Configurable Touch Screen Steering Wheel Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering wheels have fixed, non-configurable controls that do not allow drivers to customize the functions and information displayed, requiring them to remove their hands from the wheel to adjust settings.
Innovation Solution
Integration of back-lit liquid crystal display (LCD) screens with touch screens on the steering wheel, enabling user-configurable controls and information widgets, allowing drivers to customize and conveniently locate the controls and information they need.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-function buttons and controls are used on the steering wheel, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but the adaptability and user customization capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a graphical display device with touch screen that can present multiple different control interfaces and information displays. The same physical display hardware serves multiple functions including radio control, climate control, navigation, and customizable widgets, replacing what would traditionally require multiple dedicated physical buttons and controls for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface dynamically changes based on user configuration and selection. The graphical display can reconfigure control widgets, information panels, and button functions in real-time according to driver preferences and current operational context, transforming static fixed-function controls into dynamic adaptive interfaces.
2Ease of operation
If fixed-function controls are used on the steering wheel, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as drivers must remove hands from the wheel to adjust settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical push buttons, rotary dials, and physical switches with a graphical touch screen interface. Control inputs are achieved through touch gestures on the display surface rather than mechanical actuation, eliminating the need for separate mechanical control components while improving accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device merges information presentation and control input functions into a single integrated component. The touch screen simultaneously displays information (radio station, climate settings, navigation) and accepts control inputs, combining what were previously separate information displays and control buttons into one unified interface.
Data Source
AI summary
An entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a graphical LCD with a configurable touch screen. The graphical LCD is disposed on the steering wheel. A processor is communicatively coupled to the graphical LCD. The processor prompts a user to select a function to assign to the configurable touch screen. The processor assigns the selected function to the configurable touch screen.