Vehicle table device and method of controlling virtual keyboard thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle table devices are limited by their narrow design, which causes discomfort during use and may lead to accidents during collisions, and they lack the ability to function as multimedia input devices due to inadequate switch mechanisms, often activating unwanted input functions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle table device with a monitor that can reciprocate between dashboard positions, a housing with a selectively extractable table, and a controller that activates a virtual keyboard on the table's surface, allowing it to function as a multimedia input device by determining the table's state and monitor position to enable or disable the keyboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the table area is increased to provide larger usable space, then user comfort is improved, but the risk of injury during collision increases
Solution Approach 1:
The table is designed to be movable rather than fixed, capable of extending and retracting along the width direction of the dashboard. The table can dynamically adjust its position and area based on operational conditions, being extended during normal use to provide larger surface area, and retracted during collision to reduce injury risk
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects collision conditions in advance and automatically retracts the table before significant harm can occur. The controller monitors for collision signals and preemptively moves the table to a safe position, preventing the harmful effect of table-related injuries during impact
2Adaptability or versatility
If the virtual keyboard is always activated to enable multimedia input function, then input functionality is improved, but accidental activation occurs when objects are placed on the table
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the table's operational state before activating the virtual keyboard. The controller checks whether the table is in the extended or retracted position, and only enables the keyboard function when the table is properly extended, preventing accidental activation when objects are merely placed on the retracted table surface
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the table's position state and provides feedback to the controller, which then adjusts the virtual keyboard activation status accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures the keyboard is activated only under appropriate conditions (table extended) and deactivated when conditions are not met (table retracted), eliminating accidental input activation
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle table device that is extracted toward a driver or a passenger to place foods or books thereon for a simple meal or reading, and a method of controlling a virtual keyboard thereof. The method includes: determining a state of a table accommodated inside a housing by a controller; determining a position of a monitor by the controller when, in the determining of the state of the table, the table is determined to be extracted from the housing; and activating a virtual keyboard on the table by the controller when, in the determining of the position of the monitor, the monitor is determined to be located on a passenger seat side.