertical tracing operation direction K.

[0020] Note that the detection of a tracing operation in which the tracing operation direction K is horizontal (horizontal tracing operation) is basically the same as the detection of a tracing operation in which the tracing operation direction K is vertical (i.e., vertical tracing operation), except that the tracing operation direction K is different by 90 degrees. Therefore, details regarding the detection of a horizontal tracing operation will be omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, when the tracing operation direction K is diagonal, the tracing operation direction K (e.g., the movement trajectory) is divided into a vertical component (Y-axis component) and a horizontal component (X-axis component). The operation detection unit 12 detects a horizontal tracing operation or a vertical tracing operation from the separated vertical component and horizontal component. That is, the operation detection unit 12 detects a vertical tracing operation using the separated vertical component, and detects a horizontal tracing operation using the separated horizontal component.

[0022] (Display Unit 14) As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 7(a), the display unit 14 has a first display area 18a for the first touch operation unit 9a and a second display area 18b for the second touch operation unit 9b. The first display area 18a is, for example, a part of the right side of the display unit 14. The first display area 18a is used, for example, as an image display area for volume adjustment. An example of the state of the device 13 is the volume. The second display area 18b is, for example, a part of the left side of the display unit 14. The second display area 18b is used as an image display area for setting the vehicle speed. Another example of the state of the device 13 is the vehicle speed. In one example, the positional relationship between the first display area 18a and the second display area 18b on the display unit 14 corresponds to the positional relationship between the first touch operation unit 9a and the second touch operation unit 9b (for example, on the steering wheel 3).

[0023] 2 , the user interface device 6 includes a display control unit 19 that controls the display of the display unit 14. The display control unit 19 is provided in, for example, the control unit 11. The display control unit 19 displays a status display image 20 that graphically represents the current status of the device 13 on the display unit 14, and controls the display of the display unit 14 to follow the status of the device 13 that changes based on the sensor signal Sa of the sensor unit 10.

[0024] When the touch operation unit 9 is touched, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the amount of touch operation together with the status display image 20. This allows the user to recognize the extent to which the state of the device 13 is expected to change due to the touch operation. Specifically, when the state of the device 13 is switched by a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9, the display control unit 19 displays the effect image 21 together with the status display image 20, thereby providing a preview of the state of the device 13 after the switch.

[0025] 4(b) and 7(b), when a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected while the display unit 14 is displaying the initial screen 23, the display unit 14 displays the selection screen 24 having the status display image 20. That is, when a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected while the status display image 20 is not displayed on the display unit 14, the display control unit 19 displays the selection screen 24 on the display unit 14. The initial screen 23 is a screen that is always displayed on the display unit 14 except when a selection operation is being performed.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4(b), the selection screen 24 includes a first selection screen 24a that is displayed when the first touch operation unit 9a is operated. In this example, the first selection screen 24a is a screen for adjusting the volume and displays various images for adjusting the volume. As shown in Fig. 7(b), the selection screen 24 includes a second selection screen 24b that is displayed when the second touch operation unit 9b is operated. In this example, the second selection screen 24b is a screen for setting the vehicle speed and displays various images for setting the speed.

[0027] (Status Display Image 20) As shown in Figures 4(b) to 4(d), 5, and 6, the status display image 20 includes a full-area selection target image 20a that represents the current status of the device 13 within the entire range covering the selection from the beginning to the end. In this example, the status display image 20 displayed on the first selection screen 24a is the full-area selection target image 20a. The full-area selection target image 20a is a gauge that represents the current status of the device 13 by the length of an expandable body 25. The expandable body 25 is, for example, a gauge bar.

[0028] The full-region selection target image 20a, which is the status display image 20, is assigned a scale for gradually changing the state (volume in this example) of the device 13. In the case of the full-region selection target image 20a, the scale is assigned in units of, for example, "1". Specifically, when the full-region selection target image 20a is used for volume adjustment, the scale is assigned to change in increments of 1 within the range from the minimum "0" to the maximum volume value.

[0029] 7(b) to 7(e), the status display image 20 includes a partial selection image 20b that represents the current status of the device 13 within a selection range that is extracted from the current status of the device 13. In this example, the status display image 20 displayed on the second selection screen 24b is the partial selection image 20b. The partial selection image 20b displays each parameter (in this example, the vehicle speed value) within the extracted selection range.

[0030] The partial selection image 20b, which is the status display image 20, is assigned a scale for gradually changing the status of the device 13 (in this example, vehicle speed). In the case of the partial selection image 20b, the scale is assigned in units of, for example, "1". Specifically, when the partial selection image 20b is used to set the vehicle speed, the scale is assigned so as to change by one within the extracted selection range.

[0031] (Effective image 21) As shown in Figures 4(b) to 4(d) and 5(a) to 5(c), the effected image 21 includes a cursor 26 that indicates the current state of the device 13. In this case, when a touch operation for operating the device on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 moves and displays the cursor 26 to a position corresponding to the amount of operation of the touch operation. Specifically, when the touch operation unit 9 is subjected to a tracing operation, the cursor 26 is moved and displayed to a position on a scale corresponding to the amount of operation of the tracing operation. In one example, the effected image 21 is an operation amount indicator that indicates the amount of operation, for example, an operation amount indicator that indicates the position of a scale corresponding to the amount of operation.

[0032] When the status display image 20 is the entire region selection target image 20a, the display control unit 19, upon detecting a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit 9, displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the amount of touch operation in association with a gauge. Specifically, when the status display image 20 is the entire region selection target image 20a, upon detecting a touch operation, the display control unit 19 displays, as the effect image 21, a cursor 26 at a position away from the tip of the expandable body 25 by an amount corresponding to the amount of touch operation. In this way, the display control unit 19 switches the display of the effect image 21 within the entire range indicated by the entire region selection target image 20a.

[0033] 7(b) to 7(e), the effect image 21 includes an image that prominently displays the selected parameter (in this example, the vehicle speed value) among the parameters (in this example, the vehicle speed values) in the selection range extracted in the partial selection target image 20b. In this example, the effect image 21 of the partial selection target image 20b is a filled-in frame (in this example, a rectangular frame) of a predetermined range in which the selected numbers among the numbers of the speeds to be selected are represented in a color different from the background color.

[0034] When the status display image 20 is a partial selection target image 20b, the display control unit 19, upon detecting a touch operation, changes the area of ​​the effect image 21 to a size corresponding to the amount of operation of the touch operation so that the parameter selected by the touch operation (in this example, the vehicle speed value) is also highlighted. Specifically, when the amount of operation of the tracing operation is small, the display control unit 19 displays the effect image 21 with a slightly larger area, and when the amount of operation of the tracing operation is large, the display control unit 19 displays the effect image 21 with a significantly larger area. In this way, the display control unit 19 superimposes and displays the effect image 21 with an area corresponding to the amount of operation of the tracing operation on the parameter (in this example, the vehicle speed value) of the predetermined selection range indicated by the partial selection target image 20b.

[0035] 4(d), 5(c), and 7(e), after a state of the device 13 is selected by touching the touch operation unit 9, when the finger is released from the touch operation unit 9, the operation is detected as a confirmation operation. In this way, after a state of the device 13 is selected by a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9, the operation detection unit 12 confirms the current selected state when the touch operation from the touch operation unit 9 is no longer detected.

[0036] 2, the user interface device 6 includes a notification processing unit 27 that notifies the user that the selection state has been confirmed when a device selection operation is performed by a touch operation. The notification processing unit 27 is provided in the control unit 11. When a device selection confirmation operation is performed on the touch operation unit 9, the notification processing unit 27 notifies the user that the selection state has been confirmed. The confirmation notification may be performed, for example, by a screen display on the display unit 14 or by sound from an in-car speaker.

[0037] Next, the operation of the user interface device 6 (display method) of this embodiment will be described. (Selection Operation Using First Touch Operation Unit 9a) As shown in FIG. 4(a), when no touch operation is performed on either the first touch operation unit 9a or the second touch operation unit 9b, the display unit 14 displays an initial screen 23. In this example, when displaying the initial screen 23, the display unit 14 displays the current vehicle speed in the center of the screen. Furthermore, the display unit 14 displays the initial screen 23 for the first touch operation unit 9a in the first display area 18a on the right side of the page in FIG. 4(a), and displays the initial screen 23 for the second touch operation unit 9b in the second display area 18b on the left side of the page in FIG. 4(a).

[0038] 4B, when the display control unit 19 detects a touch operation on the first touch operation unit 9a, the display control unit 19 displays a first selection screen 24a for the first touch operation unit 9a in the first display area 18a of the display unit 14. In this example, the first selection screen 24a displays a full-area selection target image 20a as the status display image 20. In this example, the full-area selection target image 20a is a volume adjustment image used to change the volume of the in-vehicle speakers.

[0039] When the entire region selection target image 20a is a volume adjustment image, the entire region selection target image 20a displays a cursor 26 at the position of the current volume (in this example, the volume is "12") as the effect image 21, and also displays an expandable body 25 having a length corresponding to the current volume. In this way, the current volume can be immediately recognized from the length of the expandable body 25 and the position of the cursor 26.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4( c), when the first touch operation unit 9 a is swiped to change the volume, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the amount of swiping. For example, to increase the volume by "1," the touch operation unit 9 is swiped by a small amount, "L1." That is, to increase the volume by only one level, the first touch operation unit 9 a is swiped upward with a finger. When the first touch operation unit 9 a is swiped to increase the volume by one level, the cursor 26 moves one level to the volume "13" position. This allows the user to immediately recognize how much the volume will change with the swiping operation.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4( d ), when the finger is released from the first touch operation unit 9 a after the tracing operation, the value selected by the tracing operation is confirmed. That is, the volume is confirmed to be "13." As a result, the volume increases by one level, switching from "12" to "13." At this time, the expandable body 25 extends by one level to the volume "13" position. When the volume selection operation is confirmed, the notification processing unit 27 notifies the user that the selected value has been confirmed by displaying on the display unit 14, making a sound from the speaker, or the like. This makes it easier to recognize that the selected value has been confirmed.

[0042] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), when the volume is to be increased significantly, the first touch operation unit 9a is swiped upward. At this time, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the large upward swiping operation. Specifically, when the operation amount of the swiping operation is "L2 (>L1)," the cursor 26 is displayed at a position corresponding to "L2." For example, when the volume is increased to "25," the cursor 26 moves to the volume "25" position and is displayed.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5C, when the finger is released from the first touch operation unit 9a after the tracing operation, the value selected by the tracing operation is confirmed. That is, the volume is confirmed to be "25." As a result, the volume changes from "13" to "25." At this time, the expandable body 25 extends to the volume "25" position. When the volume selection operation is confirmed, the notification processing unit 27 notifies the user that the selected value has been confirmed by displaying on the display unit 14, making a sound from the speaker, or the like. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that the selected value has been confirmed.

[0044] 6 , when previewing the amount of change at the position of the cursor 26, the display control unit 19 may superimpose a different-colored stretchable body 29 on the stretchable body 25 to accentuate the effect. The different-colored stretchable body 29 is, for example, a gauge bar having a color different from that of the stretchable body 25. In this way, when a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 may display, as effect image 21 within the frame of the gauge, a different-colored stretchable body 29 having a color different from that of the stretchable body 25 and a length corresponding to the amount of operation of the touch operation, extending from the tip of the stretchable body 25.

[0045] 7(a) and 7(b), when the second touch operation unit 9b is touched while the initial screen 23 is displayed on the display unit 14, the display control unit 19 displays a second selection screen 24b for the second touch operation unit 9b in the second display area 18b of the display unit 14. In this example, the second selection screen 24b displays a partial selection target image 20b as the status display image 20. In this example, the partial selection target image 20b is a vehicle speed setting image used to switch the vehicle speed.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7C , for example, to increase the vehicle speed by 1 km / h, the finger placed on the second touch operation unit 9b is traced in the direction of increasing the vehicle speed (upward in the plane of the paper in FIG. 7C in this example). That is, the finger placed on the second touch operation unit 9b is moved upward. When the display control unit 19 detects this moving operation, it switches the display of the partial selection target images 20b. In this example, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the moving operation. Specifically, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 that moves upward while increasing in area by an amount corresponding to the amount of the tracing operation, and has a gradation at the end. In one example, the display control unit 19 expands the effect image 21 in the direction corresponding to the tracing operation (upward in this example) according to the amount of the tracing operation.

[0047] 7(d), suppose that the finger is released from the second touch operation unit 9b at the timing when the effect image 21 is positioned to display "81km / h" by the upward scrolling operation. At this time, because the tracing operation is small, the image of "81km / h" at the tracing operation destination is selected, and the effect image 21 is surrounded. In other words, the item "81km / h" is selected as the selection target.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7( e), when "81 km / h" is determined as the selection target, the selected number "81 km / h" is positioned in the center of the screen together with the frame-shaped effect image 21. Specifically, the selected number "81 km / h" and the frame-shaped effect image 21 are slid downward on the paper surface of FIG. 7( e), thereby being positioned in the center of the screen. When this state is reached, the selection state of "81 km / h" selected by the tracing operation is transitioned to a confirmed state. Furthermore, it is preferable that this confirmed state be notified to the user by the notification processing unit 27, as described above.

[0049] (Changing the Vehicle Speed ​​Scale Graduation) As shown in Fig. 8(a), to change the switching unit of the vehicle speed adjustment, for example, long press the second touch operation unit 9b. Specifically, to change the switching unit of the vehicle speed adjustment from 1 km / h to 10 km / h, touch the second touch operation unit 9b for a certain period of time. In this way, to change the vehicle speed scale graduation, for example, long press the second touch operation unit 9b.

[0050] 8(b), when the display control unit 19 detects a long press on the second touch operation unit 9b, the display control unit 19 switches the scale interval of the vehicle speed. Specifically, the display control unit 19 switches the speed adjustment display on the second selection screen 24b from an interval of 1 km / h to an interval of 10 km / h. This makes it possible to adjust the vehicle speed in increments of 10 km / h, making the adjustment operation easier.

[0051] 9A, the interval of the vehicle speed scale may be changed by, for example, a large tracing operation on the second touch operation unit 9b. An example of the tracing operation in this case is a large tracing operation on the second touch operation unit 9b from a predetermined position to the end of the operation range. During this tracing operation, for example, an effect image 21 is displayed in a gradation pattern with a surface area corresponding to the large tracing operation and with a darker shade in the direction of the tracing operation.

[0052] 9(b), when the tracing operation is performed to the fullest extent, the effect image 21 is displayed with an area corresponding to the tracing operation at that time. Then, at the timing when the tracing operation is performed to the fullest extent, the scale interval on the screen is changed. That is, the speed adjustment display on the second selection screen 24b is switched from the scale interval of 1 km / h to the scale interval of 10 km / h.

[0053] As described above, when the specified operation is performed as a touch operation while the status display image 20 is displayed on the display unit 14, the display control unit 19 switches the display to another image related to the currently displayed status display image 20. In other words, when the partial selection target image 20b is displayed on the display unit 14, when a long press operation or a large tracing operation is performed as a specified operation, the display control unit 19 displays an image with finer scale intervals as another image.

[0054] 9(c), suppose that after the scale interval of the second selection screen 24b has changed, the finger is released from the second touch operation unit 9b. At this time, only the image of "100 km / h" located at the top is surrounded by the effect image 21. In other words, the item "100 km / h" is selected as a selection target.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 9(d), when "100 km / h" is determined as the selection target, the selected number "100 km / h" is positioned in the center of the screen together with the frame-shaped effect image 21. Specifically, the selected number "100 km / h" and the frame-shaped effect image 21 are slid downward on the paper surface of FIG. 9(d), thereby being positioned in the center of the screen. When this state is reached, the selection state of "100 km / h" selected by the tracing operation is transitioned to a confirmed state. Furthermore, it is preferable that this confirmed state be notified to the user by the notification processing unit 27, as described above.

[0056] 10(a) and 10(b), when a user wishes to significantly increase the vehicle speed, the user performs a large upward tracing operation on the second touch operation unit 9b and then removes the finger from the second touch operation unit 9b. At this time, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the large upward tracing operation. Specifically, when the amount of tracing operation is "L4," the effect image 21 is displayed with an area corresponding to "L4," and ultimately only the numerical value "130 km / h" is highlighted.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 10(c), when "130 km / h" is determined as the selection target, the selected number "130 km / h" is positioned in the center of the screen together with the frame-shaped effect image 21. Specifically, the selected number "130 km / h" and the frame-shaped effect image 21 are slid downward on the paper surface of FIG. 10(c), thereby being positioned in the center of the screen. When this state is reached, the selection state of "130 km / h" selected by the tracing operation is transitioned to a confirmed state. Furthermore, it is preferable that this confirmed state be notified to the user by the notification processing unit 27, as described above.

[0058] Note that when setting the volume low or the vehicle speed low, the operations and movements are the opposite of when setting the volume high or the vehicle speed high, but the basic concept is the same. Therefore, details of when setting the volume low or the vehicle speed low will be omitted.

[0059] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the user interface device 6 (display method) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0060] (1) The sensor unit 10 provided in the user interface device 6 is provided in the touch operation unit 9 that is touched when operating the device 13, and detects a touch operation by the user on the touch operation unit 9. The display control unit 19 provided in the user interface device 6 displays, on the display unit 14, a status display image 20 that graphically represents the current status of the device 13, and controls the display on the display unit 14 to follow the status of the device 13 that changes based on the sensor signal Sa of the sensor unit 10. When the touch operation unit 9 is touched, the display control unit 19 displays, together with the status display image 20, an effect image 21 that corresponds to the amount of touch operation, thereby allowing the user to recognize to what extent the status of the device 13 is expected to change as a result of the touch operation.

[0061] According to this configuration, when the touch operation unit 9 is used to operate the device 13, the effect image 21 displayed on the screen of the display unit 14 notifies the user of the extent to which the state of the device 13 is expected to change as a result of the touch operation. This makes it easy for the user to grasp the state of the device 13 after the operation, making it easy to operate the device 13 to the intended state. This improves the operability of the touch operation.

[0062] (2) The effect image 21 includes a cursor 26 that indicates the current state of the device 13. When a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 moves and displays the cursor 26 to a position corresponding to the amount of touch operation. With this configuration, the cursor 26 can clearly display to the user how much the state of the device 13 is expected to change.

[0063] (3) The status display image 20 is a full-area selection target image 20a that displays the entire range of selection from start to finish on one screen and indicates the current state of the device 13. The display control unit 19 switches the display of the effect image 21 within the entire range indicated by the full-area selection target image 20a. With this configuration, the user can operate the device 13 to the optimal state they intend while viewing the entire range of selection.

[0064] (4) The entire region selection target image 20a is a gauge that indicates the current state of the device 13 by the length of the expandable body 25. When a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 displays an effect image 21 corresponding to the amount of touch operation in association with the gauge. According to this configuration, by displaying an effect image 21 corresponding to the amount of touch operation in association with the gauge, it is possible to convey to the user, through an easy-to-understand display, how much the state of the device 13 is expected to change.

[0065] (5) The status display image 20 is a partial selection target image 20b that represents the current status of the device 13 within a selection range that is a partial range extracted from the current status of the device 13. The display control unit 19 switches the display of the effect image 21 within the selection range indicated by the partial selection target image 20b. This configuration makes it possible to extract a partial selection range and display it enlarged on the display unit 14, further contributing to improved operability of touch operations.

[0066] (6) The effect image 21 is an image that prominently displays the selected parameter among the selection range extracted and displayed in the partial selection target image 20b. When the display control unit 19 detects a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 to operate a device, the display control unit 19 changes the area of ​​the effect image 21 to a size corresponding to the amount of touch operation so that the parameter selected by the touch operation is also highlighted. With this configuration, the extent to which the state of the device 13 is expected to change can be clearly displayed to the user by the change in area of ​​the effect image 21. Furthermore, the effect image 21 has a high effect and is well designed.

[0067] (7) When a prescribed operation is performed as a touch operation while the status display image 20 is displayed on the display unit 14, the display control unit 19 switches the display to another image related to the currently displayed status display image 20. According to this configuration, by performing the prescribed operation through a touch operation, the display of the status display image 20 can be appropriately changed to an easier-to-operate display as needed.

[0068] (8) The user interface device 6 includes a notification processing unit 27 that notifies the user that the selection state has been confirmed when a device selection confirmation operation is performed on the touch operation unit 9. This configuration allows the user to clearly recognize whether the selection state has been confirmed.

[0069] (9) When the status display image 20 is not displayed on the display unit 14 and a touch operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 displays the selection screen 24 having the status display image 20 on the display unit 14. With this configuration, the user can open the selection screen 24 on the display unit 14 as needed and operate the device 13.

[0070] (10) When a touch operation for operating a device on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 displays, as the effect image 21, a cursor 26 indicating the current state of the device 13 at a position away from the tip of the expandable body 25 by an amount corresponding to the amount of touch operation. This configuration makes it possible to immediately know how much the state of the device 13 is expected to change from the length of the expandable body 25, further contributing to improved operability.

[0071] (11) When a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit 9 is detected, the display control unit 19 displays, within the frame of the gauge, as a performance image 21, a different-colored stretchable body 29 that has a different color from the stretchable body 25 and has a length corresponding to the amount of touch operation, extending from the tip of the stretchable body 25. According to this configuration, the current state of the device 13 is indicated by the length of the stretchable body 25, and the extent to which the device 13 is expected to change due to the touch operation is indicated by the length of the different-colored stretchable body 29. This makes it difficult to confuse the current state of the device 13 with the extent to which the device 13 is expected to change.

[0072] (12) The status display image 20 is assigned a scale for gradually changing the status of the device 13. The display control unit 19 displays the status of the device 13 in units of the scale. With this configuration, the status of the device 13 can be changed in units of the scale in a stepwise manner.

[0073] (13) When the status display image 20 is displayed on the display unit 14 and a specified operation is performed as a touch operation, the display control unit 19 switches the scale interval. This configuration allows the scale interval to be set in multiple patterns, making it possible to freely switch to the interval required for the current selection operation. This further contributes to improving the operability of touch operations.

[0074] (14) The touch operation unit 9 includes a first touch operation unit 9a and a second touch operation unit 9b. The sensor unit 10 includes a first sensor unit 10a that detects a touch operation on the first touch operation unit 9a and a second sensor unit 10b that detects a touch operation on the second touch operation unit 9b. When the first sensor unit 10a detects a touch operation, the display control unit 19 displays an image in the first display area 18a of the display unit 14. When the second sensor unit 10b detects a touch operation, the display control unit 19 displays an image in the second display area 18b of the display unit 14. With this configuration, since there are multiple touch operation units 9, multiple devices 13 can be operated by touch operations on each touch operation unit 9.

[0075] (Other Embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0076] The state of the device 13 is not limited to being changed after a confirmation operation. For example, during a tracing operation, the state of the device 13 may be changed during a selection operation. In other words, when a selection operation is performed, the state may be changed before a confirmation operation is performed.

[0077] The selection screen 24 may be opened by voice command instead of by touch operation. The display unit 14 is not limited to the instrument panel 4 and may be, for example, a car navigation display or a multi-information display.

[0078] The format of the first selection screen 24 a for setting the volume may be used as the format of the second selection screen 24 b for setting the vehicle speed. The first selection screen 24 a for setting the volume is not limited to displaying the entire selection target image 20 a, and may instead display only a portion of the selection target image 20 b.

[0079] The second selection screen 24b for setting the vehicle speed may use the display of the cursor 26. The format of the second selection screen 24b for setting the vehicle speed may be used as the format of the first selection screen 24a for setting the volume.

[0080] The second selection screen 24b for speed setting is not limited to displaying the partial selection image 20b, but may display the entire selection image 20a. The user interface device 6 may be used to set items other than the volume and vehicle speed.

[0081] The touch operation units 9 may be arranged together on one of the spokes 8. That is, the touch operation units 9 may be arranged so that they can be operated with one hand. The touch operation units 9 do not necessarily have to be arranged on the steering wheel 3, but may also be arranged on the center cluster, center console, etc.

[0082] The user interface device 6 is not limited to a device for selecting one specific value from a plurality of selection values, but may be, for example, a device for selecting a specific mode from a plurality of modes. The number of touch operation units 9 is not limited to multiple units, but may be only one.

[0083] A microswitch may be provided on the back of the touch operation unit 9, and the confirmation operation may be a mechanical push of the touch operation unit 9. The tracing operation is not limited to a linear operation, and may also be a rotational operation.

[0084] The touch operation is not limited to a tracing operation (swipe operation) but includes, for example, a flick operation, a pinch operation, a tap operation, a double tap operation, a short press operation, a long press operation, etc. The sensor unit 10 is not limited to a capacitance sensor but may be, for example, a resistive film type, an ultrasonic type, or an optical type.

[0085] The notification processing unit 27 may be omitted. The user interface device 6 may be used in an item other than the vehicle 1. The expression "at least one" used in this disclosure means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the expression "at least one" used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "both of two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the expression "at least one" used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if the number of options is three or more.

[0086] The operation detection unit 12, display control unit 19, and notification processing unit 27 may be configured as [1] one or more processors operating according to a computer program (software), or [2] a combination of such a processor and one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), that execute at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, that stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory (computer-readable medium) includes any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer including the processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute all of the various processes may be used.

[0087] The operation detection unit 12, the display control unit 19, and the notification processing unit 27 may be configured from independent processors, or may be constructed from a processor that shares some of its functions. In this way, the operation detection unit 12, the display control unit 19, and the notification processing unit 27 are not limited to being independent functional blocks, but may be configured from a single functional block, or may be configured from a functional block that shares some of its functions.

[0088] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising: a sensor unit that is provided on a touch operation unit that is touched when operating a device and that detects touch operations on the touch operation unit by a user; and a display control unit that displays a status display image that graphically represents the current status of the device on a display unit and controls the display on the display unit to follow the status of the device, which changes based on the sensor signal from the sensor unit; wherein when the touch operation unit is touched, the display control unit displays an effect image corresponding to the amount of touch operation along with the status display image, thereby allowing the user to recognize to what extent the status of the device is expected to change as a result of the touch operation.

2. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the presentation image includes a cursor indicating the current state of the device, and the display control unit, when a touch operation for operating the device on the touch operation unit is detected, moves and displays the cursor to a position corresponding to the amount of touch operation.

3. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the status display image is a full-area selection image that shows the current state of the device while displaying the entire range of selection from start to finish on one screen, and the display control unit switches the display of the performance image within the entire range shown by the full-area selection image.

4. The user interface device of claim 3, wherein the full-area selection target image is a gauge that represents the current state of the device by the length of an expandable body, and when a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit is detected, the display control unit displays the performance image corresponding to the amount of touch operation in association with the gauge.

5. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the status display image is a partial selection image that represents the current status of the device within a selection range that is extracted from the current status of the device, and the display control unit switches the display of the performance image within the selection range indicated by the partial selection image.

6. The user interface device of claim 5, wherein the effect image is an image that prominently displays selected parameters from among the parameters in the selection range that are extracted and displayed in the partial selection target image, and when a touch operation for device operation on the touch operation unit is detected, the display control unit changes the area of ​​the effect image to a size corresponding to the amount of touch operation so that the parameter selected by the touch operation is also highlighted.

7. A user interface device as described in claim 1, wherein when the status display image is displayed on the display unit and a specified operation is performed as a touch operation, the display control unit switches the display to another image related to the status display image being displayed.

8. The user interface device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification processing section that notifies the user that the selection state has been confirmed when a confirmation operation for device selection is performed on the touch operation section.

9. A display method in which, when a sensor unit detects a user's touch operation on a touch operation unit and operates a device, a status display image that graphically represents the current status of the device is displayed on a display unit, and the display on the display unit is switched to follow the status of the device, which changes based on the sensor signal from the sensor unit, and when the touch operation unit is touched, a presentation image corresponding to the amount of touch operation is displayed together with the status display image, allowing the user to recognize to what extent the status of the device is expected to change as a result of the touch operation.

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