Apparatus for remote operation

• US 8,155,832 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Aoki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, George D.
• Application Number:
  US12/385,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/36, 345/161, 345/157, 715/701
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• 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: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A remote operation apparatus in a vehicle has a display unit, an operation unit, a speed sensor, a brake sensor, a steer angle sensor, a side G sensor, and a control unit. The operation unit is capable of remotely controlling the display contents of the display unit. The operation of the operation unit is allowed when the vehicle is determined, by the control unit, to be stably traveling, and the operation of the operation unit is restricted when the vehicle is determined to be traveling un-stably, based on information on the travel condition of the vehicle from those sensors. The remote operation apparatus having the above-described operation scheme facilitates a stable travel of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A remote operation apparatus comprising:

an operation unit for remotely operating display contents displayed on a display unit, the operation unit further including an electric actuator for generating a variable reaction force according to an operation of the operation unit;

a travel condition acquisition unit for acquiring information on a travel condition of a subject vehicle, wherein the information on the travel condition of the subject vehicle at least suggests whether a current speed V of the subject vehicle is greater than or equal to a threshold vehicle speed Vo; and

a control unit for, based on the information acquired by the travel condition acquisition unit,

(a) allowing an operation of the operation unit when the travel condition of the subject vehicle is determined to be in a stable condition and

(b) restricting the operation of the operation unit when the travel condition of the subject vehicle is determined to be in a non-stable condition, wherein

the control unit controls the electric actuator to generate respectively different reaction forces for when operation of the operation unit is allowed and for when operation of the operation unit is restricted,

when the control unit determines that the information on the travel condition of the subject vehicle suggests that the current speed of the vehicle V is equal to or greater than the threshold vehicle speed Vo, the control unit determines that the travel condition of the subject vehicle is in a non-stable condition, and allows an operation device operator to recognize that an operation of the operation device is restricted through haptic sensation of the operation device by increasing the reaction force generated by the electric actuator to a maximized force in comparison to a reaction force generated when the operation of the operation device is allowed.

2. The operation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the information on the travel condition is in association with surroundings of the current position of the subject vehicle, and

the information on the travel condition has contents suggesting at least one of a steep braking and a steep turn expected in the future by the subject vehicle, acquired from the subject vehicle, a management center communicable with the subject vehicle, a road side unit communicable with the subject vehicle, or other vehicles communicable with the subject vehicle.

3. The operation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the control unit allows a specific operation of the operation unit and does not generate a reaction force that is the maximized force even when the travel condition of the subject vehicle is determined to be in the non-stable condition.

4. The operation apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the operation unit is capable of controlling operation of one of a wiper, a defroster of an air-conditioning system, and a light, and

the specific operation is the controlling operation of one of the wiper, the defroster of the air-conditioning system, and the light.

5. The operation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the control unit prohibits a command input from the operation unit when the travel condition of the subject vehicle is determined to be in a non-stable condition.

6. A remote operation apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:

a navigation system including a display unit; and

a centralized device operation system including

an operation unit that remotely operates display contents displayed by the display unit based on tactile manipulation of the operation unit;

at least one travel condition sensor that senses at least one travel condition of the vehicle;

a control unit that makes a stability determination of the vehicle based on a comparison of the at least one travel condition with at least one threshold corresponding to the at least one travel condition; and

a reaction force generation unit that generates a reaction force to the tactile manipulation of operation unit, the reaction force being of a variable magnitude which is based upon a stability determination of the vehicle,

the reaction force being of a maximized degree such that the tactile manipulation of the operation unit is restricted when the control unit determines the stability of the vehicle to be not stable based upon the comparison of the at least one travel condition with the at least one threshold corresponding to the at least one travel condition,

the reaction force being less than the maximized degree such that tactile manipulation of the operation unit is available when the control unit determines the stability of the vehicle to be stable based upon the comparison of the at least one travel condition with the at least one threshold corresponding to the at least one travel condition, and

the reaction force being less than the maximized degree such that tactile manipulation of the operation unit is available when the control unit determines that the at least one travel condition vehicle is stable based on the at least one travel condition with the at least one threshold corresponding to the at least one travel condition.