Deformable Vehicle Touch Screen with Rear Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels used in vehicles and smartphones lack a pleasant tactile experience due to their hard, non-deformable surfaces, failing to provide a comfortable and enjoyable operating sensation for users.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensionally deformable touch screen for vehicles, formed from soft and elastic materials like cloth or rubber, which deforms under applied force, combined with a projecting unit to display images and a detecting unit to identify the deformation, allowing for enhanced user interaction and visual feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hard material is used for the operating surface, then the structural strength is improved, but the tactile comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible membrane structure as the operating surface, replacing traditional hard materials with a soft, deformable film that provides tactile feedback while maintaining structural integrity through the underlying frame and support structure
Solution Approach 2:
The operating device uses a composite structure combining a soft flexible membrane with a rigid frame and support mechanism, creating a system that exhibits both tactile compliance and structural strength through the integration of different material properties
2Ease of operation
If the screen is made three-dimensionally deformable, then the tactile experience is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane that can be stretched and deformed three-dimensionally, allowing the screen surface to change shape in response to user interaction while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process through the use of elastic materials and geometric design
Solution Approach 2:
The operating surface transitions from a static flat state to a dynamic three-dimensionally deformable state during operation, allowing the screen to adapt its shape based on user input while returning to its original configuration, thereby adding functional complexity without permanent structural changes
3Illumination intensity
If the image is projected from the front, then the visual clarity is improved, but the user's hand obstructs the view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional projection direction by projecting the image from the back of the flexible membrane through the membrane itself, allowing users to view and interact with the display from the front without their hand blocking the projection source, thereby eliminating view obstruction while maintaining visual clarity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a pleasant tactile experience and enjoyable operation by allowing users to physically deform the screen, offering sensations and interactions not possible with conventional hard touch panels, while ensuring the image is not obstructed by the user's hand and enhancing the visual representation with moving images absorbed into the recessed screen area.
Implementation Method 1
the screen is formed of a material that feels soft, and is elastic, such as a cloth, rubber, or a film
Data Source
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AI summary
An operating device for a vehicle includes a screen (12) having an operating surface, the screen (12) being configured such that a region of the screen (12) including a portion of the screen (12) to which an operating force is applied is deformed in a direction in which the operating force is applied, in accordance with the operating force applied to the operating surface; a projecting unit (14) configured to project an image onto the screen (12); a detecting unit configured to detect, as an operating position, the portion of the screen (12) to which the operating force is applied and which is deformed due to the applied operating force; and a processing unit (18) configured to perform predetermined processing associated with a portion of the image projected onto the screen (12), based on a result of detection performed by the detecting unit, the portion of the image corresponding to the operating position.