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US 10,118,490 B2Granted
Touch-pad integrated steering wheel for a motor vehicle
AssigneeVolkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
InventorWilliam Brian Lathrop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
Claims29
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane;
- a touchpad including a touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel;
- and
- a control system having an interface operably connected to the touchpad, and an evaluation module operably connected to the interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on the touchpad, and to determine a type of the first touch;
- wherein a course of the channel is (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel;
- wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of:
- (i) a withdrawal away from the touchpad;
- (ii) a pressing motion on the touchpad;
- and/or (iii) a touching motion on the touchpad;
- and
- wherein the touchpad includes (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture;
- and wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents.
9 more elements
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane;
- a touchpad including a touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the channel including a curvature in the plane and a portion of the course of the channel extending radially;
- and
- a control system having an interface operably connected to the touchpad, and an evaluation module operably connected to the interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on the touchpad, and to determine a type of the first touch;
- wherein the course of the channel is (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel;
- wherein the curvature opens downward when the steering wheel is directed straight ahead;
- wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of:
- (i) a withdrawal away from the touchpad;
- (ii) a pressing motion on the touchpad;
- and/or (iii) a touching motion on the touchpad;
- and
- wherein the touchpad includes (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture;
- and wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents.
10 more elements
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel extending substantially within a plane;
- a first touchpad including a first touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel and situated in a first channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the first channel being (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the first touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the first touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel;
- and
- a second touchpad including a second touch-sensitive surface adapted to input commands integrated into the steering wheel, spatially separated from the first touchpad, and situated in a second channel extending substantially within the plane of the steering wheel, a course of the second channel being (a) boomerang-shaped or (b) v-shaped, the second touchpad is situated in a lateral region of the steering wheel, and no part of the second touch pad is situated more than 15 cm from the edge of the steering wheel;
- and
- a control system having a first interface operably connected to the first touchpad, a second interface operably connected to the second touchpad, a first evaluation module operably connected to the first interface, and a second evaluation module operably connected to the second interface to register a coordinate of a first touch on at least one of the first and second touchpads, and to determine a type of the first touch;
- wherein the type of the first touch is at least one of:
- (i) a withdrawal away from the at least one of the first and second touchpads;
- (ii) a pressing motion on the at least one of the first and second touchpads;
- and/or (iii) a touching motion on the at least one of the first and second touchpads;
- and
- wherein the first and second touchpads include (a) a grain, (b) a surface structure, (c) a structure, or (d) a texture;
- and wherein (a) the grain, (b) the surface structure, (c) the structure, or (d) the texture includes at least one group of convex dents.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.