Shift lever and vehicle control system including the same

• US 10,527,157 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Tae Hee, Hong, Won Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Strege, John B
• Application Number:
  US15/693,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20180180169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0282 Lever handles with lock mechanisms, e.g. for allowing selection of reverse gear or releasing lever from park position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0217 with electric switches or sensors not for gear or range selection, e.g. for controlling auxiliary devices for gear selection F16H59/044; for range selection F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0278 Constructional features of the selector lever, e.g. grip parts, mounting or manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1359 Extracting features related to ridge properties; Determining the fingerprint type, e.g. whorl or loop
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1376 Matching features related to ridge properties or fingerprint texture

Abstract

A shift lever includes a lever knob, and a cover layer covering the lever knob, where the cover layer includes a touch sensor which generates touch information on a touch of a user, and the touch sensor includes a plurality of sensor pixels which senses a capacitance change corresponding to the touch.

Claims

1. A shift lever, comprising:

a lever knob; and

a cover layer covering the lever knob and having flexibility,

wherein the cover layer comprises a touch sensor which generates touch information on a touch of a user and a pressure sensor which senses a pressure change by the touch of the user, and

the touch sensor comprises a plurality of sensor pixels which senses a capacitance change corresponding to the touch.

2. The shift lever of claim 1, wherein the touch information includes information on at least one of finger joint lines of the user, palm lines of the user, a fingerprint of the user, and a position of the touch.

3. The shift lever of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor further comprises:

a plurality of sensor scan lines connected to the plurality of sensor pixels; and

a plurality of output lines connected to the plurality of sensor pixels,

a sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels is connected to an i-th sensor scan line of the plurality of sensor scan lines and a j-th output line of the plurality of output lines, wherein i is an integer of 2 or greater, and j is a natural number, and

the sensor pixel connected to the i-th sensor scan line scan lines and the j-th output line comprises;

a sensor electrode;

a first transistor including a gate electrode connected to the sensor electrode, wherein the first transistor controls a current output to the j-th output line;

a second transistor connected between a reference voltage line and the first transistor, wherein a gate electrode of the second transistor is connected to the i-th sensor scan line; and

a capacitor electrode which defines a first capacitor together with the sensor electrode and is connected to the i-th sensor scan line.

4. The shift lever of claim 3, wherein

the sensor pixel further comprises a third transistor connected between the reference voltage line and the sensor electrode,

wherein a gate electrode of the third transistor is connected to an (i-1)-th scan line of the plurality of sensor scan lines.

5. The shift lever of claim 4, wherein

the sensor electrode defines a second capacitor with a hand of the user when the touch of the user occurs, and

the touch sensor generates the touch information based on a capacitance change of the second capacitor corresponding to the touch.

6. The shift lever of claim 1, wherein the cover layer further comprises a display panel which displays an image based on the touch information and the pressure information.

7. The shift lever of claim 1, wherein the cover layer further comprises a haptic module which generates a haptic effect based on the touch information and the pressure information.

8. The shift lever of claim 1, further comprising:

a lever switch which controls a movement of the shift lever, and

the cover layer covers outer surfaces of the lever knob and the lever switch.

9. The shift lever of claim 8, further comprising:

a lever hub disposed under the lever knob; and

a lever shaft connecting the lever knob and the lever hub to each other.

10. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a shift lever comprising a lever knob and a cover layer covering the lever knob;

an authenticator which authenticates a user of a vehicle based on touch information and pressure information; and

a controller which controls the vehicle based on the touch information, the pressure information and an authentication result,

wherein the cover layer comprises;

a touch sensor which generates the touch information on a touch of the user; and

a pressure sensor which senses a pressure change of the touch of the user,

wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of sensor pixels which senses a capacitance change corresponding to the touch, and

wherein the cover layer has flexibility.

11. The vehicle control system of claim 10, wherein the touch information includes information on at least one of finger joint lines of the user, palm lines of the user, a fingerprint of the user, and a position of the touch.

12. The vehicle control system of claim 10, further comprising:

a lever switch which controls a movement of the shift lever,

wherein the cover layer covers outer surfaces of the lever knob and the lever switch.

13. The vehicle control system of claim 10, wherein the authenticator comprises:

an authentication processor unit which compares the touch information and the pressure information with a plurality of registration information and transmits the touch information, the pressure information, matched registration information, and an approval signal to the controller when the touch information and the pressure information are matched with one of the plurality of registration information, wherein the matched registration information is the one of the plurality of registration information matched with the touch information and the pressure information;

a user information storage unit which stores the plurality of registration information; and

a temporary information storage unit which stores the touch information and the pressure information.

14. The vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein

the controller controls the vehicle to start in response to the approval signal, and

the controller controls a steering wheel and the shift lever to be unlocked in response to the approval signal.

15. The vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein

the controller provides the user with user environment, which is set beforehand, based on the matched registration information in response to the approval signal, and

the user environment includes at least one of a position of a wheel, directions of a rear view mirror and a side view mirror, a position and an angle of a driver'"'"'s seat, an audio channel, and an air conditioner temperature.

16. The vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the cover layer further comprises a display panel which displays an image in response to control of the controller.

17. The vehicle control system of claim 16, wherein

the controller comprises a memory which stores the image, and

the controller controls the display panel to display the image based on the touch information and the pressure information in response to the approval signal.

18. The vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the cover layer further comprises a haptic module which vibrates according to a vibration pattern.

19. The vehicle control system of claim 18, wherein

the controller comprises a memory which stores the vibration pattern, and

the controller controls the haptic module to be driven according to the vibration pattern based on the touch information and the pressure information in response to the approval signal.