Abstract:
A touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement. The arrangement includes an interactive surface having a controllable electrostatic pressure region across a portion of the interactive surface. The arrangement further includes a controller having an algorithm programmed thereon for controlling the amount of electrostatic pressure applied to the portion of the interactive surface where the electrostatic pressure region is located. A knob is rotatably mounted to the interactive surface and receives rotational resistance from the electrostatic pressure region of the interactive surface.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a vehicle touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement connected to the touch screen. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In the field of automotive vehicle interiors, currently there are several dials, rotary switches, or knobs developed that use encoders or mechanical detents to provide feedback to a user. Additionally there have been developments that provide displays or touch screens that allow a user to touch various icons and menus in order to control functions in the vehicle. The problem with mechanical detents is that they require extra components and omitting them does not allow a user to feel the rotation of the knob making it harder to determine how far the knob has been rotated without actually looking at the knob during rotation. With regard to touch screens, there is a similar problem in that it is difficult for a user to operate or select icons and menus on a touch screen without looking at the screen because there is often no feel for the movement of a finger on the touch screen. The present invention seeks to simplify the use of mechanical detents and provide a knob configuration connectable to a touch screen that provides haptic feedback, similar to a mechanical type of knob arrangement to allow for a user to feel certain detents or stops as the knob is rotated. Additionally, the present invention is directed to an arrangement that eliminates or reduces the number of components necessary in order to create an arrangement using traditional knobs and touch screens, by providing a simple lower cost, less complicated arrangement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The subject invention relates to a touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement that includes an interactive surface having a controllable electrostatic pressure region across a portion of the interactive surface. The arrangement further includes a controller having an algorithm programmed thereon for controlling the amount of electrostatic pressure applied to the portion of the interactive surface where the electrostatic pressure region is located. A knob is rotatably mounted to the interactive surface and receives rotational resistance from the electrostatic pressure region of the interactive surface. 
         [0004]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an environmental view of the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, incorporating the arrangement in the interior of a vehicle; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective front view of the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3 a    is a cross-sectional plan view of the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3 b    is a cross-sectional plan view of the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0010]    The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
         [0011]    Referring now to all the drawings, with particular reference to  FIG. 1 , a touch screen with haptic feed back knob arrangement  10  is shown connected to an instrument panel console  12  on an interior of a vehicle  14 . The touch screen haptic feedback knob arrangement  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , is configured to be operated by a person  16 , which in the present embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  is a driver seated in the vehicle  14  interior. The touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement  10  used in the present embodiment of the invention can be used for any type of vehicle interface, including, but not limited to vehicle infotainment systems, sound radio systems, environmental HVAC systems, communications, driver interface modules, global positioning systems, vehicle lighting, vehicle audio, or virtually any other type of system in a vehicle. It is also within the scope of this invention for the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement  10  to be located at another location and be operated by a person other than a driver. For example, the arrangement  10  could be located in an area where it could be reached an operated by a passenger of a vehicle, seated to the right of the driver. It is also within the scope of this invention for the arrangement the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement  10  to be located in the rear seat area of the vehicle compartment allowing for passengers seated behind the driver to operate the arrangement. 
         [0012]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a close-up view of the touch screen with haptic feedback knob arrangement  10  is shown and includes an interactive surface  18  and a knob  20 , which is rotatable.  FIG. 3 a    shows one embodiment of the present invention, where the interactive surface  18  includes a glass or polymer surface  22  with a capacitive film  24  connected to the glass or polymer surface  22 . The interactive surface  18  can be used to electronically display one or more icons  38  including a highlighted icon  38 ′. The icons  38  and highlighted icons  38 ′ can take many different forms including, but are certainly not limited to temperature icons, file folders or numbers, or any other icon having any type of shape, color, or lettering. The information or icons displayed on the interactive display  18  are electronically controlled by a controller  13  that is used to display the icons  38 ,  38 ′ as well as control the amount of electrostatic pressure provided by the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′ and receive signals from the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′, which can be done by a user touching a touch screen or by the interaction of the user  16  with the knob  20 . 
         [0013]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3   a , the capacitive film  24  is connected over the entire interactive surface  18  thereby providing an electrostatic pressure region across the entire interactive surface so that the entire interactive surface  18  is a touch screen that can be interacted with by the person  16  touching the screen with their fingers in addition to turning the knob  20 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 b   , there is no touch screen, and instead only the knob  20  interacts with an electrostatic pressure region formed across the polymer film  24 ′ that does not cover the entire interactive surface. 
         [0014]    Both  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    show the knob  20  having a stem  28  that extends through the interactive surface  18  and is connected to a point  30 , which is a holder that contains bearings  32  disposed about the stem  28  and a spring  34  operably connected to the stem  28 . The point  30  allows for the knob  20  to be rotated about the axis A-A of the stem  28 . The spring  34  allows for the knob  20  to be depressed so that the knob  20  will move along the axis of the stem  28  in order to provide a push-button type option or feel to the knob  20 . In addition to being able to move axially, the knob  20  can be rotated and the back side  36  of the knob  20  has the interface  26  connected thereon. The interface  26  may be integrally formed with the knob  20  or may be a separate component. The interface as shown in the embodiment in  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    is a metallic collar that is in contact with the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′ in order to interact with and transmit electrostatic pressure from the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′ to the knob  20 . The transmitted electrostatic pressure can be used to create a virtual detent, which is an electrostatic pressure being transmitted to the knob  20  during rotation, which to the user feels like a mechanical detent, bump or ridge as the knob  20  turns. It is possible for the virtual detent to be any other type of feeling or sensation that can be applied by the interaction of the interface  26  with the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′. Additionally, the interface  26  can be pressed with greater pressure onto the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′ when the knob  20  is pressed by the user in the axial direction, so as to compress the spring  34  contained within the holder or point  30 . The spring  34  will cause the knob  20  to return to its original axial position when the knob  20  is no longer being pressed in the axial direction by the user. 
         [0015]    With regard to the virtual detents, the rotational interaction of the interface  26  of the knob  20  with respect to the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′ may be controlled by the controller  13  which controls the amount of electrostatic pressure applied to the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′. During rotation of the knob  20 , the rotational resistance is proportional to the amount of electrostatic pressure applied to the captive film  24 ,  24 ′ and transmitted to the interface  26  or collar to control the rotational resistance. The controller  13  controls the amount of electrostatic pressure within the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′. The controller  13  can also vary the amount of electrostatic pressure transmitted to the interface  26  to create rotational resistance of the knob  20  that feels like a build-up of force until the knob  20  rotates to a predetermined position or distance, and then the controller  13  causes the force build-up to drop very low and then begin to move or build up to a very high degree of electrostatic pressure when a second predetermined position is reached, thereby causing the rotation of the knob  20  to feel like there are detents, bumps or ridges being encountered as the knob  20  rotates. This is one example of what is considered to be a virtual detent in accordance with the present invention because the knob  20  is not mechanically encountering any mechanical detents or ridges as it rotates, but instead the feeling of the virtual detent is accomplished using electrostatic pressure being transmitted to the interface  26  through the capacitive film  24 ,  24 ′. 
         [0016]    With regard to another aspect of the invention shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3   a , the interactive surface  18  has the capacitive film  24  across its entire surface to create a touch screen viewing surface. The interactive surface  18  as shown in  FIG. 2  shows icons  38 , where one of the icons is a highlighted icon  38 ′. The user  16  can create a highlighted icon  38 ′ by simply touching the icon  38  causing it to be highlighted. Depending on how the arrangement  10  is configured, the highlighting of the icon brings up a second menu or a scale, such as for example, a scale indicating HVAC fan speed, and then the user  16  turns the knob  20  to control the fan speed of the HVAC system. In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 3 b   , the capacitive film  24 ′ does not extend across the entire interactive surface, therefore the user must turn the knob  20  to highlight a selected or highlighted icon  38 ′, and then select the highlighted icon by pressing the knob  20  axially causing the interface  26  of the knob to interact with the capacitive film  24 ′ which is part of the touch screen surface on the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 b   . Once the knob  20  has been pressed, the user may then adjust or select different options by rotating the knob  20 . For example, with regard to an HVAC system, the user  16  may then turn the knob  20  in order to control fan speed, temperature, or other variables. 
         [0017]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the essence of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.