OPERATING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE COMPONENT

Abstract

The operating device for a vehicle component, in particular a human machine interface (HMI) for vehicles, is provided with a housing, comprising a front wall having a front face in particular with a display surface and a rear face facing away from the front face, and an operating element unit which is positioned and/or can be positioned on and/or in front of the front wall of the housing for manually triggering operating functions and/or for manually adjusting parameters of operating functions for a vehicle component. The operating element unit comprises at least one operating element, a display element and/or a display device, an evaluating and control unit assigned to the at least one operating element and to the display element or the display device, and an energy supply unit. In order to supply electric energy to the energy supply unit of the operating element unit, at least one first coil is arranged so as to face the rear face of the front wall, wherein at least one second coil, which is inductively coupled to the at least one first coil and is connected to the energy supply unit, is arranged in and/or on the operating element unit.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. Operating device for a vehicle component, in particular a human-machine interface (HMI) for vehicles, comprising a housing having a front wall comprising a front face in particular with a display surface and a rear face facing away from the front face, and an operating element unit positioned and/or positionable on and/or in front of the front wall of the housing for manually triggering operating functions and/or for manually adjusting parameters of operating functions for a vehicle component, wherein the operating element unit comprises at least one operating element, an electric consumer, an evaluating and control unit assigned to the electric consumer, and an energy supply unit, and wherein in order to supply electric energy to the energy supply unit of the operating element unit at least one first coil is arranged so as to face the rear face of the front wall, wherein at least one second coil, which is inductively coupled to the at least one first coil and is connected to the energy supply unit, is arranged in and/or on the operating element unit.

13. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one first coil or at least one of the first coils and the at least one second coil or at least one of the second coils is further provided for a wireless unidirectional or bidirectional data communication between the control and evaluating unit of the operating element unit and a signal and data processing unit arranged outside the operating element unit and particularly on and/or in the housing, or a communication interface arranged outside the operating element unit and particularly on and/or in the housing.

14. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein an optional further wireless data communication link is provided between the operating element unit and a communication interface is arranged on and/or in the housing, wherein the further wireless data communication link comprises two coils, one of which is arranged in the operating element unit and the other outside the operating element unit.

15. Operating device according to claim 13, wherein an optional further wireless data communication link is provided between the operating element unit and a communication interface is arranged on and/or in the housing, wherein the further wireless data communication link comprises two coils, one of which is arranged in the operating element unit and the other outside the operating element unit.

16. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the operating element unit is provided with a near field signal transmission interface for wireless communication with a communication interface located outside the operating element unit and outside the housing.

17. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the operating element unit comprises at least one operating key, preferably an operating key bar or an operating key field with respectively several operating keys, and/or a rotary adjuster, particularly with a press and rotary function, and/or as an electric or electronic consumer a touchpad for data entry, and/or a display element or a display device, and/or a touchscreen.

18. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the front face of the housing comprises a display and the operating element unit is positioned or positionable on and/or in front of the display.

19. Operating device according to claim 18, wherein the display of the housing comprises a backlight unit with a light emitting surface facing the back of the display, and the at least one first coil is arranged in the backlight unit.

20. Operating device according to claim 18, wherein the display is adapted as a touchscreen and comprises a capacitive and/or resistive and/or optical touch panel, and the operating element unit is arranged in front of and/or on the touch panel.

21. Operating device according to claim 19, wherein the display is adapted as a touchscreen and comprises a capacitive and/or resistive and/or optical touch panel, and the operating element unit is arranged in front of and/or on the touch panel.

22. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the operating element unit is provided with a force feedback function or a force sense/force feedback function in the operating element unit.

23. Operating device according to claim 20, wherein a manual actuation of the operating element unit can be sensed by means of the touch panel of the display.

24. Operating device according to claim 22, wherein a manual actuation of the operating element unit can be sensed by means of the touch panel of the display.

25. Operating device according to claim 12, wherein the operating element unit is positioned in a fixed or reversible manner.

Description

[0049] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail by using various exemplary embodiments and by reference to the drawing. The individual figures show the following:

[0050] FIG. 1 a perspective view on the front area of the center console of a vehicle having a touch operating unit 12 arranged on the center console comprising manually operable touch fields and a rotary adjuster,

[0051] FIG. 2 a section view through the touch operating unit in the area of the rotary adjuster according to II-II of FIG. 1,

[0052] FIG. 3 a view of the bottom side of the rotary adjuster according to FIG. 2,

[0053] FIGS. 4 and 5

[0054] a further exemplary embodiment of a rotary adjuster that is arranged on the operating surface of a touch operating unit and can be pressed down to confirm an entry,

[0055] FIGS. 6 and 7

[0056] a further exemplary embodiment of a rotary adjuster that is arranged on the operating surface of a touch operating unit and can be pressed down to confirm an entry, and

[0057] FIGS. 8 and 9

[0058] a further exemplary embodiment in a front view and in a section view.

[0059] In the following, the invention, namely the wireless supply of electric/electronic components of an operating element unit located on a display by using a rotary adjuster or a rotary/pressure adjuster, is described, whose rotary position and, if provided, press function is further detected by a touch sensor system of the display, which is not necessarily required for the invention, but may be advantageous.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view on the center console of a vehicle interior in the area of the passage from the center console to the instrument panel, wherein in this area a human-machine interface 11 provided in/on a housing 10 is arranged for displaying and/or entering operation parameters and functions for one or more vehicle components. The human-machine interface 11 comprises a display 12 in form of a touchscreen with a touch panel 13 and is provided with an operating surface 14 with touch fields 16 that can be displayed on it, with a display generation layer 15 (e.g. with LCD technology) and with a backlight unit 17. In addition to the touch fields 16, the display 12 comprises arranged on its operating surface an operating element unit 19 in form of a rotary adjuster 18, which, as exemplary shown in FIG. 2, comprises a holding element 20 and a rotary element 22 rotatably mounted on the holding element 20. The holding element 20 is, as already mentioned in 24, bonded on the operating surface 14.

[0061] According to the invention, the rotary element 22 of the rotary adjuster 18 is provided with a display device 40 that is arranged either rigidly or rotatable with the rotary element 22 in the rotary adjuster 18. The display device 40 is adapted, for example, as an LCD touchscreen and comprises a touch panel 42, an LCD panel 44 and a backlight unit 46. The display device 40 is controlled by a control and evaluating unit that is also responsible for evaluating the touch sensor system of the touch panel 42.

[0062] An energy supply unit 50, which is supplied inductively and thus wirelessly with electric energy, serves as an energy supply. For this purpose, the operating device comprises a control unit 52 that supplies a first energy transmission coil 54 with alternating voltage respectively alternative current. This first energy transmission coil 54 is, as can be seen in FIG. 2, located within the backlight unit 17 of the display 12. A second energy transmission coil 56 that is inductively coupled with the first energy transmission coil 54 is arranged in the rotary adjuster 18, namely in its rotary element 22 above the holding element 20. The energy required for operating the display device 40 and its touch panel 42 is thus inductively transported through the display 12 so that wiring from the housing 10 of the human-machine interface 11 to the rotary adjuster 18 is not required.

[0063] The rotary adjuster 18 respectively the rotary element 22 may include additional electronics on a PCB 58. These electronics may, for example, comprise and control a communication interface with which a connection between the rotary adjuster 18 and a corresponding communication interface in the vehicle can be created via a near field communication. However, it is also conceivable that the two energy transmission coils 54, 56 are provided in a limited manner for a data communication.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows only a single first energy transmission coil 54. Alternatively, several of such first energy transmission coils can be arranged on the backside of the display 12 or within its backlight unit 17. These first energy transmission coils 54 are arranged distributed across the surface of the display so that when the rotary adjuster 18, which can, for example, be positioned removably on the display 12, is positioned in a different position, an inductive energy supply for operating its display device 40 is also possible.

[0065] As known, the touch operating unit 12 comprises a sensor system located below the operating surface 14 and being, for example, capacitive sensitive. The signals emitted by the sensor system are supplied to a control and evaluating unit 28 that also serves for controlling the sensor system.

[0066] In the following, it is described how the touch sensor system of the display 12 can be used for the rotary adjuster in order to determine the rotary position or to detect a press function of a rotary adjuster 18. This is explained by using several exemplary embodiments, whereby it applies for all exemplary embodiments that the energy supply for the electric/electronic components of the rotary adjuster 18 is inductive and thus wireless. It should be mentioned at this point that the rotational positioning of the rotary adjuster 18 can also be carried out with an own sensor system (not displayed) assembled in the rotary adjuster 18, wherein the data is transmitted via the rotary position and optionally the data characterized by a press function is transmitted wirelessly via the energy transmission coils 54, 56 or via another wireless interface.

[0067] The rotary adjuster 18 comprises at least one rotary position detection element 30 on the bottom side of its rotary element 22 that is adapted, for example, as a segment. In the described application case according to FIG. 2, the rotary element 22 is provided with two of such rotary position detection elements 30.

[0068] The two rotary position detection elements 30 move longitudinally of a circular path over the operating surface 14 when the rotary element 22 is rotated. The respective positions of the two rotary position detection elements 30 can be detected by the sensor system. The areas 32 between the rotary position detection elements 30 on the bottom side of the rotary element 22 (see FIG. 3) cannot be sensed by the sensor system. If the sensor system works, for example, capacitively, at least the surface of the rotary element 22 as well as the surface of the rotary position detection elements 30 can be electrically conductive in order to use the operator's self-capacitance for the potential displacement sensed by the sensor system.

[0069] Thus, it is possible according to the invention to sense and detect the current rotary position of the rotary adjuster 18 by means of the sensor system of a touch operating unit 12. An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 2 in which the rotary position detection elements 30 move on or in close proximity above the operating surface 14. It would also be conceivable that, for example in case of a locally reversibly deformable operating surface 14, as is the case with resistive or optical touch sensors, the rotary position detection elements 30 abut with pressure on the operating surface 14.

[0070] There are various solution approaches for detecting the current rotary position of the rotary element 22 at the moment at which an operating function or an operation parameter shall be entered. For example, it would be conceivable that a detected standstill of the rotary adjuster 18, which is sensed for a certain, relatively short minimum time, is evaluated as an indication that the adjustment of the rotary adjuster 18 has been completed and that the operation parameters or operating functions relating to the adjustment shall now be entered. Accepting the operating entry can, for example, be confirmed by a haptic feedback. Such particularly tactile feedback in touch operating units 12 is generally known. Instead of or in addition to a tactile feedback, an acoustic or optical feedback can also be provided. Corresponding mechanics and mechanisms are available for known touch operating units 12.

[0071] However, it is much more intuitive if the operator presses down the rotary adjuster 18 in a certain position, in order so signalize that he/she wants to make an entry, namely the entry corresponding to the rotary position. FIGS. 3 and 4 show in a cross-section view a corresponding embodiment of such a rotary adjuster 18. Provided that the individual components shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 correspond to those in FIG. 2, they have the same reference numerals.

[0072] The touch operating unit 12 according to the FIGS. 4 and 5, for example, also works capacitively. In an unpressed state of the rotary adjuster 18 its rotary element 22 and its rotary position detection elements 30 comprise a greater distance to the operating surface 14 than in the pressed state (see in comparison FIGS. 4 and 5). The sensor system now uses the strength of the capacitive influence to detect whether the rotary position detection elements 30 are located directly on the operating surface 14 (see FIG. 5) or at a slight distance from it (see FIG. 4). This is used in the evaluating unit 28 in order to detect that the user has made an entry corresponding to the rotary position by pressing drown the rotary element 22 or not.

[0073] In FIGS. 6 and 7 a further exemplary embodiment of a pressed down rotary adjuster 18 is described, whereby for this case it also applies that the individual components shown in these figures, provided they functionally or constructively correspond to those of FIGS. 2 to 5, have the same reference numerals.

[0074] The particularity in the exemplary embodiment of the rotary adjuster 18 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 is that the press function and the thus intended entry confirmation by pressing down the rotary element 22 is carried out by means of the detection of a press detection element 34 that is located, for example, as the rotary position detection elements 30 on the bottom side of the rotary element 22, namely, for example, in its center. If the sensor system responds to the approach of the pressure detection element 34 to the operating surface 14 or to its contacting, as is the case when the rotary adjuster 18 is depressed (see FIG. 7), this is an indication that the function or operating entry corresponding to the rotary position of the rotary element 22 shall be made.

[0075] FIGS. 8 and 9 show that the operating element unit 19 can (also) comprise operating keys 60 instead of a rotary adjuster. In this case it also applies that a display 40 arranged in an operating key 60 is supplied by inductively transmitted electric energy, which is subject of the invention. The keys are actuated, for example, via the touch sensor system of the display 12 (see e.g. the pressed operating key shown in FIG. 9 on the left side).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0076] 10 housing [0077] 11 human-machine interface [0078] 12 display [0079] 12 display [0080] 13 touch panel [0081] 14 operating surface [0082] 15 display generation layer (e.g. LCD) [0083] 16 touch fields [0084] 17 backlight unit [0085] 18 rotary adjuster [0086] 18 rotary adjuster [0087] 18 rotary adjuster [0088] 19 operating element unit [0089] 19 operating element unit [0090] 20 holding element [0091] 22 rotary element [0092] 24 bonding of holding element on operating surface [0093] 28 evaluating unit [0094] 30 rotary position detection element [0095] 32 area of the bottom side of the rotary element between or outside the rotary position detection elements [0096] 34 press detection element [0097] 40 display device [0098] 42 touch panel of display device [0099] 44 LCD panel of display device [0100] 46 backlight unit of display device [0101] 48 control and evaluating unit in rotary adjuster [0102] 50 energy supply unit [0103] 52 control unit [0104] 54 first energy transmission coil [0105] 56 second energy transmission coil [0106] 58 PCB [0107] 60 operating key