EP2745218A1

EP2745218A1 - Method for operating an electronic device or an application, and corresponding apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2745218A1
Application number: EP12746027.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christoph WÄLLER; Mark Peter CZELNIK; Linn Hackenberg; Lennart Bendewald; Manuel Joachim; Markus ABLAßMEIER; Michael Mischke
Original assignee: Volkswagen AG
Current assignee: Volkswagen AG
Priority date: 2011-08-18
Filing date: 2012-08-04
Publication date: 2014-06-25
Also published as: DE102011110978A1; CN103890760A; US9817480B2; EP3486805A1; DE102011110978A8; US20140300561A1; KR20140063698A; WO2013023751A1; KR20160105936A

Abstract

The invention provides methods for operating electronic devices as well as correspondingly constructed electronic devices, in which an input of at least one letter is detected independently of an input request and a quantity of data (52) is displayed on a screen of the electronic device on the basis of the detected letter (51). In this case, the input can be made in a handwritten manner or by means of voice input, for example.

Description

description

Method for operating an electronic device or an application and corresponding device

The present invention relates to methods for operating electronic devices and / or applications and corresponding devices, in particular in a vehicle such as a motor vehicle. The present invention further relates to suitably equipped vehicles.

The amount of data retrievable for a driver of a motor vehicle has steadily increased in recent years. For example, via an electronic device of a motor vehicle set up as an operating device, larger amounts of data can be retrieved for audio or video playback or for navigation purposes and corresponding applications can be controlled, whereby media or contact data from Internet-based services can also be integrated. Therefore, it is necessary to provide operating methods and user interfaces, with which also easy access to such data is possible, for example, a desired piece of music or a desired navigation destination can be selected.

In particular, in a motor vehicle is desirable that such operation is kept as simple and efficient as possible to a distraction of a driver by the operation of facilities and / or applications, for example via a

Control device such as an infotainment system of a vehicle to keep as low as possible.

From DE 100 42 983 B4 it is known, for example, to enter alphanumeric characters in a navigation system in order to determine a destination. Such a method for a navigation system is also known from DE 10 2008 049 636 A1.

US 2003/0093419 A1 discloses a system in which a user can input information by voice input or by pressing a touchscreen.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating an electronic device and / or an application as well as correspondingly configured devices to provide ease of use of the device and which are particularly suitable for use in a vehicle.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a device according to claim 13. The subclaims define further embodiments.

A method according to the invention comprises detecting an input of at least one character, for example a letter, a digit or a symbol, independently of a prompt, and displaying an amount of data, e.g. a list on a display device, e.g. a screen, depending on the at least one character.

By detecting inputs independently of prompts in this manner, operation of the electronic device can be accomplished by inputting characters without requiring an operator to wait for prompts, such as input fields, or

Must act to generate such prompts. In this way, the operation of the electronic device is simplified.

Preferably, the input of the at least one character can optionally take place via at least two different input modalities, for example by a voice input or by a handwritten input on a touch-sensitive screen, also referred to as a touchscreen, or another touch-sensitive element,

for example, a touchpad. This allows a great deal of flexibility.

It is preferred to display the data volume irrespective of the input modality with which the character was entered. In other words, be with such

Embodiments treated the different input modalities the same, so it makes no difference to a user how he selects the at least one character.

Displaying the amount of data includes, in some embodiments, modifying an already displayed amount of data based on the at least one character.

For example, the data quantity initially displayed can be reduced on the basis of the at least one character so that only some elements of the data set initially displayed are displayed depending on the at least one character, or a displayed section of the data set can be changed as a function of the at least one character. In other embodiments, the input of the at least one character performs a search of all or part of the data present in or associated with the electronic device, and the amount of data includes a result of the search. If the displayed amount of data includes only one entry, some may show a

Embodiments automatically performed a function associated with the entry, otherwise an entry from the data set to perform a function can be selected, for example, by entering and detecting additional characters or by selection by means of a control element of the electronic device.

A corresponding device comprises a detection device for detecting an input of at least one character independently of a prompt, a

Display device and a control device, which is set up to control the display device for displaying a data quantity as a function of the at least one letter. The detection device may in particular comprise a microphone for detecting a voice input of the at least one character. In addition, the display device may comprise a touch-sensitive screen, which is thus part of the

Detecting means for detecting a handwritten input is used, and / or the detection means may comprise a further screen which is touch-sensitive, or another touch-sensitive element.

In particular, the device may be arranged one or more of the above

perform described method.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a cockpit of a vehicle, which with a device according to a

Embodiment of the invention is equipped,

2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a device according to the invention,

Fig. 3-8 different examples of inputs of letters according to embodiments of the invention, and

9 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a

inventive method.

In the following, various embodiments of the invention are explained in detail. It should be noted that features of various embodiments may be combined with each other unless otherwise specified. On the other side is one A description of an embodiment having a plurality of features is not to be construed as requiring all of these features for practicing the invention, as other embodiments may have fewer features or alternative features.

In Fig. 1, a cockpit of a vehicle 1 is shown, which is equipped with a device 2 according to an embodiment of the invention. The device 2 is used in particular for the operation of functions of the vehicle 1. For example, with the device 2, a radio, a navigation system, a playback of stored

Music pieces and / or air conditioning, other electronic devices or other comfort functions or applications of the vehicle 1 are controlled. such

Devices are also known as infotainment systems. The device 2 has in the region of a center console of the vehicle 1, a display device in the form of a

touch-sensitive screen 8, also referred to as a touch screen, on which screen 8 can be well viewed and operated by both a driver of the vehicle 1 and a passenger of the vehicle 1. Under the screen 8 also mechanical controls, such as buttons, knobs or combinations thereof, such as rotary control dial, can be arranged.

In Fig. 2 is a possible embodiment of the device 2 according to a schematically

Embodiment of the invention shown. Components of the device 2, which are not shown in Fig. 1, but may also be present in the embodiment of FIG. 1 and at a suitable location in the vehicle 1, for example, be arranged in the cockpit of the vehicle.

The device 2 of the embodiment of Fig. 2 comprises various means and means for detecting user inputs, for example a microphone 6, which with a

Control device 5 is connected, wherein the control device 5 is set up by means of an analysis unit 4 for processing and analyzing voice input via the microphone 6. In addition, the touch-sensitive screen 8 is provided for detecting inputs by touch. Furthermore, another touch-sensitive screen 7 may be provided. The further touch-sensitive screen 7 can also be a terminal that can be detachably connected to the vehicle and has a touch-sensitive surface, for example a so-called smartphone or a tablet computer. This terminal can be inserted for example in a designated holder in the vehicle and establish a data connection to the controller 5 of the device 2, for example, a wireless connection such as a Bluetooth connection or a wired connection. In other embodiments, instead of the further touch-sensitive

Screen 7 also another touch-sensitive element, such as a so-called touchpad, be provided. As will be explained in more detail later, in particular graphic objects 12 and lists 15 can be displayed on the screen 8 or 7, wherein the display of the lists can be effected in dependence on inputs of a user, in particular a driver of the vehicle.

The control device 5 can optionally be connected to a camera system 9, which monitors an area around the screen 8. The camera system 9 can, for example, next to the screen 8 or at a suitable location in the cockpit or in the sky of the

Be arranged passenger compartment and can in particular detect gestures without contact even in front of the display surface of the screen, so that hereby a further input modality is created.

In the control device 5, a data memory 3 is integrated in the illustrated embodiment, in which various information can be stored, for example

Information about available music or information related to a navigation system. In addition, the control unit 5, the analysis unit 4, which in particular analyzes inputs of a user and can trigger dependent functions in the vehicle, for example, change a display on the screen 8 or other functions, such as a playback of pieces of music can trigger.

The control device 5 is further connected to a data bus 10 in the vehicle 1, via which it can communicate with other functional devices 1 1A, 1 1 B in the vehicle 1, wherein the functional devices 1 1 A, 1 1 B have data memory 3A bzw.3B.

Such functional devices may, for example, a navigation system, a

Music playback device, or means for setting and operating various functions in the vehicle 1 include. In the data memories 3A, 3B can then

Accordingly, for example, map data in the case of a navigation system or music data such as MP3 files in the case of a music playback system may be stored. Information about what data is in the data memories 3A, 3B may be stored in the memory 3 of the controller 5. In other embodiments, the

Control device 5 directly to the functional devices 1 1 A, 1 1 B to such

To obtain information.

As will be explained in greater detail below with reference to examples, the device 2 in particular provides options with which an operator can easily find contents, for example contents stored in the memory 3 or in the data memories 3A and 3B, or from a larger number content. For this purpose, in particular for selection in lists characters, such as letters, numbers or symbols be entered in handwriting on the screen 8 or the screen 7 or be entered as a voice on the microphone 6. Various examples thereof are explained below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a display on the touch-sensitive screen 8, which involves, for example, the selection of a music interpreter. In a list 30 different artists are displayed, which begin with Pete. An operator may then handwrite another letter, for example, an "R" 31, to which the list 30 may be further substantiated Examples of concretizations of such lists will be discussed later In principle, such a function may be provided when lists are displayed without that a separate input request is given or must be requested by an operator.

In particular, in the case of smaller screens as shown in FIG. 4, the writing of a letter 41 can take place directly on a list 40. Such smaller screens may be, for example, screens such as the screen 7 of FIG

Terminal device such as a smartphone are assigned. In the example of FIG. 4 is indicated as a character or letter T. Such writing directly to lists or other data sets may also be beneficial, if in others

Areas of a screen other data can be displayed so that an assignment of the character to a search in the list is then easily possible. When writing directly to a list, for example, the analysis unit 4 of FIG. 2 may be arranged to distinguish between the writing of a letter and other operating gestures, for example a scrolling of a list. This can be done, for example, by reserving an area for such further gestures at the edge of the list, or by interpreting an input as an additional gesture if it is not to be assigned to a letter.

It should be noted that, in addition to the operation or specification of the lists by characters, the list is also operated with other operating elements, for example a spinning element mentioned in the introduction.

In further embodiments, upon input of a character, such as, e.g. one

Letter, for example, a handwritten input, if no list or other amount of data is displayed, starting a search based on the letter and then display a corresponding amount of data, for example, in a list. The search can be a global search of all contents of the electronic device and / or associated functional devices or a search only in part of the content. Which type of search is performed can be context-dependent. For example, on If a screen such as the screen 8 displays a music playback control surface, a search can be performed only on music-related data, such as a search for performers and / or pieces of music. On the other hand, a screen display can not be assigned to a specific application (for example, a representation of a menu with which various applications such as music playback, navigation or

Vehicle settings can be called), for example, a global search can be performed on all content. Such a search can be triggered in particular when writing on a free area on the screen.

With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, an operation by handwritten

Character input explained. Additionally or alternatively, an input of characters can also be done by speaking the character, for example via the microphone 6 shown in FIG. 2. Preferably both possibilities are provided, so that different modalities for character input are available. In this case, handwritten characters and characters entered by speaking are preferably treated the same, i. they trigger the same reactions. This will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 5, a list 50 is shown on the left. By handwritten input of a character 51, here an "M", the list is modified to list 52, in this case only list elements with the initial letter "M" are displayed. In addition, the recognized character, in this case "M", may be briefly displayed as letter 53 on the list, for example in a transparent form.

6 shows essentially the same procedure, except that instead of a handwritten input of a letter 51, a voice input of a character 54, likewise an "M", takes place, otherwise the response of the system is exactly as shown in FIG like a handwritten input.

By entering a character, for example by writing a letter on the list or by voice input, a list can be modified in various ways. Two possibilities for this are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In the example of FIG. 7, a list 70 which, for example, is different

Interpreter shows a letter 72, in this case a "Z." In response, the list is now displayed as List 71 with those elements beginning with "Z", in this case only a single element. The list content thus changes in this procedure. In the example of FIG. 8 again a list 80 with different artists is displayed. Upon entering a letter 82, in this case a "W", the list is scrolled, in this example the display then changes as indicated by reference numeral 81, ie the beginning of the displayed portion of the list corresponds to the first Entry which begins with "W" The content of the list itself is not changed in this procedure, but the displayed list positions change The possibility of FIG. 8 is particularly suitable for sorted lists.

It should be noted that the input need not be limited to a single character, but also several characters, e.g. Letters can be specified one behind the other, for example as a word or part of a word. With enough space on one

This can be done as a handwritten input next to each other, or several characters, e.g. as a word or part of a word, to be spoken one behind the other. If there is little space, for example an input on a smartphone, the characters can be successively written on top of each other. It can the

Evaluation unit 4 may be configured to regard a plurality of consecutively entered characters as belonging together if no more than one between the input

predetermined time elapses.

In Fig. 9 is a flowchart is shown, which is an embodiment of a

inventive method illustrated. For example, the method of FIG. 9 may be implemented in apparatus 2 of FIGS. 1 and 2, but may be used independently thereof.

In step 91, a handwritten input of one or more characters. Alternatively, in step 92, input of one or more characters may be by voice. For this purpose, voice recognition can optionally be activated in a preceding step 90, for example by an action of a user, in order to prevent, for example, normal conversations in a vehicle from being assessed as voice input.

Regardless of the manner in which one or more letters are entered, the method continues in step 93 in the same manner in which it is checked in which context the character input occurred. If the character entry was made on a list, the list is modified in step 95, for example as explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. If the character input has not been generated on a list and / or no list has been displayed, a search is performed on content in step 94 and the result of the search

For example, as a list, depending on the context, the search is global or just can be done over a part of available content, as already explained above.

It should be noted that the embodiments illustrated above are for illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting. In particular, different ones

Modifications and modifications of the embodiments described above possible. For example, instead of lists, other types of display of data sets may also be used, for example in the form of pictograms representing individual data. The different data, for example, elements of the lists or

Pictograms do not necessarily have to be arranged one below the other as shown in the figures.

When the number of elements of a list is reduced to one by character input, in some embodiments, without further consultation with an operator, a function associated with the remaining element may be performed, for example, playing a corresponding piece of music or navigating to a corresponding destination.

Although the embodiments described above relate to use of the invention in a vehicle, the invention may be generally applied to electronic devices, in particular electronic devices having a touch-sensitive screen or other touch-sensitive element and / or a microphone.

Claims

claims

Method for operating at least one electronic device and / or application comprising:

Capture an input of at least one character independently of one

Prompt, and

Displaying a quantity of data on a display device (7, 8) as a function of the detected at least one letter.

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an input comprises detecting an input by voice and / or detecting a handwritten input on a touch-sensitive element (7, 8).

The method of claim 2, wherein the touch-sensitive element is selected from the group comprising the display device (7, 8) and a touchpad.

The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein detecting the input of the at least one character is optionally via at least two different ones

Input modalities can be done.

The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying is independent of the input modality used.

Method according to one of claims 1-5, wherein the amount of data is displayed as a list.

The method of any of claims 1-6, further comprising:

Displaying a previous amount of data on the display device (8) prior to detecting the input of the at least one letter,

wherein displaying the dataset by modifying the display of the

previous amount of data.

The method of claim 7, wherein the display device (7, 8) is touch-sensitive, and wherein detecting the input of the at least one character comprises detecting a handwritten input of the at least one character on the at least one character

Display device includes at the location of the display of the previous amount of data.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein modifying the preceding

Dataset a reduction in the number of elements of the previous one

Amount of data depending on the at least one character.

10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the modification of the preceding

Amount of data comprises a change of a displayed portion of the previous amount of data.

1. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the dataset comprises searching data in a data memory (3, 3A, 3B) in dependence on the at least one character and generating the dataset in dependence on the found data ,

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 -1 1, wherein the at least one character

comprises at least one letter, at least one digit and / or at least one symbol.

13. Device (2) comprising:

a detection means (6, 7, 8, 4) for detecting an input of at least one character independently of a prompt,

a display device (7, 8), and

a control device (5) which is set up to control the display device (8) for displaying a data quantity in dependence on the at least one letter.

14. Device (2) according to claim 13, wherein the device (2) for carrying out the

Method according to one of claims 1-12 is set up.

15. Vehicle (1) with a device (2) according to claim 13 or 14.