Rotary controller
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMatus Banyay, Martin Scheck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary controller for a vehicle apparatus such as an infotainment system has at least two operating elements which are arranged at a spacing from one another in a direction of extent of an axis of rotation of the rotary controller. The rotary controller has a receptacle on which the operating elements are mounted along with a plurality of contact-sensitive sensor elements. Each sensor element associated with a respective operating element to detect a rotational movement about the axis of rotation when a user manually contacts the respective operating element.
Claims19
Apparatus for controlling respective functions in a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a plurality of operating elements arranged cylindrically along an axis of rotation of the apparatus, wherein adjacent operating elements are separated according to a predetermined spacing;
- a plurality of contact-sensitive sensor elements, each sensor element associated with a respective operating element to detect a rotational movement about the axis of rotation when a user manually contacts the respective operating element;
- and
- components on a printed circuit board receiving electrical signals from the sensor elements and configured to (A) determine one of the functions of the motor vehicle which is associated with the respective operating element, and (B) alter a parameter value assigned to the determined function according to the detected rotational movement at the respective operating element.
An infotainment system for a vehicle comprising:
- a rotary controller comprising a plurality of operating elements and a plurality of contact-sensitive sensor elements, wherein the operating elements are arranged cylindrically along an axis of rotation of the rotary controller, wherein adjacent operating elements are separated according to a predetermined spacing, wherein each sensor element is associated with a respective operating element to detect a rotational movement about the axis of rotation when a user manually contacts the respective operating element;
- a printed circuit board comprising components which receive electrical signals from the sensor elements;
- and
- a bezel disposed between the printed circuit board and the operating elements;
- wherein each operating component is associated with a respective controllable function of the infotainment system;
- wherein the components are configured to (A) determine a respective one of the controllable functions which is associated with a respective operating element from which electrical signals are received, and (B) alter a parameter value assigned to the determined controllable function according to the detected rotational movement at the respective operating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.