MINICOMPUTER WITH A ROTATING UNIT AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE MINICOMPUTER

摘要

A minicomputer has a processor and a display unit and a communication unit and a haptic operating device. The haptic operating device has a rotatable rotating unit with a rotational resistance which can be changed by way of a control device. Selectable menu items are displayed on a display unit and a menu item is selected by rotating the rotating unit. A rotational resistance of the rotating unit is dynamically changed during a rotation of the rotating unit and the rotating unit is latched at a plurality of haptically perceptible latching points during the rotation of the rotating unit.

主权项

1. A minicomputer, comprising:
a processor, a display unit connected to said processor and a communication unit connected to said processor; a haptic operating device including a rotatable rotating unit having a rotational resistance opposing a rotation thereof; a controllable transmission apparatus operatively associated with said rotating unit and configured for dynamically changing a rotational resistance against a rotation of said rotating unit during the rotation thereof, said controllable transmission apparatus including a magnetic field generating unit and an amount of magnetorheological medium disposed to magnetically adhere to said rotating unit upon being subjected to a magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generating unit and to thereby vary the rotational resistance acting on said haptic operating device against a rotation thereof; and a control device connected to said controllable transmission apparatus and configured for dynamically adjusting the rotational resistance of said haptic operating device.