OPERATING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating device for a vehicle, comprising a display with a touch-sensor system for inputting a command and additionally a retaining device which retains the display. The retaining device has a base face and a free area which is defined by support elements protruding from the base face. The operating device is additionally provided with at least one actuation sensor for detecting a bend of the display upon being manually actuated and an analysis unit which is connected to the touch sensor system and the at least one actuation sensor for analyzing the signals of the touch sensor system and the at least one actuation sensor.

Claims

1. An operating device for a vehicle, comprising a display with a touch sensor system for a manual actuation of the display with a predeterminable minimum pressing force, for inputting a command, a retaining device which retains the display, the retaining device comprising a bottom side with edge portions and support elements protruding from at least opposite edge portions of the bottom side and define a free space between them, and the display is retained only by the support element of the retaining device and bridges the free space while maintaining a distance from the bottom side of the retaining device, at least one actuation sensor for sensing a bending of the display upon manual actuation thereof, the at least one actuation sensor sensing a change in a distance of the display from a reference plane or a change in a distance of a part of the display from a reference plane, the change in dis-tance being due to a bending of the display upon manual actuation thereof with the predeterminable minimum pressing force, and an evaluation unit connected to the touch sensor system and the at least one actuation sensor, for the evaluation of the signals of the touch sensor system and the at least one actuation sensor for the purpose of deciding, whether, upon a manual actuation of the display, the force acting on the display is at least the minimum pressing force.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a display unit and a cover plate with which the display unit is fixedly connected and which protrudes laterally be-yond the display unit at least in the regions of the support elements, and wherein the cover plate rests on the support elements in these protrusion regions.

3. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the actuation sensor senses the bending of the cover plate and/or the display unit.

4. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a rear side facing the bottom side of the retaining device, and wherein the actuation sensor senses the distance of the rear side of the display from the bottom side of the retaining device.

5. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of actuation sensors is provided which sense a movement of the display at a plurality of points on the display, which results from the bending upon manual actuation.

6. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the display has a rear side with a delimiting wall having a plurality of edge portions extending angularly with respect to each other, wherein a plurality of actuation sensors is provided, and wherein the plurality of actuation sensors senses the movement of the display in those regions of the rear side in which two adjacent edge portions adjoin each other.

7. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized by a backlight unit comprising a light emitting side, which unit is arranged in the retaining device and faces the rear side of the display by its light emitting side.

8. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein the backlight unit is mechanically connected with the rear side of the display and is arranged in the retaining device while maintaining a distance from the bottom side thereof.

9. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein the actuation sensor senses a change in the distance of the backlight unit from the bottom side of the retaining device.

10. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein a space (46) exists between the light emitting unit and the rear side of the display, which space is sealed to the outside by an elastic sealing strip (48) to prevent backlight leakage.

11. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein the backlight unit is arranged on the bottom side of the retaining device, and that the actuation sensor senses a change in the distance of the display from the bottom side of the retaining device or a change in the distance of the rear side of the display from the light emitting side of the backlight unit.

12. The operating device of according to claim 11, wherein the actuation sensor is formed as a part of the sealing strip and senses a change in the distance between the rear side of the display and the light emitting side of the backlight unit, based on the compression of the strip upon a manual actuation of the display.

13. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the actuation sensor is a path or force sensor and/or operates optically, capacitively, inductively and/or resistively and/or is configured as a micro-electromechanical or micro-optoelectromechanical element.

14. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized by an electric or electromechanics or electromagnetic feedback unit for a tactile feedback of a valid manual actuation of the display.

Description

[0044] Two embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail hereunder with reference to the drawing. Specifically, the Figures show:

[0045] FIG. 1 an illustration of a display of an operating device according to a first embodiment in a rest position, the display being elastically supported in the manner provided by the invention,

[0046] FIG. 2 the display of FIG. 1 in a state of bending upon actuation of the display, the degree of bending being illustrated in a vastly exaggerated manner for the purpose of clarifying the functional principle of the invention,

[0047] FIG. 3 an illustration of a display of an operating device according to a second embodiment in a rest position, the display being elastically supported in the manner provided by the invention, and

[0048] FIG. 4 the display of FIG. 3 in a state of bending upon actuation of the display, the degree of bending being illustrated in a vastly exaggerated manner for the purpose of clarifying the functional principle of the invention.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of an operating device 10 for a vehicle (e.g. for use as a central input device arranged in the center console or in the dashboard. The operating device 10 comprises a display 12 with a display unit 14 implemented e.g. in LCD technology and a backlight unit 16. The display unit 12 further comprises a cover plate 18 which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, protrudes beyond the display unit 14 at at least two opposite edges or ends. in these protrusion regions 20, the cover plate 18 rests on support elements 22 of a retaining device 24 which in the present embodiment is provided with a bottom wall as a bottom side 25 from which the support elements 22 protrude upward from at least two opposite edge portions 26.

[0050] Due to the above described structure, the display thus spans the free space 28 of the retaining device 24 defined by the supporting elements 22.

[0051] The retaining device 24 does not necessarily require a continuous bottom wall; the bottom side 25 may also be formed as an opening and thus as an open bottom side of the retaining device 24.

[0052] In any a path or force sensor system in the form of preferably a plurality of actuation sensors 32 is located below the display 12 e.g. on a circuit board or a similar carrier plate 30, which sensors operate in particular optically, capacitively, inductively and/or resistively.

[0053] The cover plate 18 is fastened e.g. to flanges 34 of the support elements 22 (e.g. by bonding). The display unit is fixedly connected with the bottom side of the cover plate 18, suitably by means of a transparent adhesive (so-called optical bonding. The display 12 further includes a touch sensor system 36 (e.g. a touch panel).

[0054] If, as indicated in FIG. 2, pressure is exerted on the cover plate 18, as is the case upon manual actuation of the display 12, the protrusion regions 20 of the cover plate 18 are subjected to a bending in their regions between the support element 22 and the display unit 14. As a result, the display moves towards the bottom side 24 of the retaining device so that the manual actuation of the display is detected from a change (i.e. in this case, a reduction) in distance. This change in distance differs at the plurality of points at which it is sensed by the plurality of actuation sensors 32, the difference depending on the manually applied pressing force and the location on the cover plate 18, i.e. on the display 12, where it is exerted.

[0055] The touch sensor system 36 and the actuation sensors 32 supply their data to an evaluation unit 8 in which an evaluation can be made as to whether the force required for a valid, i.e. intentional actuation of the display 12 is exerted manually on the display 12 at the point of actuation (see FIG. 2 at 40) localized by the touch sensor system 36. This force is reached when the actuation sensors 32 detect corresponding movements at their associated “measuring points” of the display 12.

[0056] In the above described embodiment, the backlight unit 16 “hangs” under the display unit 14, i.e. on the rear side 42 of the display 12. The backlight unit 16 has a light emitting side 44 facing the rear side 42. Generally, a space 46 exists between the light emitting side 44 and the rear side 42, which space is optically sealed to the outside by an elastic sealing strip 48. Thereby, backlight from the backlight unit 16 cannot leak laterally from the space 46.

[0057] If the backlight unit 16 hangs under the display 12 without being supported on the retaining device 24, this connection of the backlight unit 16 with the display 12 via the sealing strip 48, which insofar is an elastic connection, can be caused to move unintentionally due to vibrations acting from outside.

[0058] In a second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the operating device 10′ is therefore modified with respect to the arrangement and support of the backlight unit 18. As far as the elements of the operating device 10′ are alike in structure or function to the elements of the operating device 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, they are identified by the same reference numerals in FIGS. 3 and 4 as in the case of the operating device 10.

[0059] In the embodiment of the operating device 0′ of FIGS. 3 and 4, the backlight unit 16 is supported on the bottom side 25 of the retaining device 24 and is thus substantially immovable. If, for example, force is exerted on the display 12 at the point 40, the display 12 is displaced while the sealing strip 48 is compressed. Furthermore, it is possible to metrologically detect this displacement relative to the bottom side 25 of the retaining device 24, i.e. by the actuation sensors 32. Likewise, it is also possible to detect the displacement or offset of the display 12 with respect to the light emitting side 44 of the backlighting unit of the backlight unit 16. The actuation sensors 32 are then arranged in the space 46 between the rear side 42 of the display 12 and the light emitting side 44 of the backlight unit 16 and measure a change in the distance between both sides. As an alternative, it is possible to integrate the actuation sensor system into the sealing strip 48. This may be achieved e.g. by a resistive sensing of a compression (possibly locally) of the sealing strip 48. However, the sealing strip 48 may also be provided with a plurality of measuring points. Instead of resistive sensors, it is also possible in this case to implement capacitive sensors (the sealing strip 48 acts e.g. as a dielectric which changes upon compression) or inductive sensors.

[0060] The concept of the present invention operates without complex spring mechanisms. The elastic and still rigid connection is realized solely in a simple manner by “suspending” the display 12 by means of the cover plate 18 which spans the free space 28 of the retaining device 24 and is thus subjected to bending in the protrusion regions protruding laterally beyond the display unit 14, when a force is exerted on the display 12. The resultant bending can be detected and the exerted force can be concluded therefrom. If the minimum pressing force is reached or exceeded, an intentional actuation of the display is given.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0061] 10 operating device [0062] 12 display [0063] 14 display unit of the display [0064] 16 backlight unit [0065] 18 cover plate of the display [0066] 20 protrusion regions of the cover plate [0067] 22 support element of the retaining device [0068] 24 retaining device [0069] 25 bottom side of the retaining device [0070] 26 edge portions of the bottom side [0071] 28 free space in the retaining device [0072] 30 carrier plate [0073] 32 actuation sensor [0074] 34 flanges of the support elements [0075] 36 touch sensor system of the display [0076] 38 evaluation unit [0077] 40 pressure exertion point on the display [0078] 42 rear side of the display [0079] 44 light emitting side of the backlight unit [0080] 46 space between the display and the backlight unit [0081] 48 sealing strip