A switch device includes an operation button to be push-operated, and a sealing portion for sealing a gap between the operation button and an opening through which the operation button is inserted. The sealing portion may include a ring-shaped first seal that is in contact with the operation button and exhibits sealing properties, and a second seal that is harder than the first seal and is located on the outer side of the first seal. The first seal and the second seal may be integrated so as to form a frame of the sealing portion.

An input device includes an actuator, an input member, a contact member, and a guide part. The actuator is configured to oscillate. The input member is configured to vibrate as the actuator oscillates. The input member includes an input surface that receives pressing operation. A part of the input surface is disposed to intersect with a vibrating direction in which the input member vibrates as the actuator oscillates. The contact member contacts the input member. The guide part is included in at least one of the input member and the contact member and configured to guide the input member in a direction parallel to the input surface during vibration of the input member.

A user interface for a vehicle, including a steering wheel for the vehicle, including a grip, a sensor operable to detect objects at a plurality of locations along the grip, and an illuminator operable to illuminate different portions of the grip, a processor in communication with the sensor, with the illuminator and with a controller of vehicle functions, and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which cause the processor to identify, via the sensor, a location of a first object along the grip, to illuminate, via the illuminator, a portion of the grip, adjacent to the identified location, to further identify, via the sensor, a second object being at the illuminated portion of the grip, and to activate, via the controller, a vehicle function in response to the second object being at the illuminated portion of the grip.

An impact feedback operation device includes a base member, an operation member having an operation part equipped with a touch sensor, an actuator having a shape memory alloy wire, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, and a processing unit. The processing unit determines an energization condition required for the shape memory alloy wire, depending on a detected temperature and a detected voltage. The operation part is fixed to the base member through an elastically deformable elastic portion.

A multi-dimensional track pad is described that acts as human-machine interface (HMI). Inputs to the HMI can be made not only using the tradition two-dimensional (X-Y) inputs of a track pad, but also a third dimension, force, and even a fourth dimension, time. Tactile or audible feedback to the inputs can be provided. Methods of using the HMI to control a system are described as well as a track pad system that utilizes the HMI in communication with a processor.

A vehicular heads-up-display system includes a windshield-mountable partially reflective mirror that allows a vehicle user to view material displayed on the partially reflective mirror while, at the same time, viewing the road ahead without obstruction. A mount configured to accept a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, may be situated to project the display of the portable electronic device to the windshield mountable partially reflective mirror when mounted in a vehicle. A tactile input device, including a wireless interface for entry of and transmission of input from a vehicle user to a smartphone may be configured for mounting on a vehicle steering wheel.

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 contact determination processing apparatus includes a contact sensor disposed in a steering wheel of and inside a vehicle. The contact sensor has an output that depends on a contact or non-contact state between the steering wheel and an occupant in the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a contact determination ECU that detects the contact state when the output of the contact sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and detects the non-contact state when the output is less than the predetermined threshold. In addition, the apparatus includes a temperature detection module that detects the ambient temperature of the steering wheel. The contact determination ECU includes a threshold changing section that changes the threshold based on a detection result of the temperature detection module.

An operating input device for a vehicle and to a steering input device is disclosed. The operating input device has an upper part having an operating input surface with an input area associated with an operating function, and a lower part serving as a support structure for the upper part. The upper part is relatively movable to the lower part by an operating input force applied on the operating input surface in an operating input direction extending substantially perpendicular to the operating input surface. For generating a haptic feedback, the upper part and the lower part are coupled movably relative to each other such that by a feedback actuation mechanism, which is couplable to the operating input device, the upper part is movable relatively to the lower part at least in a first haptic feedback generating direction extending at least substantially parallel to the operating input surface.

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.