Vehicle interior panel with thermal feedback

A panel for use in an interior of a vehicle, the panel comprising:

• an outer surface that faces the interior of the vehicle when installed in the vehicle, the outer surface having an interaction area;
• and
• a heat transfer device in thermal communication with the interaction area,
• wherein the panel is configured to communicate information about a vehicle system to an occupant of the vehicle when the occupant touches the interaction area via a perceptible temperature differential between the interaction area and an adjacent area of the outer surface, the heat transfer device being operable to provide the temperature differential,
• the panel further comprising a mechanical actuator configured to change an operating parameter of the vehicle system in response to manual application of a force to the actuator, wherein the actuator includes the interaction area and the heat transfer device operates to change the temperature of the interaction area to communicate the changed operating parameter.

A panel for use in an interior of a vehicle, the panel comprising:

• an outer surface that faces the interior of the vehicle when installed in the vehicle, the outer surface having an interaction area;
• a heat transfer device in thermal communication with the interaction area;
• a decorative layer located between the heat transfer device and the outer surface;
• and
• a graphic image formed along the decorative layer at the interaction area, the graphic image being indicative of a vehicle system,
• wherein the panel is configured to communicate information about the vehicle system to an occupant of the vehicle when the occupant touches the interaction area via a perceptible temperature differential between the interaction area and an adjacent area of the outer surface, the heat transfer device being operable to provide the temperature differential, and
• wherein the decorative layer is a metal layer, the heat transfer device is attached to a back side of the decorative layer, and the graphic image is on a front side of the decorative layer.