HAPTIC OPERATING DEVICE WITH A ROTATING ELEMENT AND METHOD

• US 20160378131A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventus Engineering GmbH
• Original Assignee: Inventus Engineering GmbH
• Inventors: BATTLOGG, STEFAN
• Granted Patent: US 10,007,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/00 Flexible shafts flexible shafts in dental machines for boring or cutting A61C1/18; Mechanical means for transmitting movement in a flexible sheathing
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2037/002 characterised by a single substantially axial gap in which the fluid or medium consisting of small particles is arranged
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2300/0214 Oil or fluid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2300/18 Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 37/02 the particles being magnetisable
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 57/002 comprising a medium with electrically or magnetically controlled internal friction, e.g. electrorheological fluid, magnetic powder
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/081 using knops or discs for rotary range selection
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0204 for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0217 with electric switches or sensors not for gear or range selection, e.g. for controlling auxiliary devices for gear selection F16H59/044; for range selection F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/044 consisting of electrical switches or sensors range selectors with electric switches or sensors F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/03 Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015

Abstract

Apparatus and method for operating vehicles by way of a haptic operating device having a rotating unit. Selectable menu items are displayed on a display unit, and a menu item being selected by rotating the rotating unit. The rotating unit latches at a number of haptically perceptible latching points during rotation. The number and rotational position of the haptically perceptible latching points is dynamically changed.

Claims

1. A haptic operating device (200) having a basic body (201) and a rotating unit (202) and a magnetorheological transmission apparatus (1) with at least two components (2, 3) which can be coupled and the coupling intensity of which can be influenced, a magnetorheological medium (6) which can be influenced by a magnetic field (8) and has magnetically polarizable particles (19) being arranged in a channel (5) between the couplable components (2, 3) for the purpose of influencing the coupling intensity, and at least one magnetic field generation device (7) for generating at least one magnetic field (8) being provided in order to influence the magnetorheological medium (6) using the magnetic field (8), the basic body (201) being coupled to one of the two components (2, 3) and the rotating unit (202) being coupled to the other of the two components (3, 2), at least one rotatable transmission element being arranged in the channel (5) as a magnetic field concentrator, the rotatable transmission element being caused to rotate during a rotational movement of at least one of the components (2, 3) which can be coupled.

2. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in claim 1, the basic body (201) comprising a base plate (210) and an annular holding housing (211) with a holding space (219) arranged in the latter, the holding space (219) being radially delimited to the outside by an outer limb (242) of the holding housing (211) extending substantially in the axial direction, and a shaft (212) which is connected to the rotating unit (202) in a rotationally fixed manner being rotatably held centrally on the holding housing (211), and an electrical coil (26) being held in the holding space (219), and a circumferential ring (218) which is connected to the shaft (212) in a rotationally fixed manner adjoining the holding housing (211) in a radially inner region (243) in a manner separated by a thin axial gap (222), and the channel (5) being arranged in the holding space (219) and being radially delimited to the outside by the outer limb (242) and being radially delimited to the inside substantially by the circumferential ring (218), with the result that a substantial part of the magnetic field from the magnetic field generation device (7) runs through the holding housing, the channel (5) and the circumferential ring (218).

3. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in claim 2, the holding housing (211) comprising an inner limb (244) in the radially inner region (243), which inner limb is adjoined by the circumferential ring (218) in a manner separated by the thin axial gap (222).

4. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in claim 3, a radial cross section of the holding housing (211) having an approximately U-shaped configuration and encompassing the holding space (219) between the inner limb and the outer limb, the outer limb (242) being longer than the inner limb (244).

5. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in claim 3 or 4, the shaft (212) being held in a central passage on the inner limb (244), and the electrical coil (26) being held in the holding space (219) between the inner and outer limbs.

6. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in one of the three preceding claims, the inner limb being separated from the circumferential ring (218) connected to the shaft (212) by the thin axial gap (222).

7. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, the circumferential ring (218) being made from a soft magnetic material and the shaft (212) having a hardened surface or surface coating.

8. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, a display unit (203) being assigned.

9. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in the preceding claim, the rotating unit (202) surrounding the display unit (203) at least in sections.

10. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, an actuation sensor (204) for sensing an axial actuation travel being arranged on the basic body (201) and/or the rotating unit (202).

11. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the two preceding claims, the display unit (203) being connected to the basic body (201) in a rotationally fixed manner, and the rotating unit (202) being rotatable with respect to the display unit (203),

or the display unit (203) being connected to the rotating unit (202) in a rotationally fixed manner and being rotatable, together with the rotating unit (202), with respect to the basic body (201).

12. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, a sensor (206) being provided, which sensor can be used to sense an angle change and/or an absolute angle position between the rotating unit (202) and the basic body (201).

13. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, a control device (27) being provided, which control device is designed to accordingly rotate a representation of contents of the display unit (203) in the opposite direction on the basis of a signal from the sensor (206).

14. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, at least one separate contact element (209) being arranged between the two components (2, 3).

15. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in the preceding claim, the contact element (209) being elastic.

16. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, at least a plurality of rotatable transmission elements in the form of rotating bodies (11) being provided in the channel (5).

17. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the two preceding claims, the shaft (212) being rotatably supported at one end on the base plate (210).

18. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the three preceding claims, the basic body (201) and the shaft (212) each having a circumferential running surface (214, 215) for the rotatable transmission elements (11) adjacent to the base plate (210).

19. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in the preceding claim, at least one running surface (214, 215) having at least one circumferential groove (216, 217) for the rotatable transmission elements (11).

20. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in the preceding claim, the running surface (214) of the shaft (212) being formed on the circumferential ring (218) with an increased diameter.

21. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, the electrical coil (26) being arranged substantially axially adjacent to the rotatable transmission elements (11) and the rotatable transmission elements being arranged axially between the electrical coil (26) and the base plate.

22. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, the holding housing (211) and the circumferential ring (218) consisting of a material with better magnetic conductivity than the base plate (210).

23. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, the actuation sensor (204) sensing a distance between the basic body (201) and the rotating unit (202).

24. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, a free distance (9) between the rotatable transmission element and the component (2, 3) being at least twice as large as a typical average diameter of the magnetically polarizable particles (19) in the magnetorheological medium (6), and at least one region (10) containing the magnetorheological medium (6) being provided between the rotatable transmission element (11) and at least one component (2, 3), the magnetic field (8) from the magnetic field generation device (7) being able to be applied to said region in order to selectively concatenate the particles (19) and/or wedge them with the rotating body (11) or release them.

25. The haptic operating device (200) as claimed in the preceding claim, the acute-angled region (10) between the rotatable transmission element (11) and one component (2, 3) tapering in the direction of the relative movement (17, 18) of the component (2, 3) relative to the rotatable transmission element (11).

34. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, the rotating unit (202) being locked in the switched-off state and being unlocked when the rotating unit (202) is gripped at the beginning of a rotational movement.

35. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, the rotating unit (202) being unlocked in the switched-off state and being locked when the rotating unit (202) is gripped at the beginning of a rotational movement.

36. The method as claimed in one of the ten preceding claims, at least one permanent magnet (25) being used, the magnetic field of which can have a magnetic field of an electrical coil (26) dynamically superimposed on it.

37. The method as claimed in one of the eleven preceding claims, the number of latching points corresponding to the number of currently available menu items.

38. The method as claimed in one of the twelve preceding claims, a selected menu item being activated when the haptic operating device (200) and/or the rotating unit (202) is/are pressed and in particular an associated method step being carried out or an associated submenu being displayed and the number of latching points being dynamically adapted to the selectable menu items in the submenu when a menu item is activated.

39. The method, in particular as claimed in one of the thirteen preceding claims, for operation or control in or of self-driving vehicles having an adaptive haptic operating device (200), characterized in that the available menu items and the latching points of the operating device (200) are adapted on the basis of an operating or driving state.

40. The method as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that only those menu items which are permissible and/or do not result in any danger based on the operating or driving state can be selected and executed.

26. A method for operating technical equipment, devices and, in particular, vehicles, a haptic operating device (200) having a rotating unit (202) being used and selectable menu items (225) being displayed on a display unit (203), and a menu item (225) being selected by rotating the rotating unit (202), and the rotating unit (202) latching at a number of haptically perceptible latching points (226) during rotation,

characterized in that

the number of haptically perceptible latching points (226) is dynamically changed.

27. The method as claimed in the preceding claim, the torque profile being dynamically changed during rotation of the rotating unit.

28. The method as claimed in one of the two preceding claims, the latching points (226) being generated by deliberately generating a magnetic field (8) at a channel (5) at least partially filled with a magnetorheological medium (6).

29. The method as claimed in one of the three preceding claims, an angular position (227) of the rotating unit (202) being detected, and an intensity of the magnetic field (8) being set on the basis of the detected angular position (227).

30. The method as claimed in one of the four preceding claims, an end stop (228, 229) being dynamically generated in at least one direction of rotation (227), the magnetic field (8) being set to be considerably stronger at the end stop (228, 229) than at a latching point (226).

31. The method as claimed in one of the five preceding claims, a latching point (226) being generated at a determined angle position by virtue of a stronger magnetic field being generated at angular locations adjacent to the determined angle position than at the angle position determined for the latching point (226).

32. The method as claimed in one of the six preceding claims, an angular distance (237) between at least two adjacent latching points being dynamically set.

33. The method as claimed in one of the seven preceding claims, the rotating unit (202) being endlessly and/or freely rotatable in the switched-off state.

41. A method for assisting, in particular, with the rehabilitation of persons after illnesses, a haptic operating device (200) being used, characterized in that a variable rotational resistance is generated.