Vehicle interface system

• US 9,248,839 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tan, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/498,797
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/141 Activation of instrument input devices by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/141 Activation by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/02 Arrangement of instruments arrangement of lighting devices for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system

Abstract

A vehicle interface system comprises a steering wheel, a contact sensor system, a user input device and a controller. The contact sensor system includes a first sensor that detects first and second contact conditions at first and second predetermined locations, respective, with the first location being on the steering wheel. The controller selectively enters an input device controlling mode in which the controller determines whether the first and second contact simultaneously conditions exist, controls the user input device to change from a deactivated state to an activated state during which the user input device provides input to the controller in response to simultaneous existence of the first and second contact conditions, provides an indication of entering the activated state, controls the user input device to remain in the activated state while the first contact condition exists, and subsequently controls the user input device to return to the deactivated state.

Claims

1. A vehicle interface system comprising:

a steering wheel;

a contact sensor system including a first sensor configured to detect a first contact condition at a first predetermined location on the steering wheel and a second sensor configured to detect a second contact condition at a second predetermined location;

a user input device; and

a controller configured to selectively enter a user input device controlling mode in which the controller determines whether the first and second contact conditions simultaneously exist at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, controls the user input device to change from a deactivated state during which the user input device refrains from providing input to the controller to an activated state during which the user input device provides input to the controller in response to the first and second contact conditions simultaneously existing at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, provides an indication of entering the activated state of the user input device, controls the user input device to remain in the activated state while the controller determines that the first contact condition exists at the first predetermined location, controls the user input device to change from the activated state to the deactivated state upon determining that the first contact condition no longer exists at the first predetermined location, and controls the user input device to return to the deactivated state after receiving the input from the user input device.

2. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the first predetermined location corresponds to any of a first plurality of locations along the steering wheel, and the second predetermined location corresponds to any of a second plurality of locations.

3. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the second predetermined location is at the steering wheel.

4. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the second predetermined location is spaced apart from the steering wheel.

5. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the user input device includes a manual input device located at the steering wheel.

6. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the user input device includes a gesture recognition device.

7. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to provide an indication of the deactivated state of the user input device upon the user input device returning to the deactivated state, during the user input device controlling mode.

8. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

a haptic indication device that the controller is configured to control to provide the indication of entering the activated state.

9. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the presence of the second contact condition at the second predetermined location includes at least one of a physical presence of an object proximate to the second predetermined location, a presence of a visual characteristic directed toward the second predetermined location and a presence of an audio characteristic received at the second predetermined location.

10. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

a haptic indication device, controlled by the controller to provide the indication of entering the activated state as a haptic indication;

and

a display, controlled by the controller to provide a visual indication of the activated state.

11. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of haptic elements, controlled by the controller to provide a haptic indication representing a characteristic of the input received at the user input device.

12. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the contact sensor system further comprises a user wearable device;

and

at least one of the first sensor is configured to detect the first contact condition at the first predetermined location on the steering wheel based on a detected proximity of the user wearable device to the first predetermined location and the second sensor is configured to detect the second contact condition at the second predetermined location based on a detected proximity of the user wearable device to the second predetermined location.

13. The vehicle interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the first sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and a pressure sensor disposed at the first predetermined location;

and

the second sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and a pressure sensor disposed at the second predetermined location.

14. The vehicle interface system according to claim 4, wherein

the second predetermined location is at a transmission shift device.

15. The vehicle interface system according to claim 6, further comprising

a display, controlled by the controller to provide the indication of the activated state by demonstrating at least one gesture recognizable as input by the gesture recognition device, during the user input device controlling mode.

16. The vehicle interface system according to claim 8, wherein

the steering wheel includes the haptic indication device;

and

the controller is configured to control the haptic indication device to provide a haptic indication as an indication of the first contact condition at the first predetermined location.

17. The vehicle interface system according to claim 8, wherein

the controller is configured to control the haptic indication device to provide a respective haptic indication of each input received by the user input device.

18. The vehicle interface system according to claim 12, wherein

the user wearable device includes a haptic indication device;

and

the controller is configured to communicate with the user wearable device to control the haptic indication device to provide the indication of entering the activated state as a haptic indication.

19. A vehicle interface system comprising:

a steering wheel;

a contact sensor system including a first sensor configured to detect a first contact condition at a first predetermined location on the steering wheel and a second sensor configured to detect a second contact condition at a second predetermined location;

a user input device; and

a controller configured to set at least one of the first and second predetermined locations in response to a user instruction, and further configured to selectively enter a user input device controlling mode in which the controller determines whether the first and second contact conditions simultaneously exist at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, controls the user input device to change from a deactivated state during which the user input device refrains from providing input to the controller to an activated state during which the user input device provides input to the controller in response to the first and second contact conditions simultaneously existing at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, provides an indication of entering the activated state of the user input device, controls the user input device to remain in the activated state while the controller determines that the first contact condition exists at the first predetermined location, and controls the user input device to return to the deactivated state after receiving the input from the user input device.

20. A vehicle interface system comprising:

a steering wheel;

a contact sensor system including a first sensor configured to detect a first contact condition at a first predetermined location on the steering wheel and a second sensor configured to detect a second contact condition at a second predetermined location;

a user input device; and

a controller configured to set at least one of the first and second predetermined locations based on a vehicle component characteristic including at least one of driver seat position, steering wheel position and occupant detection, and further configured to selectively enter a user input device controlling mode in which the controller determines whether the first and second contact conditions simultaneously exist at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, controls the user input device to change from a deactivated state during which the user input device refrains from providing input to the controller to an activated state during which the user input device provides input to the controller in response to the first and second contact conditions simultaneously existing at the first and second predetermined locations, respectively, provides an indication of entering the activated state of the user input device, controls the user input device to remain in the activated state while the controller determines that the first contact condition exists at the first predetermined location, and controls the user input device to return to the deactivated state after receiving the input from the user input device.