Steering Wheel Icon Layout for Accurate Vehicle Switch Input
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display control devices for vehicles face high erroneous input rates when operating steering wheel switches due to limited vertical display space and the proximity of icons, making it difficult for drivers to accurately select switches without significant gaze deviation.
Innovation Solution
A display control device that sets aspect ratios of icons on a display portion at the front of the steering wheel with a larger width-to-height ratio, allowing for easier identification and separation of icons, even under vertical space constraints, and includes an operation sensing section to display adjacent icons upon sensing an operation, along with tactile distinguishing projections for intuitive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If plural icons are displayed on a display portion with limited vertical space, then the driver can access multiple functions, but the icons are disposed near to one another causing high erroneous input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the icon arrangement from a vertical layout to a horizontal layout along the circumferential direction of the steering wheel. This dimensional change allows multiple icons to be displayed without vertical stacking, maintaining accessibility to multiple functions while preventing icons from being disposed too near to one another, thus reducing erroneous input.
2Reliability
If icons are displayed with larger spacing to reduce erroneous input, then input accuracy improves, but the vertical display space is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the horizontal circumferential direction of the steering wheel for icon arrangement instead of the vertical direction. This allows icons to be spaced adequately apart while fitting within the limited display area, as the steering wheel's circumferential direction provides sufficient space for multiple well-spaced icons without requiring vertical expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric icon shapes with different circumferential width-to-height ratios that correspond to the asymmetric operation regions on the steering wheel. This asymmetric design allows icons to be optimized for their specific positions and spacing requirements, improving input accuracy while efficiently utilizing the available display space.
3Volume of moving object
If the display portion is kept compact to maintain steering wheel size, then the overall dimensions are controlled, but the region in the vertical direction is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redistributes the display area from the vertical direction to the horizontal circumferential direction. By arranging icons along the circumferential direction of the steering wheel, the design maintains a compact vertical profile while providing sufficient display space for multiple icons with appropriate spacing, thus controlling overall steering wheel size without sacrificing display capability.
4Ease of operation
If icons are arranged to correspond to switch positions, then ease of operation is improved, but the limited display region causes icons to be disposed near to one another
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the correspondence between icon positions and switch positions by arranging icons along the circumferential direction of the steering wheel, matching the spatial arrangement of the physical switches. This circumferential arrangement provides sufficient spacing between icons while preserving the intuitive positional correspondence, thereby maintaining ease of operation without sacrificing input accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A display control device for a vehicle includes a memory, and at least one processor connected to the memory. The at least one processor displays, on a display portion provided at a front side of a steering wheel, plural icons corresponding to a steering wheel switch group, and sets aspect ratios of the icons such that a proportion of a width in the aspect ratio of the icon is large as compared with a proportion of a width in a width-to-height ratio of a corresponding operation region of the steering wheel.