Adjustable Hand Rest for Vehicle Mode Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle systems lack an efficient and cost-effective way to provide easy operability and mode awareness between manual and fully automatic driving modes, and to allow easy access to touch-sensitive display devices in various seating positions without increasing weight or complexity.
Innovation Solution
An operating device with a touch-sensitive display and an adjustable hand rest that changes positions to activate different display areas, allowing manual driving mode or autopilot mode, thereby enhancing mode awareness and expanding the operating area of the touch-sensitive display device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an adjustable center console with touch-sensitive display device is provided to improve accessibility in different seating positions, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional electronics and cable requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The center console is divided into a fixed base portion and a movable hand rest portion. The hand rest can be adjusted between a first position (close to steering wheel) and a second position (retracted), allowing the touch-sensitive display device to be accessible in both manual and autopilot modes without requiring the entire console to be adjustable.
Solution Approach 2:
The hand rest is made dynamically adjustable between two positions. In the first position, it provides support for manual driving operation; in the second position, it retracts to allow access to the touch-sensitive display device during autopilot operation, adapting to different driving modes.
2Loss of information
If the autopilot display is extended from the dashboard to provide clear mode awareness, then information clarity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional display mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The hand rest serves multiple functions: it provides ergonomic support during manual driving, acts as a physical indicator of driving mode through its position, and enables access to the touch-sensitive display device during autopilot operation. This eliminates the need for a separate dedicated autopilot display extension mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The hand rest's position itself serves as the information display indicating the current driving mode. When the hand rest is in the first position, it indicates manual mode; when in the second position, it indicates autopilot mode. The system uses its own state to convey information rather than requiring additional display components.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an operating device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), having a touch-sensitive display device (3) and a hand rest (5) which can be adjusted between a first position and a second position and which is arranged in the area of the display device (3), and having a control device (4), which is configured to activate a first display area (7) of the display device (3) and to activate a manual driving mode of the motor vehicle (1) when the hand rest (5) is arranged in the first position, and to activate a second display area (8) of the display device (3) and an autopilot of the motor vehicle (1) when the hand rest (5) is arranged in the second position. The invention further relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle (1) by means of an operating device (2) of this kind.