A touchpad detects a duration of a touch by an object at a current position and/or a distance traversed by the object. An operator control mode is predefined as a function of the duration and/or the distance. A pressure threshold value is predefined as a function of the operator control mode. The pressure applied to the touchpad is detected and if higher than the predefined pressure threshold value, a function of the motor vehicle which is assigned to the current position is triggered.

A data-input device comprises a designator able to point to a position on a screen of a computer system to which the device is intended to be connected and a body intended to be fixed to a workstation, the body comprising a support zone intended to support the hand of an operator as he manipulates the designator. The device further comprises a knob arranged in such a way that it can be manipulated by the fingers of the operator, his hand remaining supported on the support zone. The knob is configured to allow at least two distinct data selections of which one is a choice of values in a series and one is a binary acquisition in relation to the chosen value.

A first and second request are respectively received from first and vehicle components regarding a consideration for displaying respective first and second functionality symbol. A context cluster is determined using current context data of the vehicle. A current first rank for the first request component and a current second rank for the second request in the current context cluster are determined and compared. The individual home screen is displayed with the first functionality symbol having a higher priority than the second functionality symbol if the first rank is greater than the second rank, or vice versa. The first rank and second ranks are determined depending on a type and frequency of interaction performed by the user relating to the first and second vehicle components of the context cluster, respectively.

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.

Disclosed are a vehicle infotainment apparatus using a widget and a method of operating the same. According to various embodiments, some UIs of functions on execution in a background can be displayed as a background widget within an area that is always accessible in a screen of the infotainment device, thereby enabling to provide its user with simpler manipulation functions and necessary information.

The present disclosure provides a vehicular input device including: a capacitance sensor mounted to a vehicle providing a plurality of first conductors lined up in a vehicular front-back direction; and a control unit for estimating the separation distance between the capacitance sensor and a driver's finger based on the amount of an electrical charge in a part of the plurality of first conductors arranged at the back side of a vehicle and also estimating the front-back position of the driver's finger on the capacitance sensor based on the difference of an electrical charge respectively stored in each of the plurality of first conductors.

A vehicular human-machine interface, a dashboard and a method of providing information to a driver of a vehicle. The interface includes a multi-information display that provides a driver icons that are representative of a vehicle systems such that the driver can view, and if necessary, control through the interface. Input is simplified through a reduced set of directional buttons on a steering wheel-mounted four-way switch. By eliminating a separate BACK button from the steering wheel, driver input operations to achieve navigational control between various vehicle system menus that correspond to the icons, as well as sub-menus within a particular vehicle system, is simplified. The simplified navigation that is either between various icons on the display or various menu-based levels that can be sequentially shown also permits, in addition to viewing various vehicle system operational parameters, the ability to change such parameters through adjustment through the human-machine interface.

An in-vehicle device includes a gesture detection unit for recognizing a user's hand at a predetermined range; an information control unit controlling information output to a display; and an in-vehicle device control unit receiving input from a control unit equipped in a vehicle to control the in-vehicle device. When the gesture detection unit detects a user's hand at a predetermined position, the output information control unit triggers the display to display candidates of an operation executed by the in-vehicle device control unit by associating the candidates with the user's hand motions. When the gesture detection unit detects the user's hand, and the user's hand has thereafter moved from the position, the information control unit changes a selection method or a control guide of the operation to be executed by the in-vehicle device control unit, which is displayed on the display, to subject matter which matches the control unit.

An information terminal controlling operations of applications according to a user's operation received via a touch panel includes a display control unit configured to display a first functional icon assigned with a first operation that is activated when the user touches the first functional icon for a predetermined period of time or less, wherein the display control unit displays a second functional icon at a position adjacent to the first functional icon when the user touches the first functional icon for more than the predetermined period of time, and wherein the second functional icon assigned with another operation, which is different from the first operation, that is activated when the user touches the second functional icon.

A vehicle display apparatus includes a display control unit. The display control unit causes a video image to be displayed such that each time two (an LWC switch and an MVC switch) or more of a plurality of switch units (a switch group) successively allow switching to an ON state to generate successive interruption processes, switching between display modes is successively performed in response to the successive interruption processes. When any of the two or more switch units allows switching from the ON state to an OFF state, the display control unit causes a video image displayed just before start of the successive interruption processes to be displayed.