Touch sensing display device and method of detecting user input from a driver side or passenger side in a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle, comprising:

• a chassis;
• a first seat disposed on a driver side of the motor vehicle;
• a second seat disposed on a passenger-side of the motor vehicle, opposite the driver side;
• and
• an operating device, including:
• a touch-sensitive display disposed between the first seat and the second seat, a sensor configured to detect whether an object that approaches the touch-sensitive display is a driver-side approach by the object from the driver side or a passenger-side approach by the object from the passenger side, and
• a controller configured to, in a first operating mode, control the touch-sensitive display to display a screen keyboard to receive an input of a character sequence from a user on the touch-sensitive display, and, when the sensor detects the driver-side approach by the object from the driver side and the motor vehicle moves at a driving speed greater than a predetermined driving speed while in the first operating mode, the controller is further configured:
• to deactivate the first operating mode in which the screen keyboard is displayed on the touch-sensitive display so that the screen keyboard is not available to a driver positioned on the driver side, and to activate a second operating mode which differs from the first operating mode and in which an alternative input to receive the character sequence from the driver positioned on the driver side is provided through an alternative screen keyboard provided on the touch-sensitive display while the motor vehicle moves at the driving speed greater than the predetermined driving speed.

A method for receiving a character sequence from a user by an operating device in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

• displaying, in a first operating mode, via a controller of the operating device, a screen keyboard for receiving the character sequence on a touch-sensitive display;
• detecting, via a sensor, whether an object that approaches the touch-sensitive display apparatus is a driver-side approach by the object from a driver side of the motor vehicle or a passenger-side approach by the object from a passenger side of the motor vehicle opposite the driver side;
• and
• when the driver-side approach by the object from the driver side is detected and the motor vehicle moves at a driving speed greater than a predetermined driving speed while in the first operating mode, deactivating, via the controller, the first operating mode in which the screen keyboard is displayed on the touch-sensitive display so that the screen keyboard is not available to a driver positioned on the driver side, and activating a second operating mode which differs from the first operating mode and in which an alternative input for receiving the character sequence from the driver positioned on the driver side is provided through an alternative screen keyboard provided on the touch-sensitive display while the motor vehicle moves at the driving speed greater than the predetermined driving speed.