Vehicular haptic feedback system and method

• US 9,827,811 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: McNew, John-Michael, Prokhorov, Danil V., Toyoda, Heishiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Small, Naomi
• Application Number:
  US15/210,375
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 340438
• 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: 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: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A vehicular haptic feedback system includes a haptic feedback controller configured to communicate with a vehicle. The haptic feedback controller including a plurality of haptic feedback actuators and processing circuitry configured to detect quality of operation information of the vehicle, a direction and an intensity of threat information corresponding to the vehicle, and a mode of operation of the vehicle. The haptic feedback controller is also configured to determine a desired direction of travel of the vehicle based on the quality of operation information, the direction and the intensity of threat information, and the mode of operation. The haptic feedback controller is further configured to provide haptic feedback corresponding to the quality of operation information, the direction and the intensity of threat information, the mode of operation and the desired direction of travel of the vehicle, via the plurality of haptic feedback actuators.

Claims

1. A vehicular haptic feedback system, comprising:

a haptic feedback controller configured to communicate with a vehicle, the haptic feedback controller including a plurality of haptic feedback actuators and processing circuitry configured to

detect, via data received from one or more sensors, quality of operation information of the vehicle, threat information corresponding to the vehicle, and a mode of operation of the vehicle,

determine, via the data received from the one or more sensors, a desired direction of travel of the vehicle based on the quality of operation information, the threat information, and the mode of operation, and

provide haptic feedback corresponding to the quality of operation information, the threat information, the mode of operation, and the desired direction of travel of the vehicle via the plurality of haptic feedback actuators,

wherein the haptic feedback includes a plurality of patterns having a plurality of parameters that correspond to a plurality of automated levels of the vehicle, a plurality of levels of threat intensity, and a plurality of levels of quality of operation information.

2. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an automobile, a truck, a van, a sport utility vehicle, an autonomous automobile, an autonomous truck, an autonomous van, or an autonomous sport utility vehicle.

3. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a seat having a seat base and a seat back.

4. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 3, wherein the haptic feedback controller is located at the seat.

5. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback controller is located at an external device including at least one of a glove, a shoe insert, a pedal, a foot rest, a floor mat, and a steering wheel.

6. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of haptic feedback actuators include piezoelectric haptic devices and one or more devices which generate one or more of a vibration, a heating or cooling sensation, and an air pressure.

7. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback includes a persistent pattern of the plurality of haptic feedback actuators when a threat is not detected.

8. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a speed of the vehicle, a speed of a threat, and a direction of the threat.

9. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 8, wherein the haptic feedback corresponding to the threat information includes a pattern of the plurality of haptic feedback actuators in the direction of the threat at a speed corresponding to the speed of the threat.

10. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters include pattern type, starting point of a pattern, ending point of a pattern, speed of a pattern, and directionality of a pattern.

11. The vehicular haptic feedback system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine the desired direction of travel and the quality of operation information based on road structure in which the vehicle is navigating.

12. A method of vehicular haptic feedback, comprising:

detecting, via data received from one or more sensors, quality of operation information of a vehicle, threat information corresponding to the vehicle, and a mode of operation of the vehicle,

determining, via the data from the one or more sensors, a desired direction of travel of the vehicle based on the quality of operation information, the threat information, and the mode of operation, and

providing, via processing circuitry of a haptic feedback controller, haptic feedback corresponding to the quality of operation information, the threat information, the mode of operation, and the desired direction of travel of the vehicle from a plurality of haptic feedback actuators,

wherein the haptic feedback includes a plurality of patterns having a plurality of parameters that correspond to a plurality of automated levels of the vehicle, a plurality of levels of threat intensity, and a plurality of levels of quality of operation information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the haptic feedback includes a persistent pattern of the plurality of haptic feedback actuators when a threat is not detected.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a speed of the vehicle, a speed of a threat and a direction of the threat.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the haptic feedback corresponding to the threat information includes a pattern of the plurality of haptic feedback actuators in the direction of the threat at a speed corresponding to the speed of the threat.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of parameters include pattern type, starting point of a pattern, ending point of a pattern, speed of a pattern, and directionality of a pattern.

17. The haptic feedback system of claim 12, further comprising:

determining the desired direction of travel and the quality of operation information based on road structure in which the vehicle is navigating.

18. A haptic feedback controller, comprising:

a plurality of haptic feedback actuators; and

processing circuitry configured to

detect, via data received from one or more sensors, quality of operation information of a vehicle, threat information corresponding to the vehicle, and a mode of operation of the vehicle,

determine, via the data received from the one or more sensors, a desired direction of travel of the vehicle based on the quality of operation information, the threat information, and the mode of operation, and

provide haptic feedback corresponding to the quality of operation information, the threat information, the mode of operation, and the desired direction of travel of the vehicle via the plurality of haptic feedback actuators,

wherein the haptic feedback includes a plurality of patterns having a plurality of parameters that correspond to a plurality of automated levels of the vehicle, a plurality of levels of threat intensity, and a plurality of levels of quality of operation information.