An input apparatus for a vehicle is provided with a plurality of sensor electrodes; and a controller is configured to determine a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about sensor values collected from a subset of sensor electrodes, which is randomly selected from the plurality of sensor electrodes.

A method for controlling a display surface of an operator control device in a vehicle, wherein data for a menu structure having menus in different levels is stored in a memory and the presence of an actuating object in a detection region is detected and the menus of the menu structure include a subsurface for displaying vehicle-specific information, wherein the subsurface having the vehicle-specific information is displayed or modified in the associated menu on the display surface only if it is detected that the actuating object enters into the detection region or exits from the detection region. Also disclosed is a corresponding operator control device in the vehicle for performing the method.

A method includes receiving sensed signal data from at least one circuit based on a user in proximity to at least one electrode corresponding to the at least one circuit. Anatomical feature mapping data indicating a position of a hand detected in proximity to an interactable element in a first location within a vehicle is generated based on the sensed signal data. Button feedback display data visually depicting the position of the hand in spatial relation to the position of the interactable element is generated based on the anatomical feature mapping data, and the button feedback display data is displayed via a display device. A touch-based interaction with the interactable element is detected after facilitating display of the button feedback display data. Performance of a vehicle function is facilitated by a vehicle based on detecting the touch-based interaction with the interactable element.

A vehicle autonomous drive system including a steering wheel, a sensor operable to identify each gesture component within a set of gesture components performed on the steering wheel by a driver of the vehicle, the set of gesture components including thumb-tap, thumb touch-and-hold, thumb-glide, hand-grab and hand-tap, a processor for an autonomous drive system in the vehicle, receiving from the sensor, a series of time-stamped, contact coordinates for the gesture components identified by the sensor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to construct compound gestures based on the series of time-stamped, contact coordinates, and to activate features of the autonomous drive system in response to the compound gestures.

A user interface apparatus configured to be installed in a vehicle, the apparatus includes a touch screen; a gesture detecting unit configured to detect a gesture of a user and convert the gesture into an electrical signal; and at least one processor configured to determine whether a criteria for switching to an autonomous driving state is satisfied in response to the gesture detected by the gesture detecting unit being applied from a driver seat of the vehicle to the touch screen, further, in response to the criteria for switching to the autonomous driving state being satisfied, the at least one processor is further configured to switch a state of the vehicle to the autonomous driving state.

A touch-sensitive device with haptic feedback is described. In one embodiment, the device comprises a layer sequence which has a translucent cover element with an upper side and a touch-sensitive arrangement which is arranged on a side of the cover element lying opposite the upper side and is designed to detect contact with the upper side of the cover element. In the embodiment, the device comprises at least one first actuator which is designed to transmit a movement impulse to the layer sequence in such a way that a haptically detectable movement of the cover element is brought about, and a second actuator which is designed to generate electrostatic signals which can be detected haptically at the cover element.

A computing system of a vehicle for controlling a vehicle or systems within a vehicle. The computing system comprises a presence-sensitive panel within the vehicle, an infrared camera configured to capture images in a three-dimensional space within the vehicle, at least one processor; and at least one storage device that stores instructions. When the instructions are executed, they case the at least one processor to: receive, from the presence-sensitive panel, a first indication of input, receive, from the infrared camera, a second indication of input, and determine, based on at least one of the first indication of input or the second indication of input, an operation to be performed.

A vehicle arrangement includes a display for providing an indication of a status of a first vehicle function, a first operational interface for controlling the first vehicle function, and a control unit connected to the display and the first operational interface, the control unit being adapted for selectively controlling the display for displaying the status of the first vehicle function. The vehicle arrangement further includes an arrangement for detecting an intention to control the first operational interface, and the control unit selectively controls the display for displaying the status of the first vehicle function at and for a predetermined time period following the detection of an intention to control the first operational interface.

An operation device includes a switch row in which operation switches are disposed, an electrostatic detection sensor disposed on an upper side or a lower side of the switch row and configured to detect two-dimensional coordinate values of an object to be detected coming close to the switch row, and a controller including a determination unit configured to determine which of the operation switches of the switch row is close to the object to be detected, based on a detection result of the electrostatic detection sensor.

A driver can intuitively and conveniently perform an operation for instructing passing to a vehicle. In a driving support device 10, an image output unit 14a outputs, to a display unit 31, an image containing an own vehicle object representing an own vehicle and an another vehicle object representing another vehicle in front of the own vehicle object. An operation signal input unit 14b receives an operation of a user for changing the positional relationship between the own vehicle object and the another vehicle object in the image displayed on the display unit 31. A command output unit 14c outputs, to an automatic driving control unit 20, a command for instructing the own vehicle to pass the another vehicle when the positional relationship between the own vehicle object and the another vehicle object is changed such that the own vehicle object is positioned in front of the another vehicle object.