Manual operation system

• US 20070055423A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Asada, Hiroshige, Yoshida, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0003 inside the vehicle

Abstract

A manual operation system for use in a vehicle under control of a user includes an operation unit, an actuator, a detector, a memory unit, a first control unit an interaction unit, and a second control unit. The second control unit of the manual operation system changes force data and control data used by the first control unit for controlling the actuator that actuates the operation unit based on at least one of a content of an interaction provided by the interaction unit and an operation position of the operation unit detected by the detector.

Claims

1. A manual operation system for use in a vehicle under control of a user comprising:

an operation unit for serving the user with a manual operation;

an actuator for providing an operational force for the operation unit;

a detector for detecting an operation position of the operation unit;

a memory unit for storing force data that defines a relationship between a detection result of the detector and a control value of the actuator in association with control data that defines a relationship between the detection result of the detector and a control signal for controlling an object device;

a first control unit for outputting the control value to the actuator and outputting the control signal to the object device based on the force data, the control data and the detection result of the detector;

an interaction unit for vocally providing an interaction with the user; and

a second control unit for changing the force data and the control data for use by the first control unit based on a content of the interaction provided by the interaction unit.

2. The manual operation system as in claim 1,

wherein the second control unit generates and stores a script based on the content of the interaction,

the second control unit changes at least one of the force data and the control data by executing the script,

the second control unit changes the force data by retrieving the script from the memory unit when the script stored in the memory unit is usable, and

the second control unit changes the force data by generating the script when the script stored in the memory unit is not usable.

3. The manual operation system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring information on a vehicle condition,

wherein, by taking account of the information on the vehicle condition acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, the second control unit determines at least one of two decisions whether the second control unit applies a change to at least one of the force data and the control data and whether the change to at least one of the force data and the control data is acceptable.

4. The manual operation system as in claim 1,

wherein the second control unit determines whether the second control unit sends the control signal to the object device directly based on the content of the interaction, and

the second control unit sends the control signal to the object device directly upon having the determination of direct sending of the control signal.

5. The manual operation system as in claim 1,

wherein the first control unit conveys to the second control unit a content of the control signal sent to the object device, and

a the second control unit controls the interaction unit for vocally outputting the content of the control signal received from the first control unit.

6. The manual operation system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a voice input unit in the interaction unit for inputting a voice of the user,

wherein the second control unit changes the force data stored in the memory unit based on a preset vocal command inputted to the voice input unit.

7. The manual operation system as in claim 1,

wherein the second control unit changes the force data stored in the memory unit based on the content of the interaction provided by the interaction unit.

8. The manual operation system as in claim 7,

wherein the second control unit changes the force data by considering the detection result of the detector when the interaction for changing the force data is started by the interaction unit.

9. The manual operation system as in claim 3 further comprising:

a voice input unit in the interaction unit for inputting a voice of the user,

wherein the second control unit changes the force data stored in the memory unit based on a preset vocal command inputted to the voice input unit,

the second control unit determines whether the change of the force data is acceptable based on the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, and

the second control unit changes the force data when the change of the force data is acceptable.

10. The manual operation system as in claim 3,

wherein the second control unit determines whether the change of the force data is acceptable based on the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit,

the second control unit changes the force data when the change of the force data is acceptable, and

the second control unit changes the force data stored in the memory unit based on the content of the interaction provided by the interaction unit.

11. The manual operation system as in claim 10,

wherein the second control unit changes the force data by considering the detection result of the detector when the interaction for changing the force data is started by the interaction unit.