HANDHELD CONTROLLER DEVICE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle control system comprising:
- a vehicle controller configured to control vehicle subsystems according to user inputs;
a steering implement configured to steer the vehicle;
a hand control device (HCD) affixed to a vehicle floor between front driver and passenger seats, the HCD being immovable to provide rigid structural support to a first hand of a driver while the driver manipulates the steering implement with a second hand, the HCD including a plurality of buttons on a hand grip and a keypad positioned forwardly of the hand grip, the plurality of buttons and the keypad being operable to relay user inputs to the vehicle controller, the hand grip being shaped to ergonomically and supportably match the first hand of the driver with each of the plurality of buttons being positioned on one or more sides of the hand grip below a top surface upon which a palm of the first hand rests to be supported while the driver steers the vehicle with the second hand, the keypad being positioned forwardly of the hand grip such that fingers on the first hand are able to reach forwardly to depress one or more of the plurality of buttons included on the keypad without completely disengaging the palm from the top surface.
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Abstract
A handheld controller device (HCD) used to relay user inputs to a controller, such as but not limited to a HCD to relay user inputs to a vehicle system controller that controls one or more vehicle systems according to the user inputs. The HCD may be ergonomically shaped to match the human hand in a structurally supporting, and optionally, non-movable manner to allow a driver to provide user inputs without unduly sacrificing positional support, without having to change eye level, and/or without having to locate constantly moving buttons.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle control system comprising:
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a vehicle controller configured to control vehicle subsystems according to user inputs; a steering implement configured to steer the vehicle; a hand control device (HCD) affixed to a vehicle floor between front driver and passenger seats, the HCD being immovable to provide rigid structural support to a first hand of a driver while the driver manipulates the steering implement with a second hand, the HCD including a plurality of buttons on a hand grip and a keypad positioned forwardly of the hand grip, the plurality of buttons and the keypad being operable to relay user inputs to the vehicle controller, the hand grip being shaped to ergonomically and supportably match the first hand of the driver with each of the plurality of buttons being positioned on one or more sides of the hand grip below a top surface upon which a palm of the first hand rests to be supported while the driver steers the vehicle with the second hand, the keypad being positioned forwardly of the hand grip such that fingers on the first hand are able to reach forwardly to depress one or more of the plurality of buttons included on the keypad without completely disengaging the palm from the top surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A controller for use in electronically controlling vehicle subsystems comprising:
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a hand grip ergonomically shaped to match contours of an average human hand, the shape characterized as including depressions on a front surface positioned below a top surface that support an index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, and a thumb support raised above the four depressions to support a thumb, the hand grip including first, second, and third push buttons respectively disposed within the depressions used to support the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger, and a top toggle button and a bottom toggle button on a lateral side of the thumb support, the hand grip push buttons configured to be actuated by a generally linear motion in a direction defined from the front surface to a rear surface of the hand grip and the top and bottom toggle buttons configured to be actuated by a generally linear motion in a direction defined from a left surface to a right surface of the hand grip; a keypad having front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom surfaces, the keypad including an additional plurality of push buttons exposed on the top surface, the keypad push buttons configured to be actuated by a generally linear motion in a direction defined from the top surface to the bottom surface of the keypad; a processor mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) housed within the keypad, the processor in communication with each of the push buttons and toggle buttons, the processor transmitting messages over a vehicle network to indicate actuation of the push buttons and toggle buttons; and a substantially inflexible base structure attached at a forward end to the keypad and at a rearward end to the hand grip, a distance from the forward end to the rearward end of the base structure determining a span between the keypad and hand grip, the span between the keypad and hand grip corresponding with a span of the average human hand such that the fingers of the average human hand can actuate each of the hand grip and keypad push buttons and the toggle buttons without disengaging from a seated position on a top surface of the hand grip. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A hand controller operable to communicate user inputs to a vehicle controller operable to control one or more vehicle subsystems, the hand controller comprising:
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an immovable hand grip having a first plurality of buttons, the first plurality of buttons being positioned below a top surface used to support a user'"'"'s palm; a keypad positioned forwardly of the hand drip having a second plurality of buttons, the second plurality of buttons being arranged to be reached with the user'"'"'s fingers while the user'"'"'s palm rests on the top surface of the hand grip; and a base structure connected at one point to the hand grip and at another point to the keypad, the base structure securing the hand controller to the vehicle and the keypad forwardly of the hand grip.
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Specification