METHOD FOR OPERATING AN OPERATOR CONTROL DEVICE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A detection device detects a position at which a touch-sensitive operator control unit is touched by an object by detecting a pressure (p.sub.m) which is applied to the touch-sensitive operator control unit by the object at the position. In addition, a speed (v.sub.m) and/or an acceleration (a.sub.m) of the motor vehicle is detected and a pressure threshold value (p.sub.s) is predefined as a function of speed (v.sub.m) and/or accelerations (a.sub.m) of the motor vehicle. The method determines whether the detected pressure (p.sub.m) is higher than the predefined pressure threshold value (p.sub.s) and triggers a function (F), assigned to the detected position, of the motor vehicle exclusively if the detected pressure (p.sub.m) is higher than the predefined pressure threshold value (p.sub.s).

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating an operator control apparatus of a motor vehicle, comprising: detecting a position at which a touch-sensitive operator control panel is touched by an object, detecting, by a pressure detector, a pressure with which the touch-sensitive operator control unit is acted on by the object at the position; detecting at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle; predefining a pressure threshold value as a function of the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle; determining whether the pressure detected is higher than the pressure threshold value; triggering a function, assigned to the position, of the motor vehicle only when the pressure detected is higher than the pressure threshold value.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said predefining includes predefining a characteristic curve based on which at least one of speed values and acceleration values are assigned pressure values, respectively, and wherein said method further comprises selecting one of the pressure values based on the characteristic curve and the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle obtained by said detecting, as the pressure threshold value.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the characteristic curve increases the pressure values as the at least one of speed values and acceleration values increase.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said predefining includes predefining a first pressure value as the pressure threshold value when the motor vehicle is at a standstill, and a second pressure value as the pressure threshold value when the motor vehicle is travelling.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said predefining further includes predefining at least one third pressure value as the pressure threshold value when the motor vehicle is travelling and the at least one of speed and acceleration detected exceeds at least one of a predefined speed value and a predefined acceleration value.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: determining when an actual underlying surface on which the motor vehicle is moving has bumps, based on the at least one of speed and acceleration detected; and increasing the pressure threshold value in relation to the pressure threshold value predefined based on a substantially smooth underlying surface when the motor vehicle is detected to be moving on the actual underlying surface having bumps.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said determining when the actual underlying surface has bumps includes detecting a vertical acceleration of the motor vehicle over a predefined time interval, and determining whether the vertical acceleration has, within the time interval, a substantially periodic profile.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said detecting the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle includes measuring the acceleration of the motor vehicle based on a pressure value exerted on the pressure detector by an inherent weight of the touch-sensitive operator control panel during the acceleration of the motor vehicle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said detecting the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle includes measuring the at least one of acceleration and speed by a sensor device of the motor vehicle.

20. An operator control apparatus for a motor vehicle, comprising: a touch-sensitive operator control panel configured to detect a position at which the touch-sensitive operator control panel is touched by an object; a pressure detector configured to detect a pressure with which the touch-sensitive operator control unit is acted on by the object at the position; a controller configured to predefine at least one pressure threshold value as a function of at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle, to determine whether the pressure detected is higher than the at least on pressure threshold value; and to trigger a function, assigned to the position, of the motor vehicle when the pressure detected is higher than the at least one pressure threshold value.

21. The operator control apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said controller is further configured to predefine a characteristic curve based on which at least one of speed values and acceleration values are assigned pressure values, respectively, and to select one of the pressure values based on the characteristic curve and the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle, as the pressure threshold value.

22. The operator control apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said pressure detector further detects the acceleration of the motor vehicle based on a pressure value exerted on the pressure detector by an inherent weight of the touch-sensitive operator control panel during the acceleration of the motor vehicle.

23. The operator control apparatus as claimed in claim 20, further comprising at least one sensor detecting the at least one of speed and acceleration of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings of which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of an operator control apparatus;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a graph of characteristic curves; and

[0032] FIG. 3 is a graph of a measured vertical acceleration of the motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0034] The exemplary embodiment discussed below is an embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment, it is however the case that the described components of the embodiment each constitute individual features of the method which are to be considered independently of one another, and which each also mutually independently refine the method and are thus also to be regarded as constituent parts of the method individually or in any combination other than that presented. Furthermore, the described embodiment may also be supplemented by further features of the method that have already been described.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows an operator control apparatus 10 for the selection and/or triggering and/or control of functions F of a motor vehicle (not illustrated here). Such functions F may for example be a navigation system of the motor vehicle, a multimedia device, an infotainment system, a so-called car menu, which can be displayed on a display unit (not shown here) of the motor vehicle, or a hands-free device of the motor vehicle.

[0036] The operator control apparatus 10 may for example be provided in a central console, such that it can be easily operated in particular by a driver of the motor vehicle. Here, the operator control apparatus 10 has a touch-sensitive operator control unit 12, a detection device 14 and a control device 16. The detection device 14 may for example be in the form of a pressure sensor such as is known per se. The control device 16 may also be a control unit of the motor vehicle which is designed to communicate with the operator control apparatus 10, in particular with the detection device 14 of the operator control apparatus 10.

[0037] The touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 is designed to detect a position at which the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 is touched by an object 18, for example a finger. The detection device 14 is designed to detect a pressure p.sub.m that the object 18 exerts on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 at the position. The pressure p.sub.m detected by the detection device 14 can be made available to the control device 16.

[0038] The control device 16 is designed to determine a pressure threshold value p.sub.s as a function of a speed v.sub.m and/or an acceleration a.sub.m of the motor vehicle. The speed v.sub.m and/or the acceleration a.sub.m may for example be made available by a sensor device 20 of the motor vehicle. The control device 16 compares the pressure p.sub.m detected by the detection device 14 with the presently predefined pressure threshold value p.sub.s. The control device 16 is designed to select and/or trigger and/or control the function F if the detected pressure p.sub.m exceeds the pressure threshold value p.sub.s. The function F is thus selected and/or triggered and/or controlled only if, during the operator control of the operator control apparatus 10 or of the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12, the object 18 exerts on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 a pressure p.sub.m which exceeds the pressure threshold value p.sub.s, that is to say a triggering threshold.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, two characteristic curves 22 and 23 on the basis of which every speed value v and/or every acceleration value a is assigned a pressure value p. On the basis of the characteristic curves 22 and 23, the pressure threshold value p.sub.s can be selected or predefined as a function of the detected speed v.sub.m and/or the detected acceleration a.sub.m.

[0040] The characteristic curve 22 shows a stepped profile of the pressure p, which is plotted versus the speed v and/or the acceleration a. Here, a first pressure value p.sub.1 corresponds to a speed value v.sub.0=0 and/or acceleration value a.sub.0=0, a second pressure value p.sub.2 corresponds to a first speed v.sub.1≠v.sub.0 and/or a first acceleration a.sub.1≠a.sub.0, and a third pressure value p.sub.3 corresponds to a second speed v.sub.2>v.sub.1 and/or a second acceleration a.sub.2>a.sub.1. Here, the characteristic curve 22 shows that the constant second pressure value p.sub.2 is predefined in an interval [v.sub.1; v.sub.2[and/or [a.sub.1; a.sub.2[, and the constant third pressure value p.sub.3 is predefined from the second speed value v.sub.2 and/or the second acceleration value a.sub.2. By contrast, the characteristic curve 23 has a linear profile, in which the pressure value p is increased proportionally to the speed value v and/or the acceleration value a.

[0041] If, for example, the driver of the motor vehicle wishes to operate a menu button displayed on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12, the pressure threshold value p.sub.s required for successful actuation of the menu button is adapted to a speed v.sub.m and/or acceleration a.sub.m of the motor vehicle. For example, if the driver of the motor vehicle wishes to operate the menu button when the motor vehicle is at a standstill, he or she is normally able to concentrate on his or her operator control input. In particular, he or she can direct his or her view to the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12.

[0042] The sensor device 20 can detect that the motor vehicle has no speed v.sub.m=v.sub.0=0 km/h, and is therefore at a standstill. The measured speed value v.sub.m=v.sub.0=0 km/h can be made available to the control device 16. The control device 16 can, on the basis of one of the characteristic curves 22 or 23, in this case on the basis of the characteristic curve 22, determine the first pressure value p.sub.1, which corresponds to the speed v.sub.m=v.sub.0=0 km/h detected by the sensor device 20. The first pressure value p.sub.1 may for example amount to 3 N. To successfully operate the menu button, the driver must thus exert on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 a pressure which is higher than the first pressure value p.sub.1=3 N.

[0043] As soon as the motor vehicle is travelling, that is to say a speed v.sub.m=v.sub.1≠v.sub.0 is measured by the sensor device 20, the driver can no longer divert his or her attention to the operator control of the operator control apparatus 10, but must generally concentrate on controlling the motor vehicle. For this reason, the control device 16 predefines the second pressure value p.sub.2 as the pressure threshold value p.sub.s on the basis of one of the characteristic curves 22 or 23. In particular, the second pressure value p.sub.2 is higher than the first pressure value p.sub.1, and may for example amount to 5 N. Now, for successful operator control of the operator control apparatus 10, that is to say for successful actuation of the menu button, the driver must exert on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 a pressure which is greater than p.sub.2=5 N. He or she must therefore press on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 more firmly or more intensely than he or she would have to when the motor vehicle is at a standstill. The increased pressure threshold value p.sub.s is intended to ensure that a driver who is operating the operator control apparatus 10 “blind” does not inadvertently trigger functions of the motor vehicle in an undesired manner.

[0044] As soon as it is measured by the sensor device 20 that the motor vehicle has or exceeds a speed v.sub.m=v.sub.2, the control device 16 predefines a corresponding third pressure value p.sub.3 as the pressure threshold value p.sub.s. The third pressure value p.sub.3 may for example amount to 7 N. The speed v.sub.2 may for example be present when the driver is travelling with the motor vehicle on a freeway, and must thus concentrate particularly intensively on his or her driving task.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a graph of a profile of a measured vertical acceleration a.sub.v,m of the motor vehicle versus the time t. The figure shows that, in a time interval [t.sub.0, t.sub.1[, no measured vertical acceleration a.sub.v,m arises, that is to say a.sub.v,m=0. However, in a time interval [t.sub.1, t.sub.2[, a measured vertical acceleration a.sub.v,m arises which exhibits a substantially periodic profile. The periodic profile indicates that the motor vehicle is moving on an underlying surface which has unevennesses, for example bumps. Owing to the unevennesses, vibrations can arise in the motor vehicle, which vibrations can pose difficulties for the driver with regard to an operator control input, for example when actuating the menu button. In particular, the vibrations can give rise to instances of erroneous operator control if the triggering threshold has been selected to be too low and the driver, for example using his or her finger, slips on the touch-sensitive operator control unit 12 and inadvertently accesses an undesired function of the motor vehicle. It is therefore possible, if it has been determined that the underlying surface has bumps, for the pressure threshold value p.sub.s to be increased in relation to a pressure threshold value p.sub.s that is predefined in the presence of an underlying surface without bumps. For example, if the motor vehicle is travelling at a speed v.sub.m which lies in the speed interval [v.sub.1; v.sub.2[ of the characteristic curve 22 and thus the second pressure value p.sub.2 is predefined as the pressure threshold value p.sub.s, the pressure threshold value p.sub.s may also be increased independently of the speed v.sub.m, for example if it is detected on the basis of the vertical acceleration a.sub.v,m that the motor vehicle is moving on an underlying surface with bumps.

[0046] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).