Method for operating a display device for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11112873-B2
Application number	US-201816623830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A method of operating a display device for a motor vehicle having a plurality of display areas includes providing a plurality of non-contact input operations where a first non-contact input operation of a user is detected and verified by a second non-contact input operation of the user in order to select at least one display element on a first display area, and at least one third non-contact input operation of the user is detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a display device for a motor vehicle comprising a plurality of display areas, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of non-contact input operations, wherein
first, a first non-contact input operation of a user is detected,
subsequently, a second non-contact input operation of the user is detected in order to verify the first non-contact input operation,
in response to the first non-contact operation then the second non-contact operations being detected, at least one display element on a first display area is selected, and
subsequently, at least one third non-contact input operation of the user is detected, and, in response to the third non-contact input operation being detected after the first and second non-contact operations are detected, the at least one selected display element is displaced within the first display area or to a second different display area,

wherein, the first non-contact input operation is at least one characteristic variable for a head of the user and the second non-contact input operation is at least one characteristic variable for a torso of the user, or the first non-contact input operation is at least one characteristic variable for the torso of the user and the second non-contact input operation is at least one characteristic variable for the head of the user, and
wherein, the third non-contact input operation is at least one characteristic variable for a hand, finger, fingers, or mouth of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third non-contact input operations can be at least one of selected or amended by the user.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the characteristic variable for the head of the user comprises at least one of a line of vision, an eye position, an iris position, a pupil position, a nose position, a posture of the head, a head position, a head orientation, or a facial expression of the user,
the characteristic variable of the torso of the user comprises at least one of a bodily posture, a body position, a body orientation, a shoulder position, or a shoulder orientation of the user,
the characteristic variable for a hand or a finger of the user comprises at least one of a gesture such as a skimming past, approaching, moving away, splaying of fingers, bending of fingers, touching of fingers, making a fist, a finger or hand position, or a finger or hand orientation, or
the characteristic variable for the mouth of the user comprises at least one of a movement of the lips, a noise, or a voice command.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in order to detect one or more of the first, second or third non-contact input operations, at least one depth image camera or a time-of-flight camera is used.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of monitors, projection screens, head-up displays, flexible OLED displays, liquid crystal displays, light-transmitting fabrics, or light-transmitting films are used for the plurality of display areas.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of display areas are arranged in at least one of an instrument panel, a windshield, a headliner, a central console, or in a further interior trim part of the motor vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one display element is at least one of an icon, a menu item, a total content of the first display area, or a selected subarea of the first display area.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein brain activity of the user is detected as a further non-contact input operation.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of
the at least one display element on the first display area is selected in response to the first and second non-contact input operations being detected within a first interval of time, or
the at least one selected display element is displaced from the first display area within the first display area or to a second display area in response to one or more of the first or second non-contact input operations and the third non-contact input operation being detected within a second interval of time.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the displacement is cancelled by a fourth non-contact input operation of the user, which differs from the first, second and third non-contact input operations of the user, or by actuating an input apparatus comprising a touch panel.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the displacement of the at least one display element, at least one of the at least one display element is enlarged, additional information regarding the at least one display element is displayed, or a change is made to a submenu regarding the at least one display element.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the displacement of the at least one display element, at least one of the at least one display element is reduced, less information regarding the at least one display element is displayed, or the at least one display element disappears from a line of vision of the user or enters the background.

13. A motor vehicle comprising
a display device with a plurality of display areas;
at least one sensor for detecting a non-contact input operation; and
a control apparatus which is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Smr Patents S A R I
• Smr Patents Sarl

Inventors

• Wieczorek Romeo
• Göttlicher Stefanie
• Rötzer Ilka

Classifications

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · 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

• B60K2360/149

  Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title