I/O device for a vehicle and method for interacting with an I/O device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604542-B2
Application number	US-201113090865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2011
Priority date	Apr 20, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

An I/O device for a vehicle includes at least one touch-sensitive I/O display unit DT, at least one output display unit DI and a control unit CU connecting the I/O display unit DT and the output display unit DI with an information exchange unit IEU. The touch-sensitive I/O display unit DT is located in a readily reachable position for a driver and the output display unit DI is located in a readily discernible position for a driver, and the control unit CU communicates output data DD-I/O related to an interactive I/O communication to the I/O display unit DT, receives touchscreen input data TI from the I/O display unit DT and communicates output data DD-O to the output display unit DI in relation with the input data TI. An I/O method using the above mentioned I/O device for a vehicle is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An Input/Output (I/O) device for a vehicle comprising
at least one touch-sensitive I/O display unit comprising a first display unit,
at least one output display unit comprising a second display unit, and
a control unit connecting the I/O display unit and the output display unit with an information exchange unit,
wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display unit is located in a readily reachable position for a user and the output display unit is located in a readily discernible position for the user, and the control unit is configured to communicate output data related to an interactive I/O communication to the I/O display unit, receive input data from the I/O display unit and communicate output data to the output display unit in relation with the input data,
wherein both the first and second display units can selectively display information that is not displayed on the other one of the first and second display units or information that is the same as information displayed on the other one of the first and second display units, and the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured so that information displayed on the output display can only be accessed or manipulated by a first kind of contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, and information displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display unit can only be accessed or manipulated by using a second kind of contact gesture different from the first kind of contact gesture on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, and wherein the first type of contact gesture for accessing or manipulating data displayed on the output display is a multi-point-of-contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, and the second type of contact gesture for accessing or manipulating data displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display unit is a single-point-of contact gesture on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display unit comprises a further touch-sensitive area covering a subpart and/or extending beyond the display area of the display unit.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display unit is arranged in the center console and/or in the steering wheel of the vehicle.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the output display unit is arranged in at least one of the dashboard, instrument board, a rear-view mirror, a steering wheel of the vehicle.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the output display unit comprises at least one touch-sensitive subarea for inputting data.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the output display unit is a head-up display.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured to permit a user to duplicate information on one of the first and second display units on the other of the first and second display units.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured to permit a user to spread representation of information over the first and second display units.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured to permit a user to display information on the output display unit and on the touch-sensitive I/O display and to manipulate the information on the output display unit by an input through the touch-sensitive I/O display unit.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured to permit a user to display information on the output display unit and on the touch-sensitive I/O display and to trigger a process relating to the information on the output display unit by an input through the touch-sensitive I/O display unit.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured to permit a user to select a control element displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display by an input through the touch-sensitive I/O display unit so that information relating to the control element is displayed on the output display unit.

12. A method for interacting with an Input/Output (I/O) device for a vehicle comprising at least one touch-sensitive I/O display unit comprising a first display unit, at least one output display unit comprising a second display unit, and a control unit connecting the I/O display unit and the output display unit with an information exchange unit, wherein the touch-sensitive I/O display unit is located in a readily reachable position for a user and the output display unit is located in a readily discernible position for the user, and the control unit is configured to communicate output data related to an interactive I/O communication to the I/O display unit, receive input data from the I/O display unit and communicate output data to the output display unit in relation with the input data, wherein both the first and second display units can selectively display information that is not displayed on the other one of the first and second display units or information that is the same as information displayed on the other one of the first and second display units, and the touch-sensitive I/O display, the output display unit, the control unit, and the information exchange unit are configured so that information displayed on the output display can only be accessed or manipulated by a first kind of contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, and information displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display unit can only be accessed or manipulated by using a second kind of contact gesture different from the first kind of contact gesture on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, the method comprising:
displaying, with the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, information in a form of at least one of textual and graphical control elements,
selecting at least one of the control elements by the second kind of contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit,
displaying information via the output display unit in response to the selected control element,
accessing or manipulating information displayed on the output display only by the first kind of contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, the first type of contact gesture being different from the second type of contact gesture, and
accessing or manipulating data displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display unit by using the second kind of contact gesture on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit,
wherein the first type of contact gesture for accessing or manipulating data displayed on the output display is a multi-point-of-contact gesture from the user on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit, and the second type of contact gesture for accessing or manipulating data displayed on the touch-sensitive I/O display unit is a single-point-of contact gesture on the touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive I/O display unit

Assignees

• Michaelis Oliver
• Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Michaelis Oliver

Classifications

• B60K37/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K2350/1068

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G06F3/0488

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

• B60K2350/1028

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K35/10 Primary

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