Methods and systems for providing accessory steering wheel controls

• US 8,014,920 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Circuit Works, Inc., Metra Electronics
• Original Assignee: Metra Electronics
• Inventors: Jones, William H. Jr., Daly, Charles David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US12/879,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/49, 701/94, 701/64, 701/67, 340/679, 340/579, 370253-254
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

An aftermarket steering wheel control includes a housing that includes a user-operable switch and a control module. The control module is configured to determine whether the user-operable switch has been operated, generate a data frame corresponding to a control signal for operating a vehicle component, and transmit the data frame to a receiver of a control signal interface. Another aftermarket steering wheel control includes a housing with a user-operable switch and a circuit with an output line. The output line is connected to the switch and further connected to a control signal interface. Operation of the user-operable switch changes a resistance on the at least one output line, and the control signal interface is configured to convert the resistance to a control signal for operating a vehicle component.

Claims

1. A method for automatically detecting a configuration of a vehicle component, the method comprising:

connecting a control signal interface to at least one channel of a first vehicle component, the first vehicle component being one of a steering wheel control component and a vehicle bus;

connecting the control signal interface to at least one channel of a second vehicle component, the second vehicle component being an aftermarket entertainment component;

auto-detecting a control signal configuration of the first vehicle component, wherein said auto-detecting includes

(i) performing a first measurement on the at least one channel of the first vehicle component, the first measurement being performed by the control signal interface, and

(ii) identifying a control signal configuration of the first vehicle component based on the first measurement;

auto-detecting a control signal configuration of the second vehicle component, wherein said auto-detecting includes

(i) performing a second measurement on the at least one channel of the second vehicle component, the second measurement being performed by the control signal interface, and

(ii) identifying a control signal configuration of the second vehicle component based on the second measurement; and

configuring the control signal interface based on at least one of the auto-detected control signal configuration of the first vehicle component and the auto-detected control signal configuration of the second-vehicle component.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said performing a first measurement includes

(i) receiving a signal output by the first vehicle component at the control signal interface, and

(ii) determining one of an electrical configuration of the first vehicle component and a frame rate of the signal output by the first vehicle component.

3. A method for transmitting control signals to a vehicle component, the method comprising:

a method according to claim 1;

receiving a control signal from the first vehicle component at the control signal interface;

determining a control command according to the control signal; and

transmitting a signal from the control signal interface to the second vehicle component,

wherein the signal transmitted from the control signal interface includes the control command.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first vehicle component is a steering wheel control component.

5. A method according to claim 4,

wherein the steering wheel control component is factory-installed and includes at least one user-operable switch,

wherein the at least one user-operable switch corresponds to an audio control, and

wherein said identifying a control signal configuration of the first vehicle component includes identifying the audio control corresponding to the at least one user-operable switch.

6. A method according to claim 4,

wherein the aftermarket entertainment component includes an audio component,

wherein a feature of the audio component corresponds to a predetermined control command, and

wherein said identifying a control signal configuration of the second vehicle component includes identifying the predetermined control command corresponding to the feature of the audio component.

11. A method according to claim 1,

wherein said performing a first measurement includes

(i) determining, if the first vehicle component is a steering wheel control component, an electrical configuration of the first vehicle component, and

(ii) determining, if the first vehicle component is a vehicle bus, a frame rate of the signal output by the first vehicle component.

12. A method according to claim 1,

wherein said performing a second measurement includes determining an electrical configuration of the second vehicle component.

7. A control signal interface comprising:

an input unit electrically connectable to at least one channel of a first vehicle component, the first vehicle component being one of a steering wheel control component and a vehicle bus, and the input unit being configured to

(i) perform a first measurement on the at least one channel of the first vehicle component, and

(ii) receive control signals from the first vehicle component;

an output unit electrically connectable to at least one channel of a second vehicle component, the second vehicle component being an aftermarket entertainment component, and the output unit being configured to

(i) perform a second measurement on the at least one channel of the second vehicle component, and

(ii) transmit signals to the second vehicle component; and

a signal processing unit connected to the input unit and the output unit, the signal processing unit configured to

(i) identify a first control signal configuration of the first vehicle component based on the first measurement,

(ii) identify a second control signal configuration of the second vehicle component based on the second measurement, and

(iii) determine control commands based on the control signals received by the input unit and in accordance with the identified first control signal configuration,

wherein the output unit is configured to transmit the signals to the second vehicle component based on the control commands determined by the signal processing unit and in accordance with the identified second control signal configuration, and

wherein the input unit, in performing the first measurement, is configured to

(i) determine, if the first vehicle component is a steering wheel control component, an electrical configuration of the first vehicle component, and

(ii) determine, if the first vehicle component is a vehicle bus, a frame rate of the signal output by the first vehicle component.

8. A control signal interface according to claim 7, wherein the first vehicle component is a steering wheel component.

9. A control signal interface according to claim 7,

wherein the input unit provides first component information to the signal processing unit, the first component information allowing the signal processing unit to determine control commands based on control signals received by the input unit,

wherein the signal processing unit provides control information to the output unit, the control information allowing signals transmitted to the second vehicle component to be based on control commands determined by the signal processing unit, and

wherein the output unit provides second component information to the signal processing unit, the second component information allowing signals transmitted to the second vehicle component to be recognized by the second vehicle component.

10. A control signal interface according to claim 7,

wherein the output unit, in performing the second measurement, is configured to determine an electrical configuration of the second vehicle component.