Alert systems and methods for a vehicle

• US 9,153,108 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kiefer, Raymond J., Ballios, Alexander N., Green, Charles A., Stebbins, Mark A., McQueen, Diane K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/894,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/575, 340/576, 340/903, 340/435, 297/217.1, 297/217.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

Methods and vehicles are provided for providing haptic feedback to a vehicle occupant. In one embodiment, the method includes selecting a pattern of active haptic periods during which a controller will command a plurality of haptic actuators disposed in a seat of a vehicle to generate haptic pulses, determining a desired voltage of a signal supplied to the haptic actuators that indicates the active haptic periods to generate a desired intensity of haptic pulses, determining an actual voltage of an energy storage device of the vehicle, calculating a pulse width modulation (PWM) pattern that simulates the desired voltage when applied to the signal using the actual voltage, and generating a signal that indicates the active haptic periods based on the PWM pattern to command the haptic actuators to generate the desired intensity of haptic pulses.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting, with a controller, a pattern of active haptic periods during which the controller will command a plurality of haptic actuators disposed in a seat of a vehicle to generate haptic pulses;

determining, with the controller, a desired voltage of a signal supplied to the haptic actuators that indicates the active haptic periods to generate a desired intensity of haptic pulses;

measuring, with the controller, an actual voltage supplied to the controller by an energy storage device of the vehicle;

calculating, with the controller, a pulse width modulation (PWM) pattern that simulates the desired voltage using the actual voltage; and

generating, with the controller, a signal that indicates the active haptic periods based on the PWM pattern to command the haptic actuators to generate the desired intensity of haptic pulses.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the PWM pattern applied during adjacent active periods to generate unique pulse signatures having unique intensity values for each of the haptic pulses of an alert sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the desired intensity of haptic pulses based on a vibration intensity perceived by drivers larger than the smallest 5% of potential drivers and smaller than the largest 5% of potential drivers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the desired voltage includes determining the desired voltage based on a relationship between the rotational speed of a motor in the haptic actuator and a voltage applied to the motor.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the actual voltage is within a threshold range surrounding the desired voltage, and wherein calculating the PWM pattern includes calculating the PWM pattern in response to determining that the actual voltage is outside of the threshold range.

6. The method of claim 1 further including increasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to increase an actual intensity of the haptic pulses.

7. The method of claim 1 further including decreasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to decrease an actual intensity of the haptic pulses.

8. The method of claim 1 further including modifying the PWM pattern at a first portion of the active period to adjust an acceleration of the haptic intensity at a first portion of the haptic pulses.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the actual voltage is within a threshold range around the desired voltage, and wherein calculating the PWM pattern includes calculating the PWM pattern in response to determining that the actual voltage is outside of the threshold range.

20. The method of claim 1 further including increasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to increase an actual intensity of the haptic pulses, and further including decreasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to decrease an actual intensity of the haptic pulses.

9. A method, comprising:

selecting, with a controller, a pattern of active haptic periods during which the controller will command a plurality of haptic actuators disposed in a seat of a vehicle to generate haptic pulses;

determining, with the controller, a desired intensity of haptic pulses based on a vibration intensity perceived by drivers larger than the smallest 5% of potential drivers and smaller than the largest 5% of potential drivers;

determining, with the controller, a desired voltage of a signal supplied to the haptic actuators that indicates the active haptic periods to achieve the desired intensity of haptic pulses;

measuring, with the controller, an actual voltage supplied to the controller by an energy storage device of the vehicle;

calculating, with the controller, a pulse width modulation (PWM) pattern that simulates the desired voltage when applied to the signal using the actual voltage; and

generating, with the controller, a signal that indicates the active haptic periods based on the PWM pattern to command the haptic actuators to generate the desired intensity of haptic pulses.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising modifying the PWM pattern applied during adjacent active periods to generate unique pulse signatures having unique intensity values for each of the haptic pulses.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the desired voltage includes determining the desired voltage based on a relationship between the rotational speed of a motor in the haptic actuator and a voltage applied to the motor.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining whether the actual voltage is within a threshold range around the desired voltage, and wherein calculating the PWM pattern includes calculating the PWM pattern in response to determining that the actual voltage is outside of the threshold range.

13. The method of claim 9 further including increasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to increase an actual intensity of the haptic pulses.

14. The method of claim 9 further including decreasing a ratio of “

on”

portions to “

off”

portions in the PWM pattern to decrease an actual intensity of the haptic pulses.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

a seat for supporting a driver;

a plurality of haptic actuators disposed in the seat; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of haptic actuators and that;

selects a pattern of active haptic periods during which the controller will command the plurality of haptic actuators to generate haptic pulses;

determines a desired voltage of a signal to supply to the haptic actuators and that indicates the active haptic periods to achieve a desired intensity of haptic pulses;

measures an actual voltage supplied to the controller by an energy storage device of the vehicle;

calculates a pulse width modulation (PWM) pattern that simulates the desired voltage when applied to the actual voltage; and

generates the signal that indicates the active haptic periods based on the PWM pattern to command the haptic actuators to generate the desired intensity of haptic pulses.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller further modifies the PWM pattern applied during adjacent active periods to generate unique pulse signatures having unique intensity values for each of the haptic pulses.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller further determines the desired intensity of haptic pulses based on a vibration intensity perceived by drivers larger than the smallest 5% of potential drivers and smaller than the largest 5% of potential drivers.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller determines the desired voltage based on a relationship between the rotational speed of a motor in the haptic actuator and a voltage applied to the motor.