Drive-by-wire throttle control apparatus
First Claim
1. A drive-by-wire throttle control apparatus, comprising:
- a mounting bracket;
a thumb lever rotationally mounted on the mounting bracket;
a resistive film fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket, said resistive film comprising a fixed resistor and a variable resistor;
a contact arm mechanically connected to the thumb lever and engaging the resistive film, said contact arm configured to travel over said resistive film as said thumb lever rotates, thereby varying a resistance of said variable resistor; and
a variable resistance sensor coupled to the resistive film and configured to determining a position of said thumb lever from at least the resistance of said variable resistor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drive-by-wire throttle control apparatus and method includes a variable resistance sensor. A contact arm can be mechanically connected between a thumb lever and a variable resistance sensor. The variable resistance sensor possesses a resistive film that includes a fixed resistor and a variable resistor configured from a carbon film. As the thumb lever rotates, the contact arm traverses the resistive film, thereby altering the resistance of the variable resistor, determining the position of the thumb lever and thereafter generating a signal based on the sensed position. The signal can be sent to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) in the form of a varying voltage, which in turn controls the throttle of a vehicle.
15 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A drive-by-wire throttle control apparatus, comprising:
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a mounting bracket; a thumb lever rotationally mounted on the mounting bracket; a resistive film fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket, said resistive film comprising a fixed resistor and a variable resistor; a contact arm mechanically connected to the thumb lever and engaging the resistive film, said contact arm configured to travel over said resistive film as said thumb lever rotates, thereby varying a resistance of said variable resistor; and a variable resistance sensor coupled to the resistive film and configured to determining a position of said thumb lever from at least the resistance of said variable resistor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A drive-by-wire throttle control method, comprising:
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configuring a mounting bracket to include a contact arm mechanically connected between a thumb lever and at least one variable resistance sensor, wherein said at least one variable resistance sensor detects a position of said thumb lever at any point of time with respect to said mounting bracket; associating a resistive film with said at least one variable resistance sensor; and configuring said resistive film to comprise a fixed resistor and a variable resistor, wherein said contact arm travels over said resistive film as said thumb lever rotates, thereby varying a resistance of said variable resistor and determining a position of said thumb lever. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification