Vehicular Touchscreen Dynamic Screen Switching for Reachability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large vehicle display screens become difficult to operate when increased in size due to limited reachability, especially when users seated on either side of the cockpit, as existing solutions compromise intuitive operation and accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A vehicular display device with a touchscreen centered in the vehicle width direction, featuring a reception section and a display control section that switches the display positions of screens and content based on user input, allowing for intuitive operation by moving screens to reachable positions and displaying content in arc-shaped regions for easy access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the size of the display screen is increased in the left-right direction to display more information, then the information display capability is improved, but the operability deteriorates because the hand cannot reach the display screen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay screen sizeVSAvoidoperability
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic screen arrangement where the display control section switches between a first screen layout and a second screen layout based on user input. This allows the display to adapt its configuration dynamically, moving frequently operated elements to reachable positions while maintaining large display capacity for information presentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The display screen is divided into multiple functional areas including a first screen and a second screen with different layouts. Each screen can be independently configured and switched, allowing the system to segment the display into information-heavy areas and operation-friendly areas, resolving the contradiction between displaying more information and maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If a separate touch panel is provided in front of the display screen to enable operation without hand contact, then the reachability is improved, but the intuitive property of operation is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereachabilityVSAvoidintuitive property
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of placing the touch interface far from the display (as in separate touch panel solutions), the patent integrates the touch reception section directly on the display screen surface. This inversion of the conventional approach allows users to operate intuitively by touching the actual display elements while maintaining reachability through dynamic layout switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If a motion reception sensor is provided to detect hand motion in front of the display screen, then the reachability is improved, but the accuracy of operation is limited due to difficulty in identifying multiple objects

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereachabilityVSAvoidoperation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a touch panel as an intermediary layer between the user and the display content. This allows precise detection of user intent through direct contact with the display surface, eliminating the ambiguity of motion detection while maintaining reachability through the dynamic screen switching mechanism that brings operated elements within reach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4015278A1Vehicular display device
Publication Date: 2022.06.22 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4015278A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4015278A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4015278A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The vehicular display device includes: a touchscreen disposed substantially at a center position in a vehicle width direction in front of a cockpit of a vehicle; a reception section at least partially provided to the touchscreen and configured to receive operation input from a user; and a display control section configured to display, on a display screen of the touchscreen, a first screen corresponding to a first function and a second screen corresponding to a second function such that the first screen and the second screen are arrayed in a left-right direction, the display control section being configured to perform, in accordance with a predetermined first instruction operation received by the reception section, switching control in which a display position of the first screen and a display position of at least a part of display content on the second screen are switched in the display screen.