VEHICLE STEERING ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20160375923A1
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schulz, John F., Riefe, Richard K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,112,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/02 vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/183 adjustable between in-use and out-of-use positions, e.g. to improve access
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/22 Alternative steering-control elements, e.g. for teaching purposes

Abstract

A single vehicle steering arrangement is provided. The steering arrangement includes a steering wheel and at least one human machine interface configured to allow a human to steer the vehicle, the human machine interface being a component separate from the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A steering arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel; and

at least one human machine interface configured to allow a human to steer the vehicle, the human machine interface being a component separate from the steering wheel.

2. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one human machine interface comprises a dial.

3. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one human machine interface comprises a joystick.

4. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one human machine interface is in operable communication with a steer-by-wire system of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 4, wherein the steering wheel is in operable communication with the steer-by-wire system of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 5, wherein the steering wheel and the at least one human machine interface are redundantly employed to steer the vehicle.

7. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel continues to operate when the additional human machine interface is not available.

8. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the additional human machine interface continues to operate when the steering wheel is not available.

9. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is retractable out of an extended steering position to a retracted position when the vehicle is being steered by the additional human machine interface.

10. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is retractable out of an extended steering position to a retracted position when the vehicle is being steered by an autonomous driver assisted steering system.

11. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 9, wherein the human machine interface is located closer in proximity to a hand of a human operator relative to a distance between the retracted position of the steering wheel and the hand of the human operator.

12. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is mechanically operationally connected to steered wheels of the vehicle.

13. A steering system for an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel providing directional control of the autonomous vehicle in a first condition, the steering wheel moveable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a human machine interface providing directional control of the autonomous vehicle in a second condition, the human machine interface located closer in proximity to a hand of a human operator relative to a distance between the steering wheel in the retracted position and the hand of the human operator; and

an autonomous driving assist steering system providing directional control of the autonomous vehicle in a third condition, the third condition comprising an autonomous driving mode.

14. The steering system of claim 13, wherein the first condition comprises a non-autonomous driving mode and the steering wheel being disposed in the extended position.

15. The steering system of claim 13, wherein the second condition comprises a non-autonomous driving mode and the steering wheel being disposed in the retracted position.

16. The steering system of claim 13, wherein the steering wheel and the human machine interface simultaneously rotate in response to one of the steering wheel and the human machine interface being rotated.

17. The steering system of claim 13, wherein the steering wheel and the human machine interface are independently rotatable relative to each other.

18. A method of making a vehicle steering arrangement, comprising:

providing a steering wheel having a mechanical operable steering linkage to a vehicle;

providing a steer-by-wire steering system in the vehicle;

operably connecting at least one human machine interface other than the steering wheel to the vehicle; and

connecting the at least one human machine interface to the steer-by-wire system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising operably connecting the steering wheel to the steer-by-wire system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining operability of each of the steering wheel and the human machine interface during operational malfunction of the other.