Author: Texas Instruments (TI) company engineer Mark Toth Every day, we use mobile phones, tablet computers, laptops and even the touch screen or touch pad of the microwave oven, you may think this is a matter of course. If you have been keeping up with the development trend of the automotive industry (even if it does not matter), you may have seen various advertisements and articles that promise you that the car ’s information and entertainment system will become more like a multimedia Tablet computer—Run applications, wirelessly transmit data and multimedia content, and have touch control. This sounds great, doesn't it? Figure 1 The touch control device allows you to control navigation and infotainment with your finger like a tablet computer We can think of a lot of scenarios using mobile devices-you may be stranded at the airport, waiting to meet with friends, or in the middle of a business meeting. You will pull out your smartphone or tablet computer to send a short e-mail, read the latest online news, or watch your favorite TV show. In any case, you will watch your mobile device intently (and possibly with both ears and hands). Use your finger to slide, pinch, scroll, and click the menu, you can easily watch what you want. Now, let us return to the topic of cars. The future car driving experience is as easy as using a tablet computer now. Yes, you must pay attention to the road ahead while driving. In addition, at least one hand must hold the steering wheel, and you must always pay attention to other vehicles driving on the road when you enter the corresponding lane to turn. This doesn't look exactly like the experience of using a tablet computer, right? However, there is a way to combine mobile applications, media resources and network access experiences similar to tablet computers with user interfaces to overcome many special challenges in automobiles. Figure 2 Example of touching the home screen Using some special IC (such as: DRV2605 and DRV2667 and ERM or piezoelectric actuator, etc.) generated vibration, haptic feedback technology allows touch screen or other touch devices to provide haptic feedback. Let's look at an example. Figure 2 shows an example of a possible rough appearance of the "main" screen of the touch-sensitive central control panel. The specific feedback or effect will be different, it changes dynamically according to the button or knob being touched. Using these haptic effects, the driver can control and navigate the in-vehicle infotainment system through touch, and can minimize the time to look down at the screen. Figure 3 Haptic effects mapped to the touch screen panel Figure 3 shows the effect diagram of the screen, describing the process of different haptic effects ("microshock", "short shock", "strong shock", etc.) mapped to different areas of the touch screen. Without looking at the display, you can find the correct control area on the screen with your fingers—touching each area triggers the corresponding "find confirmation" feedback effect. When you find the correct control area, you can select it by clicking or increasing the pressure on the screen, which triggers the "select" haptic effect to confirm the input. During the process, your eyes did not leave the road in front of the car. In addition, each system's "sub-functions" (audio, navigation, car control) have their own dynamic tactile distribution map. Imagine it, it brings us unlimited possibilities! In the automotive industry, innovations in the elite of user interface design will lead the development of touch screen center consoles. So next time, if you want to learn about the "tablet-style" driving experience, go directly to the local car dealer to experience it for yourself. ——This article is selected from the “Perspective New Design Column†of the “Special Issue of Touch Technology†by Electronic Audiophile.com in October. Please indicate the source for reprinting. Xinxiang Mina Import & Export Co., Ltd. , https://www.mina-motor.cn
