Vehicle operation system

• US 10,310,545 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Vicky A
• Application Number:
  US15/064,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20160266602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1476 comprising switch controlling means located near the free end of the lever, e.g. press buttons, rotatable rings
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04 in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously

Abstract

A vehicle operation system includes: a longitudinal member projected and extended from a steering column; an action detecting unit disposed at the longitudinal member'"'"'s end in an extending direction and detects operation forms allocated to working forms of an onboard device; an auxiliary operation device disposed to the longitudinal member closer to the steering column than the action detecting unit is, including an annular member rotatable about the longitudinal member axis, and detecting the annular member'"'"'s rotational operation forms allocated to working forms of the onboard device; and a controller controlling the onboard device based on the rotational operation forms detected by the auxiliary operation device and the operation forms by the action detecting unit. The action detecting unit includes a contact operation detecting region detecting the operation forms and a non-detecting region projecting in the extending direction beyond the contact operation detecting region and not detecting operation forms.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation system comprising:

a longitudinal member that is projected and extended from a steering column;

an action detecting unit that is disposed at an end of the longitudinal member in an extending direction, and detects a contact operation as an operation form allocated to a working form that an onboard device has;

a rotational action detecting unit that is disposed to the longitudinal member closer to the steering column than the action detecting unit is, includes a rotating member rotatably arranged about an axis line of the longitudinal member and surrounding the longitudinal member in a circumferential direction, and detects a rotational operation on the rotating member as a rotational operation form allocated to a working form that the onboard device has; and

a controller that controls the onboard device in accordance with the operation form detected by the action detecting unit and the rotational operation form detected by the rotational action detecting unit, wherein

the action detecting unit includes a contact operation detecting region in which the operation form is detected, and a non-detecting region that projects in the extending direction beyond the contact operation detecting region and in which the operation form is not detected.

2. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein

the action detecting unit includes a contact sensor capable of detecting an object in contact with the contact operation detecting region and a direction in which the object moves, and detects the contact operation as the operation form with the contact sensor.

3. The vehicle operation system according to claim 2, wherein

the contact operation detecting region includes a first contact operation detecting region, a second contact operation detecting region, and a third contact operation detecting region each having a planar surface,

the first contact operation detecting region is interposed between a pair of non-detecting regions,

the second contact operation detecting region is disposed opposite to the first contact operation detecting region relative to one of the pair of the non-detecting regions,

the third contact operation detecting region is disposed opposite to the first contact operation detecting region relative to the other one of the pair of the non-detecting regions, and

the second contact operation detecting region and the third contact operation detecting region are each sloped in a direction away from the first contact operation detecting region toward the steering column.

4. The vehicle operation system according to claim 3, wherein

at least a combination of the longitudinal member and the action detecting unit is provided to at least one of a left side and a right side of the steering column in a lateral direction of a vehicle.

5. The vehicle operation system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a main operation device including a lever operation unit that includes the longitudinal member and a lever operation detecting unit that detects a tilt direction of the longitudinal member in a tilt action with an end of the longitudinal member close to the steering column as a fulcrum, the main operation device operating the onboard device or another onboard device different from the onboard device allocated to the tilt direction of the tilt action that corresponds to an operation direction of the longitudinal member; and

an auxiliary operation device including the action detecting unit.

6. The vehicle operation system according to claim 2, wherein

at least a combination of the longitudinal member and the action detecting unit is provided to at least one of a left side and a right side of the steering column in a lateral direction of a vehicle.

7. The vehicle operation system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a main operation device including a lever operation unit that includes the longitudinal member and a lever operation detecting unit that detects a tilt direction of the longitudinal member in a tilt action with an end of the longitudinal member close to the steering column as a fulcrum, the main operation device operating the onboard device or another onboard device different from the onboard device allocated to the tilt direction of the tilt action that corresponds to an operation direction of the longitudinal member; and

an auxiliary operation device including the action detecting unit.

8. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein

the action detecting unit includes the contact operation detecting region outwardly exposed at the end in the extending direction, and a movable member that is movable by the contact operation on the contact operation detecting region, and detects movement of the movable member as the operation form.

9. The vehicle operation system according to claim 8, wherein

at least a combination of the longitudinal member and the action detecting unit is provided to at least one of a left side and a right side of the steering column in a lateral direction of a vehicle.

10. The vehicle operation system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a main operation device including a lever operation unit that includes the longitudinal member and a lever operation detecting unit that detects a tilt direction of the longitudinal member in a tilt action with an end of the longitudinal member close to the steering column as a fulcrum, the main operation device operating the onboard device or another onboard device different from the onboard device allocated to the tilt direction of the tilt action that corresponds to an operation direction of the longitudinal member; and

an auxiliary operation device including the action detecting unit.

11. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein

at least a combination of the longitudinal member and the action detecting unit is provided to at least one of a left side and a right side of the steering column in a lateral direction of a vehicle.

12. The vehicle operation system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a main operation device including a lever operation unit that includes the longitudinal member and a lever operation detecting unit that detects a tilt direction of the longitudinal member in a tilt action with an end of the longitudinal member close to the steering column as a fulcrum, the main operation device operating the onboard device or another onboard device different from the onboard device allocated to the tilt direction of the tilt action that corresponds to an operation direction of the longitudinal member; and

an auxiliary operation device including the action detecting unit.

13. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein

the contact operating detecting region is a flat surface.

14. The vehicle operation system according to claim 13, wherein

non-detecting region includes a pair of non-detecting parts that extend away from the flat surface of the flat surface of the contact operation detecting region, and each of the non-detecting parts includes a second flat surface that is parallel to and spaced away from the flat surface of the contact operation detecting region.

15. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein

the action detection unit further includes a contact operation member that has a cylindrical shape, the contact operation member includes the contact operation detecting region, and the non-detecting region,

the contact operation detecting region includes a pair of straight sides and a pair of curved sides that connect respective ends of the straight sides to each other, and the pair of curved sides has a curvature that corresponds to the cylindrical shape of the contact operation member,

the non-detecting region includes a first non-detecting part and a second non-detecting part,

the first non-detecting part includes a first straight side and a first curved line that connecting with both ends of the first straight side, the first straight side is adjacent to one of the straight sides of the contact operation detecting region, and the first curved line has a curvature that corresponds to the cylindrical shape of the contact operation member, and

the second non-detecting part includes a second straight side and a second curved line that connecting with both ends of the second straight side, the second straight side is adjacent to a different one of the straight sides of the contact operation detecting region, and the second curved line has a curvature that corresponds to the cylindrical shape of the contact operation member.

16. A vehicle operation system comprising:

a longitudinal member that is projected and extended from a steering column;

an action detecting unit that is disposed at an end of the longitudinal member in an extending direction, and detects a contact operation as an operation form allocated to a working form that an onboard device has;

a rotational action detecting unit that is disposed to the longitudinal member closer to the steering column than the action detecting unit is, includes a rotating member rotatably arranged about an axis line of the longitudinal member and surrounding the longitudinal member in a circumferential direction, and detects a rotational operation on the rotating member as a rotational operation form allocated to a working form that the onboard device has; and

a controller that controls the onboard device in accordance with the operation form detected by the action detecting unit and the rotational operation form detected by the rotational action detecting unit,

a main operation device including a lever operation unit that includes the longitudinal member and a lever operation detecting unit that detects a tilt direction of the longitudinal member in a tilt action with an end of the longitudinal member close to the steering column as a fulcrum, the main operation device operating the onboard device or another onboard device different from the onboard device allocated to the tilt direction of the tilt action that corresponds to an operation direction of the longitudinal member; and

an auxiliary operation device including the action detecting unit, wherein

the action detecting unit includes a contact operation detecting region in which the operation form is detected, and a non-detecting region that projects in the extending direction beyond the contact operation detecting region and in which the operation form is not detected.

17. The vehicle operation system according to claim 16, wherein

at least one combination of the main operation device and the auxiliary operation device is provided to at least one of a left side and a right side of the steering column in a lateral direction of a vehicle.

18. A vehicle operation system comprising:

a longitudinal member that is projected and extended from a steering column;

an action detecting unit that is disposed at an end of the longitudinal member in an extending direction, and detects a contact operation as an operation form allocated to a working form that an onboard device has;

a rotational action detecting unit that is disposed to the longitudinal member closer to the steering column than the action detecting unit is and disposed at a position different from the action detecting unit, includes a rotating member rotatably arranged about an axis line of the longitudinal member and surrounding the longitudinal member in a circumferential direction, and detects a rotational operation on the rotating member as a rotational operation form allocated to a working form that the onboard device has; and

a controller that controls the onboard device in accordance with the operation form detected by the action detecting unit and the rotational operation form detected by the rotational action detecting unit, wherein

the action detecting unit includes a contact operation detecting region in which the operation form is detected, and a non-detecting region that projects in the extending direction beyond the contact operation detecting region and in which the operation form is not detected.