Vehicle user interface unit for a vehicle electronic device

Abstract

A vehicle user interface unit for a vehicle electronic device. The vehicle user interface unit includes a three-dimensional (“3D”) display unit having a display, and is configured to display an image for perception by a user as a virtual 3D image. The virtual 3D image is at least partially located in front of the display when the user observes the display. A display control unit is configured to control the generation of the image by the 3D display unit. The virtual 3D image includes a 3D object having at least two regions located in different spatial planes. Each region includes a plurality of interaction elements. An input unit is configured to detect the location of a user-controlled object and to interpret the detection of a predefined variation of the user-controlled object as a selection of one of the interaction elements in the virtual 3D image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle user interface unit for a vehicle electronic device, comprising:
 a three-dimensional (“3D”) display unit having a display, the 3D display unit being configured to display an image perceivable by a user as a virtual 3D image at least partially located in front of the display when the user observes the display;   a display control unit configured to control generation of the image by the 3D display unit where the virtual 3D image includes a 3D object, the 3D object having at least two regions located in different spatial planes, each region of the at least two regions having interaction elements;   a detector configured to determine a position of a user's head and determine a location of the virtual 3D image based on the determined position of the user's head; and   an input unit configured to:
 determine an angle along which the user perceives the display based on the determined position of the user's head and based on the determined location of the virtual 3D image; 
 detect, from the determined perception of the user, a location of a finger of the user within a predetermined distance from at least one of the interaction elements; and 
 interpret as a selection of the at least one of the interaction elements, the detection of the location of the finger within the predetermined distance. 
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image indicating an active region of the at least two regions in which the interaction elements are selectable and interaction elements of the at least one other region are not selectable, where the active region is a region of the at least two regions that is located closer to an observing user in the virtual 3D image than the at least one other region. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is a cube or a cuboid. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is oriented with a face facing the user, the face facing the user being an active region in which the interaction elements are selectable. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the input unit is configured to detect a second predefined variation of the finger and to interpret the second predefined variation as a command to change a spatial arrangement of the at least two regions. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the display control unit is configured to change a spatial arrangement of the at least two regions by rotating the 3D object to orient a different face of the 3D object having different interaction elements to face the user. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 5 , where the input unit is configured to detect positioning of the finger of the user at a boundary or a corner of one of the at least two regions and movement of the finger over a predetermined distance as the second predefined variation of the finger. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the vehicle user interface unit is configured to provide an acoustical feedback to the user when the finger comes to within a predetermined distance of an element of the 3D object or when a selection of one of the interaction elements is detected. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the input unit includes a stereoscopic camera configured to monitor an area adjacent to a position at which the virtual 3D image is created for detecting the location and a variation of the finger. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a camera for monitoring a viewpoint from which the user observes the display, where the user interface unit is configured to determine a position at which the virtual 3D image is seen by the user observing the display based on the viewpoint.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the 3D display unit is an autostereoscopic 3D display unit. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle user interface unit of  claim 1 , where the 3D display unit is housed in a face plate of the vehicle electronic device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a vehicle user interface unit of a vehicle electronic device, the method comprising:
 generating, by a processor, a virtual three-dimensional (“3D”) image at least partially located in front of a display of a 3D display unit used to generate the virtual 3D image;   controlling, by the processor, the generation of the virtual 3D image to include a 3D object, the 3D object having at least two regions located in different spatial planes, each region of the at least two regions having interaction elements;   determining, by the processor, a position of a user's head;   determining, by the processor, a location of the virtual 3D image from a perception of the user based on the determined position of the user's head;   determining, by the processor, an angle along which the user perceives the display based on the determined position of the user's head and based on the determined location of the virtual 3D image; and   detecting, by the processor, from the determined perception of the user, a location of a finger of the user and interpreting a detection of a predefined variation of the finger as a selection of one of the interaction elements in the virtual 3D image, where the predefined variation of the finger includes movement of the finger to within a predetermined distance of an interaction element in the virtual 3D image.   
     
     
         14 . A vehicle infotainment system comprising:
 an infotainment control system for performing infotainment functions; and   a vehicle user interface unit for providing user access to control of the infotainment functions, the vehicle user interface unit having:
 a three-dimensional (“3D”) display unit having a display, the 3D display unit being configured to display an image configured for perception by a user as a virtual 3D image at least partially located in front of the display when the user observes the display; 
 a display control unit configured to control generation of the image by the 3D display unit where the virtual 3D image includes a 3D object, the 3D object having at least two regions located in different spatial planes, each region of the at least two regions having interaction elements; 
 a detector configured to determine a position of a user's head and determine a location of the virtual 3D image based on the determined position of the user's head; and 
 an input unit configured to determine an angle along which the user perceives the display based on the determined position of the user's head and based on the determined location of the virtual 3D image, to detect, from the determined perception of the user, a location of a finger of the user within a predetermined distance from at least one of the interaction elements, and to interpret a detection of a predefined variation of the finger from the determined perception of the user as a selection of one of the interaction elements in the virtual 3D image. 
   
     
     
         15 . The vehicle infotainment system of  claim 14 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image indicating an active region of the at least two regions in which the interaction elements are selectable and interaction elements of the at least one other region are not selectable, where the active region is a region of the at least two regions that is located closer to an observing user in the virtual 3D image than the at least one other region. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle infotainment system of  claim 14 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is a cube or a cuboid. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle infotainment system of  claim 14 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is oriented with a face facing the user, the face facing the user being an active region in which the interaction elements are selectable. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle infotainment system of  claim 14 , where the input unit includes a stereoscopic camera configured to monitor an area adjacent to a position at which the virtual 3D image is created for detecting the location and a variation of the finger. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicle cabin comprising:
 an electronic device having a vehicle user interface unit for providing user access to control of functions of the electronic device, the vehicle user interface unit having:
 a three-dimensional (“3D”) display unit having a display, the 3D display unit being configured to display an image configured for perception by a user as a virtual 3D image at least partially located in front of the display when the user observes the display; 
 a display control unit configured to control generation of the image by the 3D display unit where the virtual 3D image includes a 3D object, the 3D object having at least two regions located in different spatial planes, each region of the at least two regions having interaction elements; 
 a detector configured to determine a position of a user's head and determine a location of the virtual 3D image based on the determined position of the user's head; and 
 an input unit configured to determine an angle along which the user perceives the display based on the determined position of the user's head and based on the determined location of the virtual 3D image, to detect, from the determined perception of the user, a location of a finger of the user within a predetermined distance from at least one of the interaction elements, and to interpret a detection of a predefined variation of the finger from the determined perception of the user as a selection of one of the interaction elements in the virtual 3D image. 
   
     
     
         20 . The vehicle cabin of  claim 19 , where the predefined variation of the finger includes a movement of the finger to within a predetermined distance from at least one of the interaction elements, the input unit being further configured to interpret a detection of the movement as a selection of a corresponding interaction element. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicle cabin of  claim 19 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image indicating an active region of the at least two regions in which the interaction elements are selectable and interaction elements of the at least one other region are not selectable, where the active region is a region of the at least two regions located closer to an observing user in the virtual 3D image than the at least one other region. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicle cabin of  claim 19 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is a cube or a cuboid. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicle cabin of  claim 19 , where the display control unit is configured to generate the image where the 3D object is oriented with a face facing the user, the face facing the user being an active region in which the interaction elements are selectable. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicle cabin of  claim 19 , where the input unit includes a stereoscopic camera configured to monitor an area adjacent to a position at which the virtual 3D image is created for detecting the location and a variation of the finger.