EP3201734A1 - Control device and method for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle, comprising: a tactile surface (2) for detecting the contact of the finger of a user and the movement of the finger on the tactile surface; and a haptic and/or acoustic feedback module (4) designed to make the tactile surface (2) vibrate and/or to generate an acoustic feedback for the user, in response to contact on the tactile surface (2); characterised in that it comprises a management unit (5) designed to manage the haptic feedback and/or acoustic feedback module (4) in order to generate a haptic and/or acoustic feedback pattern when a movement of the finger is detected on a border (6) separating two areas (Z1, Z2) of the tactile surface (2). The invention also relates to a control method.

Description

 Device and control method for a motor vehicle

The present invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle and a control method of said control device.

 In recent years, cars have become easier to handle with the emergence of new emerging technologies (eg power steering, ABS, cruise control, reversing radar etc.). Paradoxically, however, the number of functions to be controlled while driving has also increased significantly. This can lead to some complexity related to the poor knowledge of the use of these features and their diversity. The car has become a real living space, perceived as a center of personal and interconnected communication: with, for example, the MP3 player, the GPS, the connection with mobile phones.

 The introduction of these new features results in an increase in the number of buttons on the dashboard of a car cockpit. However, the number of buttons can not be increased to infinity, especially because of the complexity generated, limited space, accessibility or cognitive load. In addition, the interaction of the driver with the systems in the car can reproduce a situation of attentional overload in which the driver can not handle at best all the information of the driving task, resulting in errors and a time of longer detection.

 One possibility is to centralize the buttons by replacing them with a touch screen. This makes it possible to continue to increase the number of functions, these becoming programmable and reconfigurable and exposed temporarily or permanently depending on the context or the activated function. The screen thus includes a possibility of multifunctionality, while dematerializing the buttons and being customizable. In addition, the screens have three other major advantages: they allow on the one hand a direct interaction (co-implantation of the display and input), on the other hand they are flexible (the display can be easily configured for a number of functions), and finally they are intuitive (familiar interaction method such as "point").

 However, contrary to the case of a push button, when the driver interacts with a touch screen, he receives no feedback directly related to his action on the interface, other than the mere touch of his finger crashing on the screen. screen.

In order to compensate for the loss of information caused by the substitution of conventional mechanical interfaces with touch screens, it is planned to add a return, such as haptic, for provide system feedback to the user. This return makes it possible to avoid the possible ambiguity of taking into account the action of the user by the system, likely to favor the appearance of dangerous situations. However, it must also avoid overloading the visual and auditory pathways already heavily involved in the driving task. Indeed, the use of touch screens in a motor vehicle must not disturb the attention of the driver.

 An object of the present invention is to provide a control device and a control method of said control device, which does not hinder driving, which is well perceived and appreciated by users, and which can be discriminable from other signals for a application of touch screens respecting automobile constraints.

 For this purpose, the subject of the present invention is a control device for a motor vehicle comprising:

 a touch surface for detecting a touch of a user's finger and moving the finger on the touch surface, and

 a haptic and / or audible feedback module configured to vibrate the tactile surface and / or to generate a sound feedback to the user, in response to contact of the tactile surface,

 characterized in that it comprises a control unit configured to control the haptic and / or sound feedback module, in order to generate a haptic and / or audible return pattern when a movement of the finger is detected on a border separating two zones touch surface.

 Border separating two zones means a boundary or limitation predefined on the touch surface via for example the computer program or software loaded into the control unit. It is therefore a software-defined boundary and not a physical boundary or identified by markings. One can thus simulate through haptic feedback and / or sound, a physical boundary or a limitation between two areas while the touch surface is devoid and generally smooth.

 According to one or more characteristics of the control device, taken alone or in combination,

no haptic feedback is generated once the finger has crossed the border, the touch surface comprises at least a first zone delimited by a closed surface, and at least a second zone surrounding said first zone. We can simulate for example a keyboard key, a first haptic and / or sound return is generated when a movement of the finger entering the first zone delimited by a closed surface is detected and a second haptic and / or sound return is generated when a displacement of the finger exiting in said first zone is detected. We can simulate the feeling of a user pressing and releasing a key,

 the second haptic and / or sound return is distinct from the first haptic and / or sound return,

 the control unit controls a function when a contact is detected in the area behind the border,

 a parameter of the sound return is chosen from the intensity of the volume, phase, frequency, duration and / or a parameter of the haptic feedback is chosen from the intensity of the acceleration, frequency, amplitude, duration, phase.

 The invention also relates to a control method of a control device for a motor vehicle as described above, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

 detecting a touch of a user's finger and moving the finger on a touch surface, and

 generating a haptic and / or audible return pattern when a finger is detected on a boundary separating two areas of the touch surface. According to one or more characteristics of the control method, taken alone or in combination,

 no haptic feedback is generated once the finger has crossed the border, the tactile surface comprises at least a first zone delimited by a closed surface, and at least a second zone surrounding said first zone, - a first haptic feedback and / or sound is generated when a movement of the finger entering a first zone is detected and a second haptic and / or audible return is generated when a displacement of the finger exiting in said first zone is detected,

 the second haptic and / or sound return is distinct from the first haptic and / or sound return,

a function is controlled when a contact is detected in the area behind the border. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages and characteristics will appear on reading the description of the invention, as well as on the appended figures which represent a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention and in which:

 FIG. 1 represents an example of a control device for a motor vehicle, and

 Figure 2 shows an example of a touch surface.

 In these figures, the identical elements bear the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 represents a control device for a motor vehicle 1.

 The control device 1 comprises a tactile surface 2 and a haptic and / or audible feedback module 4.

 The touch surface 2 is intended to detect a touch of a finger of a user and the movement of the finger on the touch surface 2.

 The haptic and / or sound return module 4 is configured to vibrate the touch surface 2 in response to contact of the touch surface 2 by a finger or other activation means (for example a stylus) of a user having for example modified or selected a command and / or to generate a sound feedback to the user, in response to a contact of the touch surface 2.

 "Haptic" means a return by touch. Thus, haptic feedback is a vibratory or vibrotactile signal.

 The control device 1 may comprise a display device disposed under the touch surface 2 to display images through the touch surface 2, then transparent, thereby forming a touch screen.

A touch screen is an input device that allows users of a system to interact with it through touch. It allows the direct interaction of the user on the zone he wants to select for various uses such as, for example, the selection of a destination address or a name in a directory, the air conditioning system settings, enabling a dedicated function, selecting a track from a list, or generally scrolling through a list of choices, selection, validation, and error. The touch surface 2 comprises a plate carrying a contact sensor to detect a pressing pressure or a movement of the finger or a stylus of the user.

 The contact sensor is for example a pressure sensor, such as using the FSR technology for "Force Sensing Resistor" in English, that is to say using pressure-sensitive resistors. SFR technology has a very good resistance and robustness, while having a high resolution. In addition, it is very reactive and precise, while being relatively stable over time. It can have a fairly long life, and can be used with any type of activation means, at a relatively low cost.

 According to a design of the FSR technology, the sensor operates by contacting two conductive layers for example by the action of the finger. One of the embodiments consists in covering a glass slab with a layer of conductive ink, on which is superimposed a sheet of flexible polyester, itself covered on its inner face with a layer of conductive ink. Insulating and transparent pads isolate the slab from the polyester sheet. The activation on the tactile surface produces a slight depression of the polyester layer, which comes into contact with the conductive layer of the glass slab. The local contact of the two conductive layers causes a modification of the electric current applied to the slab, corresponding to a voltage gradient.

 In another example, the contact sensor comprises flexible semiconductor layers sandwiched between for example a conductive layer and a resistive layer. By exerting pressure or sliding on the FSR layer, its ohmic resistance decreases allowing, by applying a suitable voltage, to measure the pressure applied and / or the location of the place where the pressure is exerted.

 In another example, the contact sensor is based on a capacitive technology.

The haptic feedback module 4 comprises at least one actuator (not shown) connected to the plate of the touch surface 2, to generate the haptic feedback as a function of a signal from the contact sensor. The haptic feedback is a vibratory signal such as a vibration produced by a sinusoidal control signal or by a control signal comprising one or a succession of pulses sent to the actuator. The vibration is for example directed in the plane of the touch surface 2 or orthogonally to the plane of the touch surface 2 or directed in a combination of these two directions.

In the case of several actuators, the latter are arranged under the touch surface 2, in different positions (in the center or on one side) or in different orientations (in the direction of the support on the surface or in another axis). According to an exemplary embodiment, the actuator is based on a technology similar to that of the speaker (in English: "Voice Coil"). It comprises a fixed part and a part movable in translation in an air gap of the fixed part, for example of the order of 200μηΊ, between a first and a second position, parallel to a longitudinal axis of the movable part. The moving part is for example formed by a movable magnet sliding inside a fixed coil or by a movable coil sliding around a fixed magnet, the movable part and the fixed part cooperating by electromagnetic effect. The moving parts are connected to the plate so that the movement of the moving parts causes the translational movement of the plate to generate the haptic feedback to the user's finger. This technology is easily controllable and can move large masses, such as a screen, at various frequencies and meets the strict automotive constraints that are low cost, good resistance to significant temperature variations, and ease of use. in place.

 The control device 1 furthermore comprises a control unit 5 configured to control the haptic and / or sound return module 4 in order to generate a haptic and / or audible return pattern when a movement of the finger is detected on a border 6 separating two zones Z1, Z2 from the touch surface 2.

 Of course, the border 6 is not materialized on the touch surface 2.

 The movement of the finger, such as sliding, includes information on the location of the finger on at least two successive spatial coordinates on the tactile surface 2.

 A parameter of the sound return can be chosen among the intensity of the volume, the phase, the frequency, the duration.

 A parameter of the haptic feedback can be chosen from the intensity of the acceleration, the frequency, the amplitude, the duration, the phase.

 It is thus possible to simulate, thanks to the haptic and / or sound return, a physical boundary between two zones.

 The border has for example a line shape, for example at least partially rectilinear.

 It can be further provided that no haptic feedback is generated once the finger has crossed the border 6.

It can also be provided that the control unit 5 controls a function, for example to control on-board vehicle systems such as the air conditioning, radio, music, telephone, ventilation or navigation system, when a contact is detected in zone Z1 located behind border 6. According to an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the tactile surface 2 comprises at least a first zone Z1 delimited by a closed surface, for example substantially square, and at least a second zone Z2 surrounding the first zone Z1.

 It can also be provided that the control unit 5 controls a function when a contact is detected in the closed zone Z1. One can thus simulate for example a key of keyboard. Thus, when the user's finger crosses the border 6, he feels a haptic feedback informing him of this passage, simulating for example the depression of a key.

 It can further be provided that a first haptic and / or sound return is generated when a movement of the finger entering a closed zone Z1 is detected and that a second haptic and / or sound return is generated when a movement of the finger exiting in said closed zone Z1 is detected. The second haptic feedback may be distinct from the first haptic feedback so that the feeling of a user pressing and releasing a key can be simulated.

Claims

REVENDI CATIONS 1. Control device for a motor vehicle comprising:  a touch surface (2) for detecting a touch of a user's finger and moving the finger on the touch surface, and  a haptic and / or audible feedback module (4) configured to vibrate the touch surface (2) and / or to generate a sound feedback to the user in response to contact of the touch surface (2),  characterized in that it comprises a control unit (5) configured to control the haptic and / or sound return module (4), in order to generate a haptic and / or audible return pattern when a movement of the finger is detected on a boundary (6) separating two zones (Z1, Z2) from the tactile surface (2).  2. Control device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that no haptic feedback is generated once the finger has crossed the border (6).  3. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touch surface (2) comprises at least a first zone (Z1) delimited by a closed surface, and at least a second zone (Z2) surrounding said first zone (Z1).  4. Control device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a first haptic and / or sound return is generated when a movement of the finger entering the first zone (Z1) delimited by a closed surface is detected and a second return haptic and / or sound, is generated when a movement of the finger exiting in said first zone (Z1) is detected.  5. Control device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the second haptic and / or sound return is distinct from the first haptic and / or sound return.  6. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (5) controls a function when a contact is detected in the zone (Z1) located behind the border (6). 7. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a parameter of the sound return is chosen from the intensity of the volume, phase, frequency, duration and / or a parameter of the haptic feedback is chosen from intensity of acceleration, frequency, amplitude, duration, phase. 8. A method of controlling a control device for a motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:  detecting a touch of a user's finger and moving the finger on a touch surface (2), and  generating a haptic and / or sound return pattern when a finger is detected on a boundary (6) separating two areas (Z1, Z2) of the touch surface (2).  9. Control method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that no haptic feedback is generated once the finger has crossed the border (6).  10. Control method according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the touch surface (2) comprises at least a first zone (Z1) delimited by a closed surface, and at least a second zone (Z2) surrounding said first zone (Z1).  11. Control method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a first haptic and / or sound return is generated when a movement of the finger entering the first zone (Z1) is detected and a second haptic and / or sound return , is generated when a displacement of the finger exiting in said first zone (Z1) is detected.  12. Control method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the second haptic and / or sound return is distinct from the first haptic and / or sound return.  13. Control method according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that a function controls when a contact is detected in the zone (Z1) located behind the border (6).