IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,005,780
Granted Patent B2
US 12,005,780 · App. 17/912,323 · Granted Jun 11, 2024

Operator control device for operating an infotainment system, method for providing an audible signal for an operator control device, and motor vehicle having an operator control device

Inventors: Ulrich Müller (Ingolstadt, DE); Andreas Spahmann (Bad Wimpfen, DE)
Assignee: AUDI AG
B60K35/00G06F3/016G06F3/0412G06F3/0488G06F3/165B60K35/10B60K35/25B60K35/26B60K35/28B60K2360/1438B60K2360/164G06F2203/04105
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,005,780
App. No.
17/912,323
Granted
Jun 11, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and an operator control device operate an infotainment system. The operator control device has a control unit, an audio device, an actuating element, and a touch-sensitive display device, which is mounted so as to be movable and is designed to display at least one graphical control element. The touch-sensitive display device moves during an actuating action and thus activates the actuating element. The control unit determines an actuation position of the actuating action on the touch-sensitive display device when the actuating element is activated and compares said actuation position with a display position of the at least one graphical control element. The audio device is actuated to output an audible signal when the actuation position matches the display position.

Claims (42)

1. An operator control device for operating an infotainment system, comprising:

an actuating element;

a touch-sensitive display device, mounted to be movable, configured to display at least one graphical control element and to move during an actuating action to activate the actuating element, the touch-sensitive display device to incline about an axis of inclination in a direction of the actuating element;

an audio device; and

a control unit configured to determine an actuation position of the actuating action on the touch-sensitive display device when the actuating element is activated and to compare said actuation position with a display position of the at least one graphical control element, and to actuate the audio device to output an audible signal when the actuation position matches the display position.

2. The operator control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating element is configured to provide a silent haptic actuating effect.

3. The operator control device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the actuating element comprises a pushbutton.

4. The operator control device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the actuating element comprises a micro-pushbutton.

5. The operator control device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the actuating element is configured to measure a pressure caused by the actuating action and to generate a pressure-dependent control signal, and wherein the audio device to adjust a volume of the audible signal based on the pressure-dependent signal.

6. The operator control device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the audio device to output an audible error signal when the actuation position does not match the display position when the actuating element is activated.

7. The operator control device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element when the actuating element is activated and when the actuation position matches the display position.

8. The operator control device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the actuating element is configured to measure a pressure caused by the actuating action and to generate a pressure-dependent control signal, and the control unit is configured to actuate the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element based on the pressure-dependent control signal.

9. The operator control device as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the actuating element is configured to measure a pressure caused by the actuating action and to generate a pressure-dependent control signal, and

wherein the audio device is configured to adjust a volume of the audible signal based on the pressure-dependent signal.

10. The operator control device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element when the actuating element is activated and when the actuation position matches the display position and based on the pressure-dependent control signal.

11. The operator control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the audio device to output an audible error signal when the actuation position does not match the display position when the actuating element is activated.

12. The operator control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element when the actuating element is activated and when the actuation position matches the display position.

13. A method for providing an audible signal for an operator control device with a touch-sensitive display device, mounted to be movable and to display at least one graphical control element, the method comprising:

activating an actuating element by moving the touch-sensitive display device during an actuating action, the touch-sensitive display device being movably inclined about an axis of inclination in the direction of the actuating element;

determining an actuation position of the actuating action when the actuating element is activated on the touch-sensitive display device;

comparing the actuation position with a display position of the at least one graphical control element; and

providing an audible signal when the result of the comparing is that the actuation position matches the display position.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said activating of the actuating element provides a silent haptic actuating effect.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 ,

further comprising:

measuring, by the actuating element, a pressure caused by the actuating action, and

generating a pressure-dependent control signal, and

adjusting by the audio device a volume of the audible signal based on the pressure-dependent signal.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising actuating, by the control unit, the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element when the actuating element is activated and when the actuation position matches the display position based on the pressure-dependent control signal.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising actuating, by the control unit, the audio device to output an audible error signal when the actuation position does not match the display position when the actuating element is activated.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising actuating, by the control unit, the infotainment system to perform a function assigned to the graphical control element when the actuating element is activated and when the actuation position matches the display position.

19. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a chassis; and

an operator control device

an actuating element,

a touch-sensitive display device mounted to be movable and configured to display at least one graphical control element and to move during an actuating action to activate the actuating element, the touch-sensitive display device to incline about an axis of inclination in a direction of the actuating element,

an audio device, and

a control unit configured to determine an actuation position of the actuating action on the touch-sensitive display device when the actuating element is activated and to compare said actuation position with a display position of the at least one graphical control element, and to actuate the audio device to output an audible signal when the actuation position matches the display position.

20. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 19 ,

wherein the actuating element is configured to measure a pressure caused by the actuating action and to generate a pressure-dependent control signal, and

wherein the audio device is configured to adjust a volume of the audible signal based on the pressure-dependent signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2022
From: MÜLLER, ULRICH; SPAHMANN, ANDREAS
To: AUDI AG
Reel/Frame 062168/0270 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102020107338.0 · Mar 17, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230158886A1 · May 25, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,743,153