A motor vehicle operating unit for a motor vehicle, having a haptic feedback device and an operating surface rotatable about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel to a plane spanned by the operating surface in the initial position of the motor vehicle operating unit, the haptic feedback device being arranged so as to control the operating surface such that the operating surface rotates about the axis of rotation. A method of confirming a switching command by means of a motor vehicle operating unit is furthermore described.

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 integrated switch device for a vehicle includes: an input device configured to receive a user's fingerprint; a touch device configured to generate a mirror angle adjustment signal; a touch display configured to display a door control interface, a mirror selection interface, a mirror control interface, and a seat setting interface; and a controller configured to determine an operation mode based on whether the vehicle in a driving mode, a power condition, and whether a door is open and to set an interface displayed on the touch display among the door control interface, the mirror selection interface, the mirror control interface, and the seat setting interface depending on the operation mode.

A user interface capable of controlling various functions in a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle control method using a smart key includes an integrated operation unit detecting attachment of the smart key through a smart key detector disposed in a predetermined attachment area inside a vehicle, the integrated operation unit transmitting information on a controlled function corresponding to a vehicle state to the smart key, outputting a first user interface corresponding to the information on the controlled function on a first display of the smart key, transmitting information on a result of operation from the smart key to the integrated operation unit when an operation unit provided in the smart key is operated, and the integrated operation unit controlling the controlled function based on the information on the result. The smart key is fixed in the attachment area using magnetic force.

A contextual based control interface system for a driver of a vehicle allowing a user to provide user input to more than one function, or sub-system, of the vehicle using a single input device. A display shows the selectable options for a present vehicle sub-system based on a present usage context. If a vehicle sub-system or a specific function is selected, the selectable control options for that vehicle sub-system is shown on the display. The displayed selectable options are visually distributed in the same way as the at least two user input zones. The user does not have to direct his/her line of sight directly onto the input device in order to understand how to move the finger to select one of the selectable options. The user input zones may be separated by 3-dimensional structures that provide guidance for the user's finger when moving it across the input device.

A capacitive sensor that responds by measuring a change in capacitance induced by application of force includes a first capacitive plate having an electrically conductive touch cell, a second capacitive plate spaced from the first capacitive plate and having an electrically conductive area generally parallel with and overlapped with the touch cell, an incompressible spacer between the capacitive plates and having an aperture defining an air gap adjacent the touch cell, and a flexible dielectric touch plate overlying a flexible one of the first and second capacitive plates. The flexibility of the touch plate and adjacent capacitive plate allows finger pressure on the touch plate at the touch cell to change the dimension of the air gap and capacitance between the touch cell and a conductive region of the second capacitive plate.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

A vehicle gesture control system to improve safety and comfort during driving of a vehicle, the vehicle including an adaptive cruise control or autonomous drive arrangement configured to control velocity of the vehicle and distance between the vehicle and another vehicle, the system including a plurality of sensors configured to detect gestures performed by a driver on the surface of a steering wheel grip in the vehicle, the steering wheel grip including a circular tube surrounding a steering wheel, and a processor receiving outputs from the sensors and connected to a memory unit storing instructions for the processor to activate a plurality of features of the adaptive cruise control or autonomous drive arrangement, in response to a respective plurality of different gestures detected by the sensors, one of the gestures including movement of the driver's thumb around a lateral section of the steering wheel grip that faces the driver.

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.

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.