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A new human machine interface (HMI) switch control concept was proposed and evaluated with a driver simulator-based simulation analysis as described in the study of Kiyotaka Sasanouchi [1]. This new concept provides an integrated interface for the vehicle driver to operate on-board devices such as audio, multimedia, HVAC, and navigation systems. To further study and evaluate the benefits of the new concept and more importantly the detailed design factors, a prototype system has been developed and then installed in a production vehicle. The experience learned through this development project is presented in this paper. Some key design issues are addressed, including the multi-functional switch design, menu tree optimization, visual feedback display presentation, and vehicle system interface. Results from an internal customer test ride and survey are also presented to demonstrate the performance and benefits of the new HMI concept design.

Recently, more and more advanced and sophisticated systems have been equipped on a vehicle for greater driving comfort and convenience. When operating these systems during the driving, however, the driver tends to be induced by the distractive behavior and also his/her workload will be increased. Various methods have been investigated and implemented as solution to this problem, but analysis showed that the driver distraction is still an issue of concern and thus the operation safety remains as a critical problem. To address such kind of problems, a new HMI system concept is proposed and evaluated in this study. This new HMI concept essentially is a remote switch control unit, located on steering wheel, incorporating with a head up display (HUD) for interactive communication. A PC based prototype model was developed for the concept demonstration.

A new compact angular rate sensor using quartz crystal was developed for automotive braking systems or vehicle navigation systems. The sensor's operation is based upon Coriolis force imposed on a vibrating bimorph quartz tuning fork. The reasons we used quartz crystal for the tuning fork are summarized below: Quartz crystal's piezoelectric characteristics are beneficial for both inducing vibration in the driving tine elements and detecting Coriolis forces on the sense tine element. Quartz has stable resonant characteristics due to its high Q value (low energy loss). The control circuit has a one-chip C-MOS ASIC which consists of both a digital memory and an analog circuit. Adjustments of gain, zero and temperature offset are achieved using digital calibration.

Recently there is demand for rotation sensors capable of high-accuracy detection and very low-speed detection of rotation at high temperature for automobile use. To meet this requirement, a rotation sensor using an InSb thin-film magneto-resistors with good thermal stability has been developed. This sensor transduces magnetic flux change due to gear rotation to resistance change. It is composed of InSb thin-film magneto-resistors fabricated by a newly developed process and signal shaping circuits where resistor signals are converted to digital signals using no amplifier. Accordingly, the signals are independent of the measured frequencies, making possible very low speed (0 to 20 Hz) detection. The sensor stably operates in the temperature range from -40 to 150 degree C for thousands hours. There is no need for a shielded harness due to the digital output signal.