Programmable input device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807255-B2
Application number	US-202117523248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Nov 10, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes a first input device and a second input device that provides a plurality of selectable input options. The plurality of selectable input options comprises a plurality of control input options for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions and an association input option for associating the first input device with at least one vehicle function suggested from among the plurality of vehicle functions. The at least one vehicle function is suggested based on historical use of the control input option that controls the at least one vehicle function and an accessibility score of the control input option.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a first input device;
a second input device that provides a plurality of selectable input options, the plurality of selectable input options comprising a plurality of control input options for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions and an association input option for associating the first input device with at least one vehicle function suggested from among the plurality of vehicle functions, wherein the at least one vehicle function is suggested based on historical use of the control input option that controls the at least one vehicle function and an accessibility score of the control input option.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first input device is an auxiliary input device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary input device includes at least one of a mechanical button, a rotary dial, and a mechanical slider.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary input device is mounted to a class A surface of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second input device is a touchscreen human-machine interface, wherein the selectable input options provided by the touchscreen human-machine interface are selectable by a user via a touch event on the touchscreen.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the accessibility score is determined based on the number of touch events executed to select the control input option to control the at least one vehicle function.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the historical use of the control input option comprises the selection frequency of the control input option in a predetermined number of previous system-on cycles of the vehicle.

8. A method of operating a system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
detecting a first input device;
providing, on a second input device, a plurality of selectable control input options for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions; and
providing at least one selectable association input option for associating the first input device with at least one vehicle function suggested from among the plurality of vehicle functions, wherein the at least one vehicle function is suggested based on historical use of the control input option for controlling the at least one vehicle function, and an accessibility score of the control input option.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
mounting the first input device to a class A surface of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one selectable association input option comprises a first selectable association input option for associating the first input device with a first vehicle function and a second selectable association input option for associating the first input device with a second vehicle function.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first input device includes at least one of a mechanical button, a rotary dial, and a mechanical slider.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one selectable association input option for associating the first input device with the at least one vehicle function is provided on the second input device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second input device is a touchscreen human-machine interface of the vehicle, wherein the selectable control input options provided by the touchscreen human-machine interface are selectable by a user via a touch event on the touchscreen.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
determining the accessibility score based on the number of touch events executed to select the control input option to control the at least one vehicle function.

15. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
an auxiliary input device;
a touchscreen human-machine interface for the vehicle that provides a plurality of input options that may be selected by a user via a touch event on the touchscreen, the plurality of input options comprising a plurality of control input options for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions and an association input option for associating the auxiliary input device with at least one vehicle function suggested from among the plurality of vehicle functions, wherein the at least one vehicle function is suggested based on historical use of the control input option that controls the at least one vehicle function and an accessibility score of the control input option.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary input device includes at least one of a mechanical button, a rotary dial, and a mechanical slider.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary input device is mounted to a class A surface of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary device is mounted to the class A surface of the vehicle via a magnet.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the accessibility score is determined based on the number of touch events executed to select the control input option to control the at least one vehicle function.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the historical use of the control input option comprises the selection frequency of the control input option in a predetermined number of previous system-on cycles of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Powers Jacob Gregory
• Rothermel Thomas Karl
• Horan David Michael
• Collins Patrick Gordon

Classifications

• B60K35/10 Primary

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

• B60K35/60 Primary

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

• B60W50/045 Primary

  Monitoring control system parameters · CPC title

• B60W50/10

  Interpretation of driver requests or demands · CPC title

• B60W2050/0019

  Control system elements or transfer functions · CPC title