Adaptive Audible Feedback for Vehicle Touch Interfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle user interfaces do not adapt to changing conditions, leading to potential driver distraction and frustration, especially during non-optimal driving situations such as high speeds or adverse weather, which can compromise safety and usability.

Innovation Solution

A system that utilizes touch-sensitive soft buttons with adaptive audible feedback and adjustable interface settings based on vehicle speed and environmental conditions, including increased audible feedback and enlarged touch-sensitive regions, to enhance user interaction and safety during challenging driving conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If visual feedback is used for touch-sensitive buttons, then interface simplicity is improved, but driver distraction increases under certain conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface simplicityVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts feedback modality based on detected driving conditions. During optimal conditions (vehicle stationary or low speed), visual feedback is provided. During non-optimal conditions (high speed, cornering, acceleration), audible feedback is provided instead, creating a dynamic adaptation to environmental factors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of feedback modality from visual to audible based on vehicle operating parameters such as speed, acceleration, and steering angle. This parameter change allows the interface to maintain simplicity while adapting to conditions that affect driver distraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If audible feedback is provided at all speeds, then interaction accuracy is improved, but driver distraction increases during optimal driving conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteraction accuracyVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing audible feedback continuously (excessive action), the system provides audible feedback only partially - specifically during non-optimal driving conditions where it is most needed. This partial application of audible feedback maintains interaction accuracy while minimizing unnecessary distraction during optimal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the interface adapts to changing conditions, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the existing vehicle's sensor infrastructure (speed sensors, acceleration sensors, steering angle sensors) for a new purpose - detecting driving conditions to modulate UI feedback. This multi-functional use of existing components improves safety without adding significant hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where vehicle operating conditions are continuously monitored and used to adjust the type of feedback provided to the user. This closed-loop control enables adaptive behavior that improves safety while maintaining relatively simple implementation through software-based decision logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2308713B1Adaptive audible feedback cues for a vehicle user interface
Publication Date: 2013.09.18 TESLA INC
  • EP2308713B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2308713B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2308713B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and a method are provided for adapting a vehicle user interface to generate audible feedback cues when the user interacts with the vehicle interface via touch-sensitive soft buttons and the vehicle speed exceeds a preset speed. When the vehicle speed does not exceed the preset speed, either no audible feedback cues are provided to the user during interaction via the touch-sensitive soft buttons, or the volume level of the audible feedback cues is less than that used when the vehicle speed exceeds the preset speed. The system and method may further utilize a sensor for monitoring the sound level with the vehicle cabin. The sound level of the vehicle cabin may be used to set the volume level of the audible feedback cue, thus insuring for example that the feedback cues may be heard over cabin noise.