Parking feature multi-function tilt knob

• US 9,714,051 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/859,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• 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: B62D 1/02 vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle includes an input including a rotatable rotary element and a controller. The controller executes a trailer backup assist mode including interpreting a first instantaneous position of the rotary element as a trailer control commanding position and generating a vehicle steering command based thereon. The controller also executes a parking assist mode including implementing a parking assist action corresponding to a second instantaneous position of the rotary element.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

an input including a rotatable rotary element and a first physical mode selection device; and

a controller;

upon receiving a trailer backup mode command from the physical mode selection device, executing a trailer backup assist mode including interpreting a first instantaneous position of the rotary element as a trailer control commanding position and generating a vehicle steering command based thereon; and

upon receiving a park assist mode command from the physical mode selection device, executing a parking assist mode including implementing a parking assist action corresponding to a second instantaneous position of the rotary element.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein:

the input apparatus further includes a mounting structure defining a surface extending outwardly from the rotary element; and

the physical mode selection device includes a plurality of buttons positioned along the mounting structure adjacent the rotary element, a first one of the buttons transmitting a first signal to the controller corresponding to the trailer backup assist mode command and at least a second one of the buttons corresponding to the parking assist mode command.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the input includes a mounting structure and an extension element, wherein:

the mounting structure extends outwardly from the rotary element;

the rotary element is operably coupled with the mounting structure by the extension element with the extension element articulating about a tipping axis normal to a rotation axis of the rotary element, the tipping axis being disposed within the mounting structure such that the extension element is rotatable about the tipping axis from a central position to a plurality of selection positions such that the rotary element provides the first physical mode selection device.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein an interface between the extension element and the mounting structure includes electronic circuitry therein and in communication with the controller, the electronic circuitry transmitting a first signal to the controller corresponding to the trailer backup assist mode command when the extension element is rotated into a first one of the plurality of selection positions and transmitting a second signal to the controller corresponding to the parking assist mode command when the extension element is rotated into a second one of the plurality of selection positions.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein:

the trailer control commanding position corresponds to one of a zero curvature position or at least two directional curvature positions opposed about the zero curvature position; and

the rotary element is biased toward an at rest position corresponding to the zero curvature position.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle steering command is further based on a trailer curvature path corresponding to an instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the parking assist mode includes at least one of a perpendicular park assist mode, a parallel park assist mode and a park-out assist mode.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein:

the instantaneous position corresponds to one of a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, or an at rest position;

the selection command is interpreted as a driver side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the driver side of the vehicle and as a passenger side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the passenger side of the vehicle; and

the parking assist action is implemented on a side of the vehicle corresponding to the selection command.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a steering system;

an input including a rotatable element and a physical mode selection device;

a trailer backup assist system activating upon receiving a trailer backup mode command from the physical mode selection device and determining a first instantaneous position of the rotary element and executing a trailer backup assist mode including interpreting the first instantaneous position as a trailer control commanding position and outputting a steering command based thereon to the steering system; and

a park assist system activating upon receiving a park assist mode command from the physical mode selection device and determining a second instantaneous position of the rotary element and implementing a parking assist action corresponding to the second instantaneous position including controlling the steering system.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a console including a mounting structure defining a surface extending outwardly from the rotary element, wherein:

the physical mode selection device includes a plurality of buttons positioned along the mounting structure adjacent the rotary element, a first one of the buttons transmitting a first signal to the controller corresponding to a request to activate the trailer backup assist system and at least a second one of the buttons transmitting a signal corresponding to a request to activate the parking assist system.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a central console including a mounting structure extending outwardly from the rotary element, wherein:

the input further includes an extension element operably coupling the rotary element with the mounting structure and articulating about a tipping axis normal to a rotation axis of the rotary element from a central position to a plurality of selection positions such that the rotary element provides the first physical mode selection device;

the input is further in communication with the trailer backup assist system and the park assist system for transmitting a first signal to the backup assist system corresponding to the trailer backup assist mode command when the extension element is articulated into a first one of the plurality of selection positions and transmitting a second signal to the park assist system corresponding to the parking assist mode command when the extension element is articulated into a second one of the plurality of selection positions.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the trailer control commanding position corresponds to one of a zero curvature position or at least two directional curvature positions opposed about the zero curvature position; and

the rotary element is biased toward an at rest position corresponding to the zero curvature position.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the steering command is further based on a trailer curvature path corresponding to an instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the parking assist action includes at least one of a perpendicular park assist action, a parallel park assist action and a park-out assist action.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the second instantaneous position corresponds to one of a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, or an at rest position;

the selection command is interpreted as a driver side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the driver side of the vehicle and as a passenger side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the passenger side of the vehicle; and

the parking assist action is implemented on a side of the vehicle corresponding to the passenger side selection command.

16. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a first mode input from a physical mode selection device within the vehicle;

when the first mode input is a backup assist initiation command, determining a first instantaneous position of a rotary element within the vehicle, interpreting the first instantaneous position as a trailer control position, and controlling a vehicle steering system to guide the vehicle along a backing path determined using the trailer control position; and

when the first mode input is a park assist initiation command, implementing a parking action on a side of the vehicle corresponding to the first instantaneous position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical mode selection device is a plurality of buttons adjacent the rotary element, a first one of the buttons corresponding to the backup assist initiation command and at least a second one of the buttons corresponding to the park assist initiation command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical mode selection device is electronic circuitry within an interface between a mounting structure and an extension element operably coupling the mounting structure with the rotary element, the electronic circuitry transmitting a first signal corresponding to the trailer backup assist mode command when the extension element is articulated into a first one of a plurality of selection positions and transmitting a second signal corresponding to the parking assist mode command when the extension element is articulated into a second one of the plurality of selection positions.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the trailer control position corresponds to one of a zero curvature position or at least two directional curvature positions opposed about the zero curvature position; and

the steering command is further based on a trailer curvature path corresponding to an instantaneous one of the zero curvature position or one of the at least two directional curvature positions.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first instantaneous position corresponds to one of a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, or an at rest position;

the first mode input is interpreted as a driver side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the driver side of the vehicle and as a passenger side selection command when the instantaneous position corresponds to the passenger side of the vehicle; and

the parking action is implemented on a side of the vehicle corresponding to the instantaneous position.