Manual operation device for automotive vehicle

• US 7,417,396 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Asada, Hiroshige, Yoshida, Ichiro, Sawa, Yuuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin; Rita
• Application Number:
  US11/476,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 318/486, 318/466, 701/36, 701/49, 345/161, 345/184
• US Class Current: 318/466
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04707 with ball joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/005 for preventing unintentional use of a control mechanism G05G5/28 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle includes: an operating portion to be operated manually; an actuator for applying a force to the operating portion; a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the operating portion; a memorizing element for memorizing a force pattern; a receiving element for receiving the force pattern from an external device and for memorizing the force pattern in the memorizing portion; and a control element for reading out the force pattern memorized in the memorizing portion, for outputting the control data to the actuator on the basis of the read out force pattern and the operation position of the operating portion detected by the detection portion, and for outputting the operation signal to the instrument.

Claims

1. A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle comprising:

an operating portion to be operated manually by a user;

an actuator as a power source for applying a force to the operating portion;

a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the operating portion;

a memorizing element for memorizing a force pattern, which defines a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and a control data for driving the actuator and a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and an operation signal to be outputted from the device for controlling the instrument mounted on the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving the force pattern from an external device and for memorizing the force pattern in the memorizing element;

a control element for reading out the force pattern memorized in the memorizing element, for outputting the control data to the actuator on the basis of the force pattern read out from the memorizing element and the operation position of the operating portion detected by the detection portion, and for outputting the operation signal to the instrument; and

a transmitting element for transmitting the force pattern memorized in the memorizing element to the external device.

2. The manual operation device according to claim 1, wherein

the external device is a portable device.

3. The manual operation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seating detection element for detecting seating of the user, wherein

the receiving element memorizes the force pattern into the memorizing element when the seating detection element detects the seating of the user.

4. The manual operation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user identifying element for outputting identification information of the user to the control element, wherein

the memorizing element is capable of memorizing a plurality of force patterns, each of which corresponds to the user, and

the control element reads out and outputs the force pattern corresponding to the identification information inputted from the user identifying element among a plurality of force patterns memorized in the memorizing element.

9. The manual operation device according to claim 1, wherein

the force pattern includes a feedback control data for operating the actuator in order to notify to the user that the operation signal is outputted to the operation object instrument, and

the control element outputs the feedback control data to the actuator when the operation signal is outputted to the operation object instrument.

10. The manual operation device according to claim 1, wherein

the external device is a cell phone, and

the receiving element receives the force pattern from the cell phone.

11. The manual operation device according to claim 1, wherein

the external device is a server,

the receiving element receives the force pattern from the server on an internet so that the force pattern is downloaded, and

the transmitting element uploads the force pattern in the memorizing element to the server.

5. A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle comprising:

an operating portion to be operated manually by a user;

an actuator as a power source for applying a force to the operating portion;

a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the operating portion;

a memorizing element for memorizing a force pattern, which defines a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and a control data for driving the actuator and a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and an operation signal to be outputted from the device for controlling the instrument mounted on the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving the force pattern from an external device and for memorizing the force pattern in the memorizing element;

a control element for reading out the force pattern memorized in the memorizing element, for outputting the control data to the actuator on the basis of the force pattern read out from the memorizing element and the operation position of the operating portion detected by the detection portion, and for outputting the operation signal to the instrument;

an object instrument existence determination element for determining existence or non-existence of an operation object instrument actually in the vehicle, the operation object instrument being defined in the force pattern read out by the control element from the memorizing element; and

a notifying element for notifying to the user that the operation object instrument does not exist in the vehicle when the object instrument existence determination element determines that the operation object instrument does not exist in the vehicle.

6. The manual operation device according to claim 5, wherein

notification performed by the notifying element is performed by appealing to sense of touch or sense of hearing of the user.

7. A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle comprising:

an operating portion to be operated manually by a user;

an actuator as a power source for applying a force to the operating portion;

a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the operating portion;

a memorizing element for memorizing a force pattern, which defines a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and a control data for driving the actuator and a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and an operation signal to be outputted from the device for controlling the instrument mounted on the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving the force pattern from an external device and for memorizing the force pattern in the memorizing element;

a control element for reading out the force pattern memorized in the memorizing element, for outputting the control data to the actuator on the basis of the force pattern read out from the memorizing element and the operation position of the operating portion detected by the detection portion, and for outputting the operation signal to the instrument; and

an object instrument existence determination element for determining existence or non-existence of an operation object instrument actually in the vehicle, the operation object instrument being defined in the force pattern read out by the control element from the memorizing element, wherein

the control element replaces a control data in the force pattern corresponding to the operation object instrument to a predetermined control data when the object instrument existence determination element determines that the operation object instrument does not exists in the vehicle.

8. A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle comprising:

an operating portion to be operated manually by a user;

an actuator as a power source for applying a force to the operating portion;

a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the operating portion;

a memorizing element for memorizing a force pattern, which defines a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and a control data for driving the actuator and a relationship between the operation position of the operating portion and an operation signal to be outputted from the device for controlling the instrument mounted on the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving the force pattern from an external device and for memorizing the force pattern in the memorizing element; and

a control element for reading out the force pattern memorized in the memorizing element, for outputting the control data to the actuator on the basis of the force pattern read out from the memorizing element and the operation position of the operating portion detected by the detection portion, and for outputting the operation signal to the instrument;

a user identifying element for outputting identification information of the user to the control element, wherein

the memorizing element is capable of memorizing a plurality of force patterns, each of which corresponds to the user, and the control element reads out and outputs the force pattern corresponding to the identification information inputted from the user identifying element among a plurality of force patterns memorized in the memorizing element; and

a confirming element for confirming to the user whether the force pattern read out by the control element is used continuously when the user corresponding to the force pattern read out by the control element at the present time does not coincide with the user identified on the basis of the identification information outputted by the user identifying element.