MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprising at least one seating device, in particular a driver's seat, a control device for controlling at least one function of the motor vehicle and an operating device having at least one operator control device for operating the control device on the part of the user, wherein the at least one operator control device is supported on a bearing or mounting device which is designed to change the position of the operator control device as a function of a seat position.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising: at least one seat assembly; a control unit configured to control at least one function of the motor vehicle; and a control device having at least one controller for control of the control unit by a user, wherein the at least one controller is mounted on a mounting device which is configured to change a position of the controller dependent, at least in part, upon on a seat position.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mounting device is coupled in terms of movement with the seat assembly.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mounting device is movable synchronously with the seat assembly.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mounting device is arranged at least one of on or in the seat assembly.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mounting device is configured spatially separately from the seat assembly and is coupled with a movement device which is configured to change a position of the mounting device.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the movement device is configured to move the mounting device into a desired position in relation to the position of the seat assembly.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller has at least one control element comprising at least one of a touch-sensitive element, a touch input field, a push element, a button, a rotary element, a selector wheel, a rocker element, a slide element, or MRF control element.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of: a driving state of the motor vehicle; a driving mode of the motor vehicle; a current gear of the motor vehicle; an infotainment function; an entertainment function; a driver assistance system; a comfort function; an air-conditioning system; or a seat function.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control device has an initiation device which is configured to move the at least one controller or at least one control element of the at least one controller between an active position and an inactive position.

10. A control device for a motor vehicle, the control device comprising: at least one controller for control of a control unit by a user, the control unit configured to control at least one function of the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one controller is mounted on a mounting device which is configured to change a position of the controller dependent, at least in part, upon on a seat position.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein the mounting device is arranged at least one of in an armrest or on a seat surface of the seat assembly.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein the movement device is configured to move the mounting device into a desired position in relation to a position of a backrest of the seat assembly.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 9, wherein the initiation device is configured to at least one of uncover or deploy from a surface of at least one of the mounting device or of the seat assembly at least a part of the controller.

Description

[0027] The invention will be explained hereinbelow by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. The figures are schematic illustrations and show:

[0028] FIG. 1 a seat assembly of a motor vehicle according to the invention in a side view;

[0029] FIG. 2 a control device according to the invention in a plan view according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0030] FIG. 3 a control device according to the invention in a plan view according to a second exemplary embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 4 a control device according to the invention in a plan view according to a third exemplary embodiment; and

[0032] FIG. 5 a control device according to the invention in a plan view according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a detail of a motor vehicle (not shown), comprising a control device 1, a seat assembly 2, for example a driver's seat, and a control unit 3 which is connected to the control device 1. In this exemplary embodiment, the control device 1 is configured to control at least one function of the motor vehicle, wherein control of the control unit 3 by the user is possible by means of the control device 1. To this end, the control device 1 has a controller 4 by means of which the user of the motor vehicle can interact in order thus to control the control unit 3 and accordingly control the at least one function of the motor vehicle.

[0034] The controller 4 can be configured in particular to control a driving state of the motor vehicle, in particular a driving mode and/or a current gear, and/or an infotainment function and/or an entertainment function and/or a driver assistance system and/or a comfort function, in particular an air-conditioning system or a seat function. Ultimately, it is thus possible to control one or more arbitrary functions of the motor vehicle or different devices of the motor vehicle in that the user operates the corresponding controller 4, with which one or more functions can be associated. To this end, the controller 4 can have a plurality of control elements or can have multifunctional control elements, with each of which one or more functions is/are associated. Likewise, the control device 1 can have a plurality of controllers 4 for different control tasks.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the controller 4 is mounted in a mounting device 5, namely in an armrest 6 of the seat assembly 2. The mounting device 5 is configured to change the position of the controller 4 in dependence on a seat position. In other words, the controller 4 is arranged in the armrest 6 of the seat assembly 2 and thus coupled in terms of movement with the seat assembly 2. If the user places his arm on the armrest 6 so that his hand coincides with the position of the controller 4, this operating position is maintained in the case of an adjustment of the seat position, for example of a position of a backrest 7 of the seat assembly 2, or an adjustment of the position of a seat surface 8 of the seat assembly 2.

[0036] In other words, it is possible, independently of the chosen seat position, in particular in relation to a longitudinal axis and/or a transverse axis and/or a vertical axis of the motor vehicle or of the seat assembly 2, to keep an operating position constant so that comfortable operation of the controller 4 is possible. The controller 4 can thereby be integrated directly into the armrest 6 and thereby coupled with the seat assembly 2, or the mounting device 5 can be in the form of an additional movable unit which is movable relative to the armrest 6. In the last-mentioned case it is additionally possible to adjust an operating position of the controller 4 relative to the armrest 6, and thus to the seat assembly 2, in which the controller 4 is moved by means of the mounting device 5. The position of the controller 4 chosen by means of the mounting device 5 is clearly maintained in relation to the seat assembly 2 when the seat assembly 2 is adjusted into a different seat position.

[0037] In this exemplary embodiment, the controller 4 has a control element 9 which is in the form of an MRF rotary pushbutton and accordingly has an MRF actuator 10 which is connected to the control unit 3. It is thereby possible, in dependence on the currently chosen control task, to adapt the viscosity of the carrier fluid in the MRF actuator 10 in order thus to provide the user with haptic feedback as to which control task is currently being performed.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the controller 4 of the control device 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The armrest 6 has an arm support 11 on which part of the arm of a user can be placed, for example the ulna or the elbow of the user, wherein a hand of the user can rest on the controller 4 in order to operate it. By means of the mounting device 5 it is further possible to move, for example displace in translation or incline, the controller 4 relative to the armrest 6. As described hereinbefore, it is likewise possible to integrate the mounting device 5 fixedly in the armrest 6, so that the controller 4 is configured so as to be coupled in terms of movement together with the armrest 6.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a control device 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment, wherein the controller 4 and a further controller 12 are provided. The controller 4 again has a control element 9 which is in the form of an MRF rotary pushbutton. In this exemplary embodiment, the control element 9 additionally has a touch input field on the upper side of the control element 9, via which, for example, gesture control or further touch-sensitive inputs can take place. The controller 4 can thereby be associated, for example, with infotainment or comfort applications, for example in order to control a multimedia system of the motor vehicle. The controller 12 can be provided for further functions of the motor vehicle, for example for controlling a driving state, in particular a gear selection.

[0040] The two controllers 4, 12 can be mounted via the mounting device 5 in the armrest 6 of the seat assembly 2, wherein the mounting device 5 can again be movable relative to the armrest 6. As described hereinbefore, it is likewise possible that the mounting device 5 is fixedly connected to the armrest 6.

[0041] In order to initiate the controllers 4, 12, that is to say to move them between an active position and an inactive position, the control device 1 has an initiation device 13. In this exemplary embodiment, the initiation device 13 is configured to deploy the controllers 4, 12 from the surface of the armrest 6, or to retract them into the surface and cover them. It is thus possible, if the user of the motor vehicle wishes to use the controllers 4, 12 in order to control one or more functions of the motor vehicle, to initiate the controllers 4, 12, that is to say to uncover them from the inactive position, in which the controllers 4, 12 are arranged in the armrest 6 and covered by a corresponding cover element (not shown), and deploy them from the surface of the armrest 6.

[0042] It is thereby possible to retract the controllers 4, 12, if they are not needed, and thus remove them from the field of activity of the user. This increases the comfort of the user, since the controllers 4, 12 are not arranged on the surface of the seat assembly 2 when they are not needed. Furthermore, accidental operation or incorrect operation of the controllers 4, 12 is prevented, since they are not accessible in the inactive position.

[0043] Further forms of initiation are of course likewise possible, so that the controllers 4, 12 can also be folded away or otherwise removed from the field of activity of the user. It is likewise conceivable that the function of the controllers 4, 12 is deactivated when they are changed to the inactive position so that, although they remain spatially in the same position, they no longer have any function. Should the user of the motor vehicle wish to use the controllers 4, 12 again, they can of course be brought into the active position again.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the control device 1 according to the invention, or of the motor vehicle according to the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, a controller 4 which has a control element 9 and a further control element 14 is provided. The control element 9 is in the form of an MRF rotary pushbutton, as described hereinbefore, wherein the second control element 14 is in the form of a touch display. In this example, by means of an initiation device 13 (not shown), the control element 14 can be deactivated and the control element 9 can be retracted, for example, into the surface of the control element 14. It is thereby again possible that the various control elements 9, 14 are associated with different functions which the user can perform.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the control device 1 according to the invention, in which there is provided a mounting device 5 which is configured spatially separately from the seat assembly 2 and also spatially separately from the armrest 6. As is indicated by the arrows 15, the mounting device 5 is again movable relative to the seat assembly 2, in particular relative to the armrest 6, about all movement axes and along all movement axes. Of course, it can likewise be provided to configure the mounting device 5 to be movable about only a limited selection and along a limited selection of movement axes. To this end, the mounting device 5 is coupled in terms of movement with a movement device 16 which ultimately performs the movements, that is to say moves the mounting device 5.

[0046] Thus, positioning of the mounting device 5 can be carried out by means of the movement device 16 according to the currently chosen seat position, that is to say a position of the seat assembly 2 within the motor vehicle, and in dependence on an orientation of the seat assembly 2 in the motor vehicle. If, for example, the seat assembly 2 is rotated about the vertical axis or moved laterally within the motor vehicle, the controller 4 can assume the corresponding distance from the armrest 6 again in order to keep a user's preferred operating position constant. To this end, the mounting device 5 can be moved synchronously with the seat assembly 2 in order that the controller 4 ultimately follows a movement of the seat assembly 2. It is thus possible that, in all states of the seat assembly 2, the control device 1 can be operated comfortably and the user does not have to make any additional arm movements or hand movements, for example, in order to reach the control device 1.

[0047] Of course, all the advantages, details and features shown in the individual embodiments can be interchanged with one another, applied to one another and combined with one another as desired. The individual controllers, in particular the individual control elements, can be interchanged and combined with one another as desired and arranged on different mounting devices together or on their own.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0048] 1 control device [0049] 2 seat assembly [0050] 3 control unit [0051] 4 controller [0052] 5 mounting device [0053] 6 armrest [0054] 7 backrest [0055] 8 seat surface [0056] 9 control element [0057] 10 MRF actuator [0058] 11 arm support [0059] 12 controller [0060] 13 initiation device [0061] 14 control element [0062] 15 arrow [0063] 16 movement device