A smart controller for vehicles disposed around a steering column of a vehicle to control various functions of the vehicle is provided. The smart controller includes a support unit protruding from the steering column in a first direction, a connection unit extending from the support unit in a second direction, and a manipulation unit mounted to the connection unit and disposed in a third direction. The manipulation unit includes a plurality of manipulators each configured to receive user input necessary to execute a specific function of a vehicle while mounted to the connection unit or being separated from the connection unit. The support unit protrudes in the X-axis direction, the connection unit extends in the Z-axis direction, and the manipulation unit is disposed in the Y-axis direction.

An air conditioning device for a vehicle and a method of controlling the same are provided. The air conditioning device includes a touch input unit which is configured to be touched, rotated by 360 degrees, and dragged by a user. A touch sensor unit includes three channel regions formed by trisecting a rotational region of 360 degrees and is configured to detect capacitance in accordance with touch areas of a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel at predetermined positions in the three channel regions. Three channel signal output units output signals from the respective channels in accordance with the recognized capacitance.

A vehicle comprising a Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) control assembly for navigating a menu associated with an HVAC system of the vehicle, the menu controlling operation of the HVAC system. A multiple input tactile control device, interface, and system is provided. In addition to providing input by rotating the tactile control device, a user can provide input via touching a touchpad, actuating the touchpad, and/or actuating the tactile control dial in the linear axial direction.

A fingerprint recognition vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display unit including a hemispherical display, optical fibers provided in the display and connected to the display through one end of the optical fibers, and a light source connected to the other ends of the optical fibers; a fingerprint recognition unit including a fingerprint recognition sensor and a fingerprint pattern light source provided in the display unit; a gearshift including a physical wheel for operating gear stages and indicators indicating gear states; and a controller operating on the basis of information received from the display unit, the fingerprint recognition unit and the gearshift.

An in-vehicle control apparatus which executes various functions of a vehicle and a method for controlling the same are provided. The in-vehicle operating apparatus includes an operating unit assembly and a drive unit that is configured to rotate the operating unit assembly about one axis. The operating unit assembly includes a body, a first operating unit disposed at a first side of the body and configured to receive a first command to execute at least a first function, and a second operating unit disposed at a second side of the body opposite to the first side of the body and configured to receive a second command to execute at least a second function.

The present invention is a single camera or multiple cameras on telescoping pole that can be mounted on top surface of vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, buses, trains, airplanes, toys etc. For easier explanation of the invention, focus is given on the application of the camera system on automobiles (cars). Four cameras mounted in different directions on the pole give wider field of view for safe operation of the vehicle. The camera system also includes a radar. The telescoping pole helps to raise the cameras unit with radar(LDAR) above the top surface of the vehicle. The first camera points to the front direction of the car, the second camera points to the rear direction of the car, the third camera points to a blind spot on the left side of the car and the fourth camera points to a blind spot on the right side the car. The inventions can be easily modified to a single or dual camera on top of pole for a cheaper alternative camera system, first camera can be mounted on the pole to show front view and the second camera may be mounted on the pole to show the rear view. The system can also keep cameras that point to the blind spots and ignore cameras facing the front and rear views.

A multifunctional switch manipulator is provided. The manipulator includes a first switch unit, which is curved to be convex at the upper surface thereof, a second switch unit, which is disposed at a first side of the first switch unit and which extends radially in a first direction, and a third switch unit, which is disposed at a second side of the first switch unit and which extends radially in a second direction opposite the first direction. Each of the second and third switch units includes a housing that has an opening and a rotary knob disposed at the housing to be rotatable in a direction in which the opening extends, and at least one surface of the rotary knob is exposed to an outside through the opening.

An apparatus for providing a user interface for platooning in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a touch screen display, a communication circuit that communicates with the outside, and a control circuit electrically connected with the touch screen display and the communication circuit. The control circuit displays a first object corresponding to the vehicle and a second object corresponding to an outside vehicle included in a platooning group on the touch screen display and receives a touch input associated with the first object and the second object using the touch screen display. The vehicle is thus operated to adjust a distance between the vehicle and the outside vehicle in response to the touch input.

A vehicle includes a display configured to provide a user interface (UI); a touch input device including a concave region for detecting a touch, the concave region being divided into a plurality of subregions in accordance with the UI; a pressure detector configured to detect pressure; and a controller configured to control the display such that the UI is manipulated in accordance with a subregion in which the touch has been detected among the plurality of subregions when the pressure is detected by the pressure detector.

There is provided a vehicle comprising a body having an exterior, an external display screen visible on the exterior of the body, a proximity sensor, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code and a vehicle information database including vehicle information, and a hardware processor executing the executable code to detect, using the proximity sensor, an individual within a proximity of the vehicle, activate the external display screen in response to detecting the individual within the proximity of the vehicle, display, on the external display screen, the vehicle information from the vehicle information database stored in the memory, in response to detecting the individual within the proximity of the vehicle.