Controlling a device dependent on the seat inclination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137813-B2
Application number	US-201515537239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a seat having a backrest with an adjustable backrest inclination, an interior device, and a controllable device. A touch-sensitive screen for controlling the controllable device is arranged in or on the interior device. The inclination, curvature and/or position of the touch-sensitive screen is adjustable relative to the interior device. A control device in the motor vehicle can control the inclination, curvature and/or the position of the touch-sensitive screen depending on the backrest inclination of the backrest. Therefore, a device in a motor vehicle can be controlled in a more comfortable manner by controlling the inclination, curvature, and/or the position of the device depending on the backrest inclination of the backrest of the seat in the motor vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a seat having a backrest with an adjustable backrest inclination and/or a position of the seat being adjustable in a forward driving direction of the motor vehicle as provided during operation;
an interior device;
a controllable device;
a touch-sensitive screen, disposed in or on the interior device, configured to control the controllable device, the controllable device being a further screen physically separated from the touch-sensitive screen, at least one of an inclination, curvature, and a position of the touch-sensitive screen being adjustable relative to the interior device in the forward driving direction; and
a control device configured to control the at least one of the inclination, curvature and the position of the touch-sensitive screen based on at least one of the backrest inclination of the backrest and the position of the seat in the forward driving direction.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a further seat having an adjustable backrest,
wherein the interior device is a center console disposed between the seat and the further seat.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a detector configured to determine whether an operating action of the touch-sensitive screen is carried out from the seat or the further seat, and
wherein the control device is further configured to control at least one of the inclination and the curvature of the touch-sensitive screen based on a backrest inclination of the backrest corresponding to one of the seat and the further seat that is determined by the detector as a seat from which the operating action is carried out.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interior device is a door trim or a roof module.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive screen is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the OLED screen is bendable.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the further screen is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the further screen is part of a rear-seat entertainment system.

9. A method for operating a motor vehicle including a seat having a backrest with an adjustable backrest inclination and/or a position of the seat being adjustable in a forward driving direction of the motor vehicle as provided during operation, an interior device, and a controllable device, the method comprising:
controlling the controllable device using a touch-sensitive screen disposed in or on the interior device, the controllable device being a further screen physically separated from the touch-sensitive screen, at least one of an inclination, curvature, and a position of the touch-sensitive screen being adjustable relative to the interior device in the forward driving direction; and
controlling, by a control device, at least one of the inclination, the curvature, and the position of the touch-sensitive screen based on at least one of the backrest inclination of the backrest and the position of the seat in the forward driving direction.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling includes automatically moving the position of the touch-sensitive screen rearward in response to decreasing the backrest inclination of the backrest.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling includes automatically increasing the inclination of the touch-sensitive screen in response to decreasing the backrest inclination of the backrest.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling includes automatically decreasing the curvature of the touch-sensitive screen in response to decreasing the backrest inclination of the backrest.

13. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining whether an operating action of the touch-sensitive screen is carried out from the seat or a further seat, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling at least one of the inclination and the curvature of the touch-sensitive screen based on a backrest inclination of the backrest corresponding to one of the seat and the further seat that is determined as a seat from which the operating action is carried out.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a first seat having a first backrest with an adjustable backrest inclination, a position of the first seat being adjustable in a forward and a rearward direction;
a second seat having a second backrest with an adjustable backrest inclination, a position of the second seat being adjustable in the forward and the rearward direction;
a first screen, disposed remotely from the first seat, configured to display content;
a touch-sensitive screen, physically separated from the first screen, configured to control an operation of the first screen;
an interior device at which the touch-sensitive screen is disposed; and
a control device configured to automatically control at least one of an inclination, a curvature and a position of the touch-sensitive screen based on at least one of the backrest inclination of the first backrest and the position of the first seat or based on at least one of the backrest inclination of the second backrest and the position of the second seat.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
the interior device includes a center console disposed between the first seat and the second seat,
the touch-sensitive screen is disposed at the center console, and
the control device is configured to control at least one of the inclination, the curvature and the position of the touch-sensitive screen based on whether the touch-sensitive screen is operated from the first seat or the second seat.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising a detector configured to determine whether the touch-sensitive screen is operated from the first seat or the second seat.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
the interior device includes a roof module disposed above the first seat and the second seat,
the touch-sensitive screen is disposed at the roof module, and
the control device is configured to control at least one of the inclination, the curvature and the position of the touch-sensitive screen based on whether the touch-sensitive screen is operated from the first seat or the second seat.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein movement of the touch-sensitive screen and that of the first backrest are synchronized using the control device, such that when the backrest inclination of the first backrest is changed, the control device automatically changes at least one of the inclination, the curvature and the position of the touch-sensitive screen.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Hélot Jacques

Classifications

• B60N2/12

  slidable and tiltable · CPC title

• B60N2/02 Primary

  the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable (adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806) · CPC title

• B60R2011/0092

  with motorization · CPC title

• B60N2/22

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R2011/0043

  for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts · CPC title