KR101859104B1

KR101859104B1 - Haptic module and vehicle control apparatus using the same

Info

Publication number: KR101859104B1
Application number: KR1020150093471A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 황효균
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-06-30
Filing date: 2015-06-30
Publication date: 2018-05-17
Also published as: KR20170003167A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a haptic module and a vehicle control apparatus using the haptic module, wherein the haptic module includes a touch module receiving a touch input signal, a base member provided at a lower portion of the touch module and having a plurality of through holes, And a haptic element that is inserted into the through hole of the haptic device and generates a haptic signal by the touch input. The haptic device includes a body that is folded a plurality of times so that both ends are adjacent to each other, And a pressure sensor which is provided at a position spaced apart from the coil and senses a pressure due to a touch applied to the body. When the magnitude of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is greater than a preset magnitude, So that at least one end of the body is elastically deformed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a haptic module,

The present invention relates to a haptic module and an apparatus for controlling various functions of a vehicle provided in the vehicle using the haptic module.

The video display device is installed inside the vehicle and outputs to the display unit the input of various functions from the driver in the vehicle, thereby enabling the user to know that the user's input has been performed.

However, a control device conventionally used in the form of a dial has recently been used as a capacitive touch pad. The touch pad can be input only by the user's touch but it can not be confirmed whether or not the touch pad is touched.

For example, in the case of a mechanical dome switch, when the user presses the dome, the central portion instantaneously sinks at a specific load, causing a "clicking" sound or vibration, Able to know.

Therefore, even if a control command is inputted by a touch, it is necessary to implement such a mechanical key feeling.

The present invention is directed to solving the above-mentioned problems and other problems. Another object of the present invention is to provide a haptic module for notifying a user of a touch input of a user and a vehicle control apparatus using the haptic module.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch module including: a touch module receiving a touch input signal; a base member provided at a lower portion of the touch module and including a plurality of through holes; And a haptic element that is inserted into the haptic element and generates a haptic signal by the touch input, wherein the haptic element includes a body that is folded a plurality of times so as to be adjacent to both ends, a coil that is formed to surround a part of the body, And a pressure sensor disposed at a position spaced apart from the coil and sensing a pressure of a touch applied to the body. When the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is greater than a preset magnitude, power is supplied to the coil The haptic module is characterized in that at least one end of the body is elastically deformed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the body includes: a first portion formed horizontally on the upper side; a second portion extending downward from the first portion; and a second portion extending horizontally from the second portion, And a fourth portion extending from the third portion toward the first portion, wherein both ends of the first portion and the fourth portion are spaced apart from each other by an air gap, Can be formed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the first portion may be formed to pass through a point intersecting an extension line of the fourth portion.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the pressure sensor may be a strain gauge, a piezoelectric sensor, or a force sensitive ink or resistive sensor.

According to an aspect of the present invention, when the pressure sensor is a strain gauge, the strain gauge may be disposed in the first portion or the second portion.

According to an aspect of the present invention, when the pressure sensor is a piezoelectric sensor or an ink sensor, the pressure sensor may be disposed in the first portion.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the through holes may be formed in the upper, lower, left, right, and middle portions of the base member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device including a haptic module for generating a haptic signal by a touch input, and a display unit for outputting time information corresponding to a control operation of the haptic module, And a haptic signal is generated when the haptic module is touched to display time information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the haptic module may be formed on a portion of a steering wheel of the vehicle, a gear box upper end surface, or an upper end surface of a console box.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a haptic module including: a body that is folded a plurality of times so as to be spaced apart so as to be adjacent to each other; a coil formed to surround a part of the body; And a pressure sensor that senses a pressure by a touch applied to the coil, and when the magnitude of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is larger than a predetermined magnitude, power is supplied to the coil so that at least one end of the body is elastically deformed have.

Effects of the mobile terminal and the control method according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that the user can be notified that the control command is inputted by the touch of the user in a tap or vibration mode.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to warn the user when the control limit is exceeded while controlling the electronic device in the vehicle while driving.

In addition, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the malfunction of the touch by allowing the touch module to operate only when a predetermined pressure abnormality is detected.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, such as the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle control device related to the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a haptic module associated with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2. FIG.
4A and 4B are perspective views of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A and 5B are views for explaining a modification of the haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A to 6F schematically illustrate a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display unit that displays a control command of a user to be executed in the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
8A and 8B illustrate the use of a haptic module in connection with an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a specific function is performed based on a pattern input for a predetermined haptic module in the vehicle control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , &Lt; / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle control apparatus 100 related to the present invention.

1, a vehicle control apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 110, a sensing unit 130 connected to the control unit 110, a memory 140, (150). The vehicle control apparatus 100 may be formed in a body portion of a vehicle including an outer frame and an inner frame 420 that are configured to allow a user and a user to ride on an outer frame that forms an outer appearance of the vehicle. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential for implementing the vehicle control apparatus 100 related to the present invention, so that the vehicle control apparatus 100 described in the present specification can have more components than those listed above, Or may have fewer components.

The sensing unit 130 may include one or more sensors for sensing at least one of the information in the vehicle control device 100, the surrounding environment information surrounding the vehicle control device 100, and the user information. For example, the sensing unit 130 may include a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gravity sensor G- sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared sensor, a finger scan sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor optical sensors, environmental sensors (e.g., barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, radiation sensors, thermal sensors, gas sensors, etc.), chemical sensors (e.g., electronic noses, healthcare sensors, biometric sensors, Or the like. Meanwhile, the vehicle control apparatus 100 disclosed in the present specification may combine information sensed by at least two sensors among the sensors.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 130 may further include a near field communication module (not shown). The short-range communication module is for short range communication, and includes Bluetooth (registered trademark), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, Communication, Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct, and Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus) technology. The short-range communication module can support wireless communication between the vehicle control device 100 and a specific external device through wireless local area networks (WLANs).

The output unit 150 may include at least one of a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, and a haptic module 153 to generate an output related to a visual, auditory or tactile sense. The display unit 151, which displays various image information, may have a mutual layer structure with the touch sensor or may be integrally formed to realize a touch screen. Such a touch screen may function as a user input for providing an input interface between the vehicle control device 100 and a user and may provide an output interface between the vehicle control device 100 and a user.

The audio output unit 152 can output the audio data stored in the memory 140. [ The sound output unit 152 also outputs sound signals related to the functions performed by the vehicle control device 100 (e.g., a user authentication confirmation sound, a user authentication guidance sound, and the like). The sound output unit 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

Here, the display unit 151 may be implemented in various parts of the vehicle. For example, the display unit 151 may be implemented as a whole or a part of a windshield glass 450 of a vehicle, a window on the side of the driver's seat, a window on the side of the assistant's seat, or a window in the rear seat of the vehicle. Alternatively, the display unit 151 may be implemented as a side mirror of a vehicle or a sunroof of a vehicle.

The display unit 151 can display various image information. For example, the display unit 151 can display image information related to control functions of various vehicles that can be performed by the vehicle control device 100 as described above. Alternatively, when the user authentication is completed, And may display information related to the user who has been exposed. Also, the display unit 151 may display (output) information processed by the vehicle control device 100. For example, the screen information displayed on the display unit 151 may include execution screen information of an application program driven by the vehicle control apparatus 100, UI (User Interface), GUI (Graphic User Interface information.

The memory 140 stores data supporting various functions of the vehicle control device 100. [ The memory 140 may store a plurality of application programs (application programs or applications) driven by the vehicle control device 100, data for operation of the vehicle control device 100, and commands. At least some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. At least a part of these application programs may exist on the vehicle control apparatus 100 from the time of departure for the basic functions (e.g., starting function, navigation function, etc.) of the vehicle control apparatus 100. [ On the other hand, the application program is stored in the memory 140, installed on the vehicle control device 100, and can be driven by the control unit 110 to perform the operation (or function) of the vehicle control device 100 have.

In addition, the memory 140 may store information related to at least one or more users. Here, the user-related information may be information on the authentication information of the user and the setting status of various vehicles set by the user directly or appropriately set based on the user's biometric information. For example, it may be internal temperature or humidity of a vehicle set by a specific user, or setting information according to a user's driving habits. Or the travel route record of the user may be such information. The authentication information may be information on a password, a pattern preset by the user, or information based on the user's biometric information such as fingerprint or iris recognition information. Alternatively, the authentication information may be information related to a user's gesture.

Also, the memory 140 may store a program for the operation of the controller 110, and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., user authentication information and operation environment setting information). The memory 140 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when the user touches the display unit 151 or the predetermined haptic module 153.

The memory 140 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a solid state disk type, an SDD type (Silicon Disk Drive type), a multimedia card micro type a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable memory (EEPROM) read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The vehicle control apparatus 100 may be operated in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 140 on the Internet.

In addition to the operations related to the application program, the control unit 110 typically controls the overall operation of the vehicle control device 100. [ The control unit 110 may control the driving of the vehicle by processing signals, data, information or the like inputted or outputted through the above-mentioned components, or by driving an application program stored in the memory 140. In addition, the controller 110 may control at least some of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 to drive an application program stored in the memory 140. FIG. Further, the control unit 110 may operate at least two or more of the components included in the vehicle control apparatus 100 in combination with each other for driving the application program.

At least some of the components may operate in cooperation with one another to implement the operation, control, or control method of the vehicle control apparatus 100 according to the various embodiments described below. The operation, control, or control method of the vehicle control apparatus 100 may be implemented on the vehicle control apparatus 100 by driving at least one application program stored in the memory 140. [

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a haptic module 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG.

2 and 3, the touch module 310 includes a touch module 310 for receiving a touch input signal by a touch of a user and inputting a control command, a touch module 310 for receiving the touch module 310, There is provided a haptic module 300 including a base member 320 and a haptic device 200 for generating a haptic signal to notify a user of a touch input of a user through the touch module 310. [

The haptic signal includes all the signals due to the tactile sense, but the description will be limited to the one-time vibration or the two-time or more vibration type signals. In this case, the one-time vibration mode is a method in which the haptic device is elastically deformed once and returned to the original position, and the two or more vibration modes means that the haptic device repeats elastic deformation many times in a short time. That is, the one vibration mode means that the haptic device is elastically deformed once at the time of touch, and the two or more vibration modes means a general vibration mode.

The touch module 310 senses a touch (or a touch pressure) applied to the haptic module 300 using at least one of various touch methods such as a resistance film type, a capacitive type, an infrared type, an ultrasonic type, and a magnetic field type .

For example, the touch module 310 may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the haptic module 300 or a capacitance occurring at a specific portion into an electrical input signal. The touch module 310 is configured to detect a position, an area, a pressure at the time of touch, a capacitance at the time of touch, and the like at which the touch target object touching the haptic module 300 is touched on the touch module 310 . Here, the touch object may be a finger, a touch pen, a stylus pen, a pointer, or the like as an object to which a touch is applied to the touch sensor.

Thus, when there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 110. Thus, the controller 110 can know which point on the haptic module 300 is touched or the like. The touch controller may be a separate component from the controller 110 and may be the controller 110 itself.

Meanwhile, the touch in the embodiment of the present invention may be independently or in combination, and may be a short (or tab) touch, a long touch, a multi touch ), Drag touch, flick touch, pinch-in touch, pinch-out touch, swipe touch, hovering, Touch, and the like can be sensed in various ways.

The haptic module 300 may be formed in various parts of the vehicle. For example, the haptic module 300 may be implemented in all or part of the windshield glass 450 of the vehicle. The haptic module 300 may include a window on the side of the driver's seat, a window on the side of the assistant seat, (A surface exposed to the outside of the vehicle) or an inner surface (a surface facing the inside of the vehicle). Alternatively, the haptic module 300 may be implemented in a side mirror of a vehicle or a sunroof of a vehicle.

In addition, the haptic module 300 may be formed on at least a part of the steering wheel of the vehicle, or may be mounted on various areas near the driver's seat, such as a gearbox upper surface or an upper surface of a console box .

The haptic module 300 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 300 may be vibration. The controller 110 controls the haptic module 300 using the haptic module 300 when a user's touch input is sensed in at least one haptic module 300 implemented in an outer frame of the vehicle, the inner frame 420, So that the user can check whether or not the control unit 110 recognizes the touch input of the user by using the tactile information.

The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated in the haptic module 300 can be controlled by the setting of the user's selection or control unit 110. For example, the haptic module 300 may combine and output different vibrations or sequentially output the vibrations.

The touch module 310 may be in the form of a touch film or a touch sheet capable of sensing a user's touch. The touch module 310 may include a plate portion 311 and an outer portion 312). The plate portion 311 may be circular or polygonal, and the outer peripheral portion 312 protrudes from the plate portion 311 toward the outside. A touch film is formed on an upper surface of the plate portion 311 and a surface of the outer circumferential portion 312 to recognize a user's touch. At this time, the touch film or the touch sheet may be a known one, and a detailed description of the touch film or the touch sheet will be omitted herein by those skilled in the art.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for informing a user of a touch of a user is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of haptic devices 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d may be provided. At this time, the plurality of haptic devices 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d are disposed at the upper, lower, left, and right positions.

On the other hand, the number of touches and the touch direction are not particularly limited. For example, the user may touch or press one point of the plate portion 311 to use as a direction key, and may drag the display portion 151 in a specific direction to switch a screen displayed on the display portion 151. At this time, when the drag touched successively the neighboring haptic devices 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d, the haptic module 300 recognizes the drag as a drag. For example, marks 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d, and 315e, marks indicating touch points are displayed on the upper, lower, left, right, And the touch point positioned on the lower side 315c are continuously touched, the haptic module 300 notifies the user of the dragging of the haptic module 300 in a downward direction by generating a haptic signal such as vibration. When the touch points located on the left side 315b, the center 315e and the right side 315d are touched continuously, a drag touch in the right direction is inputted and the haptic module 300 is dragged in the right direction, To generate a haptic signal for the user.

When the user switches the screen displayed on the display unit 151 by dragging or adjusts the volume or intensity to be strong or weak, the user is informed that the touch input signal is inputted by the user's touch. For example, when dragging toward the downward direction, the room temperature in the vehicle is lowered and dragging toward the upper direction may increase the indoor temperature in the vehicle. The haptic module 300 determines that the user's drag- It informs. Furthermore, even when a touch command to execute a function in a range that can not be executed is inputted, the user is informed of the touch. For example, when a user inputs a control command to continuously lower the room temperature even though the room temperature is set to the lowest temperature, the user can notify the user that the room temperature can no longer be lowered by generating vibration or the like.

At this time, the touch module 310 displays marks 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d, and 315e so that the user can easily recognize the touch point, .

When the touch sheet is formed on the surface of the outer peripheral portion 312 of the touch module 310 as described above, the user may touch the surface of the outer peripheral portion 312 at two points at the same time, thereby turning the dial. In other words, if the user touches the surface of the outer peripheral part 312 continuously while touching the outer peripheral part 312 of the touch module 310 with two or more fingers in different touch points, As if rotating the haptic module 300. By this process, the volume or the intensity can be continuously adjusted, and the user can be notified of this.

In FIG. 3, five touch points are displayed on the touch module 310, whereas in FIG. 3, four through holes 321, 322, 323 and 324 are formed on the base member 320. The touch point 315e positioned at the middle among the five touch points 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d and 315e functions as a button for selecting the haptic element 200. Therefore, Hole is not necessarily formed. For example, by the haptic elements 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d disposed at the upper, lower, left, and right positions of the points corresponding to the five touch points 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d, Once a touch is recognized, it performs the function set in the corresponding position. For example, when the touch point 315a formed on the upper side is touched, a command to move upward is input, and the menu on the upper level of the menu list displayed on the display unit 151 can be inverted. In addition, when touching the touch point 315c formed on the lower side, a command to move downward is input, and the menu one level below the menu list displayed on the display unit 151 can be inverted.

When the touch points 315b and 315d located on the left or right side are touched, the screen displayed on the display unit 151 may be switched to the previous or next screen.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when there is no menu to be executed by touching the touch point, the function notifies the user of the menu. For example, if the user continuously touches the touch point on the right side and there is no menu to be displayed any more, the haptic module 300 can inform the user that there is no more menu to display.

When the user touches one point or a plurality of points of the touch module 310, the haptic module 300 informs the user that the touch input is received. At this time, the method of notifying the touch input can be performed by one or two or more vibration methods. The one-time vibration mode means a method of giving a clicking feeling to the user with a single "click". This gives the same touch as when dome switch is pressed.

Although the circular haptic module 300 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the haptic module 300 is not limited to the haptic module 300, but may be a polygonal shape such as a square. Further, instead of forming the touch points only at the five places of the upper, lower, left, right, and middle, three touch points may be formed in each of the right and left directions. In this case, when three touch points touching successively in one direction are touched, they are recognized as a drag and notified to the user.

Hereinafter, a principle of enabling the user to feel the tactile sense in the haptic module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a haptic device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining a modification of the haptic device 200 of FIG. 4. Hereinafter, The body 210 has a rectangular shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may be formed into a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a hexagon.

The haptic device 200 includes a body 210 that is folded a plurality of times so that both ends thereof are adjacent to each other, a coil 220 that is formed to surround a part of the body 210, And a pressure sensor 230 provided at a predetermined position and sensing external force due to a touch applied to the body 210. The body 210 may be a substantially polygonal plate, for example, a rectangular shape. The body 210 is formed so that both ends thereof are spaced apart from each other, and may be in contact with or non-contact with electromagnetic force. The pressure sensor 230 may be attached to one side or both sides of the body 210.

In this case, a structure for elastically deforming either end of the body 210 is required. For this purpose, in an embodiment of the present invention, a coil 220 is provided, and a power is supplied to the coil 220 And a power supply unit (not shown). In addition, the power supply to the coil 220 is for informing a user of a pressure greater than a predetermined magnitude. For this, an external force (touch pressure by the user) applied to the body should be sensed. In an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor 230 is provided.

When the magnitude of the external force sensed by the pressure sensor 230 is greater than a preset magnitude, power is supplied to the coil 220 so that at least one end of the body is elastically deformed. When power is supplied to the coil 220, an electromagnetic force is generated in a body 210 of a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) provided in the coil 220, and the electromagnetic force is applied to the body 220 210 are brought close to each other.

4 and 5, the body 210 may be divided into first to fourth portions 214, and includes a first portion 211 formed horizontally on the upper side, a first portion 211 , A third portion 213 extending from the second portion 212 and formed to be parallel to the first portion 211, and a second portion 212 extending from the second portion 212 toward the second portion 212, And a fourth portion 214 extending from the second portion 213 toward the first portion 211. The first to fourth portions 211, 212, 213, and 214 may be formed perpendicular to each other with respect to the adjacent portions.

Both ends of the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214 are spaced apart to form an air gap (G). The first portion 211 is formed to intersect an extension of the fourth portion 214 and the first portion 211 is formed so that an extension line of the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214 intersects Lt; / RTI > This is to allow the first portion 211 to contact the fourth portion 214 formed adjacent thereto when the first portion 211 is elastically deformed. However, the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214 may be formed so that the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214 do not extend beyond the fourth portion 214, None of the four portions 211 and 214 need be formed to the point of intersection of the extension lines of the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214. That is, in the case of the former, the first portion 211 is elastically deformed by the power supply to come into contact with the fourth portion 214, and in the latter case, (211, 214) do not contact each other but do not contact each other.

FIG. 5A shows a state before the elastic deformation in the haptic device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B shows the haptic device after the elastic deformation in the haptic device according to the embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, in the initial state (first state), the first portion 211 and the fourth portion 214 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Thereafter, when the first portion 211 is touched and pressed by the user, the first portion 211 is elastically deformed to be bent downward about the intersection with the second portion 212. At this time, the elastic deformation means that when the user removes the external force, the initial state can be obtained by the restoring force.

When the external force applied to the first part 211 becomes greater than a specific pressure, a power is supplied to the coil 220 by the power supply unit, and an electromagnetic force is generated in the body 210. Generally, the electromagnetic force or electromagnetic force lines are formed in a straight direction. In one embodiment of the present invention, the body 210 is bent a plurality of times to form a magnetic closed loop. That is, the body 210 performs a function of yoke so that a magnetic field line is formed along the body 210.

The end portion of the first portion 211 is elastically deformed toward the fourth portion 214 by the direction of the electromagnetic force formed along the body 210, as shown in FIG. 5B.

In this case, the power source may be a DC power source or an AC power source. If the direct current is supplied, the first portion 211 is subjected to a one-time elastic deformation toward the fourth portion 214, so that clicking feeling of the mechanical dome switch can be realized. When the alternating current is supplied, the elastic deformation of the first portion 211 is repeatedly performed up and down, so that vibration can be realized.

Also, in one embodiment of the present invention, the adjacent haptic devices 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d may not be touched even if a user's touch is detected in any one of the haptic devices 200a, 200b, 200d may all generate vibration. Particularly, when touching the touch point 315e in the center of the touch module 310 to perform a specific function by selecting a specific menu, all the haptic elements 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d may vibrate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor 230 may be a strain gauge, a piezoelectric pressure sensor, or a force sensitive ink or resistive sensor. The strain gauge is attached to the second portion 212 in a manner that senses the user's touch pressure by elastic deformation of the first portion 211 and the second portion 212. If the first portion 211 is pressed by the user, a part of the first portion 211 to the second portion 212 is finely stretched. The strain gauge senses the amount of change that is finely stretched and measures the pressure by the resistance change due to elongation and contraction of the first portion 211 to the second portion 212.

The piezoelectric sensor and the ink sensor do not need to sense the elastic deformation of the body 210 and can measure the pressure directly by the user's touch. Therefore, it is sufficient if it is disposed in the area where the user touches, and it is not necessarily required to be disposed at a position for sensing the elastic deformation.

6A to 6F schematically illustrate a haptic device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6A illustrates that the coil 220 of the haptic device 200 is formed in the first portion 211 and the pressure sensor 230 is formed in the second portion 212 and FIG. Is formed in the third portion 213 and the pressure sensor 230 is formed in the second portion 212. Figure 6C illustrates that the coil 220 is formed in the fourth portion 214, And the sensor 230 is formed in the first portion 211. [

In this case, the pressure sensor 230 in FIGS. 6A to 6C may be a strain gauge, and in the case of a strain gauge, it is formed at a point where it is elastically deformed. Also, the coil 220 may be disposed at any portion of the first to fourth portions 211, 212, 213, and 214. However, since heat is generated by the coil 220, it is not preferable that the strain gauge is disposed adjacent to the coil 220.

6D further includes an assembly member 240 for assembling the haptic device 200 to other structures in addition to the body 220 and the pressure sensor 230. The third portion 213 And the pressure sensor 230 is disposed between the pressure sensor 230 and the assembly member 240. [

6E and 6F illustrate that a coil 220 is formed on the first portion 211 and a pressure sensor 230 is provided on the first portion 211. In Figure 6E, (230) is coupled to the assembly member (240). At this time, the strain gage is not preferable for the pressure sensor 230, and a piezoelectric sensor or an ink sensor is preferable.

The ink sensor is a sensor that measures the magnitude of pressure using the property that the ink is provided between a pair of electrodes formed opposite to each other and the magnitude of the resistance changes according to the magnitude of the external force. The piezoelectric sensor is a sensor for generating a charge in a piezoelectric material to which a mechanical pressure is applied, generating a voltage in the piezoelectric material due to the charge, and measuring the touch pressure of the user by measuring the voltage.

However, the ink sensor and the piezoelectric sensor are not limited to the ink sensor and the piezoelectric sensor described above. The ink sensor and the piezoelectric sensor are self-evident to those skilled in the art, so that a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

6A to 6F, when the pressure sensor 230 is a strain gauge, the pressure sensor 230 is formed at any one of the first and second parts 211 and 212, The pressure sensor 230 is disposed in the first portion 211 when the piezoelectric sensor 230 is a piezoelectric sensor or an ink sensor. Since the piezoelectric sensor and the ink sensor are not sensors for measuring the elastic deformation of the body 210, they are disposed directly on the portion to be touched by the user.

7A and 7B are exemplary diagrams of display units 451 and 452 that indicate that a user's control command is executed in the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

7A and 7B illustrate that two haptic modules 300a and 300b are formed on a steering wheel 410 according to one embodiment of the present invention, May be formed in directions opposite to each other.

When the haptic modules 300a and 300b are formed in a part of the steering handle 410 as described above, even when the user does not release the steering wheel 410, The touch input can be applied to the haptic module 300 so that the desired control function can be performed during operation.

Meanwhile, the haptic modules 300a and 300b may be implemented as a touch pad. However, the haptic modules 300a and 300b do not necessarily have to be spherical in shape of a touch pad. Accordingly, it should be understood that the haptic modules 300a and 300b may be implemented as a touch pad, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For the sake of convenience, the haptic modules 300a and 300b may include a touch pad As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the controller 110 displays image information corresponding to a user's input (e.g., a plurality of taps or touch-and-draw etc.) applied to the haptic modules 300a and 300b on the display units 451 and 452 . The display portions 451 and 452 may be mounted on the inner frame 420 of the vehicle or may be formed on at least a part of the window or windshield glass 450 in the form of a transparent display, as described above. 7A shows an example in which the display unit 451 is mounted on the inner frame 420 of the vehicle. FIG. 7B shows an example in which the display unit 451 is mounted on the windshield glass 450. FIG. 452) are formed.

When the display unit 151 is mounted on the inner frame 420 of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 7A, various image information corresponding to the input of the user detected by the haptic modules 300a and 300b May be displayed on the display unit 451 mounted on the inner frame 420.

However, if at least a portion of the windshield glass 450 of the vehicle is implemented in the form of a transparent display, the image information may be displayed on at least a portion of the windshield glass 450 of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. For this, at least a part of the windshield glass 450 may be designed in the form of an electrode, and further, it may be realized in the form of a touch screen integrated with the touch sensor.

Although FIG. 7B illustrates that at least a part of the windshield glass 450 is implemented as a transparent display, it is only an example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although not shown, it is needless to say that at least a part of a window of a driver's seat or an assistant's seat, a room mirror, or a sunroof may be implemented in the form of the transparent display to display image information. Therefore, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the image information displayed only in the windshield glass 450. In the following description, it is assumed that the image information is displayed on the windshield glass 450 for the sake of explanation only. .

8A and 8B illustrate the use of haptic module 300 in connection with an embodiment of the present invention.

8A shows a case where a user applies a drag input to the haptic modules 300a and 300b in a direction in which the respective touch points are moved away from each touch point 421 and 431 to which the first touch is input, The distances between the points 422 and 432 at which the drag input is completed are farther than the distances between the points 421 and 431 at which the touch input is applied.

If the distance between the points 422 and 432 where the input of the drag or the like is completed is greater than the distance between the points 421 and 431 where the first touch input is sensed, the control unit 110 determines that the user has left the pinch- ) Input. The control unit 110 may increase the size of the image information 452a based on the further distance. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8B, the size of the image information 252a initially displayed can be changed to the size shown in the image information 452b displayed last.

When the user applies a drag input to the haptic modules 300a and 300b in a direction in which the touch points are input to each touch point at which the first touch is input, The distance between the points at which the drag input is completed is closer to the distance between the points at which the touch input of the touch input is performed.

When the distance between the points 421 and 431 where the first touch input is sensed is closer to the points 422 and 432 where the input of the drag or the like is completed is closer to the distance between the points 421 and 431 where the first touch input is sensed, . The control unit 110 may reduce the size of the image information based on the closer distance. Therefore, the size of the image information initially displayed can be changed to the size shown in the image information displayed last.

At this time, the size of the screen displayed on the display units 451 and 452 is changed by the pinch-in or pinch-out, and the size of the screen area displayed by the control command is limited. For example, in the case of the display unit 451 provided in the inner frame 420, the display unit 451 is provided to provide a screen having a resolution up to a degree recognizable by the user. However, when the user presses the pinch-in or pinch-out The user is informed through the haptic modules 300a and 300b that the screen size displayed by the user is larger or smaller than the set resolution. In this case, the vibration mode is informed mainly by two or more vibration modes rather than one vibration mode.

9 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a specific function is performed based on a pattern input to a predetermined haptic module 300 in the vehicle control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For example, when the user applies a predetermined touch and draw input to any one of the haptic modules 300a and 300b, the control unit 110 can recognize the touch and draw locus. The control unit 110 may perform a function corresponding to the recognized locus.

Figure 9 shows this example. 9, when the touch input of the user moves from the first point 461 to the second point 462 to form the drawing trajectory 460, the control unit 110 determines the drawing trajectory 460, Can be recognized. For example, the control unit 110 may recognize the drawing trajectory 460 as a character. In this case, the control unit 110 may perform a function corresponding to the recognized letter 'M' from the drawing trajectory 460. For example, the function corresponding to the recognized letter 'M' may be a 'menu', so that a predetermined menu screen can be displayed on the windshield glass 450.

At this time, it is informed through the haptic modules 300a and 300b that the user's touch input is being performed. At this time, more than two times of vibration method is applied rather than one time of vibration method.

Hereinafter, an in-vehicle control apparatus having a haptic module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the vehicle control apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a haptic module 300 for notifying that a user has been touched, And a display unit 151 for outputting the image data.

When the haptic module 300 is touched to display time information different from the time information displayed on the display unit 151, the user can be notified of the haptic module 300 by vibration once or twice. At this time, the haptic module 300 is formed on a part of the steering wheel of the vehicle, a gear box upper end surface, or an upper end surface of a console box.

The display unit 151 is provided on the inner frame 420 or the dashboard of the vehicle. The display unit 151 may be, for example, a navigation unit. In this case, various visual information can be displayed on the display unit 151. For example, it is possible to display various information such as a route guidance screen, a location of a vehicle during parking, a speed of a vehicle during operation, information such as time or weather, schedule information, , A music reproduction control screen, a control screen (air conditioning control screen) for controlling an air conditioner or a heater, and the like can be output. At this time, the display unit 151 may be implemented as a touch screen capable of receiving a touch input directly from a user in the vehicle. That is, the display unit 151 can indicate whether or not the user's touch input is performed.

The present invention described above can be embodied as computer-readable codes on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer readable medium include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, , And may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet). Also, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

A touch module receiving a touch input signal;
A base member provided at a lower portion of the touch module and having a plurality of through holes; And
And a haptic element inserted into the plurality of through holes to generate a haptic signal by the touch input,
In the haptic device,
A body folded a plurality of times so that both ends are adjacent to each other;
A coil formed to surround a part of the body; And
And a pressure sensor disposed at a position spaced apart from the coil and sensing a pressure due to a touch applied to the body,
Wherein when the magnitude of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is greater than a predetermined magnitude, power is supplied to the coil so that at least one end of the body is elastically deformed.

The method according to claim 1,
The body
A first portion horizontally formed on the upper side;
A second portion extending downward from the first portion;
A third portion extending horizontally from the second portion and formed to be parallel to the first portion; And
And a fourth portion extending from the third portion toward the first portion,
Wherein both ends of the first and fourth portions are spaced apart to form an air gap.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first portion comprises:
Wherein the second portion is formed to pass through a point intersecting an extension line of the fourth portion.

The method of claim 3,
Wherein the pressure sensor is a strain gauge, a piezoelectric sensor, or a force sensitive ink or resistive sensor.

5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the strain gauge is disposed in the first portion or the second portion when the pressure sensor is a strain gauge.

5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein when the pressure sensor is a piezoelectric sensor or an ink sensor, the pressure sensor is disposed in the first portion.

The method according to claim 1,
And the through holes are formed in the upper, lower, left, right and middle portions of the base member.

A haptic module for generating a haptic signal by touch input; And
And a display unit for outputting time information corresponding to a control operation of the haptic module,
And a haptic signal is generated when the haptic module is touched to display time information different from the time information displayed on the display unit,
The haptic module,
A body folded a plurality of times and spaced apart so that both ends are adjacent to each other;
A coil formed to surround a part of the body; And
And a pressure sensor disposed at a position spaced apart from the coil and sensing a pressure due to a touch applied to the body,
Wherein when the magnitude of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is greater than a preset magnitude, power is supplied to the coil to elastically deform at least one end of the body.

9. The method of claim 8,
The haptic module,
Wherein a portion of the steering wheel of the vehicle, a gear box upper surface, or an upper surface of a console box is formed.

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