Military Vehicle HMI Layout With Color-Coded Button Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Human Machine Interface (HMI) devices in military vehicles, such as tanks, require time and are prone to errors when the commander needs to relearn the functions of control buttons, which change with menus, hindering safe operation during emergencies.
Innovation Solution
An HMI device with a screen, physical control buttons grouped by function, and background lighting that illuminates buttons differently based on their status, improving intuitive operation by logically organizing controls and visually indicating availability and selection states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If control buttons have functions that change depending on the menu, then the HMI device can be operated with fewer buttons, but the commander must relearn button functions which takes time and is prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coded icons on control buttons to indicate their current function. Each menu context is represented by a specific color, and the icons change color to show which function is currently active. This allows the commander to immediately recognize button functions without relearning, as the color coding provides visual feedback about the current operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple sets of button functions corresponding to different menus, and the currently active set is highlighted through color-coded icons. This preliminary organization of function information allows the commander to quickly identify the correct function without needing to learn or recall assignments, reducing the time required to operate the HMI device safely.
2Device complexity
If control buttons have functions that change depending on the menu, then the HMI device can be operated with fewer buttons, but the probability of error in recognizing button functions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The color-coded icon system provides unambiguous visual indication of the current button function. The color coding creates a distinct visual pattern that reduces misinterpretation, allowing the commander to quickly and accurately recognize which function is currently assigned to each button, thereby reducing error probability in function recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate visual feedback through color-coded icons that continuously display the current function assignment of each control button. This feedback mechanism ensures the commander can verify the correct function before operation, reducing the likelihood of errors by making the system state transparent and easily recognizable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If control buttons are arranged in different menus, then the HMI device can access more functions, but the commander must learn different button assignments for each menu
Solution Approach 1:
The color-coded icon system maintains consistent visual coding across different menus, where each color represents a specific menu context. This consistency allows the commander to transfer knowledge of color meanings across different menus, reducing the learning burden while still providing access to diverse functions through the same physical buttons.
Solution Approach 2:
The control buttons are designed to be universal, serving multiple functions across different menus while maintaining consistent physical positions. The color-coded icons indicate which function is currently active, allowing the same physical button to access different functions in different contexts without requiring the commander to learn new button locations or assignments for each menu.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a military vehicle which has cameras arranged on an outer skin for capturing images and an HMI device which can be coupled to the cameras. The HMI device comprises: a screen having display regions at least comprising a first display region for displaying a field of view provided by means of at least some of the cameras and a second display region for displaying a currently selected menu; a plurality of physical operating keys, wherein each operating key has an icon for visually indicating the function associated with the operating key and wherein the operating keys are grouped, according to their functions, in multiple functional groups in a frame around the display regions; backlighting for the operating keys; and a control unit, which is designed to control the backlighting such that the operating keys are illuminated differently according to their respective status.