User interface and method for the hybrid use of a display unit of a transportation means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838604-B2
Application number	US-201515538839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Jan 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are a user interface, a computer program product, a signal sequence, a transportation vehicle and a method for the multiple use of a display unit of a user interface included in a transportation vehicle. Said method may comprise the steps: displaying, on a first display unit, display elements representing a range of information; detecting the approach of a user, and in response thereto, displaying control elements representing a range of functions in place of the display elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the hybrid use of first and second display units of a transportation vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
displaying display elements representing an information scope on the first display unit, and
while the transportation vehicle is in an operating state:
in response to detecting an approach of a user toward the first display unit, automatically displaying operator control elements representing a function scope on the first display unit instead of the display elements and automatically displaying the display elements on the second display unit while the operator control elements are displayed on the first display unit, and
automatically removing the display elements from the second display unit and automatically displaying the display elements on the first display unit instead of the operator control elements in response to placing the second display unit in a state of reduced energy consumption,

wherein the first display unit is separate and spaced apart from the second display unit,
wherein the first display unit is touch-sensitive, and
wherein, in contrast to the display elements, the operator control elements are configured to receive user interactions through the first display unit and affect a range of functions represented by the operator control elements.

2. A user interface system for the hybrid use of first and second display units of a transportation vehicle, the user interface system comprising:
the first and second display units, the first display unit being separate and spaced apart from the second display unit,
a detection unit which is configured to detect the approach of a user toward the first display unit, and
an evaluation unit in communication with the detection unit and the first and second display units,
wherein while the transportation vehicle is in an operating state:
the evaluation unit is configured to signal the first display unit to display a plurality of operator control elements representing a functional scope instead of a plurality of display elements representing an information scope in response to receiving a signal from the detection unit indicating the approach of a user toward the first display unit and to signal the second display unit to display the display elements while the operator control elements are displayed on the first display unit,
the second display unit is configured to be set in a state of reduced energy consumption, and the evaluation unit is configured to remove the display elements from the second display unit and display the display elements on the first display unit instead of the operator control elements in response to placing the second display unit in the state of reduced energy consumption,

wherein the first display unit is touch-sensitive, and
wherein, in contrast to the display elements, the operator control elements are configured to receive user interactions through the first display unit and affect a range of functions represented by the operator control elements.

3. The user interface system of claim 2 , wherein the information scope of the display elements is different than the functional scope of the operator control elements.

4. The user interface system of claim 2 , wherein the display elements are displayed in the manner of individual instruments having an analogue appearance.

5. The user interface system of claim 2 , wherein the display elements are assigned to at least one of:
a compass function,
a temperature display,
an acceleration display,
a charge pressure, and
a cooling water temperature display.

6. The user interface system of claim 2 , wherein the operator control elements are assigned to at least one of:
an air-conditioning operator control function,
a seat setting,
a setting of an exhaust gas system,
an exhaust training program,
a transmission program, and
a lighting function.

7. The user interface system of claim 2 , wherein the operator control elements comprise at least one of:
on/off control buttons,
incrementation and decrementation control buttons, and
a slide controller.

8. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a programmable evaluation unit of a user interface including first and second display units of a transportation vehicle, a detection unit which is configured to detect the approach of a user toward the first display unit, and the evaluation unit which is in communication with the first and second display units and the detector unit, cause the evaluation unit to carry out a method comprising the steps of:
displaying display elements representing an information scope on the first display unit, and
while the transportation vehicle is in an operating state:
in response to detecting an approach of a user toward the first display unit, automatically displaying operator control elements representing a function scope on the first display unit instead of the display elements and automatically displaying the display elements on the second display unit while the operator control elements are displayed on the first display unit, and
automatically removing the display elements from the second display unit and automatically displaying the display elements on the first display unit instead of the operator control elements in response to placing the second display unit in a state of reduced energy consumption,

wherein the first display unit is separate and spaced apart from the second display unit,
wherein the first display unit is touch-sensitive, and
wherein, in contrast to the display elements, the operator control elements are configured to receive user interactions through the first display unit and affect a range of functions represented by the operator control elements.

9. A transportation vehicle comprising a user interface, the user interface including:
first and second display units, the first display unit being separate and spaced apart from the second display unit,
a detection unit which is configured to detect the approach of a user toward the first display unit, and
an evaluation unit in communication with the detection unit and the first and second display units,
wherein while the transportation vehicle is in an operating state:
the evaluation unit is configured to signal the first display unit to display a plurality of operator control elements representing a functional scope instead of a plurality of display elements representing an information scope in response to receiving a signal from the detection unit indicating the approach of a user toward the first display unit and to signal the second display unit to display the display elements while the operator control elements are displayed on the first display unit, and
the second display unit is configured to be set in a state of reduced energy consumption, and the evaluation unit is configured to remove the display elements from the second display unit and display the display elements on the first display unit instead of the operator control elements in response to placing the second display unit in the state of reduced energy consumption,

wherein the first display unit is touch-sensitive, and
wherein, in contrast to the display elements, the operator control elements are configured to receive user interactions through the first display unit and affect a range of functions represented by the operator control elements.

10. The transportation vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the information scope of the display elements is different than the functional scope of the operator control elements.

11. The transportation vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the display elements are displayed in the manner of individual

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Wild Holger
• Kötter Nils

Classifications

• B60K35/265

  Voice · CPC title

• B60K35/29

  Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title