HAPTIC LANGUAGE THROUGH A STEERING MECHANISM

• US 20150197283A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: MARTI, Stefan, DI CENSO, Davide, JUNEJA, Ajay
• Granted Patent: US 9,623,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0205 Mechanical indicators, e.g. in or near steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A system, and method for communicating navigation information to a vehicle operator through actuators in a steering mechanism for a vehicle. The steering mechanism can include multiple actuators along or in a surface a vehicle operator touches to steer the vehicle. Different numbers of actuators can be actuated under an operator'"'"'s hand to communicate the severity of an upcoming turn. Alternatively, an actuator can be actuated by different amounts to communicate the severity of an upcoming turn. Proximity of an upcoming turn can be communicated by cycling actuators at different rates for different turns. By actuating actuators under an operator'"'"'s left hand or the left portion of a hand, a left-hand turn can be communicated. Conversely, by actuating actuators under an operator'"'"'s right hand or the right portion of a hand, a right-hand turn can be communicated.

Claims

1. A system for communicating steering inputs, the system comprising:

a plurality of actuators arranged relative to a steering mechanism for a vehicle;

at least one sensor configured to detect a position of at least one hand of the vehicle operator on the steering mechanism;

a controller configured to send actuation signals to the plurality of actuators, wherein, in response to receiving an indication of a required steering input, the controller communicates at least one aspect of the required steering input to the operator by actuating at least one of the plurality of actuators that is at least partially positioned beneath the detected hand position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) in communication with the controller, wherein the GPS provides turn information to the controller along a route, and wherein in response to receiving an indication of an upcoming turn in the route, the controller communicates at least one aspect of the upcoming turn in the route to the operator by actuating at least one of the plurality of actuators that is at least partially positioned beneath the detected hand position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a severity of the upcoming turn, and wherein the controller communicates the severity of the upcoming turn in the route to the operator by actuating a first actuator to communicate that the upcoming turn has a first degree of severity and by actuating the first actuator and a second actuator to communicate that the upcoming turn has a second degree of severity.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a severity of the upcoming turn, and wherein the controller communicates the severity of the upcoming turn in the route to the operator by actuating the at least one of the plurality of actuators that is at least partially positioned beneath the detected position of the operator'"'"'s hand by a first amount to communicate that the upcoming turn has a first degree of severity and by actuation the at least one of the plurality of actuators by a second amount to communicate that the upcoming turn has a second degree of severity.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a proximity of the upcoming turn, and wherein the controller communicates the proximity of the upcoming turn by actuating the at least one of the plurality of actuators that is at least partially positioned beneath the detected position of the operator'"'"'s hand in a cycling manner at a first frequency to communicate that the upcoming turn is a first distance away and at a second frequency to communicate that the upcoming turn is a second distance away.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a proximity of the upcoming turn, and wherein the controller communicates the proximity of the upcoming turn by actuating a first actuator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators to communicate that the upcoming turn is a first distance away and by actuating the first actuator and a second actuator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators to communicate that the upcoming turn is a second distance away.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a direction of the upcoming turn, and wherein, upon detecting two hands on the steering mechanism, the controller communicates the direction of the upcoming turn by actuating at least one actuator at least partially positioned under the hand corresponding to the direction of the upcoming turn.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a direction of the upcoming turn, and wherein, upon detecting only one hand on the wheel, the controller communicates the direction of the turn by actuation at least one actuator at least partially positioned under the side of the hand that corresponds to the direction of the upcoming turn.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a direction of the upcoming turn, a severity of the upcoming upcoming turn, and a proximity of the upcoming turn,

wherein, upon detecting two hand positions on the steering mechanism, the controller communicates the direction of the upcoming turn by actuating at least one actuator at least partially positioned under the detected hand position corresponding to the direction of the upcoming turn,

wherein the controller communicates the severity of the upcoming turn by actuating a first actuator of the at least one actuator to communicate that the upcoming turn has a first degree of severity and by actuating the first actuator and a second actuator of the at least one actuator to communicate that the upcoming turn has a second degree of severity, and

wherein the controller communicates the proximity of the upcoming turn by actuating the at least one actuator in a cycling manner at at a first frequency to communicate that the upcoming turn is a first distance away and at a second frequency to communicate that the upcoming turn is a second distance away.

10. A controller, comprising:

a first signal input for receiving one or more navigation signals associated with a vehicle;

a second signal input for receiving one or more hand position signals;

a signal output; and

a processor configured to;

based on the one or more hand position signals, detect a position of a hand of an operator of the vehicle on a steering mechanism of the vehicle;

based on the one or more navigation signals, determine a steering input to be applied to the steering mechanism to effect a navigational operation of the vehicle; and

output a control signal to the signal output, the control signal configured to deform the steering mechanism at the detected hand position in a manner that communicates at least one aspect of the required steering input to the vehicle operator.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the steering input to be applied to the steering mechanism by monitoring the position of the vehicle along a predetermined travel route and determining that the vehicle is approaching a turn in the route, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform the steering mechanism in a manner that communicates at least one aspect of the approaching turn in the route to the vehicle operator.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a severity of the approaching turn, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform a first portion of the steering mechanism at the detected hand portion to communicate that the approaching turn has a first degree of severity and by deforming the first portion and a second portion of the steering mechanism at the detected hand position to communicate that the approaching turn has a second degree of severity.

13. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a severity of the approaching turn, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform the steering mechanism at the detected hand position by a first amount to communicate that the approaching turn has a first degree of severity and by deforming the steering mechanism at the detected hand position by a second amount to communicate that the approaching turn has a second degree of severity.

14. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a proximity of the turn, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform the steering mechanism at the detected hand position in a cycling manner at a first frequency to communicate that the approaching turn is a first distance away and at a second frequency to communicate that the approaching turn is a second distance away.

15. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a proximity of the turn, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform a first length of the steering mechanism at the detected hand position to communicate that the approaching turn is a first distance away and deforming a second length of the steering mechanism at the detected hand position to communicate that the approaching turn is a second distance away.

16. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a direction of the approaching turn, wherein the processor is configured to detect two hand positions upon receiving two hand position signals, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform a portion of the steering mechanism at the one detected hand position corresponding to the direction of the approaching turn.

17. The controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the approaching turn comprises a direction of the approaching turn, wherein the processor is configured to detect one hand position upon receiving one hand position signal, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform the steering mechanism at a portion of the detected hand position corresponding to the direction of the approaching turn.

18. The controller of claim 11, wherein at least one aspect of the upcoming turn comprises a direction of the approaching turn, a severity of the approaching turn, and a proximity of the approaching turn,

wherein the processor is configured to detect two hand positions upon receiving two hand position signals, and wherein the control signal is configured to deform the the steering mechanism at the detected hand position corresponding to the direction of the approaching turn,

wherein the control signal is further configured to deform a first portion of the steering mechanism at the detected hand portion corresponding to the direction of the approaching turn to communicate that the approaching turn has a first degree of severity and by deforming the first portion and a second portion of the steering mechanism at the detected hand position to communicate that the approaching turn has a second degree of severity, and

wherein the control signal is further configured to deform the the steering mechanism at the detected hand position corresponding to the direction of the approaching turn in a cycling manner at a first frequency to communicate that the approaching turn is a first distance away and at a second frequency to communicate that the approaching turn is a second distance away.

19. A navigation communication system for use in a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a processing module;

a navigation module configured to output one or more navigation signals;

a plurality of actuators arranged relative to a steering mechanism of the vehicle;

at least one sensor configured to detect a hand position of at least one hand of a vehicle operator on the steering mechanism;

a controller configured to actuate each of the plurality of actuators; and

a memory module, wherein the memory module includes computer-readable program code configured to be executed on the processing module, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code configured to determine, from the one or more navigation signals, a required steering input to the steering mechanism;

computer-readable program code configured to cause the controller to actuate actuators on the steering mechanism at the detected hand position in a manner that communicates at least one aspect of the required steering input to the operator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory module stores a travel route of the vehicle that comprises a turn, wherein the navigation module comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module in communication with the processor, wherein the GPS module determines a required steering input related to the turn, and wherein the controller communicates at least one aspect of the turn to the operator.