Steering Wheel Display Layout for On-Demand Control Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display-and-control systems for motor vehicles lack ease of use and intuitive control access, particularly during sport driving operations, leading to potential safety risks as drivers must remove their hands from the steering wheel to adjust control parameters.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of additional lateral display devices configured as interaction graphics that are demand-based and activated only when needed, along with satellite buttons on the steering wheel for intuitive control, allowing adjustments without removing hands from the wheel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control parameters are adjusted using conventional steering wheel buttons, then control functionality is provided, but the driver must remove hands from the steering wheel, reducing operational safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces additional lateral display devices positioned to the left or right of the main display, creating a new spatial dimension for control parameter adjustment. This allows the driver to access control functions through lateral satellite buttons without removing hands from the steering wheel, thereby improving operational safety while maintaining ease of operation.
2Loss of information
If all control parameters are always displayed, then complete information is available, but the display becomes cluttered and harder to read
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamically activatable additional lateral display devices that can be switched on or off based on driver demand. When activated, these displays provide access to additional control parameters; when deactivated, they remain hidden to maintain display clarity. This dynamic approach ensures information completeness is available on demand while maintaining display readability during normal operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple display devices are added to show additional control parameters, then control information is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the additional display functionality into separate, independently activatable lateral display devices positioned to the left or right of the main display. These extracted display components are only activated when needed for specific control parameter adjustments, allowing the system to enhance adaptability while avoiding the permanent complexity of having all displays continuously active.
4Ease of operation
If the additional display device is always activated, then control parameters are easily accessible, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic activation of the additional lateral display devices based on driver demand rather than continuous operation. The displays are activated only when the driver needs to adjust specific control parameters and deactivated afterward, creating a periodic on-demand operation pattern that reduces energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A display-and-control system (1) of a motor vehicle (2) has multiple display devices (3) and multiple control devices (5) arranged on a multi-function steering wheel (6) for driver interaction. The control devices (5) have multiple control elements arranged on the multi-function steering wheel (6). The display devices (3) include a central main display device (12) to display at least one main control parameter and at least one additional display device (13) that can be activated in at least one adjustment mode (14). The additional display device (13) can be arranged to the left and to the right of the main display device (12) and can display at least one additional control parameter (15) that can be adjusted by the driver.