Patents by Inventor Christoph Wäller

Christoph Wäller has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130047112
    Abstract: A method for operating a user interface, wherein at least one flat graphics object is shown on a display surface in a first view showing a first side of the object and in a second view showing the second side of the object. On different sides of the object, different information is shown and the view of the graphics object is varied such that, in a perspective view on the display surface, the graphics object rotates from the first side to the second side when a first or a second control signal has been triggered. Different information is shown on the second side after a rotation from the first side to the second side depending on whether the first or the second control signal has been triggered. Also disclosed is a device for providing such a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: X
    Inventor: Christoph Wäller
  • Patent number: 8370058
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a display device in a motor vehicle, the display device displays a geographic map having elements which are assigned geographic positions and which are displayed on the displayed map at the geographic positions they are assigned. The relevance of the elements displayable on the map for the user is evaluated and an automatic decision is made as a function of the result of the evaluation as to which elements are displayed at the geographic positions they are assigned. A display device in a motor vehicle includes a control device, a display connected to the control device, a memory or a plurality of memories for storing data for displaying a geographic map and for storing elements that are assigned geographic positions and which are displayable on the displayed map at the geographic positions they are assigned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Andreas Ebert, Jens Fliegner, Yongmei Wu, Heino Wengelik
  • Publication number: 20120109525
    Abstract: A navigation system, particularly for a motor vehicle, determines the position of the navigation system or the motor vehicle and for determining a route to a destination. The navigation system includes a display for presenting variable information and a transparent touchscreen arranged above the display or a touchpad arranged independently of the display for recognizing the position of a touch on the touchscreen or the touchpad. The navigation system also includes a controller for displaying a map presentation on the display as a first operator control area and for displaying at least one second operator control area on the display. A contact-based dragging movement using the touchscreen over the first operator control area allows movement of the map presentation, rotation of the map presentation or inclination of the map presentation to be executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: Christoph Waeller
  • Publication number: 20120098768
    Abstract: A method for controlling a graphical user interface, wherein a menu is defined, in which several objects of the menu are each associated with a function, and a global input gesture is associated with at least a part of the objects, wherein the input gesture can be executed on a touch-sensitive surface of an input device and different display contents can be displayed on a display surface. In the method, a global input gesture executed on the touch-sensitive surface is captured and, independently of the currently rendered display content on the display surface, a function is executed, which is associated with the object that is associated with the captured input gesture. Further disclosed is an operating device for executing the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Lennart Bendewald, Stefan Henze, Christoph Wäller, Volkmar Wagner, Frank Hauschild
  • Publication number: 20120032899
    Abstract: In a method for operating a motor vehicle having a display for displaying variable information, and a touch screen, situated above the display, for inputting commands by touching the touch screen, an operating element for operating a function of the motor vehicle is shown by the display, by touching the touch screen in the region of the operating element, and the function of the motor vehicle is executed based on a gesture of a hand executed in the vicinity of the touch screen, without touching the touch screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Katharina Bachfischer
  • Patent number: 8095307
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a map display in a vehicle, a display device is controlled such that a section of a geographical map is displayed in a spatially non-linear scale. A display apparatus for displaying a geographical map includes a control unit and a display device, connected to the control unit, a map section, the control unit including an arithmetic-logic unit by which data assigned to the geographical map is able to be converted into display data, taking a spatially non-linear scale into consideration. A navigation system includes such a display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Ebert, Jens Fliegner, Christoph Waeller, Lorenz Bohrer, Heino Wengelnik, Joerg Lilienthal
  • Publication number: 20110227718
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-function display and operating system (2) in a motor vehicle (1) and to a method for operating such a system. The multi-function display and operating system (2) comprises at least one display device (6) for displaying information, a control unit (3) controlling the representation of information on a display surface (7) of the display device (6), at least two operating units for capturing user inputs, wherein the control unit (3) is designed to control the representation of the information displayed to support the user inputs on the display surface (7) of the display device (6) by means of different operating displays (21, 23) which are each adapted to one of the at least two operating units via which a user input is captured or for which an operating intention for a user input is captured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Christoph WÄLLER, Michael MISCHKE
  • Publication number: 20110221696
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operator control apparatus and to a method for operating an operator control apparatus which comprises at least one operator control element for capturing user inputs and an approach recognition device which is designed to sense an approach by an actuating element, in particular a body part, of a user to the operator control element before the at least one operator control element is touched, wherein the approach recognition device comprises a reflection light barrier, which has at least one lamp (22a-22d) for emitting electromagnetic detection radiation (35) in front of the at least one operator control element into a physically limited detection area (4) which does not cover an entire volume in front of the at least one operator control element, and a reception element (28) for detecting a detection radiation (35) component which is scattered and/or reflected at the actuating element of the user during an approach to the at least one operator control element, wherein the approach
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Christoph Wäller, Katharina Bachfischer, Lennart Bendewald
  • Publication number: 20110205162
    Abstract: In a method for displaying information in a motor vehicle, a plurality of objects are represented graphically with the aid of a display mounted in a motor vehicle. A user-interface device generates graphics data which control the display such that the graphical objects are shown disposed on a virtual, perspectively displayed ring, and that in response to an input with the aid of an input device, an arithmetic logic unit of the user-interface device alters the graphics data such that the graphical objects on the virtual ring rotate like a carousel. A corresponding display device is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Wäller, Katja Lemke, Rainer Dehmann, Mathias Kuhn
  • Publication number: 20110175843
    Abstract: A method for determining the position of an actuation element, e.g. a finger of a user, in a motor vehicle when the element approaches a surface and to a position determination device, has the following steps: generating an HF signal; coupling the HF signal into the user; transmitting the HF signal via the body of the user; receiving the HF signal that has been transmitted via the body and the actuation element, using several sensors and determining the position of the actuation element using sensor signals of the sensors, the sensor signals forming a measurement for the received signal intensity of the HF signal and are used to first calculate the position of the centre of gravity of the approaching object, in particular the approaching body part comprising the actuation element, and the position of the actuation element is calculated, taking into consideration the position of the centre of gravity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Katharina Bachfischer, Christoph Wäller, Lennart Bendewald, Peter Vikoler
  • Patent number: 7969290
    Abstract: An information device, e.g., inside a motor vehicle, includes at least one output device and a processing device, to which a memory device is assigned in which all types of vehicle data, in particular data of vehicle functions and/or vehicle elements, their operation, display or manipulation, and/or data of vehicle states, are stored, and a method is for supplying information about the mentioned vehicle data. The corresponding vehicle data, in particular vehicle functions and their operation or manipulation, and/or vehicle elements and/or their function and/or manipulation, and/or vehicle states and/or their change are displayed in animated fashion on the at least one output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Yongmei Wu, Thorsten Bohnenberger
  • Publication number: 20110148799
    Abstract: A method for operating an operator control system (1) comprises presentation of at least one operator control panel (5-9) on a display unit (2), wherein the at least one operator control panel (5-9) is provided for a user to touch in order to operate a operator control function, detection of a touch (10-12) on a touch-sensitive interface (3) by the user, determination of whether the at least one operator control panel (5-9) has been hit during the touch (10-12) by virtue of coordinates of the touch (10-12) being compared with coordinates of the at least one operator control panel (5-9), and enlarged presentation of the at least one operator control panel (5-9) if no operator control panel (5-9) has been hit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventor: Christoph Wäller
  • Publication number: 20110121958
    Abstract: In a device and a method to produce a user recognition signal upon an actuation by a user in a vehicle using a control unit linked with a transmitter and receiver which are disposed relative to one another to set up a user-specific high frequency transmission path therebetween upon actuation by the the user, at least one HF signal is provided and transferred through the body of the user, the HF transfer is evaluated to determine the user-specific transmission path to identify the user, and a user recognition signal is produced that identifies the user, wherein using at least one detection unit an action of the user is detected or an action presence is monitored, and in the detection of the action an action signal is produced, and the transmitter only provides the one HF transmission signal after or upon the existence of an action signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Wäller, Lennart Bendewald, Katharina Bachfischer, Lorenz Bohrer
  • Publication number: 20110109578
    Abstract: A display device (3) is coupled to a touch-sensitive position detection unit (5) and a control unit (6) is coupled to the display device (3) and the position detection unit (5). The control unit has an evaluation logic (8) that evaluates touched positions (9) detected by the position detection unit (5) and uses the positions to influence the control of the representation of information on the display device (3) and the calling up of functions and/or the control of systems (11) that can be operated via the display and control device (1). The evaluation logic (8) is designed to evaluate the detected touched positions (9) in a time-resolved manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Wäller, Katharina Bachfischer, Lennart Bendewald, Heino Wengelnik, Matthias Heimermann, Jan-Lars Dalchow
  • Publication number: 20110106446
    Abstract: A display system includes a display for the graphic representation of changeable information, an operating unit for the control of the displayed information by a user, a proximity sensor which is arranged to detect an approach of the user to the operating unit, and a control unit. The control unit is coupled to the display, the operating unit and the proximity sensor. The control unit is arranged such that, as a function of an approach of the user to the operating unit, it alters the representation of the changeable information, such that a time rate of display change of the graphic representation of the changeable information is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Matthias Heimermann
  • Publication number: 20110022393
    Abstract: In a method for multimode information input and/or adaptation of the display of a display and control device, input signals of different modality are detected which are supplied via the device to a voice recognition unit, thus initiating a desired function and/or display as an output signal, which are displayed on the device and/or output by voice output. Touch and/or gesture input signals are provided on or to the device for selection of an object intended for interaction and activation of the voice recognition unit and for the vocabulary which is provided for interaction to be restricted with the selection of the object and/or activation of the voice recognition unit as a function of the selected object, on the basis of which a voice command from the restricted vocabulary is added to the selected object as an information input and/or for adaptation of the display, via the voice recognition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Wäller, Moritz Neugebauer, Thomas Fabian, Ulrike Wehling, Günter Horna, Markus Missall
  • Publication number: 20100286867
    Abstract: The vehicle system, controlled by control inputs, provides functionalities in the motor vehicle (1) and has an interface (9) for acquiring the control inputs and outputting data as well as a control device (5) for controlling the functionalities in accordance with the acquired control inputs. A storage medium (7) on which instructions explaining the functionalities and/or operation are stored is linked to the control device (5). The control device (5) is designed to retrieve instructions from the storage medium (7) and output the same as part of the instructions via the interface (9). The vehicle system (3, 3?) can be operated in an assistance mode in which the user inputs are interpreted and evaluated as control inputs for the functionalities while instructions explaining the respective activated functionality and/or other operational options are additionally output at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Ralf Bergholz, Michael Daginnus, Gabriel Schwar, Yongmei Wu, Christoph Wäller, Lennart Bendewald, Thorsten Bohnenberger, Katja Lemke, Karl Rox, Stefan Schulz, Jörg Lilienthal
  • Publication number: 20100171767
    Abstract: In a method for displaying information in a motor vehicle, including a display device having a display with which different content may be displayed as a function of the viewing angle, basic information is shown for a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle, and in addition to the basic information, first supplementary information is shown for the first viewing angle and second supplementary information is shown for the second viewing angle. Furthermore, an information system is adapted for implementing the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Jens Fliegner
  • Publication number: 20100149072
    Abstract: In a method for operating vehicle devices in which different information is shown for different viewing angles on a display of a display device, seating positions of users are assigned to the viewing angles, the position of an object in a switching zone is detected and a switching signal assigned to the switching zone is generated, the seating position of a user assigned to the object is identified, and a control signal for the vehicle devices and/or the display device is generated as a function of the switching signal and of the seating position of the user who triggered the switching signal. Furthermore, an operating device for vehicle devices includes an input unit and a display unit having a display with which different information is able to be displayed for different viewing angles, seating positions of users being assigned to the respective viewing angles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Katharina Bachfischer, Joerg Lilienthal
  • Publication number: 20100106399
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a display device in a motor vehicle, the display device displays a geographic map having elements which are assigned geographic positions and which are displayed on the displayed map at the geographic positions they are assigned. The relevance of the elements displayable on the map for the user is evaluated and an automatic decision is made as a function of the result of the evaluation as to which elements are displayed at the geographic positions they are assigned. A display device in a motor vehicle includes a control device, a display connected to the control device, a memory or a plurality of memories for storing data for displaying a geographic map and for storing elements that are assigned geographic positions and which are displayable on the displayed map at the geographic positions they are assigned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Christoph Waeller, Andreas Ebert, Jens Fliegner, Yongmei Wu, Heino Wengelik