Human machine interface system for automotive application

1. A control interface system for a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

a touchpad located proximate to the driver of the vehicle and upon driver interaction therewith operable to generate a control signal for a vehicle function;

a control module adapted to receive the control signal from the touchpad and operable to initiate control of the vehicle function in response thereto;

a character recognition algorithm integrated with one of the touchpad or the control module, wherein the character recognition algorithm detects a character that is drawn on the touchpad by the driver and the control module controls a vehicle function in response thereto; and

a display projected into a field of view of the driver and providing an indicia of the vehicle function controlled by the touchpad.

2. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein said touchpad includes at least one embedded switch operable to generate a control signal for a vehicle function upon actuation thereof.

3. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the control module is in data communication with the display device and operable to initiate a character verification prompt to the driver in response to the character being drawn on the touchpad.

4. The control interface system of claim 3 wherein the control module is operable to initiate a menu search prompt to the driver based on the character that is detected and after the driver verifies the correctness of the detected character.

5. The control interface system of claim 4 wherein the menu search prompt includes a symbol that indicates the presence of a second set of search results that are not currently displayed to the driver in addition to a first set of search results that are currently displayed to the driver.

6. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the touchpad includes a motion detection algorithm that detects a circular motion that is drawn on the touch pad by the driver and wherein the control module controls a vehicle function in response thereto.

7. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the control module initiates a change in one of a volume of a radio, a tuning frequency of the radio, or a menu selection in response to the circular motion on the touchpad.

8. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the touchpad is operable to generate control signals for a plurality of different vehicle functions and the display device provides an indicia for one of the plurality of vehicle functions which is currently controlled by the touchpad.

9. The control interface system of claim 8 wherein the control module is in data communication with the display device and operable to initiate control of the vehicle function as indicated on the display device.

10. The control interface system of claim 8 further comprises at least one multi-functional switch disposed proximate to the driver of the vehicle and operable to select the vehicle function controlled by the multi-functional switch.

11. The control interface system of claim 1 further comprises a switch cluster having a plurality of function selection switches disposed proximate to the driver of the vehicle and operable to navigate a menu of available vehicle functions controlled by the multi-functional switch.

12. The control interface system of claim 11 wherein the display device provides an indicia for menu selections currently selectable via the switch cluster and each of the menu selections correlates to one of the function selection switches in the switch cluster.

13. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the touchpad is embedded in a steering wheel of the vehicle.

14. The control interface system of claim 10 wherein the multi-functional switch is embedded in a steering device of the vehicle.

15. The control interface system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle function is one of a broadcast radio tuner, a satellite radio tuner, a compact disc player, a vehicle hard disk drive, a portable hard disk player or a navigation system.