Input apparatus, method of inputting command and vehicle equipped with the input apparatus

A method of inputting a command using an input apparatus for a vehicle, the method comprising:

• moving, by a controller, a movable manipulator installed at a base frame embedded in a dashboard of the vehicle to at least one selectable position of a plurality of selectable positions along a front surface of the dashboard, wherein the base frame includes recessed areas disposed opposite of each other formed by concavely deforming a portion of the base frame, such that inner side surfaces of the recessed areas face each other, and wherein the at least one selectable position of the plurality of selectable positions corresponds to a position defined by the recessed areas;
• determining, by the controller, the at least one selectable position to which the movable manipulator has moved;
• selecting, by the controller, an application to be executed according to the at least one selectable position;
• and
• displaying, by a display installed on the movable manipulator, different screens according to the selected application, wherein an entirety of the display is exposed while the movable manipulator linearly moves the display in an up-or-down.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a base frame embedded in a dashboard of the vehicle and provided with a plurality of selectable positions, wherein the base frame includes recessed areas disposed opposite of each other formed by concavely deforming a portion of the base frame, such that inner side surfaces of the recessed areas face each other;
• a movable manipulator installed at the base frame to be movable on a front surface of the dashboard and configured to move to at least one selectable position of the plurality of selectable positions along the front surface of the dashboard, wherein the at least one selectable position of the plurality of selectable positions corresponds to a position defined by the recessed areas;
• a controller configured to select an application to be executed according to the at least one selectable position to which the movable manipulator has moved and to control operation of the movable manipulator to execute an operation that corresponds to the selected application;
• and
• a display installed on the movable manipulator and configured to display different screens according to the selected application,
• wherein an entirety of the display is exposed while the movable manipulator linearly moves the display in an up-or-down direction.

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

• program instructions for moving a movable manipulator installed at a base frame embedded in a dashboard of a vehicle to at least one selectable position of a plurality of selectable positions along a front surface of the dashboard, wherein the base frame includes recessed areas disposed opposite of each other formed by concavely deforming a portion of the base frame, such that inner side surfaces of the recessed areas face each other, and wherein the at least one selectable position of the plurality of selectable positions corresponds to a position defined by the recessed areas;
• program instructions for determining the at least one selectable position to which the movable manipulator has moved;
• program instructions for selecting an application to be executed according to the at least one selectable position;
• and
• program instructions for displaying via a display installed on the movable manipulator different screens according to the selected application, wherein an entirety of the display is exposed while the movable manipulator linearly moves the display in an up-or-down direction.