A user control system for controlling a vehicle is provided. The system includes a control device having a control surface; and an operating element configured to receive control commands by a user and to wirelessly exchange control data with the control device to operate the vehicle according to the control commands. The operating element is releasably attached to the control surface via a contact surface. The operating element also has a user operable actuator configured to vary a holding force of the operating element on the control surface according to a user input such that the operating element is fixed in position at the control surface in a first configuration of the actuator, slidably attached to the control surface in a second configuration of the actuator and detachable from the control surface in a third configuration of the actuator.

In a method for adjusting a vehicle component a function of an operating element is selected by a first operating process and the vehicle component is adjusted by a second operating process carried out manually on the operating element. The first operating process is caused by a speech input, a gesture, and/or a gaze.

A system for detecting command gestures made by a finger of a driver of a motor vehicle, the system including an interface pad, a light source that emits in the infrared toward the pad, an imaging sensor, for capturing images steered by the pad away from the driver, with a base frame and a movable plate, an optical zone of interest seen by the imaging sensor being defined at the interface between the base frame and the plate, the pad including an elastic deformable seal interposed between the base frame and the movable plate, the seal being absorbent at the optical wavelengths of interest, the pad including a reflective strip behind the seal from the point of view of the camera, so that the seal forms a zone that appears dim to the camera, the size of the dim zone depending on the pressure exerted on the plate.

A multifunctional switch manipulator is provided. The manipulator includes a first switch unit, which is curved to be convex at the upper surface thereof, a second switch unit, which is disposed at a first side of the first switch unit and which extends radially in a first direction, and a third switch unit, which is disposed at a second side of the first switch unit and which extends radially in a second direction opposite the first direction. Each of the second and third switch units includes a housing that has an opening and a rotary knob disposed at the housing to be rotatable in a direction in which the opening extends, and at least one surface of the rotary knob is exposed to an outside through the opening.

A vehicle control device includes an operation unit operated by a driver; and a controller that causes a vehicle to turn according to a movement of the operation unit and causes a height of the vehicle to be changed. The controller causes the height of the vehicle to be changed according to an upward or downward movement of the operation unit.

An operating device for a steering wheel comprises an operating element, which can be selectively rotated about a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis for controlling a control system by means of an actuation, wherein the operating element can be rotated to an actuation stage from a starting position, wherein the first rotation axis is coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the operating element, and the second rotation axis is substantially transverse to the first rotation axis, wherein a force application point has a mechanical advantage with respect to the second rotation axis when actuated about the second rotation axis, and wherein the force application point has no substantial mechanical advantage in relation to the second rotation axis when the operating element is actuated about the first rotation axis, in order to prevent a simultaneous actuation of the operating element about the first and second rotation axes.

The present invention relates to a control device for operating a touch-sensitive surface in a vehicle. The control device has a navigating element. The navigating element is or can be moveably coupled to the surface such that it is possible to navigate on the surface and/or operate at least one button on the surface in response to a movement of the navigating element.

A system for detecting command gestures made by a finger of a motor vehicle driver, including at least one interface pad, a light source that emits an infrared optical beam toward the interface pad, an imaging sensor, in order to capture images steered by the interface pad away from the driver, the interface pad including a base frame and a movable plate that is movable between a rest position and at least one activation position, the base frame including a first inclined edge and the movable plate including a second inclined edge, the first and second inclined edges forming a zone of contrasts of interest as seen by the imaging sensor, and being separated by a space or brought closer together depending on the position of the movable plate, and generating a contrast effect in the images of the interface pad that are captured by the imaging sensor.

An operating system includes a display device having at least two planar display regions, which are arranged one behind the other in a viewing direction of an operator and extend transversely to the viewing direction. The operating system can be used to control a plurality of apparatuses of a vehicle.

A control device that includes a body, a movable element that is movable according to a first degree of freedom relative to the body, an actuator for moving the movable element relative to the body, and a secondary control device. The secondary control device has a switch movable between an open position in which a function is deactivated and a closed position in which the function is activated. The actuator is movable according to a second degree of freedom between a spaced apart position and a control position in which the actuator moves the switch between its open position and its closed position.