Disclosed herein is a control apparatus included in a vehicle in automated vehicle and highway systems, the control apparatus including: a steering wheel having at least one touch screen on which a screen for manipulating at least one of the functions of the vehicle is output In addition, a control unit determines an intention of the user related to a selection of any one of the functions of the vehicle and controls a screen for manipulating a function according to the determined intention of the user to be output.

A vehicle interior component configured to present a user interface for a vehicle occupant with vehicle systems may comprise a housing, cover structure and user interface system to present the user interface at a cover surface. The user interface may comprise a light display to transmit light from a light source and/or an input device comprising a mechanical coupling to interface with a sensor arrangement. The user interface may comprise output from the light display and/or input by interaction with the input device at the cover surface. The component may comprise a module comprising the light display and the input device. The module may comprise an absorber. The light display may comprise a light guide and/or display panel. The light guide may comprise a projection and/or icon to transmit light through an aperture and/or recess of the cover structure.

A method and an operator control device operate an infotainment system. The operator control device has a control unit, an audio device, an actuating element, and a touch-sensitive display device, which is mounted so as to be movable and is designed to display at least one graphical control element. The touch-sensitive display device moves during an actuating action and thus activates the actuating element. The control unit determines an actuation position of the actuating action on the touch-sensitive display device when the actuating element is activated and compares said actuation position with a display position of the at least one graphical control element. The audio device is actuated to output an audible signal when the actuation position matches the display position.

A control element (100), for example for a vehicle (1000), is specified which has at least one tubular section (2) with a cavity (4) at least partially surrounded by a wall (3), and a piezoelectric component (1) which is arranged in the cavity and which is provided and embodied to generate a haptic signal at at least one partial region of the control element and/or to detect the action of pressure on at least one part of the piezoelectric component.

Furthermore, a vehicle (1000) with the control element (100) is specified.

The invention relates to an input assembly, comprising a carrier, an input part, which is mounted on the carrier in a manner capable of vibrating along at least one direction of movement) by means of mounting means, with an input surface intended to be touched by an operator and with a touch-detection device for detecting a touch upon the input surface by the operator, an electromagnetic actuator for exciting a movement of the input part along the direction of movement by means of an electric control signal in order to generate a haptic feedback for the operator in the case of a touch by the operator, wherein the actuator has a resiliently mounted additional mass and the actuator is attached to the input part via a vibration isolator.

Electrostatic friction textures on a touchscreen panel are used to create the sensation of block icons in a contextual menu adapted to an automotive environment. In particular, a center stack touchscreen friction display in a passenger vehicle provides one set of touch controls and HMI data to the driver while simultaneously providing either the same control options and HMI or a completely different set of information and menu structure to the passenger in invisible texture form. The invisible texture is in the form of block icons, and coincidence between a finger of a passenger and a block icon results in an audio announcement of the block icon to guide a visually impaired passenger through the contextual menu.

An operating device may have a moving operating element, a housing a magnetorheological elastomer, and a coil. An end of the operating element may be supported in the housing. The magnetorheological elastomer may result in a first operating characteristic for operating the operating element in a resting state and a second operating characteristic for the operation in an activated state. The coil may generate a magnetic field that transfers the magnetorheological elastomer between the resting state and the activated state.

An input device has: a panel having a front surface; a manipulation area provided on the front surface so as to be continuous in hierarchical form; a capacitance detection electrode provided in the manipulation area; a plurality of icon display portions provided in the manipulation area, each icon display portion representing one of a plurality of functions; and a tactile response generation portion provided in the manipulation area so as to be along the plurality of icon display portions.

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.

An operator control device for a vehicle may have a rotatable base body, an electronic unit, and a rotary unit. The rotatable base body may have a first operator control section for setting at least one first vehicle function which is assigned to the first operator control section, and a second operator control section for setting at least one second vehicle function which is assigned to the second operator control section. The electronic unit may be designed to make available a first contact signal which represents manual contact with or approaching of the first operator control section, and a second contact signal which represents manual contact with or approaching of the second operator control section. The rotary unit may permit a rotational movement of the base body.