CIE-SEP09-PG16-17:Layout 1 08/09/2009 12:17 Page 17
Automotive Electronics
are made by vehicle manufacturers, to by recognizing overlap of a touch on one outcome is becoming very clear.
go one way or another; some would the diamond pattern. In the example Enhancing infotainment HMI does not
offer both as optional features. With below, the finger in the Y-axis overlaps mean making it more complex for the
both technologies emerging it is too with sensors 3 and 4 with a respective users. It is only an introduction of new
early today to pick a side. signal strength of 15 and 7. technologies in vehicles, which are
So, how do capacitive touchscreens familiar to the driver from the
work? Introduced as an emerging n Decodes the gestures based on the consumer market.
technology, capacitive touchscreens relative movement of these fingers
with gesture recognition are not a Cypress Semiconductor
distant reality with controllers available Gestures are decoded inside the | www.cypress.com
to the market, such as Cypress’ controller, and transmitted to the host Hassane El-Khoury is Automotive
automotive qualified TrueTouch system as simple gesture IDs to be business development manager at
controllers. With the average implemented as a Cypress Semiconductor Corp.
Figure 1: Zoom-Out Gesture on
automotive design cycle of 2-3 years, response on the screen.
Navigation Screen
users can expect to see the new Touchscreen
generation infotainment systems in enhancement can be
Techies or not, it is purely a usability
cars starting in 2012. With Cypress’ taken a step further with
discussion. Touchscreens are making
controllers for instance, automotive multi touch all point
their way into the automotive market,
Tier 1s and OEMs alike can start controllers, enabling
and they have for years. Capacitive
developing gesture based infotainment individual finger position
touchscreens are not changing the way
systems right out of the box. These detection for up to 10
drivers interact with their vehicle, they
controllers integrate the following fingers. This feature is
are enhancing it; the HMI concept
system functionality highlighted in found useful in dual
with touchscreen is not being
Figure 2. view screen applications
redesigned, is it being enhanced.
in automotive, allowing
When discussing HMI concepts,
n Scans the capacitive ITO (Indium Tin both driver and
voice activated systems are also
Oxide) panel using capacitive sensing passenger to interface to
emerging. However, consumers, drivers
technologies such as CSD (Sigma-Delta the infotainment unit at
included, are used to touch - gesture or
Modulator based measurement). The the same time. With dual
single. They have it today in laptops
measured signal strength is view screens starting to
with touchpads, in phones, mp3
proportional to the position of the see their first automotive
players, etc. People are used to it, they
finger relative to the ITO diamond in applications, a multi
expect it. Voice activated systems have
the sensor array – the more overlap, touch all point
been implemented in vehicles today;
the larger the signal strength. Note that touchscreen controller is
however, it needs training. From the
the ITO panel is designed to allow for a what is needed to allow
consumer side, it is a new technology,
finger to overlap multiple diamonds the driver to zoom in on a
Figure 2:
not an incremental change. Command
for accurate position calculation. map, while the passenger
Capacitive
structures have to be learned, and are
is adjusting the audio
Touchscreen
not standard across all vehicle
n Accurately determines the position volume. Whether gesture
Finger
manufacturers. HMI concept decisions
of one or multiple fingers on the panel or all point touchscreens,
Detection
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