Patent ID: 9056549
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: B60K,G06F

Abstract:
1. A control interface system for a driver of a vehicle, comprising: a touchscreen located proximate to the driver of the vehicle and, upon driver interaction therewith, operable to generate a sensor signal; a control module adapted to receive the sensor signal from the touchscreen and operable to initiate control of a vehicle function and to generate a feedback signal in response thereto, wherein the touchscreen is adapted to receive the feedback signal from the control module and is operable to provide a first and a second vibrational feedback to the driver of the vehicle in response thereto, the control module determines touch coordinates based on the sensor signal from the touchscreen; and a display embedded in an instrument panel of the vehicle remote from the touchscreen, the display displaying an indicia of the vehicle function controlled by the touchscreen and, by driver interaction therewith, a surface of the display being a virtual image of a surface of the touchscreen, wherein the control module sets a search mode when the driver interaction includes touching the touchscreen with an applied force greater than a minimum force; the control module sets a select mode after selecting the search mode when the touch coordinates of the applied force is determined to be located above a control icon of the indicia on the display; the control module provides the first vibrational feedback to the driver after setting the select mode when the touch coordinates of the applied force is determined to be located above the control icon of the indicia on the display; the control module sets an execute mode after selecting the select mode when the driver interaction includes touching the touchscreen with an applied force greater than a hard force, the hard force being greater than the minimum force; the control module executes the control of the vehicle function when the applied force greater than the hard force is maintained for a specific period of time; the control module provides the second vibrational feedback, different from the first vibrational feedback, to the driver after the applied force greater than the hard force is maintained for the specified period of time; the control module, in the search mode, determines a touch area of the touchscreen in which the applied force is greater than the minimum force and determines a virtual touch area on the virtual image corresponding to the touch area on the touchscreen, and the display provides an image of the virtual touch area on the virtual image along with the indicia of the vehicle function during the search mode; the control module determines the feedback signal based on the touch coordinates when the touch coordinates are above the control icon of the indicia on the display, and the control module provides different vibration feedbacks based on the touch coordinates; and the control module configures the feedback signal to include at least two of a haptic feedback, an audio feedback, and a visual feedback, wherein the visual feedback includes an image to instruct the driver of the driver interaction.