Abstract: An operating method for a vehicle having at least one toggle switch with which, when it is activated, it is possible to change between at least two assigned applications or application groups, and an associated operating system. After activation of the toggle switch has been detected, activation states of at least two assigned applications or application groups are determined, and at least one of the assigned applications or application groups is activated as a function of the determined activation states. A predefined basic state of a predefined application or application group or a stored last state of an application or application group which is activated last is set if all the applications or application groups which are assigned to the toggle switch are in a first state.

Abstract: The invention relates to an operator control system (1) for a vehicle, having a manual activation means (3) with a plurality of degrees of freedom of adjustment for selecting and/or activating entries in a menu structure with a plurality of menu levels, and a screen display (2) having a plurality of display areas for representing the menu structure, wherein the display areas each comprise at least one field for displaying one of the entries. According to the invention, a plurality of fields which can be selected and/or activated using the manual activation means (3) are arranged in an active display area in at least one menu level for operating a plurality of adjustable vehicle functions, wherein in the active display area a representation of the vehicle is displayed and the currently adjustable function is displayed in a visually highlighted fashion on said representation as a function of a current selection.