A roof console for a vehicle has at least one touch-slide operating element for controlling functional elements of the vehicle. A touch-slide operating element in the sense of this application is a touch-sensitive operating element with a one-dimensional extent. As a result of the one-dimensional extent, the operating elements can beneficially recognize gestures in the form of tapping and swiping which permits excellent blind operation. The swiping movements can also be detected in both directions of the one-dimensional extent.

An operating device includes a touchpad having an operating surface for detecting touch inputs, which operating surface has multiple regions which are delimited from each other at least in part by one or more structural elements, each structural element being designed to have a first haptic effect on a finger when the finger swipes over the structural element; and a haptic actuator which is designed to have a second haptic effect which enhances the first haptic effect on the finger when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element. The operating device has a first operating mode in which the actuator is activated to produce the second haptic effect on the finger when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element, and a second operating mode in which the actuator is deactivated when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element.

A user interface device is configured to select an operating mode for an automated drive in a motor vehicle. The user interface device has a switching device to switch over between different driving automation stages of a motor vehicle, a selection device to determine at least one driving parameter in order to configure the driving automation stage selected by the switching device, and a display device which interacts with the selection device in order to display available selection possibilities for the at least one driving parameter when configuring the selected driving automation stage. It is thus possible to select and configure one of multiple driving automation stages of the motor vehicle even in the event of a plurality of such stages and configuration possibilities for the stages using a simple and space-saving operating design with only two different input types; namely, the switch-over between the driving automation stages and the configuration process using the selection device.

A control panel for a vehicle includes a flexible trim element, a rigid supporting member, a piezoelectric sensor arranged between the trim element and the supporting member, and a flexible element arranged between the piezoelectric sensor and the rigid supporting member.

A user control system for a vehicle, which allows for a user control element to be assigned to control different vehicle functions. In the case of vehicle functions requiring a plurality of control inputs, e.g. a direction-related vehicle function, the control system provides indicator elements which highlight the link between individual control elements which have been assigned to control such multiple-input functions. The indicator elements are preferably provided as light-emitting elements positioned between adjacent control elements which illuminate to indicate the functional connection between controls.

An armrest (1) for a motor vehicle has a vehicle-side support (3). An armrest element (5) is arranged on an upper side of the support (3) and is designed to be adjustable relative to the support (3) The armrest (1) has a further functional element arranged on the upper side of the support (3) at a distance from the armrest element (5) and is designed to be adjustable relative to the support (3).

The invention relates to an operating unit (10) for an electrical apparatus, in particular a vehicle component such as, for example, a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation, which is provided with a housing (12) having a front wall (14), with an operating strip (18) that projects beyond the front wall (14), which has an elongated operating surface (20) with a plurality of adjacently arranged operating fields (22, 24, 26, 28, 30), and with a support element (32) for the operating strip (18), which is arranged in the housing (12). The operating strip (18) is connected to the support element (32) by means of connecting webs (48) which protrude in the respective areas between the operating panels (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) of the operating strip (18). Flexible webs (50), which protrude from the operating strip (18) for each operating field and are connected to the support element (32), are arranged between the connecting webs (48), namely in an elastic manner and more flexible than the connections of the operating strip (18) to the support element (32) via the connecting webs (48). At least one operating field actuation sensor (70, 72) for detecting a local bending of the operating strip (18), when a manual actuating force is exerted on a operating field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) of the operating strip (18), is arranged on the support element (32) for each flexible web (50). In addition, the operating unit (10) comprises an evaluation and operating unit (78) for receiving the signals of the operating panel actuating sensors (70, 72) and for determining, on the basis of said signals, the operating field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) on which, upon manual actuation of the operating strip (18), the finger of one hand is applied, and for triggering an apparatus function that is associated with the respective operating field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) corresponding to the determined operating field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30).

A vehicle control lever which has a moveable control panel provided on the lever. The control panel has a plurality of operating elements to control different vehicle functions, wherein the configuration of the operating elements can be re-assigned to control different vehicle functions based on the position of the control panel on the control lever.

The operating unit for a vehicle comprises a housing (12) having an operating panel (18) on its front side (14). The operating panel (18) is supported in the housing by a support member (24), which is elastically mounted at its rear end and in the front area in or on the housing (12), respectively. A rear mounting member (30) having an elastically twistable strut (38) is used for this purpose at the rear end of the support member (24). Said strut (38) is substantially parallel to an imaginary connecting line (44) between the lateral ends (22) of the operating panel (18).

An apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle may include at least two buttons provided on a steering wheel, a processor electrically connected to the at least two buttons, and storage that stores instructions executed by the processor, wherein the processor may map and set a vehicle function to the at least two buttons, detect a button manipulated among the at least two buttons, and perform a vehicle function mapped to the manipulated button based on the vehicle function mapped to the operated button and a current vehicle state.