Control element arrangement for controlling the longitudinal movement and/or the lateral movement of a motor vehicle

• US 6,446,747 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Müller, Manfred, Reichelt, Werner, Rhoades, Christopher, Frank, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McClellan, James S.
• Application Number:
  US09/206,393
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 180/315, 180/321, 180/322, 180/323, 180/324, 180/325, 180/332, 180/333, 180/334
• US Class Current: 180/334
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1476 comprising switch controlling means located near the free end of the lever, e.g. press buttons, rotatable rings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A control element arrangement is disclosed for controlling a motor vehicle without conventional pedals and steering wheel. Two control elements are provided which can be operated independently of one another, in which case at least the longitudinal speed and/or at least the steering angle can be controlled optionally by operating one or the other control element. As a result, with respect to the longitudinal and/or the lateral dynamic control, on the one hand, a redundancy is created which increases the operating reliability and, on the other hand, the control-comfort-increasing possibility is created of being able to guide the vehicle alternated by means of one or the other control element.

Claims

1. Control element arrangement for controlling movement of a motor vehicle, comprising:

spaced joy sticks adjacent a left hand and a right hard of a vehicle driver and arranged to be operable independently of one another

wherein each joy stick is configured to be selectively operable selectively operable with the left hand or a right hand of a vehicle driver for a desired movement of the motor vehicle, one joy stick being arranged on a transmission tunnel and the other joy stick being arranged on an interior side of a driver'"'"'s door of the motor vehicle, and at least one of the joy sticks being removable from its vehicle-interior-side operating position so as to be operable outside the motor vehicle.

2. Control element arrangement for controlling movement of a motor vehicle, comprising:

spaced joy sticks adjacent a left hand and a right hand of a vehicle driver and arranged to be operable independently of one another,

wherein each joy stick is configured to be selectively operable with the left hand or a right hand of a vehicle driver, at least one of the joy sticks, being removable from its vehicle-interior-side operating position so as to be operable outside the motor vehicle, and the joysticks are operationally with one another.

3. Control element arrangement for controlling movement of a motor vehicle, comprising;

spaced joy sticks adjacent a left hand and a right hand of a vehicle driver and arranged to be operable independently of one another,

wherein each joy stick is configured to be selectively operable with the left hand or a right hand of a vehicle driver, at least one of the joy sticks is a manually operable joy stick operatively carried by a console into which at least one of an armrest and an air bag is integrated, at least one additional control function element is integrated into at least one of the joy sticks and the console, and at least one of the joy sticks,is removable from its vehicle-interior-side operating position and is operable outside the motor vehicle.

4. Control element arrangement for controlling movement of a motor vehicle, comprising:

two spaced joy sticks adjacent a left hand and a right hand of a vehicle driver and arranged to be operable independently of one another, and

a third joy stick on an interior side of a front passenger'"'"'s door of the automobile configured to be operated independently of the two joy sticks and whose operating functionality with respect to movement of the automobile corresponds to that of the two other joy sticks,

wherein each joy stick is configured to be selectively operable with the left hand or a right hand of a vehicle driver, one of the two joy sticks being arranged on an interior side of a driver'"'"'s door of an automobile, at least one of the joy sticks is a manually operable joy stick operatively carried by a console into which at least one of an armrest and an air bag is integrated and the two joy sticks are manually operable joy sticks and are carried by the console which is adjustably mounted in a forward interior space area of an automobile.

5. Control element arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the console is one of displaceable and swivellable between a driver'"'"'s seat control position and a front passenger'"'"'s seat control position.

6. Control element arrangement according to claim 5, wherein at least one of additional control functions and function elements are integrated into at least one of the joy sticks and the carrier console.

7. Control element arrangement according to claim 5, wherein operating contact surfaces of the joy sticks can be at least one of heated, cooled and ventilated.

8. Control element arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the joy sticks, which are operable independently of one another, are operationally coupled with one another.

9. Control element arrangement according to claim 4, wherein at least one of additional control functions and function elements are integrated into at least one of the joy sticks and the carrier console.

10. A passenger vehicle control system comprising:

a first manually operable control element operable to control vehicle movements, and

a second manually operable control element operable to control vehicle movements,

wherein said first and second control elements are optionally operable to thereby provide a selective and redundant control of the movements of the vehicle using at least one of a left and a right hand of a vehicle occupant, and one of said control elements is selectively movable to a position outside the vehicle to accommodate remote control of the vehicle.

11. A passenger vehicle control system comprising:

a first manually operable control element operable to control vehicle movements,

a second manually operable control element operable to control vehicle movements and

a third control element on an interior side of a front passenger'"'"'s door of the automobile configured to be operated independently of the other control elements and whose operating functionality with respect to the control of the movements of the automobile corresponds to that of the other control elements,

wherein said first and second control elements are selectively operable to thereby provide redundant control of the movements of the vehicle using at least one of a left and a right hand of a vehicle occupant, and one control element is arranged on a transmission tunnel and the other control element is arranged on an interior side of a driver'"'"'s door of an automobile.