Steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle

• US 20080023253A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Neumann, Delf, Keudel, Frederike, Prost-Fin, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/400
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/026 varying hardness or support of upholstery, e.g. for tuning seat comfort when driving curved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 : Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 : having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 : Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a steering wheel and a display device mounted on the steering wheel. The display device is functionally linked with a sensor device to be mounted on the motor vehicle for detecting a parameter of the motor vehicle and adapted to display the parameter detected by the sensor device. The sensor device is coupled to a functional unit of the motor vehicle for passing on or converting energy and/or information. The functional unit being adapted and configured to display to a driver a suggestion for adjusting the parameter via the display device. The functional unit is associated with an actuator unit of the motor vehicle, which is used to adjust the parameter in accordance with the suggestion displayed by the functional unit.

Claims

1. A steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a display device arranged on the steering wheel and configured to cooperate with a sensor device arranged on the motor vehicle for detecting at least one parameter of a motor vehicle, the display device displaying the parameter detected by the sensor device;

a functional unit of the motor vehicle for forwarding or converting energy and/or information being coupled to the sensor device, the functional unit being configured to display to a driver via the display device a suggestion for adjusting a parameter of the motor vehicle; and

an actuator unit of the motor vehicle being associated with the functional unit, by which the parameter may be adjusted according to the suggestion of the functional unit;

wherein the actuator unit is arranged on the steering wheel, and

wherein the actuator unit is configured for accepting and declining the suggestion by acting on the actuator unit.

2. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the parameter comprises a confirmation of, or an alteration to, the parameter.

3. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator unit is configured to accept or decline the suggestion via a single actuation of the actuator unit.

4. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suggestion is altered by the actuator unit.

5. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional unit provides a predefinable time interval within which the actuator unit has to be actuated for an effective acceptance of the suggestion.

6. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional unit is configured as a cruise controller.

7. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is a speed of the motor vehicle.

8. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suggestion offers a limit value of the speed detected by the sensor device for acceptance, the acceptance of the suggestion effecting the restriction of the speed of the motor vehicle to the limit value of the speed by the cruise controller.

9. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is a distance from a vehicle ahead.

10. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the suggestion offers a distance from a vehicle ahead for acceptance, the acceptance of the suggestion effecting the regulation of the speed of the motor vehicle by the cruise controller, such that the distance is maintained constant.

11. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional unit provides a tolerance range activated by the actuator unit, by which the parameter is intended to fall below and/or exceed a limit value of the parameter.

12. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor device is provided and designed to read a limit value of the parameter from a display in surroundings of a motor vehicle.

13. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to select a limit value of the parameter from a data store arranged in surroundings of a motor vehicle.

14. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to select a limit value of the parameter from a GPS database.

15. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit to transmit output signals of the sensor device to the display device.

16. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is a current rotational speed of an engine of the motor vehicle.

17. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect the current gear of a transmission of the motor vehicle.

18. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the suggestion relates to a gear to be used, the acceptance of the suggestion effecting an engagement of the suggested gear.

19. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the functional unit is configured as evaluation electronics connected to the display device, which are configured to display to a driver via the display device the suggestion, at least depending on the current rotational speed and the current gear.

20. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect further parameters of a motor vehicle.

21. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the display device is configured to display the further parameters.

22. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the parameters are distances between a motor vehicle and an object in surroundings of the motor vehicle.

23. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the sensor device is a configured to convert the distances into a dimension of a parking space.

24. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect whether a parking space is large enough in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, in order to park the motor vehicle in said parking space.

25. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in one of claim 20, wherein the sensor device is configured to display information about a parking space via the display device.

26. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the functional unit is configured as control electronics connected to the sensor device, which are configured to automatically park a motor vehicle.

27. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is arranged on a steering wheel rim which at least partially surrounds a steering axis of the steering wheel.

28. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the display device is arranged in a straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel along the vertical vehicle axis above the steering axis.

29. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display driving information of a motor vehicle.

30. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one detection device arranged on the steering wheel for detecting an attentive state of a driver of a motor vehicle, the detection device being configured to activate the display device depending on the detected attentive state of the driver.

31. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 30, wherein the detection device is a camera.

32. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 30, wherein the detection device is arranged adjacent to the display device.

33. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 30, wherein the detection device is arranged on a steering wheel rim and wherein the display device is arranged on the steering wheel rim.

34. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 30, wherein the detection device is arranged along a vertical vehicle axis above a steering axis in a straight-ahead driving position of a steering wheel rim.

35. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device comprises at least two display elements.

36. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 35, wherein the detection device is arranged along the steering wheel rim between the at least two display elements.

37. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 35, wherein the distance between the detection device and respectively one of the two display elements is smaller than a width of at least one of the two display elements along the steering wheel rim.

38. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in one of claim 30, further comprising additional detection devices to detect an attentive state of a driver of a motor vehicle which activate the display device depending on the detected attentive state of the driver.

39. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 38, wherein the additional detection devices are cameras.

40. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 38, wherein the detection devices are arranged along a steering wheel rim such that at least one of the detection devices is arranged irrespective of a position of the steering wheel rim along a vertical vehicle axis above a steering axis.

41. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 27, further comprising a hub body which may be rotated about a steering axis and which is connected to the steering wheel rim via at least one spoke.

42. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 41, further comprising a region of the steering wheel rim which comprises the at least one display device.

43. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 42, further comprising an airbag module arranged on the hub body with an airbag, which may be deployed to protect the driver in a main deployment direction extending along the steering axis and when deployed may impact against a region of the steering wheel rim transverse to the steering axis.

44. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 43, wherein the region of the steering wheel rim cooperates with the airbag such that said airbag, when impacting against the region, is deflected in the main deployment direction.

45. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 44, wherein the region for deflecting the airbag which is being deployed comprises a deflecting ramp.

46. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 44, wherein the region for deflecting the airbag which is being deployed comprises a surface with a low coefficient of friction.

47. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is an optical display.

48. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 47, wherein the optical display comprises at least one LED.

49. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 47, wherein the optical display comprises a plurality of LEDs.

50. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 49, wherein the optical display comprises an LED field.

51. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 47, wherein the optical display comprises a screen.

52. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is an acoustic display.

53. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is a haptic display.

54. The steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect a limit value of a parameter of a motor vehicle.

55. A method for adjusting a limit value of the speed of a motor vehicle with a steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising the following steps:

detecting a limit value of the speed of a motor vehicle by the sensor device;

displaying the limit value of the speed detected by the sensor device via the display device, the acceptance of a limit value of the speed detected by the sensor device being suggested to a driver by a cruise controller via the display device;

accepting or declining the suggestion by an actuator unit arranged on the steering wheel; and

after accepting the suggestion, regulating the speed of the motor vehicle by the cruise controller to the limit value of the speed.

56. The method as claimed in claim 55, wherein further parameters of a motor vehicle are detected by the sensor device.

57. The method as claimed in claim 56, wherein distances between a motor vehicle and objects in surroundings of the motor vehicle are detected as parameters.

58. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein the distances are automatically converted into a variable of a parking space.

59. The method as claimed in claim 58, wherein a free parking space is identified and measured by the sensor device, the free parking space being automatically verified whether the parking space is sufficiently large in order to park the motor vehicle thereon, and information about the parking space is displayed to a driver via the display device.