Method and system for operating a touch-sensitive display device of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10410319-B2
Application number	US-201515523376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A determination is made as to whether a driver or a front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate a display device. If it is detected that only the driver would like to operate the display device, the display device is put in a first operating mode in which a graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in a driver-side display region of the display device. If it is detected that only the front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate the display device, the display device is put in a second operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in a front-seat-passenger-side display region of the display device. If it is detected that the driver and the front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle both would like to operate the display device, the display device is put in a third operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed in the driver-side display region and at least part of the graphic user interface is additionally also displayed in the front-seat-passenger-side display region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a touch-sensitive display device of a motor vehicle, comprising:
detecting which of a driver and a front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device having a single display with a driver-side display region on a first portion of the single display closest to the driver and a passenger-side display region on a remaining portion of the single display closest to the front-seat passenger;
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a first operating mode in which a graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device, when said detecting detects that only the driver would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device;
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a second operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the passenger-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device, when said detecting detects that only the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device;
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a third operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed in the driver-side display region and at least part of the graphic user interface is also displayed in the front-seat-passenger-side display region, when said detecting detects that both the driver and the front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device; and
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a fourth operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in one of the driver-side display region and a central display region, formed of less than all of the touch-sensitive display device, substantially equidistant between the driver- and the front-seat passenger, when said detecting detects that neither the driver nor the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the fourth operating mode the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the central display region of the touch-sensitive display device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the fourth operating mode the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the third operating mode, the graphic user interface displays driver-relevant functions of the motor vehicle exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said detecting detects, via a camera system, whether at least one finger of at least one of the front-seat passenger and the driver is within a predetermined distance of the touch-sensitive display device in determining whether at least one of the driver and the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
determining which individuals are in each case sitting on a driver's seat and on a front-seat-passenger's seat;
applying, for each of the individuals, a user profile;
detecting operator control actions of the individuals on the touch-sensitive display device; and
selecting displayed contents of the graphic user interface specifically for the user profile of each of the individuals, depending on the operator control actions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said determining comprises identifying the individuals by at least one of a camera system, a vehicle key operating the motor vehicle, and respective finger print sensors arranged on door handles of a driver's door and front-seat-passenger's door.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said operating in the third operating mode is based on input of the driver when the front-seat passenger sup-plies contradictory input on the touch-sensitive display device.

9. A system for operating a touch-sensitive display device of a motor vehicle, the touch-sensitive display device having a single display with a driver-side display region on a first portion of the single display closest to a driver-side of the motor vehicle and a passenger-side display region on a remaining portion of the single display closest to a front-seat-passenger-side of the motor vehicle, comprising:
a detection device detecting which of a driver and a front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device; and
a control device
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a first operating mode in which a graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device when only the driver would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device;
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a second operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the front-seat-passenger-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device when only the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device;
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a third operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed in the driver-side display region and at least part of the graphic user interface is also displayed in the front-seat-passenger-side display region, when both the driver and the front-seat passenger of the motor vehicle would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device; and
operating the touch-sensitive display device in a fourth operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in one of the driver-side display region and a central display region, formed of less than all of the touch-sensitive display device, substantially equidistant between the driver- and the front-seat passenger, when neither the driver nor the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said control device operates in the fourth operating mode in which the graphic user interface is displayed exclusively in the central display region, when neither the driver nor the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said control device operates in the fourth operating mode, displaying the graphic user interface exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device, when said neither the driver nor the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when said control device operates in the third operating mode, the graphic user interface displays driver-relevant functions of the motor vehicle exclusively in the driver-side display region of the touch-sensitive display device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said detection device includes a camera system, and detects whether at least one finger of at least one of the front-seat passenger and the driver is within a predetermined distance of the touch-sensitive display device in determining whether at least one of the driver and the front-seat passenger would like to operate the touch-sensitive display device.

14. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the motor vehicle further includes a driver-side door and front-passenger-side door,
wherein the system for operating the touch-sensitive display device further comprises an individual detection

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Wunderlich Matthias
• Wall Christian

Classifications

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• B60W50/10

  Interpretation of driver requests or demands · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title