Adaptive Soft Buttons for Vehicle User 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 dynamically configures the touch-sensitive area and tap duration of soft buttons on a vehicle user interface based on monitored conditions like vehicle speed, vibration, precipitation, and ambient temperature, expanding the touch-sensitive region and increasing tap duration as conditions deteriorate to improve interaction accuracy and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the touch-sensitive area and tap duration are kept fixed in conventional interfaces, then the interface structure remains simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates under non-optimal driving conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of touch-sensitive area and tap duration based on monitored vehicle conditions. The system controller continuously adapts the interface parameters in response to changing driving environments, transforming the static interface into a dynamic one that optimizes ease of operation under varying conditions without requiring complex manual reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
The interface system automatically monitors vehicle conditions and self-adjusts the touch-sensitive area and tap duration without user intervention. The system controller receives vehicle condition data from sensors and autonomously configures the optimal interface parameters, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust settings while improving operational ease
2Reliability
If the interface does not adapt to changing conditions, then the device complexity remains low, but the reliability deteriorates during non-optimal driving situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a feedback loop where the system controller continuously monitors vehicle conditions through sensors and uses this information to adjust interface parameters. This closed-loop control ensures the interface adapts reliably to changing driving conditions, improving interaction success rate while managing complexity through automated feedback processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively adjusts interface parameters before user interaction based on predicted or current vehicle conditions. By pre-configuring optimal touch-sensitive area and tap duration settings based on monitored conditions, the system ensures reliable operation without requiring real-time complex calculations during user interaction
3Measurement precision
If the touch-sensitive region is expanded to improve interaction accuracy, then the ease of operation improves, but the area occupied by the interface elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different touch-sensitive area expansions to different interface elements based on their specific needs and the current vehicle conditions. Rather than uniformly expanding all buttons, the system selectively adjusts the touch-sensitive region of specific soft buttons, improving interaction accuracy for critical controls while minimizing overall interface area occupation
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method are provided for configuring the touch-sensitive area and/or the tap duration associated with a plurality of touch-sensitive soft buttons of a vehicle user interface in response to varying vehicle conditions. In particular, as a monitored vehicle condition deteriorates, the system controller coupled to the vehicle user interface expands the touch-sensitive region and/or increases the tap duration of the touch-sensitive soft buttons, thereby improving the user's ability to successfully interact with the interface. Vehicle conditions that may be monitored and used to configure the touch-sensitive area and/or tap duration include passenger cabin vibration levels, vehicle speed, turn radius, lateral force levels, precipitation levels and external ambient temperature.