ACTIVE ADAPTIVE HAPTIC MULTI-FUNCTION KNOB

• US 20170101130A1
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,144,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/02 vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer

Abstract

A backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer includes an input element, including a base and a rotary element rotatably coupled with the base. The system further includes a controller causing a rotation of the rotary element relative to the base to be constrained in a first rotational movement mode that is biased toward a center position. The controller further interprets a first instantaneous position of the rotary element as a trailer control commanding position and outputs a vehicle steering command based thereon.

Claims

1. A steering input system for a trailer backup assist system, comprising:

an input element, including

a base;

a rotary element rotatably coupled with the base; and

an electromechanical element coupled between the base and the rotary element; and

a controller causing the electromechanical element to constrain the rotary element to a first rotational movement mode that is biased toward a center position of the rotary element with respect to the base.

2. The steering input system of claim 1, wherein the first rotational movement mode is further such that a biasing torque increases with an increased rotational angle of the rotary element away from the center position.

3. The steering input system of claim 1, wherein the controller further implements trailer backup assist mode including interpreting a first instantaneous position of the rotary element as a trailer control commanding position and generating a vehicle steering command based thereon.

4. The steering input system of claim 3, wherein:

the trailer control commanding position corresponds to one of a zero curvature position or at least two directional curvature positions opposed about the zero curvature position;

when the rotary element is constrained to the first rotational movement mode, the center position corresponds to the zero curvature position; and

the vehicle steering command is based on a trailer curvature path corresponding to an instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions.

5. The steering input system of claim 3, wherein the controller further causes the electromechanical element to limit a range of motion of the rotary element by prohibiting movement of the rotary element past a first limit.

6. The steering input system of claim 5, wherein:

the first limit corresponds to a calculated maximum steerable angle of a trailer coupled with a vehicle associated with the system on a side of the vehicle corresponding to a rotational direction of the rotary element; and

the controller changes a rotational location of the first limit with respect to a change in the calculated maximum steerable angle.

7. The steering input system of claim 1, wherein the controller further causes the electromechanical element to implement a second rotational movement mode of the rotary element that includes free rotation thereof about the base.

8. The steering input system of claim 7, wherein, when implementing the second rotational movement mode, the controller causes the electromechanical element to simulate a plurality of detents within the free rotation at regular intervals.

9. A backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer, comprising:

an input element, including

a base; and

a rotary element rotatably coupled with the base; and

a controller causing a rotation of the rotary element relative to the base to be constrained in a first rotational movement mode that is biased toward a center position and interpreting a first instantaneous position of the rotary element as a trailer control commanding position and outputting a vehicle steering command based thereon.

10. The backup assist system of claim 9, further including an electromechanical element coupled between the base and the rotary element, wherein:

the controller causes the rotary element to rotate relative to the base in the first rotational movement mode by controlling the electromechanical element.

11. The backup assist system of claim 10, wherein the electromechanical element includes a motor.

12. The backup assist system of claim 10, wherein the controller further controls the electromechanical element such that the rotation of the rotary element is constrained in a second rotational movement mode of the rotary element that includes free rotation thereof about the base.

13. The backup assist system of claim 12, wherein, when implementing the second rotational movement mode, the controller causes the electromechanical element to produce a plurality of detents within the free rotation at regular intervals.

14. The backup assist system of claim 9, wherein:

the trailer control commanding position corresponds to one of a zero curvature position or at least two directional curvature positions opposed about the zero curvature position;

when the rotation of the rotary element is constrained in the first rotational movement mode, the center position corresponds to the zero curvature position;

the vehicle steering command is based on a trailer curvature path corresponding to an instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions; and

the input element illuminates at least one curvature indicator corresponding to the instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions.

15. The backup assist system of claim 9, wherein:

the controller further limits a range of motion of the rotary element by prohibiting movement of the rotary element past a first limit; and

the input illuminates a curvature limit indicator corresponding to the first limit.

16. The backup assist system of claim 15, wherein:

the first limit corresponds to a calculated maximum steerable angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle on a side of the vehicle corresponding to a rotational direction of the rotary element; and

the controller changes a rotational location of the first limit with respect to a change in the calculated maximum steerable angle.

17. A method for assisting a vehicle in reversing a trailer, comprising:

causing a rotation of a rotary element relative to a base to which the rotary element is coupled to be constrained in a first rotational movement mode that is biased toward an at-rest position;

receiving a curvature command provided by the rotary element; and

generating a steering command for the vehicle based on a degree of curvature corresponding to the curvature command.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the curvature command corresponds to a rotational position of rotation of the rotary element away from the at-rest position.

19. The method of claim 17, further including controlling an electromechanical element coupled between the base and the rotary element to constrain the rotation of the rotary element to within the first movement mode.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

causing the electromechanical element to permit the rotation of the rotary element to include free rotation of the rotary element about the base; and

advancing a selection of a contextual menu item based on free rotation of the rotary element through a predetermined rotational distance.