Method and device for involvement-dependent dynamic blocking of an operating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358523-B2
Application number	US-202118249462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a device for blocking display and/or operating contexts comprising at least one operating apparatus for detecting user interactions, and an evaluation apparatus, configured to determine a current involvement value at least on the basis of the detected user interactions. The evaluation apparatus is configured to compare the current involvement value with at least one interruption threshold value and to establish a blocking state if the current involvement value reaches the interruption threshold value. The evaluation apparatus blocks or at least restricts at least one operating context of the at least one operating apparatus. The current involvement value is increased for each detected haptic user interaction, insofar as the current involvement value has not reached or exceeded the at least one interruption threshold value and the evaluation apparatus is configured to lower, continuously or in increments of time, the current involvement value by a recovery value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for a vehicle for blocking display and/or operating contexts comprising:
at least one operating apparatus for detecting haptic user interactions; and
an evaluation apparatus, configured to determine a current involvement value at least on the basis of the detected user interactions;
wherein
the evaluation apparatus is configured to compare the current involvement value with at least one interruption threshold value, and to establish a blocking state if the current involvement value reaches the at least one interruption threshold value, and the evaluation apparatus blocks or at least restricts at least one operating context of the at least one operating apparatus; wherein
the current involvement value is increased for each detected haptic user interaction, insofar as the current involvement value has not reached or exceeded the at least one interruption threshold value, wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to lower, continuously or in increments of time, the current involvement value by a recovery value;
the at least one operating apparatus is configured to detect the user interaction resolved for position and time, and the evaluation apparatus is configured to increase the current involvement value depending on the spatial distance between positions and a time interval of sequential actuation starts, and wherein
the evaluation apparatus is configured to increase the current involvement value upon each detection of an actuation start by a constant distance actuation value when the spatial distance of the position at which the actuation start of the user interaction is detected from the position at which the actuation start of the temporally preceding detected user interaction is detected reaches or exceeds a proximity threshold value, or when a time span between the detection of the actuation start and the detection of an actuation start directly preceding in time reaches or exceeds a local actuation time span, and to increase the current involvement value by a constant local actuation value upon each detected actuation start, when the spatial distance of the position at which the actuation start of the user interaction is detected from the position at which the actuation start of the temporally preceding detected user interaction is detected falls below a proximity threshold value, and in addition, a time span between the detection of the actuation start and the detection of the temporally preceding actuation start falls below a local actuation time span, wherein the local actuation value is a smaller amount than the distance actuation value.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to increase the current involvement value by an actuation duration involvement value upon detecting an actuation end of a user interaction when an actuation duration of the user interaction has reached or exceeded a brief actuation threshold value.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the actuation duration involvement value is variable and is a minimum of a difference between the actuation duration and the brief actuation time span and an actuation duration involvement maximum value.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to end the blocking state when the current involvement value falls below a release threshold value.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus has at least one state machine, evaluates an interaction sequence of the user interactions, and is configured to recognize an increased involvement state or a normal involvement state based on the evaluation of the user interaction sequence, wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to set the current involvement value to the interruption threshold value when the increased involvement state is recognized.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one state machine is assigned an interaction monitoring time span and an interaction interval time span, and changes to the increased involvement state upon detection of a user interaction sequence that comprises a group of actuation starts detected sequentially over time, in which the time intervals between the actuation starts of the group detected in direct sequence are all shorter than or equal to the interaction interval time span, and at the same time these actuation starts of the group in the user interaction sequence span a time period which is greater than or equal to the interaction monitoring time span.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein, in addition to the at least one state machine, the evaluation apparatus comprises at least one additional state machine which evaluates the user interaction sequence and which is configured to also detect an increased interaction involvement state or a normal involvement state, and the evaluation apparatus sets the current involvement value to the interruption threshold value when the at least one additional state machine changes to the increased involvement state, wherein the at least one additional state machine is assigned an additional interaction monitoring time period and an additional interaction interval time span, and changes to the increased involvement state upon detection of a user interaction sequence that comprises a group of actuation starts detected sequentially over time, in which the time intervals between the actuation starts of the additional group detected in direct sequence are all shorter than (or equal to) the additional interaction interval time span, and at the same time these actuation starts of the additional group in the user interaction sequence span a time period which is greater than or equal to the additional interaction monitoring time span.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to receive stress information and dynamically adapt the interruption threshold value based on the stress information.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to dynamically adapt the release threshold value depending on the stress information.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to be coupled to at least one output apparatus in order to output blocking information about the existing blocking state that is perceptible without removing one's gaze from the road traffic.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the output apparatus comprises a lighting apparatus (with a plurality of lighting devices, wherein the plurality of lighting devices is arranged on the edge of a windshield in the peripheral field of vision of the driver.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises a warning apparatus which outputs a warning about a pending blocking state via the at least one output apparatus, and/or the operating apparatus, and/or a display apparatus if the current involvement value falls below or reaches at least one warning threshold value.

13. A method for blocking display and/or operating contexts in a vehicle comprising:
detecting haptic user interactions using at least one operating apparatus; and
determining a current involvement value using at least the detected user interactions;
wherein
the current involvement value is compared with at least one interruption threshold value, and a blocking state is established if the current involvement value has reached or exceeded the at least one interruption threshold value, and at least one operating context of the at least one operating apparatus is blocked or at least restricted from further operation, wherein
the current involvement value is increased for each detected haptic user interaction, insofar as the current involvement va

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Baumgarten Thorb
• Gross Alice
• Werner Thomas
• Haller Eric
• Kohl Julia

Classifications

• B60W40/08

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B60K2360/197

  Blocking or enabling of input functions · 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

• B60K2360/133

  Multidirectional input devices for instruments · CPC title