CN117083196A

CN117083196A - Two-part touch screen for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN117083196A
Application number: CN202280021379.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·穆索; S·费龙
Original assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Current assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Priority date: 2021-03-16
Filing date: 2022-02-09
Publication date: 2023-11-17
Also published as: FR3120962B1; WO2022195187A1; FR3120962A1; EP4308401A1

Abstract

The invention relates to the management of a land vehicle with an engine, configured for carrying out a plurality of operations, the vehicle comprising a central touch screen having an upper portion (10) with an upward inclination with respect to a lower portion (12).

Description

Two-part touch screen for a motor vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention claims priority from french application 2102598 filed on 3.16 of 2021, the contents of which (text, figures and claims) are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates generally to the field of displays in motor vehicles, and more particularly to a multi-touch screen system installed in land vehicles having an engine.

Background

"land vehicle with engine" is understood to be any type of vehicle (e.g. motor vehicle, motor bicycle, motorcycle, storage robot in warehouse, etc.).

Motor vehicles are often equipped with a display screen that is positioned at the dashboard position of the vehicle and allows for the management of various operations that can be carried out on the vehicle (for example navigation systems, the consumption state of the vehicle, or further for example multimedia functions).

In practice, such a display screen is controlled manually by the driver through a series of control buttons (integrated into the dashboard) or by means of predefined icons (directly integrated into such a screen and controlled in a touch manner).

From a practical point of view, it may be complicated to provide a screen (which is satisfactorily oriented towards the face of the driver and which is convenient to use by hand) in which the driver is supposed to hold his hands on the steering wheel. In fact, the upward orientation of the screen (towards the face higher than the central screen) contributes to a good angle to the face, but the upper part of the screen is far from the driver's hand.

Moreover, navigation among these icons does not adapt to the driving context of the vehicle. In fact, to perform an exact operation, the driver may be forced to navigate through multiple menus before reaching to display a page related to the desired operation.

In particular, the large diversity present in the arrangement of the screens or in the configuration of the menu of the central touch screen of the vehicle may complicate and time-consuming access procedures for pages involving the desired operations.

Thus, it is proposed to introduce physical buttons different from the touch screen to facilitate the management of some important operations. These buttons act as shortcuts to enable direct access to the operation without having to traverse a potentially cumbersome access path via the touch screen.

However, this architecture is inflexible (physical buttons are not modifiable) and incompatible with structural updates of the infotainment system of the vehicle. For example, the autonomous driving service may be renamed or be expected to change its operation.

In addition, it is also proposed to combine multiple touch screens. One of the difficulties for the driver is to manage the movements of his finger on the first touch screen and the effects produced on the other touch screen accordingly.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention will improve the situation.

To this end, a first aspect of the invention relates to a management method for managing a land vehicle having an engine, the management method being configured for performing a plurality of operations, the vehicle comprising a central touch screen, the method comprising the steps of:

-displaying information on an upper portion of the screen, the information relating to the operation of one of the plurality of operations, the operation being performed by the vehicle;

-displaying at least two icons on a lower portion of the screen, a first icon corresponding to a first set of operations of the plurality of operations and a second icon corresponding to a second set of operations of the plurality of operations;

wherein,

the lower portion of the screen is substantially vertical in an orthogonal coordinate system of the vehicle in which an abscissa corresponds to a longitudinal moving direction of the vehicle, an ordinate corresponds to a lateral moving direction of the vehicle, and an ordinate corresponds to an orthogonal axis orthogonal to a plane formed by the abscissa and the ordinate axes;

the upper portion is inclined relative to the lower portion of the screen, the inclination:

o configured for orienting a screen towards the face of the driver of the vehicle, and

the o is vertical, that is, in the plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate, the upper portion has an angle with respect to the lower portion,

and, the upper portion and the lower portion are in contact.

The arrangement of the touch screen is thereby particularly adapted to use in the context of motoring.

In fact, the upper part is well inclined to ensure optimal orientation with respect to the driver's face, while the (vertical) lower part as such is as close as possible to the driver's hand.

Icons present on the lower portion, which are most likely to be frequently touched by the driver, focus on the set of possible operations.

Moreover, since the lower portion and the upper portion are in contact, the driver does not have to divert his line of sight too far between the touch screen that he touches and another portion of the screen (the upper portion).

By "the lower portion of the screen is substantially vertical" is understood that the angle defined between the outer surface of the upper portion and the vertical axis is substantially zero in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of abscissas and the axis of ordinates. In an embodiment, the angle is equal to zero. In an embodiment, the angle is less than 5 °. In an embodiment, the angle is equal to 2 °.

In an embodiment, the displaying step includes displaying six icons.

In an embodiment, the first set of operations and/or the second set of operations correspond to at least one of the following functions of the vehicle:

-management of the temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle;

-operation of the radio of the vehicle;

-a return to a main menu of an infotainment system of the vehicle;

-access to a navigation function of the vehicle;

-management of equipment of the vehicle;

-access to functions provided by a user device coupled with an infotainment system of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the angle defined herein between the outer surface of the upper portion and the vertical axis is between 1 ° and 30 °.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method according to one of the first or second aspects of the invention when these instructions are executed by a processor.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a management device for managing a land vehicle having an engine, the management device being configured for performing a plurality of operations and comprising a central touch screen,

the apparatus also includes at least one processor and at least one memory configured to perform the following:

wherein,

and, the upper portion and the lower portion are in contact.

A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle comprising an arrangement according to the third aspect of the invention.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:

figure 1 is a diagram showing steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a touch screen according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 3 shows the structure of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

The invention is described hereinafter in its non-limiting application in the case of a motor vehicle in which an occupant is present. The motor vehicle may also relate to any land vehicle, scooter, tractor or truck having an engine in which a plurality of occupants are present.

Fig. 1 shows a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The method is a management method for managing a land vehicle having an engine, the management method configured to perform a plurality of operations, the vehicle including a central touch screen (shown below with reference to fig. 2).

The operation of the plurality of operations corresponds to an operation that may be performed by the vehicle, such as:

-determining a temperature of at least one region of the passenger compartment;

-lighting a vehicle lamp;

-Guan Shouyin machine:

-displaying the route;

-and so on.

In step 2, the method starts. The start corresponds, for example, to a start of the vehicle, in particular when a start button is pressed or when an ignition key is inserted.

In step 4, a display is implemented on an upper portion of the screen. In particular, information relating to the operation of one of the plurality of operations, which is performed by the vehicle, is displayed.

In step 6, at least two icons are displayed on a lower portion of the screen, a first icon corresponding to a first set of operations of the plurality of operations and a second icon corresponding to a second set of operations of the plurality of operations.

The first set corresponds, for example, to a set of operations that are accessible when the driver selects a return icon for returning to a main menu that provides access to a number of operations. In another example, the second set corresponds to a set of management operations for managing temperatures in the passenger compartment, and the driver selecting the temperature/air conditioning icon is redirected toward a dedicated page dedicated to the temperature/air conditioning and a dedicated page dedicated to the associated operation.

In step 8, at least one processing step is performed. Such a processing corresponds, for example, to a processing of data entered by the driver on the upper and/or lower portions of the screen.

FIG. 2 illustrates a touch screen according to an embodiment of the invention.

The touch screen has, for example, the so-called "capacitive" technology. Such techniques are known to those skilled in the art and will be described in more detail in this document.

The invention is described herein with respect to an orthogonal coordinate system (not shown) of the vehicle in which an abscissa corresponds to a longitudinal moving direction of the vehicle, an ordinate corresponds to a lateral moving direction of the vehicle, and an ordinate corresponds to an orthogonal axis orthogonal to a plane formed by the abscissa and the ordinate axes.

The screen is central in that it is centrally located (on the ordinate axis of the vehicle) and between the driver and the front seat passenger.

The screen comprises an upper portion 10 and a lower portion 12.

The lower portion 12 of the screen is substantially vertical. In particular, "the lower portion of the screen is substantially vertical" is understood to mean that in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate, the angle defined between the outer surface of the upper portion and the axis of ordinate is substantially zero. In an embodiment, the angle is equal to zero. In an embodiment, the angle is less than 5 °. In an embodiment, the angle is equal to 2 °.

In other words, the tilting discussed in the context of the present invention relates to an upward or downward orientation of the screen. This orientation involves, for example, tilting the screen more towards the inner roof of the vehicle (upwards) or more towards the floor of the vehicle (downwards), but without a lateral tilt (that is to say to the left (towards the driver in the case of right-hand travel on the road) or to the right (towards the front passenger in the case of right-hand travel on the road).

The upper part 10 is inclined with respect to the lower part of the screen, said inclination:

the upper portion is vertical, that is, has an angle with respect to the lower portion in a plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate.

In other words, the upper portion is oriented upwardly.

In addition, the upper portion and the lower portion are in contact. It is noted here that the upper part and/or the lower part may comprise edges. Such edges are non-functional parts of the screen made of glass (black edges without display and touch reaction) or have reduced thickness plastic protectors. By "reduced thickness" is understood a thickness of less than 1cm (preferably 5 mm). In all cases, the cumulative thickness of these edges is reduced so that the distance between the functional parts of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 is less than 5cm.

In an embodiment, displaying step 6 includes displaying six icons 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24.

-management of the temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle (icon 20);

-operation of the radio of the vehicle (icon 24);

-a return (icon 14) to a main menu of an infotainment system of the vehicle;

-access to a navigation function of the vehicle (icon 16);

-management of equipment of the vehicle;

access to the functions provided by the user device, which is coupled with the infotainment system of the vehicle (telephone call, icons 28 and 22).

In an embodiment, the angle defined herein between the outer portion of the upper portion and the vertical axis is between 1 ° and 30 ° in a plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a device D included in the vehicle. The device D may be used as a centralized device responsible for at least some of the steps of the method described with reference to fig. 1. In an embodiment, the device is comprised in the vehicle and directly receives data from a network (e.g. a CAN network or an ethernet network) inside the vehicle. In an embodiment, the device D is included in the infotainment system or in a junction box (TCU, telematic Control Unit, or French unit de) of the vehicleA t e matrix). In an embodiment, device D handles the operation of the touch screen.

The device D may take the form of a box comprising printed circuits, any type of computer.

Device D includes a random access memory 100 for storing instructions for implementing at least one step of a method as described above by processor 200. The apparatus further comprises a mass memory 300 for storing data for retention after implementation of the method.

Device D may also include a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 400. The DSP 400 receives data to shape, demodulate and amplify the data in a manner known per se.

The device further comprises an input interface 500 for receiving data implemented by the method according to the invention and an output interface 600 for transmitting data implemented by the method.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above as examples; the invention extends to other variants.

Thus, embodiments have been described for implementing the method in a motor-type vehicle. The method may also be implemented on any type of land vehicle having an engine, such as a truck or a motor bicycle.

Claims

1. A management method for managing a land vehicle having an engine, the land vehicle configured to perform a plurality of operations and including a central touch screen, the management method comprising the steps of:

-displaying (6) information on an upper portion (10) of the central touch screen, the information relating to the operation of one of the plurality of operations, the operations being performed by the land vehicle;

-displaying (4) at least two icons (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) on a lower portion (12) of the central touch screen, a first icon corresponding to a first set of operations of the plurality of operations and a second icon corresponding to a second set of operations of the plurality of operations;

wherein,

a lower portion (12) of the central touch screen is substantially vertical in an orthogonal coordinate system of the land vehicle in which an abscissa corresponds to a longitudinal moving direction of the land vehicle, an ordinate corresponds to a lateral moving direction of the land vehicle, and an ordinate corresponds to an orthogonal axis orthogonal to a plane formed by the abscissa and ordinate axes;

the upper portion (10) is inclined with respect to a lower portion of the central touch screen, the inclination:

o configured for orienting a screen towards the face of the driver of the land vehicle, and

the o is vertical, that is, in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate, the upper portion has an angle with respect to the lower portion,

and, the upper portion and the lower portion are in contact.

2. The method of managing according to claim 1, wherein said displaying step comprises displaying six icons (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24).

3. A method of managing according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first set of operations and/or said second set of operations corresponds to at least one of the following functions of the land vehicle:

-management of the temperature of the passenger compartment of the land vehicle;

-operation of the radio of the land vehicle;

-a return to a main menu of an infotainment system of the land vehicle;

-access to navigation functions of the land vehicle;

-management of equipment of the land vehicle;

-access to functions provided by a user device coupled with an infotainment system of the land vehicle.

4. A method of managing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the angle defined herein between the outer portion of the upper portion and the vertical axis is between 1 ° and 30 °.

5. A computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method of controlling according to any of the preceding claims when these instructions are executed by a processor (200).

6. A management and control device (D) for managing a land vehicle having an engine, the land vehicle being configured for performing a plurality of operations and comprising a central touch screen,

the management and control device further includes at least one processor and at least one memory configured to:

-displaying information on an upper portion of the central touch screen, the information relating to the operation of one of the plurality of operations, the operation being performed by the land vehicle;

-displaying at least two icons on a lower portion of the central touch screen, a first icon corresponding to a first set of operations of the plurality of operations and a second icon corresponding to a second set of operations of the plurality of operations;

wherein,

the lower portion of the central touch screen is substantially vertical in an orthogonal coordinate system of the land vehicle in which an abscissa corresponds to a longitudinal moving direction of the land vehicle, an ordinate corresponds to a lateral moving direction of the land vehicle, and an ordinate corresponds to an orthogonal axis orthogonal to a plane formed by the abscissa and the ordinate axes;

the upper portion is inclined relative to a lower portion of the central touch screen, the inclination:

the upper portion has an angle with respect to the lower portion in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of abscissa and the axis of ordinate, and the upper portion and the lower portion are in contact.

7. A vehicle configured to include the management and control device of claim 6.