Vehicle Touch Interface With Segmented Areas For Incremental Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle operating devices for adjusting parameters like air conditioning settings require continuous and precise input, which can distract drivers and pose safety risks due to the high demands on cognitive and motor skills.

Innovation Solution

The operating device features a touch-sensitive surface with separate areas that allow incremental parameter changes through simple touches or swipe gestures, enabling intuitive and step-based adjustments without the need for exact positioning, allowing drivers to operate without continuous attention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If continuous and precise input is required for adjusting parameters, then parameter adjustment precision is improved, but driver distraction and safety risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparameter adjustment precisionVSAvoiddriving safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive surface is divided into multiple separate areas (first area, second area, third area) with different functions. Each area responds to specific input patterns (single touch, double touch, swipe gestures) to provide discrete incremental adjustments rather than requiring continuous precise input, thereby reducing driver cognitive load while maintaining adequate parameter control precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides periodic incremental adjustments of parameters based on detected touch patterns. Instead of requiring continuous precise manipulation, the system advances parameters in discrete steps through periodic response to simplified driver inputs, reducing the complexity and distraction of the operating process while maintaining sufficient adjustment precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Ease of operation

If multiple separate areas are formed in the touch-sensitive surface, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating simplicityVSAvoidtouch-sensitive surface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive surface uses a single unified sensing layer that detects multiple types of inputs (single touch, double touch, swipe gestures) across different areas. This multi-functional approach provides intuitive operation for driver-specific functions (volume, temperature) while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure, avoiding the need for separate physical controls for each function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2838004B1Control unit with touch sensitive surface
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP2838004B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2838004B1 patent drawingFigure 3~7
  • EP2838004B1 patent drawingFigure 8~11

AI summary

The present invention relates to an operating device (10), particularly in a vehicle, comprising an operating element (1) having a touch-sensitive surface (2), and a control device (6) coupled to the operating element (1) so that data on touches of the touch-sensitive surface (2) can be transmitted to the control device (6). The operating device according to the invention is characterized in that at least two separate surfaces (5-1, 5-2) are formed within the touch-sensitive surface (2), and the control device (6) is configured such that a parameter is incrementally changed when it is detected that one of the at least two separate surfaces (5-1, 5-2) has been touched, and the same parameter is incrementally changed when it is detected that a swipe gesture has been performed on the touch-sensitive surface.