Ford global technologies, llc (20240264679). MODULAR VEHICLE HMI simplified abstract

MODULAR VEHICLE HMI

Organization Name

ford global technologies, llc

Inventor(s)

Michael John Harmon of Northville MI (US)

Douglas Field of Dearborn MI (US)

Alan Clarke of Long Beach CA (US)

Daniel Smith of Rolling Hills Estates CA (US)

Henry D. Bernardo of Southfield MI (US)

Raul Cenan of Marina Del Rey CA (US)

Minsung Kim of Irvine CA (US)

MODULAR VEHICLE HMI - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240264679 titled 'MODULAR VEHICLE HMI

Simplified Explanation:

This patent application describes a vehicle system that includes a configurable display and a human-machine interface (HMI) display system. The HMI display system is able to detect the presence of a modular programmable widget with physical controls, allowing users to configure and assign functions to these controls via the user interface.

• The system includes a configurable display for a vehicle.
• The HMI display system is in communication with the configurable display.
• It can detect the presence of a modular programmable widget with physical controls.
• Users can configure and assign functions to the physical controls via the user interface.
• The assigned functions are saved to the display settings of the HMI display system.
• In runtime mode, the system can perform the assigned functions based on user input to the physical controls.

Key Features and Innovation:

• Configurable display for a vehicle
• HMI display system with detection capabilities
• Modular programmable widget with physical controls
• User interface for configuring and assigning functions
• Saving function assignments to display settings
• Runtime mode for performing assigned functions

Potential Applications:

This technology can be applied in various vehicles, including cars, trucks, and buses, to enhance user interaction with the vehicle's controls.

Problems Solved:

This technology streamlines the process of configuring and assigning functions to physical controls in vehicles, making it more user-friendly and efficient.

Benefits:

• Improved user experience
• Customizable control settings
• Enhanced functionality of vehicle controls

Commercial Applications:

Commercial applications of this technology could include automotive manufacturers looking to differentiate their vehicles with advanced HMI systems.

Questions about Modular Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Technology:

1. How does the HMI display system detect the presence of a modular programmable widget? 2. What are the potential cost implications for implementing this technology in vehicles?

Original Abstract Submitted

a vehicle system is provided for a modular human-machine interface (hmi). the system includes a configurable display of a vehicle; and an hmi display system of the vehicle, in communication with the configurable display. the hmi display system is configured to, responsive to detection of presence of a modular programmable widget having one or more physical controls, present a user interface to the configurable display for the configuration of the one or more physical controls of the modular programmable widget, receive, via the user interface, input assigning functions to the one or more physical controls, save the function assignment to display settings of the hmi display system, and in a runtime mode, perform an assigned function responsive to user input to the one or more physical controls.