Patent ID: 8384666
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An input device for a vehicle, the input device (i) being communicatable with an in-vehicle apparatus of the vehicle and an external display unit that displays a window and a selectable image item for operation of the in-vehicle apparatus, (ii) enabling a user to input spatial data to the external display unit remotely from the external display unit, (iii) configured to determine a pointed point on the window based on the inputted spatial data, (iv) causing the external display unit to discriminably display information associated with the pointed point on the window, and (v) configured to receive a selection manipulation directed to the selectable image item located at the pointed point and configured to input data associate with the selection manipulation to the in-vehicle apparatus, the input device comprising: a manipulation member that receives a load from the user and is two-dimensionally movable in a movable region in response to the load, the manipulation member being a single manipulation knob; a force generation unit that generates and applies a force to the manipulation member, the force depending on a position of the manipulation member; an input mode switch section that switches an input mode between an absolute input mode and a relative input mode, the switching of the input mode depending on a situation of an operation target of the subject input device, a setting section that sets the reference position of the manipulation member for the relative input mode when the input mode section switches the input mode from the absolute input mode into the relative input mode, in such manner that the reference position of the manipulation member is set to the position of the manipulation member in the absolute input mode that is being switched into the relative input mode; a force control section that controls the force generation unit in the relative input mode, in such manner that: a controller that controls that the pointed point on the window, wherein: when the selection manipulation directed to the displayed absolute mode image item is performed in the absolute input mode, wherein the force control section controls the force generation unit to return the manipulation member to the reference position of the manipulation member and the controller returns the pointed point to a same point between the relative mode image items that the manipulation member selects in the relative input mode, the reference position being the position where the pointed point on the window is between the plurality of relative mode image items, when the load is no longer received by the manipulation member in the relative input mode.