Force-Based Touch Input Area Locking for Driver Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Force-based haptic human-machine interfaces in automobiles and mechanical systems face issues with accidental or inadvertent touches due to the inability of drivers to continuously view the touch interface while driving, leading to erroneous detections and increased operator distraction.
Innovation Solution
A system that locks the input area associated with a detected touch location by using a computer to identify priority and non-priority virtual input areas on a touch panel, ignoring subsequent interactions with non-priority areas until the respective function is deactivated, and updating the effective position of user interactions using continuous force measurements to prevent accidental inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If force-based haptic HMIs are used to provide touchscreen functionality with tactile feedback, then flexibility and versatility of controls are improved, but accidental or inadvertent touches become more common due to inability to continuously view the interface
Solution Approach 1:
The touch interface is segmented into multiple virtual input areas with different priority levels. When a touch is detected, the system identifies the specific virtual input area and locks other areas to prevent accidental inputs. This segmentation allows the system to maintain versatility while reducing erroneous detections by isolating the active input region.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of the touched virtual input area and its priority level before processing the input. By pre-establishing priority relationships between different input areas and locking non-priority areas upon touch detection, the system prevents accidental inputs before they can occur, rather than dealing with them after detection.
2Measurement precision
If the driver takes eyes off the road to visually engage the touchscreen display, then accurate input selection is improved, but distraction time increases and safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides immediate haptic feedback through vibration when a touch is detected on a virtual input area. This tactile confirmation allows the driver to know their input has been registered without needing to visually verify it on the display, significantly reducing distraction time while maintaining accurate input selection through sensory feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The force-based haptic interface allows the driver to interact with multiple functions simultaneously through tactile cues alone, without requiring visual engagement. The system serves itself by providing sufficient tactile feedback to confirm inputs, eliminating the need for the driver to transfer visual attention from the road to the display.
3Reliability
If visual engagement with the touchscreen is minimized for safety, then driver attention is improved, but erroneous detection of touch events increases due to inability to locate and select interface elements accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by creating a locked input area around the detected touch location. Instead of treating the entire touchscreen as equally responsive, the system locally modifies the input reception characteristics by disabling other virtual input areas while keeping the touched area active. This ensures accurate detection of the intended input while preventing erroneous detection of adjacent or nearby touches.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple virtual input areas are made responsive to touch, then functionality and versatility are improved, but accidental touches across different areas increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the responsiveness of different virtual input areas based on touch detection. Upon detecting a touch in one area, the system dynamically locks other areas to prevent accidental inputs. This dynamic modification of input area states allows the interface to maintain multi-functionality when needed while preventing erroneous detections during active interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
In a touch screen environment, a computer calculates an effective position and updated effective positions of simultaneous or sequential touch events by calculating average coordinates of the touch events using force measurements. The average coordinates correspond to computerized maps of the user interface and z coordinates correspond to an average force at the x and y locations. The effective positions are used to determine if the user's touches move across multiple virtual input areas having priority and non-priority relationships. By expanding a virtual input area of the map for those areas having a priority label relative to a different non-priority virtual input area, the computer effectuates appropriate functions depending on where the most recent effective position lies.