Operating device for on-vehicle equipment

• US 20070062753A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Osaka, Tadashi, Yoshida, Kazushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,649,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/333
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1484 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/085 by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9613 using two electrodes per touch switch

Abstract

An operating device capable of assuring safety when operating on-vehicle equipment of an automobile is implemented. The operating device includes force sensors buried in a grasping part of a steering wheel in a vehicle, a detector for detecting force acted on the grasping part on the basis of an output signal of each of the force sensors, and a controller for outputting an operating signal to a piece of the on-vehicle equipment mounted on the vehicle on the basis of a detected signal supplied from the detector. As a result, it is possible to operate force sensors and operate the on-vehicle equipment by adjusting force used to grip the steering wheel or pressing the steering wheel without letting go the driver'"'"'s hold of the steering wheel.

Claims

1. An operating device for on-vehicle equipment, comprising:

force sensors buried in a grasping part of a steering tool on a vehicle;

a detection module for detecting force acted on the grasping part on the basis of an output signal of each of said force sensors; and

control module for outputting an operating signal to a piece of the on-vehicle equipment mounted on the vehicle on the basis of a detected signal supplied from said detection module.

2. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said force sensors are configured to detect force in a direction different from that of steering force, from forces of hands and fingers acted on the steering tool.

3. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said force sensors are configured to detect force in a direction substantially perpendicular to a contact face of the hands or fingers that grasp the steering tool.

4. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein

said force sensors are formed by burying a pair of conductor foils having a dielectric layer between, along a grasping face of the steering tool, and

said detection module detects force acted on the grasping part, on the basis of capacitance between the pair of conductor foils.

5. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said force sensors are strain sensors.

6. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control module comprises decision module for judging the detected signal to be an operating signal for the on-vehicle equipment when a signal level of the detected signal has exceeded a first preset level.

7. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control module comprises a decision module for judging the detected signal to be a brake operating signal when a signal level of the detected signal has exceeded a second preset level preset higher than the first preset level.

8. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control module rejects inputting of the operating signal to the on-vehicle equipment when a steering signal representing that steering is being conducted by the steering tool is input.

9. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein operating contents of a piece of the on-vehicle equipment according to each of said force sensors are exhibited on a surface of a region of the grasping part in which the force sensor is buried.

10. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control module comprises a module for selecting and changing over the piece of the on-vehicle equipment operated by the operating signal on the basis of the detected signal.

11. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control module comprises an input changeover module for selecting whether to output the operating signal to the piece of the on-vehicle equipment.

13. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 1, wherein the piece of the on-vehicle equipment is at least one of a brake, an accelerator, a power window, an audio device, a car navigation device, an on-vehicle communication system, and an information terminal.

12. An operating device for on-vehicle equipment, comprising:

a plurality of force sensors buried in a grasping part of a steering wheel used to steer a vehicle so as to be divided in a circumferential direction;

a detection module for detecting force acted on the grasping part on the basis of an output signal of each of said force sensors; and

a control module for outputting an operating signal to a piece of the on-vehicle equipment mounted on the vehicle on the basis of a detected signal supplied from said detection module,

wherein said control module outputs the operating signal to a piece of the on-vehicle equipment on the basis of at least one of output signals of said force sensors detected by said detection module, sequences of the output signals of said force sensors, and combinations of them.

14. The operating device for on-vehicle equipment according to claim 12, wherein the piece of the on-vehicle equipment is at least one of a brake, an accelerator, a power window, an audio device, a car navigation device, an on-vehicle communication system, and an information terminal.