Configurable touch screen LCD steering wheel controls

1. An entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a graphical liquid crystal display with a configurable touch screen that includes a plurality of sections, the graphical liquid crystal display and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the graphical liquid crystal display and configured to:

automatically assign a first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen a yes/accept function;

automatically assign a second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen a no/reject function;

prompt a user to select a respective function to assign to each remaining said section of the configurable touch screen;

receive a plurality of function selections from the user; and

assign the selected functions to respective said remaining sections of the configurable touch screen;

wherein the first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen is automatically assigned a first arrow function and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen is automatically assigned a second arrow function, the first arrow pointing in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the second arrow points; and

wherein the processor is configured to:

present a menu of functions to assign to a remaining one of the sections; and

enable the user to navigate the menu via the user touching the first one of the sections of the configurable touch screen and the second one of the sections of the configurable touch screen.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to propose to the user a function for one of the remaining sections.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to receive an acceptance or rejection of the proposed function via the user touching the first one of the sections or the second one of the sections.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to present a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the remaining sections of the configurable touch screen, including a plurality of functions which the user may choose to be assigned to the remaining sections of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the remaining sections occurring after the user has used the first one and the second one of the sections to indicate acceptance or rejection of the proposed function for the one of the remaining sections.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a selection of one of the functions in the menu; and

assign the selected function to the remaining one of the sections of the configurable touch screen.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the sections are of different sizes.

7. A method of providing an entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing a steering wheel;

providing a graphical display device with a configurable touch screen, the graphical display device and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel;

communicatively coupling a processor to the graphical display device;

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a first function to a first portion of the configurable touch screen;

sensing the user's indication, the indication comprising the user touching either a second portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or a third portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment;

assigning the first function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen in response to sensing the user touching the second portion of the configurable touch screen; and

in response to sensing the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen, prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a second function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sensing the user's indication of acceptance or rejection of the proposed assignment of the second function, the indication comprising the user touching either the second portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or the third portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising assigning the second function to the first portion of the configurable touch screen only if the user touching the second portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising automatically assigning a yes/accept function to the second portion of the configurable touch screen and a no/reject function to the third portion of the configurable touch screen.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

automatically assigning a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen a first arrow function;

automatically assigning a fifth portion of the configurable touch screen a second arrow function, the first arrow pointing in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the second arrow points;

presenting a menu of functions to assign to a sixth portion of the configurable touch screen;

enabling the user to navigate the menu via the user touching the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen and the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen;

receiving a selection of one of the functions in the menu; and

assigning the selected function to the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first portion and the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen are of different sizes.

13. A method of providing an entertainment system control arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing a steering wheel;

providing a graphical display device with a configurable touch screen, the graphical display device and touch screen being disposed on the steering wheel;

communicatively coupling a processor to the graphical display device;

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a proposed assignment of a first arrow to a first portion of the configurable touch screen and a second arrow to a second portion of the configurable touch screen;

sensing the user's indication, the indication comprising the user touching either a third portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the proposed assignment or a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the proposed assignment;

assigning the first arrow to the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second arrow to the second portion of the configurable touch screen only when the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed;

presenting on the graphical display device a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the configurable touch screen; and

enabling the user to navigate through the menu by selectively touching at least one of the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second portion of the configurable touch screen.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the graphical display device comprises a graphical liquid crystal display, the first arrow points in a first direction, and the second arrow points in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the proposed assignment comprises a first proposed assignment, the method further comprising:

prompting a user to indicate acceptance or rejection of a second proposed assignment of a third arrow to a fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and a fourth arrow to a sixth portion of the configurable touch screen, the third arrow pointing in a third direction at an angle of ninety degrees relative to each of the first direction and the second direction, the fourth arrow pointing in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction;

sensing the user's indication, the indication comprising the user touching either the third portion of the configurable touch screen to accept the second proposed assignment or a fourth portion of the configurable touch screen to reject the second proposed assignment;

assigning the third arrow to the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and the fourth arrow to the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen only if the user touching the third portion of the configurable touch screen has been sensed; and

enabling the user to navigate through the menu by selectively touching at least one of the fifth portion of the configurable touch screen and the sixth portion of the configurable touch screen.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the configurable touch screen includes a plurality of functions which the user may choose to be assigned to the third and fourth portions of the configurable touch screen, the assignment of the functions to the third and fourth portions occurring after the user has used the third and fourth portions to indicate acceptance or rejection of the second proposed assignment.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that he would like to reconfigure at least one of the portions of the configurable touch screen after each of the portions of the configurable touch screen have been configured, the indication comprising the user touching at least one of the portions of the configurable touch screen;

in response to the receiving, presenting on the graphical display device a menu of a plurality of reconfiguration choices for the configurable touch screen; and

enabling the user to navigate through the reconfiguration menu by selectively touching at least one of the first portion of the configurable touch screen and the second portion of the configurable touch screen.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising presenting a menu of a plurality of configuration choices for the third portion and the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen, including a plurality of functions which the user selects to be assigned to the third portion and the fourth portion of the configurable touch screen.