Steering Switch Input Gating to Prevent Unintended Display Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle operation input devices can unintentionally display information to occupants, leading to annoyance when fingers accidentally touch or approach steering switch portions, causing unnecessary emphasis displays.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle operation input device with a processor that only displays information and enables input operations when a specific intentional operation is performed on a state switching section, ensuring that the occupant's intention to view information is respected by disabling displays and inputs otherwise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the display section performs emphasis display when a finger touches or approaches the steering switch portion, then the function information becomes more visible and accessible, but the occupant may feel annoyed when the display is activated unintentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a two-stage feedback mechanism: first detecting finger approach to prepare for potential interaction, then requiring a specific operation (pressing or sliding) to confirm intentional user intent before activating the display. This feedback loop filters out accidental activations while maintaining responsiveness to genuine user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of finger approach and prepares the display state in advance, but only executes the actual display activation after confirming a specific intentional operation. This preliminary action allows the system to be ready for user input without prematurely triggering the display that causes annoyance.
2Ease of operation
If the input section is always in an input enabled state, then the occupant can easily perform input operations, but the system may receive unintended inputs from accidental touches
Solution Approach 1:
The input section dynamically transitions between input disabled and input enabled states based on detected operations. The state is not fixed but adapts to user actions, being enabled only after specific operations (pressing or sliding) are detected, thus balancing accessibility with reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of the input section from always-enabled to conditionally-enabled. By modifying the enablement state based on detected operations, the system maintains ease of operation when needed while preventing accidental inputs during normal driving conditions.
3Loss of information
If the information is displayed continuously, then the occupant always has access to function information, but it increases the likelihood of accidental activation and occupant annoyance
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous display, the system uses periodic or on-demand display activation triggered by specific operations. The display appears periodically when needed (after detected operations) and remains off otherwise, reducing accidental activation while maintaining information accessibility when the occupant intends to interact.
Data Source
AI summary
When an occupant has performed a specific operation that is an operation different to an input operation on a state switching section while in a state in which a display section capable of displaying information related to an input section is not displaying the information, a processor causes the information to be displayed on the display section and places the input section in an input enabled state in which the input operation is receivable. Moreover, when the occupant has not performed the specific operation on the state switching section while in state in which the information is not being displayed on the display section, the processor does not cause the information to be displayed on the display section and places the input section in an input disabled state in which the input operation is not receivable.