Patent ID: 9671867
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: B60K,B60R,B60W,G06F

Claim:
1. A method for operating an interactive control device, the control device including a display device configured to represent information including control elements, comprising: ascertaining a control probability based on an ascertained control intention for each of a plurality of control elements represented on the display device, from a movement of a user's body part in relation to the plurality of control elements that does not activate the control elements, wherein the control intention is ascertained based on the movement of the user's body part in relation to a respective control element; ascertaining a control spotlight region corresponding to a portion of the display device encompassing an expected touch position of the user's body part on the display device, wherein the location and size of the control spotlight region is ascertained based on the ascertained control probability for each control element, the size of the control spotlight region being greater than the user's body part and smaller than the display device; and selectively adapting display of the control elements such that (i) each control element which is at least partially within the control spotlight region is proportionally optimized for activation according to the respective ascertained control probability, and (ii) control elements outside the control spotlight region are not proportionally optimized for activation; wherein the control probability for each control element is ascertained prior to activating a control action; wherein each control element which is at least partially within the control spotlight region is scaled as a function of at least one of (i) distance from the center of the control spotlight region and (ii) amount of planar overlap with the control spotlight region.