# US 9,751,406 B2 · Motor vehicle and method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,406 B2 - Document ID: US9751406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/678,453 - Filed: 2015-04-03 - Published: 2015-10-08 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-03 - Assignees: Audi AG - Applicants: Audi AG - Inventors: Michael Schlittenbauer; Marcus Kuehne; Ulrich Mueller; Megan McClain; Nathaniel Paffett-Lugassy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751406B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor - B60K 35/23: Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) - B60K 35/235: with means for detecting the driver's gaze direction or eye points - B60K 35/29: Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions - B60K 35/654: {the user being the driver} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver - B60K 2360/115: Selection of menu items - B60K 2360/141: Activation of instrument input devices by approaching fingers or pens - B60K 2360/16: Type of output information - B60K 2360/182: Distributing information between displays - B60K 2360/186: Displaying information according to relevancy - G01C 21/36: Input/output arrangements for on-board computers - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract A method controls a climate control system in a motor vehicle. The method involves displaying climate control information on a primary display, determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system, and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle. The method may therefore provide the information to the occupant of the vehicle when it is needed, before the climate control system is adjusted. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising: displaying climate control information on a primary display; determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein the secondary display is a line-of-sight display normally within a driver's line-of-sight when the driver operates the motor vehicle, and if it is determined that only a passenger's hand is approaching the manual control element, the climate control information is not displayed on the secondary display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a time-of-flight camera determines when the hand is approaching the manual control element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary display is a head-up display projected onto a windshield of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate control information is selected from the group consisting of temperature setting, fan setting and actual temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate control information remains displayed in the secondary display while the hand touches the manual control element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the climate control information is removed from the secondary display as soon as the hand is removed from the manual control element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein, when the hand is removed from the manual control element, the climate control information remains displayed on the secondary display for a time shorter than a time period that would be required for a driver to understand the climate control information if the climate control information first appeared on the secondary display only after the manual control element was moved. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the manual control element is a rotary or pushbutton controller in a control panel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate control information is displayed on the primary display at least when a driver is looking at the primary display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary display is a center console screen, the secondary display is a heads-up display or an instrument cluster display, the method further comprises determining a driver's direction of view, and the climate control information is displayed in the primary display only when the driver is looking at the primary display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein an eye-tracker camera is used to determine the driver's direction of view. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary display displays navigation information for a navigation system of the motor vehicle, and at least a part of the navigation information is excluded from the secondary display when displaying climate control information in the secondary display. ### Claim 13 A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising: displaying climate control information on a primary display; determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein the climate control information remains displayed in the secondary display while the hand touches the manual control element, and when the hand is removed from the manual control element, the climate control information remains displayed on the secondary display for a time shorter than a time period that would be required for a driver to understand the climate control information if the climate control information first appeared on the secondary display only after the manual control element was moved. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising: displaying climate control information on a primary display; determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein the primary display is a center console screen, the secondary display is a heads-up display or an instrument cluster display, the method further comprises determining a driver's direction of view, and the climate control information is displayed in the primary display only when the driver is looking at the primary display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein an eye-tracker camera is used to determine the driver's direction of view. ### Claim 16 A method for controlling a climate control system in a motor vehicle, comprising: displaying climate control information on a primary display; determining that a hand is approaching a manual control element for the climate control system; and displaying climate control information on a secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle, wherein the secondary display displays navigation information for a navigation system of the motor vehicle, and at least a part of the navigation information is excluded from the secondary display when displaying climate control information in the secondary display. ### Claim 17 A motor vehicle comprising: a climate control device having a manual control element; a primary display for climate control information; a secondary display for climate control information, the secondary display being a multi-use changeable display that, at different times, displays information for different systems of the motor vehicle; a gesture recognition device to recognize when a hand is approaching the manual control element of the climate control device; and a controller to display climate control information on the secondary display while the hand is approaching the manual control element, before the hand touches the manual control element, wherein the secondary display is a line-of-sight display normally within a driver's line-of-sight when the driver operates the motor vehicle, and if it is determined that only a passenger's hand is approaching the manual control element, the climate control information is not displayed on the secondary display.