Steering input apparatus and vehicle

• US 10,501,114 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Hyungseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/339,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20170197656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0457 characterised by control features of the drive means as such
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/06 fluid, i.e. using a pressurised fluid for most or all the force required for steering a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/04 responsive only to forces disturbing the intended course of the vehicle, e.g. forces acting transversely to the direction of vehicle travel

Abstract

A steering input apparatus includes a steering input apparatus including a power provision unit for providing power to rotation input through a steering wheel, an interface unit for receiving object information indicating an object located in front of or around a vehicle, and a processor for adjusting manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel by controlling the power provision unit based on the object information.

Claims

1. A steering input apparatus comprising:

a power provision unit configured to provide power to a rotation input through a steering wheel;

an interface configured to receive information; and

a processor configured to adjust a manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel by controlling the power provision unit based on the information,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

divide the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel into a plurality of levels according to object information for a detected object received by the interface, to adjust the manipulation sensitivity, and

adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel by dividing the manipulation sensitivity into a plurality of different levels according to the type of the detected object, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel to one of the plurality of different levels according to an expected weight or expected size of the detected object, and

adjust, as the expected weight or the expected size of the detected object increases, the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel to a level indicating a lower manipulation sensitivity,

wherein the interface is further configured to receive, from a camera module for acquiring a front view image of a vehicle, object information indicating an object detected in the front view image,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel based on the object information,

wherein the interface is further configured to receive travel speed information about the vehicle,

wherein the object information is information indicating a driving lane in front of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel based on the driving lane information and the travel speed information,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel according to a curvature of the driving lane when the driving lane is a curved lane,

wherein the interface is further configured to receive position information about the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when understeer occurs during travel of the vehicle in the curved lane such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction of occurrence of the understeer is lower than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction of occurrence of the oversteer,

wherein the object information comprises location information about a large vehicle, a median strip, a median barrier, a guardrail, a street tree or a streetlight,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction in which the vehicle faces the object is lower than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle faces the object, and

wherein the processor is further configured to gradually lower manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction in which the vehicle faces the object when the vehicle approaches the object.

2. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that a manipulation sensitivity to a first-direction rotation input of the steering wheel is different from a manipulation sensitivity to a second-direction rotation input of the steering wheel.

3. The steering input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that the manipulation sensitivity to the second-direction rotation input of the steering wheel is lower than the manipulation sensitivity to the first-direction rotation input of the steering wheel.

4. The steering input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that when the second-direction rotation input is received with the steering wheel rotated by a first rotational displacement in a first direction, the manipulation sensitivity to the second-direction rotation input is lower than the manipulation sensitivity to the first-direction rotation input with respect to the first rotational displacement.

5. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to gradually lower the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when a rotational displacement of the steering wheel increases according to the rotation input of the steering wheel.

6. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the power provision unit to rotate the steering wheel by a predetermined displacement in a second direction when a first-direction rotational displacement is greater than or equal to a reference value.

7. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power provision unit comprises a hydraulic power provision apparatus, an electrohydraulic power provision apparatus or a motor-driven power provision apparatus.

8. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel according to the travel speed information when the driving lane is a straight lane, and the travel speed information is higher than or equal to a reference speed.

9. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when oversteer occurs during travel of the vehicle in the curved lane such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction of occurrence of the oversteer is lower than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction of occurrence of the oversteer.

10. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive information indicating a strong wind section of a road, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when the vehicle travels in the strong wind section such that the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel is lower than when the vehicle travels on a section of the road other than the strong wind section.

11. The steering input apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the interface is configured to receive information indicating a wind direction, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction in which the vehicle faces wind is lower than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle faces the wind.

12. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object information comprises information indicating light infiltrating the vehicle, a pothole located in a driving lane, a slippery section, or a construction section, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when the object information is received such that the manipulation sensitivity is lower than when the object information is not received.

13. The steering input apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to gradually lower the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel when the vehicle approaches the object.

14. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel according to a number of detected vehicles.

15. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive lane change information, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel according to the lane change information such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction of a guide on a lane change is higher than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction of the guide on the lane change.

16. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive, from a camera module for acquiring a surroundings image of a vehicle, object information indicating an object detected in the surroundings image, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel based on the object information.

17. The steering input apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the object information is information indicating an other vehicle located in a lane neighboring a driving lane of the vehicle and behind the vehicle, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to the rotation input of the steering wheel such that a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction in which the vehicle faces the other vehicle is lower than a manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle faces the other vehicle.

18. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive driver status information, and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel based on the driver status information.

19. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manipulation sensitivity output unit,

wherein the processor is configured to output information about the manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel through the manipulation sensitivity output unit.

20. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a grip position sensor configured to sense a grip position on a rim of the steering wheel,

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel according to the grip position.

21. The steering input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a grip pressure sensor configured to sense a grip pressure on a rim of the steering wheel,

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the manipulation sensitivity to a rotation input of the steering wheel according to the grip pressure.

22. A vehicle comprising the steering input apparatus according to claim 1.