Methods and systems for a heads-up configurable vehicle dash display are provided. Specifically, a configurable dash may comprise one or more displays that are capable of receiving input from a user. At least one of these displays may be configured to present a plurality of custom applications that, when manipulated by at least one user, are adapted to control and/or monitor functions associated with a vehicle and/or associated peripheral devices. It is anticipated that the function and appearance of the plurality of custom applications may be altered via user and/or processor input.

The present disclosure describes a vehicle implementing one or more processing modules. These modules are configured to connect and interface with the various buses in the vehicle, where the various buses are connected with the various components of the vehicle to facilitate information transfer among the vehicle components. Each processing module is further modularized with the ability to add and replace other functional modules now or in the future. These functional modules can themselves act as distinct vehicle components. Each processing modules may hand-off processing to other modules depending on its health, processing load, or by third-party control. Thus, the plurality of processing modules helps to implement a middleware point of control to the vehicle with redundancy in processing and safety and security awareness in their applications.

A method for operating a human-machine interface (30) for a vehicle having a control unit (34) and at least one operating surface (32) which is constructed as a touch-sensitive surface comprises the following steps: (a) detecting a touch at at least one arbitrary touch point (46) of the at least one operating surface (32); b) detecting the quantity of touch points (46) on the at least one operating surface (32); c) detecting a gesture which is completed by the at least one touch point (46); and d) execution of a function by the control unit (34) depending on the detected gesture and the detected quantity of touch points (46). Further, a human-machine-interface (30) is shown.

A method for operating a human machine interface for a vehicle comprising a control unit and at least one selection area designed as a touch-sensitive surface and at least one operating area designed as a touch-sensitive surface, wherein said at least one selection area and said at least one operating area are separated from each other, has the following steps: a) a touch on at least one arbitrary contact point of said at least one operating area is recognized, a) the number of fingers touching said at least one selection area is determined, and b) a button, by means of which an input is possible, is assigned to said at least one arbitrary contact point on said at least one operating area,
wherein a function is assigned to the button, said function being selected depending on the number of fingers that touch said at least one selection area.

A terminal apparatus may include a display configured to display a driving route of a vehicle; a touch panel provided on the display and configured to detect a touch input; and a controller configured to, when a first tap input to the touch panel is detected and then at least one second tap input within a predetermined time is detected while the first tap is maintained, recognize a tap-tap interaction on the basis of input directions of the first tap and the at least one second tap, enlarge a driving route screen of the vehicle, which is displayed on the display, in a predetermined direction on the basis of the recognized tap-tap interaction, and display a driving route of the vehicle which is not visible before the enlargement of the screen.

A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle including first and second display units disposed at different positions therein, can include a communication unit configured to communicate with the first and second display units; and a controller configured to in response to an occurrence of a preset condition, make a selection of at least one of the first display unit and the second display unit, and display a first execution screen of an application on the first display unit or a second execution screen of the application on the second display unit according to the selection, or change the first execution screen displayed on the first display unit or the second execution screen displayed on the second display unit according to the selection.

An operation device according to the present invention includes a touch-sensitive operation surface installed in a vehicle and an operation guide formed corresponding to equipment mounted in the vehicle on the touch-sensitive operation surface. The operation device is configured to, when accepting a two-point touch operation for the touch-sensitive operation surface, accept another touch operation that is entered subsequently as an operation command for the equipment.

An operation device according to the present invention includes a touch-sensitive operation surface installed in a vehicle and an operation guide formed corresponding to equipment mounted in the vehicle on the touch-sensitive operation surface. The operation device is configured to accept a two-point touch operation of sliding entered to the touch-sensitive surface as an operation command for the equipment, and also accept another touch operation of reciprocatively sliding while inverting a slide direction entered to the touch-sensitive operation surface as a stop operation command for movement of the equipment.

A method, apparatus (11), vehicle (1), and computer program for detecting user inputs for controlling a vehicle (1). The method comprising: detecting a combination user input where the combination user input comprises a first gesture input detected by a first means for detecting user inputs and a second gesture input detected by a second means for detecting user inputs wherein the first means for detecting user inputs and the second means for detecting user inputs are provided on a steering wheel (3) of the vehicle (1); and enabling a function associated with the combination user input to be performed.

The teachings herein generally relate to systems, methods and apparatuses useful in vehicle command and control. For example, a vehicle control system according to the teachings herein may include one or more touch panels connected to a steering wheel and being in communicative connection to a vehicle control processor. Preferably, the touch panel(s) are configured face down, and adapted to track touches (e.g., simultaneous touches) by multiple individually identified fingers. As another example, an apparatus for vehicle command and control, according to the teachings herein, may include one or more face down touch panels positioned to be touched by a driver's fingers while the driver's thumb holds or otherwise contacts a steering wheel. Preferably, the touch panels are in communication with a view screen enabled to display an indication of touch actions by multiple fingers touching the panels. The touch panels preferably include touch sensors adapted to identify touches of multiple fingers of a user. Preferably, the touch sensors are associated with software for identifying and tracking touches (e.g., movements) of every finger individually out of multiple fingers and determining whether each touch is a sliding movement or a non-sliding contact.