Vehicle signal lever proximity sensing for lane change intention detection with following recommendation to driver

• US 8,989,916 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Tippelhofer, Mario, Shannon, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/796,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/539.23, 340/686.6, 178/178, 324/686, 715/863, 737/18
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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: B60Q 1/343 Manually actuated switching arrangements therefor hand actuated multifunction switches B60Q1/1461; B60Q1/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20612 Hand

Abstract

A system includes a turn signal lever, at least one exterior sensor configured to detect a condition of an area surrounding a vehicle, and a display configured to display information about the condition of the area surrounding vehicle. The turn signal lever includes at least one sensor configured to detect a touch or a proximity of a user'"'"'s finger or hand. The turn signal lever includes a top sensor and a bottom sensor, which are configured to distinguish between intended actuation of the lever by the user for a left turn or a right turn. The display is configured to display information indicating a degree of safety for performing the intended turn.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a turn signal lever, the turn signal lever comprising at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to detect a touch and a proximity of a user'"'"'s finger or hand;

at least one exterior sensor configured to detect a condition of an area surrounding a vehicle; and

a display configured to display information about the condition of the area surrounding the vehicle, wherein

the display displays the information when the at least one sensor detects the touch by the user'"'"'s finger or hand,

the display displays the information when the at least one sensor detects the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity of the at least one sensor, and

the system learns a behavior of a user based on sensing the touch and the proximity of the user'"'"'s finger or hand and adjusts direction detection for the user based on the behavior or the user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information includes a recommendation regarding an intended driving maneuver based on information detected by the at least one exterior sensor.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the turn signal lever further comprises an electronic control unit configured to receive and process sensor information from the at least one sensor.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to receive sensor information from the at least one sensor and the information detected by the at least one exterior sensor.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is configured to trigger a visualization of the information detected by the at least one exterior sensor based on the sensor information from the at least one sensor.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is configured to distinguish between intended actuation of the lever by the user for a left turn or a right turn.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises:

a top sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of a top surface of the lever; and

a bottom sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of a bottom surface of the lever.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a side sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate the end of the lever.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display color-coded information indicating a degree of safety for performing the intended driving maneuver.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises an LED strip disposed on a vehicle side mirror.

11. A vehicle, comprising the system according to claim 1.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s finger or hand is in the proximity of the at least one sensor when the user'"'"'s finger or hand is within a near field of, but not touching the at least one sensor.

13. A method comprising:

detecting a touch of a user'"'"'s finger or hand on a turn signal lever using a sensor that is configured to detect a touch and a proximity of the user'"'"'s finger or hand;

detecting the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity of the sensor;

transmitting data to a control unit when the touch of the user'"'"'s finger or hand is detected by the sensor;

transmitting the data to the control unit when the user'"'"'s finger or hand is detected in the proximity of the sensor;

determining a condition surrounding a vehicle using an exterior sensor;

transmitting information regarding the condition surrounding the vehicle to the control unit;

displaying a visual representation of the information regarding the condition surrounding the vehicle based on the transmitted data;

learning a behavior of a user based on sensing the touch and the proximity of the user'"'"'s finger or hand; and

adjusting direction detection for the user based on the behavior or the user.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the information comprises a degree of safety for performing the intended driving maneuver.

15. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform the method of claim 13.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the user'"'"'s finger or hand is in the proximity of the sensor when the user'"'"'s finger or hand is within a near field of, but not touching the sensor.

17. A turn signal device, comprising:

a lever;

wherein the lever includes at least one sensor configured to detect a touch and a proximity of a user'"'"'s finger or hand, and

wherein the turn signal device learns a behavior of a user based on sensing the touch and the proximity of the user'"'"'s finger or hand and adjusts direction detection for the user based on the behavior or the user.

18. The turn signal device according to claim 17, further comprising an electronic control unit configured to receive and process sensor information from the at least one sensor.

19. The turn signal device according to claim 18, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to distinguish between intended actuation of the lever by the user for a left turn or a right turn.

20. The turn signal device according to claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor comprises:

a top sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of a top surface of the lever; and

a bottom sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of a bottom surface of the lever.

21. The turn signal device according to claim 20, further comprising a side sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate the end of the lever.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the user'"'"'s finger or hand is in the proximity of the at least one sensor when the user'"'"'s finger or hand is within a near field of, but not touching the at least one sensor.

23. A system, comprising:

a turn signal lever have a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface, the turn signal lever comprising a top sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of the top surface of the turn signal lever;

a bottom sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate of the bottom surface of the turn signal lever and a side sensor configured to detect a touch and a gesture proximate the side surface of the lever;

at least one exterior sensor configured to detect a condition of an area surrounding a vehicle; and

a display configured to display information about the condition of the area surrounding the vehicle, wherein

the display displays the information when at least one of the top sensor, the bottom sensor and the side sensor detects the touch by the user'"'"'s finger or hand,

the display displays the information when at least one of the top sensor, the bottom sensor and the side sensor detects the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity of the at least one of the top sensor, the bottom sensor and the side sensor,

when the side sensor detects the touch by the user'"'"'s finger or hand or the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity of the side sensor after the display displays the information as a result of the detection of the touch by the user'"'"'s finger or hand or the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity by the top sensor or the bottom sensor, the display cancels displaying the information, and

when the top sensor and the bottom sensor and/or the side sensor detect the touch by the user'"'"'s finger or hand or the user'"'"'s finger or hand in the proximity thereof, the display displays the information corresponding to the detection by the top sensor and the information corresponding to the detection by the bottom sensor.