Vehicle Touchscreen Gesture Mode Switching for Driver Distraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional touch screen interfaces in vehicles become overly complex with increased internet and communication functions, leading to driver distraction and safety risks due to their graphical nature, and voice recognition quality varies significantly with ambient noise and device quality.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that switch between graphical and gesture-based operating modes, using a touch-sensitive screen with a limited graphical interface in gesture mode to minimize distraction, where gestures control functions and voice output provides feedback, allowing for intuitive operation without visual attention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If conventional graphical touchscreen interfaces are used for communication services in vehicles, then the interface can display complex information, but driver distraction and safety risks increase due to the complexity of graphical controls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation display capabilityVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The interface is segmented into two distinct modes: graphical mode for detailed information display and gesture mode for simplified control. This segmentation allows the system to separate the information display function from the control interaction function, enabling complex communication services to be accessed through simple gestures while maintaining full graphical information display capability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The interface dynamically switches between graphical mode and gesture mode based on the user's needs and driving conditions. The system can transition from displaying complex graphical interfaces to accepting simple gestures, and vice versa, providing adaptability that reduces driver distraction while maintaining information accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If voice control is used to reduce driver distraction, then hands and eyes are relieved, but speech recognition quality varies significantly with ambient noise and device quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver distraction reductionVSAvoidspeech recognition quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a tactile intermediary (the touchscreen surface) that provides reliable feedback without requiring complex voice processing. Gestures on the touchscreen surface serve as a mediator between the driver's intent and the system response, offering dependable operation in noisy environments where voice recognition might fail.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the acoustic field-based voice control with a mechanical/tactile field-based gesture control on the touchscreen surface. This substitution provides more reliable input detection in noisy vehicle environments, as tactile gestures are not affected by ambient noise levels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If text-based communication services are added to vehicles, then connectivity and communication capabilities are enhanced, but mental overload and driver distraction increase due to interface complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication service capabilityVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the control complexity from the communication services by implementing a separate, simplified gesture-based control layer. The complex communication functions (email, messaging, social media) remain available, but their control is extracted and simplified to basic gestures, separating service capability from control complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A universal gesture system is implemented that can control multiple different communication services through the same set of simple gestures. Whether accessing email, messaging, or social media, the same gesture vocabulary applies, providing multi-functionality without requiring service-specific complex controls.

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

Data Source

PatentEP2634688B1Method and device for the simple control of communication services in a vehicle by employing touch gestures on touch sensitive screens
Publication Date: 2020.06.24 DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
  • EP2634688B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2634688B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2634688B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The method involves controlling a terminal by contact of plotted symbols, and triggering a function by the contact of the symbols. The terminal is switched into a second graphic operating mode without interaction of graphic symbols and contacts. The terminal is controlled only by a small number of contact gestures on a touch-sensitive picture screen, which trigger functions on the mobile terminal independent of the contact of symbols. Function results are output via a speaker. Land-marking is performed according to more prolonged pauses. An independent claim is also included for a mobile terminal.