STEERING WHEEL APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING STIFFNESS AND RECEIVING PRESSURE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20150032334A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jang, Jin Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• 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

Abstract

A steering wheel apparatus for adjusting stiffness and receiving a pressure is provided. The apparatus includes a rim having a ring-shaped frame structure and an air container disposed around an outer surface of the rim. An outer sheath covers an outer surface of the air container and an air nozzle is connected to an inside of the air container. A pressure sensor is mounted to the rim to detect a pressure by which the steering wheel apparatus is gripped and an air compressor and a vacuum pump are connected to the air nozzle. A steering controller analyzes signals input from sensors to maintain an air pressure of the air container and operate the air compressor or the vacuum pump when present condition information is satisfied. An engine controller analyzes a signal input from the pressure sensor and when the signal corresponds to a predetermined pressure or greater decelerate the vehicle.

Claims

1. A steering wheel apparatus for adjusting stiffness and receiving a pressure, the steering wheel apparatus comprising:

a rim having a ring-shaped frame structure;

an air container formed of an expandable and shrinkable material and disposed to surround an outer surface of the frame structure of the rim;

an outer sheath that covers an outer surface of the air container;

an air nozzle connected to an inside of the air container to blow or suction air;

a pressure sensor mounted to a predetermined location of the rim and configured to detect a pressure by which a the steering wheel apparatus is gripped;

an air compressor and a vacuum pump connected to the air nozzle;

a steering controller configured to analyze signals input from sensors to adjust air pressure of the air container, and when preset condition information is satisfied, operate the air compressor or the vacuum pump; and

an engine controller configured to analyze a signal input from the pressure sensor, and when the signal corresponds to a predetermined pressure or greater, execute deceleration of the vehicle.

2. The steering wheel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors include:

a speed sensor configured to detect vehicle speed information;

a tire pressure monitoring system configured to detect driving trembling information;

a G-sensor configured to detect rough road driving information;

a yaw rate sensor configured to detect rotation state information of the vehicle; and

an airbag controller or a collision detection sensor configured to transfer an impact of the vehicle.

3. The steering wheel apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lamp controller configured to receive an emergency control signal from the steering controller to light an emergency lamp.

4. The steering wheel apparatus of claim 1, wherein positive and negative manipulation buttons for manually adjusting air pressure in the air container based on an intention of a driver, and a setting button for setting an initial air pressure in the air container are mounted to a spoke of the steering wheel.

5. The steering wheel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer sheath is formed of a resilient material that is expandable and shrinkable based on an air pressure change in the air container.

6. A method of controlling a steering wheel apparatus for adjusting stiffness and receiving a pressure, the method comprising:

adjusting, by a steering controller, air pressure of an air container of a steering wheel to increase or decrease the air pressure based on detection signals of sensors that provide various driving information of a vehicle to automatically increase or decrease a surface stiffness of the steering wheel;

detecting, by the steering controller, a manipulation of an manipulation button disposed in a spoke of the steering wheel to manually adjust a surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase or decrease the surface stiffness; and

transmitting, by the steering controller, deceleration control signal to decelerate a speed of a vehicle based on a pressure change by which the steering wheel is gripped.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatic adjusting of the surface stiffness of the steering wheel includes:

receiving, by the steering controller, at least one of vehicle speed information, driving trembling information, rough road driving information, and collision information;

determining, by the steering controller, an increase or decrease of air pressure of the air container for driving situations;

adjusting, by the steering controller, the air pressure of the air container to increase or decrease the air pressure; and

adjusting, by the steering controller, the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase or decrease the surface stiffness based on a control signal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the manual adjusting of the surface stiffness of the steering wheel includes:

adjusting, by the steering controller, the air pressure of the air container when a positive manipulation button mounted to a spoke of the steering wheel is pressed to increase the air pressure and simultaneously adjusting the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase the surface stiffness;

adjusting, by the steering controller, the air pressure of the air container when a negative manipulation button mounted to the spoke of the steering wheel is pressed to decrease the air pressure and simultaneously adjusting the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to decrease the surface stiffness; and

setting, by the steering controller, an initial air pressure in the air container when a setting button mounted to the spoke of the steering wheel is pressed for a predetermined time or more via input from the positive and negative buttons.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatic deceleration control includes:

detecting, by a pressure sensor, a pressure by which a the steering wheel is gripped when the speed of the vehicle is a predetermined speed or greater;

when a pressure detection value of the pressure sensor exceeds a normal range pressure, transferring, by the steering controller, a deceleration brake signal to an engine controller to decelerate the speed of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatic deceleration control is simultaneously performed with outputting an emergency lamp lighting signal to a lamp controller by the steering controller to light an emergency lamp.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the outputting of the emergency lamp lighting signal with the automatic deceleration control are performed when the steering wheel is released for a predetermined time or more.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that adjust air pressure of an air container of a steering wheel to increase or decrease the air pressure based on detection signals of sensors that provide various driving information of a vehicle to automatically increase or decrease a surface stiffness of the steering wheel;

program instructions that detect a manipulation of an manipulation button disposed in a spoke of the steering wheel to manually adjust a surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase or decrease the surface stiffness; and

program instructions that transmit a deceleration control signal to decelerate a speed of a vehicle based on a pressure change by which the steering wheel is gripped.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

program instructions that receive at least one of vehicle speed information, driving trembling information, rough road driving information, and collision information;

program instructions that determine an increase or decrease of air pressure of the air container for driving situations;

program instructions that adjust the air pressure of the air container to increase or decrease the air pressure; and

program instructions that adjust the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase or decrease the surface stiffness based on a control signal.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

program instructions that adjust the air pressure of the air container when a positive manipulation button mounted to a spoke of the steering wheel is pressed to increase the air pressure and simultaneously adjusting the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to increase the surface stiffness;

program instructions that adjust the air pressure of the air container when a negative manipulation button mounted to the spoke of the steering wheel is pressed to decrease the air pressure and simultaneously adjusting the surface stiffness of the steering wheel to decrease the surface stiffness; and

program instructions that set an initial air pressure in the air container when a setting button mounted to the spoke of the steering wheel is pressed for a predetermined time or more via input from the positive and negative buttons.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

program instructions that control a pressure sensor to detect a pressure by which a the steering wheel is gripped when the speed of the vehicle is a predetermined speed or greater;

program instructions that transfer a deceleration brake signal to an engine controller to decelerate the speed of the vehicle when a pressure detection value of the pressure sensor exceeds a normal range pressure.