Touch-sensitive control device for a motor vehicle and method for operating a touch-sensitive control device

Abstract

A touch-sensitive control device for a motor vehicle, with a control surface; a detection unit which is configured to detect a space-resolved deflection of the control surface; a control unit which is configured to distinguish a characteristic of a deflection of the control surface due to a force exerted on the control surface purely with at least one finger from a characteristic of a deflection of the control surface due to an acceleration acting on the entire control surface. On the basis of this, the force exerted on the control surface purely with the finger, as well as to trigger a function as a function of the determined force exerted purely with the finger is determined.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive control device for a motor vehicle, comprising: a control surface mounted via elastomer bearings on a support; an air gap present between the control surface and the support; a detection unit having tracks that are arranged on respective sides of the control surface and of the support facing the air gap, the tracks being used for the capacitive detection of a space-resolved deflection of the control surface; and a control unit; wherein, when a force is exerted on an isolated point of the control surface, the control surface bends at the isolated point; wherein, when an acceleration force acts on the entire control surface, the control surface is deflected over a large area; and wherein the control unit determines, based on the capacitive detection of the space-resolved deflection of the control surface, a force distribution acting on the control surface, and distinguishes a deflection of the control surface due to a force exerted on the control surface purely with at least one finger from a deflection of the control surface due to an acceleration acting on the entire control surface and, on the basis of this, determines the force exerted on the control surface purely with the finger, and triggers a function as a function of the determined force exerted purely with the finger.

2. The touch-sensitive control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit compares the force exerted by the finger with a threshold value and triggers the function only if the threshold value is exceeded.

3. The touch-sensitive control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is a touchscreen or touchpad.

4. The touch-sensitive control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines, based on the force distribution, the force exerted on the control surface purely with the finger.

5. A method for operating a touch-sensitive control device of a motor vehicle, in which a space-resolved deflection of a control surface is detected by a detection unit, and, by a control unit, a deflection of the control surface due to a force exerted on the control surface purely with at least one finger is distinguished from a deflection of the control surface due to an acceleration acting on the entire control surface, and, on the basis of this, the force exerted on the control surface purely with the finger is determined, and a function is triggered as a function of the determined force exerted purely with the finger; wherein, if a force is exerted on an isolated point of a control surface, the control surface bends at the isolated point, if an acceleration force acts on the entire control surface, the control surface is deflected over a large area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a touch-sensitive control device for a motor vehicle, which comprises a control surface which is mounted spaced apart from a support, wherein respective tracks that are arranged on the lower side of the control surface and on the upper side of the support form a capacitive detection unit, by means of which a deflection of the control surface can be detected;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic representation of a touch-sensitive control device while the control surface is depressed with a finger, wherein a force distribution resulting from the actuation is represented diagrammatically;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic representation of the touch-sensitive control device while the control surface is deflected due to an acceleration acting on the entire control surface, wherein a force distribution resulting from the acceleration of the control surface is represented diagrammatically, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic representation of a force distribution on the control surface which results from an actuation of the control surface with two fingers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent elements are provided with identical reference numerals.

(7) The touch-sensitive control device 1 for a vehicle, not represented in further detail, is shown in FIG. 1. The touch-sensitive control device 1 can be, for example, a touchscreen or else a touchpad. The touch-sensitive control device 1 can be arranged, for example, in the area of a center console or else in any other desired position in a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle. By touching and applying a force to the control device 1, a vehicle occupant can control vehicle functions of a wide variety of vehicle functions.

(8) The control device 1 comprises a control surface 2 which is mounted via elastomer bearings 3 on a support 4. The control surface 2 for this purpose can be designed to detect touching, for example, capacitively. Between the control surface 2 and the support 4, an air gap not shown in further detail is located. The touch-sensitive control device 1 comprises respective tracks 5 arranged on respective sides of the control surface 2 and of the support 4 facing the air gap and are used for the capacitive detection of a space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2. Moreover, the touch-sensitive control device 1 also comprises a control unit 6, the mode of operation of which is discussed in more precise detail below.

(9) In FIG. 2, the control device 1 is represented diagrammatically while a vehicle occupant exerts a force F on the control surface 2 with his/her finger 7. Due to the force F applied by the vehicle occupant, the control surface 2 is bent in the direction of the support 4. Since the control surface 2 is mounted on the support 4 via the elastomer bearings 3, it can occur, in addition, that the control surface 2 is not only bent but also moved as a whole in the direction of the support 4. The distance between the tracks 5, not represented in further detail here, is thus reduced to varying degrees by the force application. The detection unit formed by the tracks 5 can thereby capacitively detect a space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2.

(10) Control unit 6 is configured in order to determine, based on the capacitive detection of the space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2, a force distribution 8 acting on the control surface 2, as represented diagrammatically to the right of the touch-sensitive control device 1.

(11) In FIG. 3, the control device 1 is again represented diagrammatically, wherein, in the case shown here, only a deflection of the control surface 2 due to an acceleration a acting on the entire control surface 2 occurs. As can be seen, the control surface 2 is bent in the direction of the support 4 due to the acceleration a, wherein it can occur, in addition, that the elastomer bearings 3 are slightly buckled, as a result of which the control surface 2 in turn is moved as a whole in the direction of the support 4. Thus, even without a force application by a vehicle occupant, it can occur that the control surface 2 is bent and moved, that is to say deflected. In contrast to a point-shaped force application at an isolated point, the control surface 2 is bent less. The distance between the tracks 5, not represented in further detail here, is again reduced to varying degrees. As a result, the detection unit formed by the tracks 5 can again detect a space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2 as occurs due to the acceleration a.

(12) The control unit 6 is again configured to determine, based on the capacitive detection of the space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2, a force distribution 8 acting on the control surface 2, as represented diagrammatically to the right of the touch-sensitive control device 1.

(13) It can certainly occur that a user presses on the control surface 2 with his/her finger 7, for example, in order to trigger a certain function of the motor vehicle, wherein, at the same time, a bump is driven over by the motor vehicle, as a result of which an acceleration acts in perpendicular direction on the entire control surface 2. The control unit 6 is configured to distinguish a characteristic of a deflection of the control surface 2 due to a force F exerted on the control surface 2 purely with the finger 7 from a characteristic of a deflection of the control surface 2 due to an acceleration a acting on the entire control surface 2 and, on the basis of this, to determine the force F exerted on the control surface 2 purely with the finger 7.

(14) For this purpose, by a type of pattern recognition, the control unit 6 can distinguish from one another the different force distributions 8 resulting from a manual application of force on the control surface 2 and those due to an acceleration of the control surface 2 as a whole. Alternatively, it is also possible that the control unit 6 can directly analyze and evaluate, instead of the force distributions 8, a space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2 in order to distinguish which portion of the deflection results from a force F applied with the finger 7 and which portion results from an acceleration a of the entire control surface 2.

(15) By means of the control unit 6, it is thus possible to analyze the capacitively detected space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2 in order to determine the force F applied purely with the finger 7. In the control unit 6 or else in a memory not represented in further detail, for example, data can be stored, which describes different characteristics of space-resolved deflections of the control surface 2 and/or different characteristics of the force distributions 8 and, in particular, depending on how and whether the control surface 2 is exposed to a force F at an isolated point or is deflected by an acceleration acting on the entire control surface 2.

(16) In FIG. 4, an additional force distribution 8 is represented diagrammatically, wherein this force distribution 8 results when a vehicle occupant presses on the control surface 2 with two fingers 7. The control unit 6 can also evaluate such a force distribution 8 or such a space-resolved deflection of the control surface 2 resulting from such a force exertion and distinguish it from a deflection caused due to an acceleration a acting on the control surface 2 as a whole.

(17) By means of the touch-sensitive control device 1, it is thus possible to determine force values F with which a vehicle occupant actually presses on the control surface 2, from which accelerations a have been removed. Inter alia, this makes it possible, in a particularly exact manner, to output a tactilely detectable feedback which can be detected by tactile means on the control surface 2, for example, by means of an actuator coupled to the control surface 2, as soon as a vehicle occupant has pressed firmly enough on the control surface 2 with his/her finger 7.

(18) The force F exerted purely with the finger 7 which can be detected by means of the control unit 6 can be compared, for example, with a predetermined threshold value, wherein the tactilely detectable feedback which can be detected by tactile means is output on the control surface 2 only if the threshold value is exceeded.

(19) In addition, it is also possible for the control unit 6 to bring about the triggering of a wide variety of functions of the motor vehicle as soon as a vehicle occupant has pressed sufficiently firmly on the control surface 2 with his/her finger 7. Because the force F exerted on the control surface 2 by a vehicle occupant can at all times be measured in an exact manner independently of the acceleration of the motor vehicle, erroneous triggerings of functions can be prevented particularly reliably.