Retractable vehicle control

• US 10,384,683 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kapadia, Jimmy, Hinds, Brett Stanley, Ahmed, Nayaz Khalid
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louie, Wae L
• Application Number:
  US15/467,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20180273035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/00 Input parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/22 Alternative steering-control elements, e.g. for teaching purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00

Abstract

A system includes an elongate member having a connection end electrically coupleable to an attachment point at an external surface of a vehicle. The system includes a motion sensor arranged to detect motion of the elongate member. The system includes a computer that is programmed to actuate one or more subsystems in the vehicle including at least one of steering, braking, and a powertrain, based on received motion data from the motion sensor.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an elongate member having a connection end electrically coupleable to an attachment point at an external surface of a vehicle;

a motion sensor arranged to detect motion of the elongate member; and

a computer, programmed to, based on received motion data from the motion sensor, actuate one or more subsystems in the vehicle including a steering, a powertrain and, when the elongated member is in a default position, a braking.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data includes an angle of movement of the elongate member, and the computer is further programmed to actuate the one or more subsystems at least in part based on the angle of movement.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data includes an angle of movement that is an angle of deviation from an axis extending from the attachment point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data further includes an angle of rotation of the elongate member and the computer is further programmed to actuate a vehicle actuator to move in one of a forward and reverse direction based on the angle of rotation.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more second motion sensors in addition to the motion sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle receptacle and the attachment point is mountable to the vehicle receptacle.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a sliding member fittable to the vehicle receptacle, wherein the attachment point moveably couples the elongated member and the sliding member.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine that the control device is in the stowed position upon determining that a distance between a cavity first end and a sliding member first end is less than a distance threshold;

the cavity being defined by walls of the vehicle receptacle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment point further includes a coupling that releaseably and moveably couples the elongated member to the external surface of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated member has a deployed position and a stowed position.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data further includes a movement of the elongated member in a plane parallel to a ground surface and extending from the attachment point.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data further includes a movement of the elongated member in a plane perpendicular to a ground surface and extending from the attachment point.

13. A method, comprising:

electrically coupling a connection end of an elongate member to an attachment point at an external surface of a vehicle, wherein a motion sensor is arranged to detect motion of the elongate member; and

based on received motion data from the motion sensor, actuating one or more subsystems in the vehicle including a steering, a powertrain and, when the elongated member is in a default position, a braking.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising actuating the one or more subsystems at least in part based on an angle of movement of the elongated member, wherein the motion data includes the angle of movement of the elongate member.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the motion data further includes an angle of movement that is an angle of deviation from an axis extending from the attachment point.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising actuating a vehicle actuator to move in one of a forward and reverse direction based on an angle of rotation of the elongated member, wherein the motion data further includes the angle of rotation of the elongate member.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the attachment point includes a coupling that releaseably and moveably couples the elongated member to the external surface of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the elongated member has a deployed position and a stowed position.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the motion data further includes a movement of the elongated member in a plane parallel to a ground surface and extending from the external attachment point.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the motion data further includes a movement of the elongated member in a plane perpendicular to a ground surface and extending from the attachment point.