Vehicle user interface system indicating operations of an operation part of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975427-B2
Application number	US-201414258586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle user interface system including an operation device, a display device, and a control device, is provided. The operation device is positioned at a position where a driver operates, and inputting multiple operations. The display device displays a display image with using a windshield. The control device controls the display device to display multiple icons, which are selectable by operating the operation device. In a case where a selected icon, which has been selected among the multiple icons displayed by the display device, is distinguishably displayed, the control device controls the display device to display an operation display image and the selected icon. The operation display image indicates one of the multiple operations to which a processing is assigned among the multiple operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle user interface system comprising:
a control knob that is disposed at a position where a driver operates and that receives a plurality of operations including a tilt operation, a rotation operation, and a push operation from the driver and that provides the driver with a predetermined sense-of-touch notification recognized through a sense of touch;
a head-up display that displays a display image on a windshield; and
a controller that controls the head-up display to display a plurality of icons, which are selectable by the control knob and that changes a display mode of the icons between a first display mode and a second display mode, the icons displayed in the second display mode are displayed smaller than the first display mode, wherein
when the controller causes the head-up display to display a selected icon, which has been selected from among the plurality of icons, to be distinguishably displayed, the controller causes the head-up display to display an operation display image associated with the selected icon, the operation display image indicating any one of the operations of the control knob to which a processing is assigned,
the controller causes the control knob to provide a first sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the first display mode and also when the operation device is operated,
the controller causes the control knob to provide a second sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the second display mode and also when the control knob is operated, the second sense-of-touch notification continuing for a time longer than the first sense-of-touch notification,
when a predetermined field-of-view secured condition, in which a wide field of view of the driver is required, is satisfied, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons into the second display mode, and
when (i) the display mode of the plurality of icons is in the second display mode, (ii) the predetermined field-of-view secured condition is not satisfied, and (iii) the one of the plurality of operations is performed by the control knob, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons from the second display mode to the first display mode.

2. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device controls the head-up display to display a display screen, the display screen including
a first display area displaying the plurality of icons, and
a second display area displaying the display image directly unrelated to the plurality of operations inputted by the control knob,

the control knob is positioned at one side of a vehicle width direction with respect to a center of a steering wheel, and
the first display area is positioned to the one side of the vehicle width direction along a horizontal direction in the display screen.

3. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control knob is positioned to the one side of the right-and-left sides with respect to the center of the steering wheel, and
the one side of the vehicle width direction corresponds to an outer side in the vehicle width direction.

4. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1 , wherein
when (i) the display mode of the plurality of icons is in the first display mode, and (ii) the one of the plurality of operations with using the operation device is not performed for more or equal to a predetermined period of time, the controller changes the display mode of the plurality of icons from the first display mode to the second display mode.

5. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the operation display image is displayed and accompanied by the selected icon, or is displayed in a proximity of the selected icon, so that the processing assigned to the operation display image is intuitively recognized by the driver.

6. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control knob is configured to move in a plurality of directions that each correspond to one of the operations of the control knob, which are each indicated by the operation display image.

7. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 6 , wherein:
the control knob includes a button that corresponds to one of the operations of the control knob, which is indicated by the operation display image.

8. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to cause the head-up display to display a corresponding operation display image for each of the plurality of directions assigned to the selected image in response to the selected image being selected to be distinguishably displayed.

9. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 6 , wherein:
the controller is configured to cause the head-up display to display a corresponding operation display image for each of the plurality of directions assigned to the selected image in response to the selected image being selected to be distinguishably displayed.

10. A vehicle user interface system comprising:
a control knob that is disposed at a position where a driver operates and that receives a plurality of operations including a tilt operation, a rotation operation, and a push operation from the driver and that provides the driver with a predetermined sense-of-touch notification recognized through a sense of touch;
a head-up display that displays a display image on a windshield; and
a controller that controls the head-up display to display a plurality of icons, which are selectable by the control knob and that changes a display mode of the icons between a first display mode and a second display mode, the icons displayed in the second display mode are displayed smaller than the first display mode, wherein
when the controller causes the head-up display to display a selected icon, which has been selected from among the plurality of icons, to be distinguishably displayed, the controller causes the head-up display to display an operation display image associated with the selected icon, the operation display image indicating any one of the operations of the control knob to which a processing is assigned,
the controller causes the control knob to provide a first sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the first display mode and also when the operation device is operated,
the controller causes the control knob to provide a second sense-of-touch notification when the icons are displayed in the second display mode and also when the control knob is operated, the second sense-of-touch notification continuing for a time longer than the first sense-of-touch notification,

the first display mode is an operation display mode,
the second display mode is a reduction display mode,
the controller controls the head-up display to display a display screen that includes a support information display area, a traveling information display area, and a graphical user interface area,
the graphical user interface area of the display screen includes the plurality of icons that are selectable by the control knob,
the controller is configured to determine whether a field-of-view secured condition is satisfied or is not satisfied,
the controller controls the head-up display to display the graphical user interface area to display the operation display mode and the controller controls the head-up display to change from the operation display mode to the reduction display mode without changing the traveling related information display area in response to determining that the field-of-view secured condition is not satisfied,
the controller is configured to control the control knob to provide the s

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Hisatsugu Shinsuke

Classifications

• B60K35/23 Primary

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• B60K37/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K35/00 Primary

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · 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

• B60K35/28

  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