Steering system with haptic driver warning

• US 20070008083A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davis, Alan, Berg, Frederick, Phillips, Timothy, Riefe, Richard, Dybalski, Ronald, Bennett, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/158 Haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• 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: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system

Abstract

A steering column assembly (18) of the type for controlling one or more steerable wheels in a motor vehicle includes a steering wheel (14) interface secured to the free end of a steering column (20). The steering column assembly (18) includes powered telescope adjust and tilt adjust features which a driver (16) uses to adjust the position of the steering wheel (14) for maximum comfort. One or more condition sensors (48) monitor numerous parameters about the vehicle. When an emergency condition is detected, such as the seat belt warning, a door that is ajar, various engine conditions, or erratic driving activity, a haptic controller (50) rapidly vibrates the steering wheel (14) through the telescoping and tilt adjusting motors (32, 40) as a means of alerting the driver (16) to the emergency condition. These warnings can be given priority so that a first warning is communicated by steering wheel (14) vibrations in one direction, and a second warning is communicated by vibrations in both the first direction and a second direction simultaneously. In addition, a third warning can be given emphasis by increasing the power of the vibration to a resonance mode to cause an audible warning.

Claims

1. A steering column assembly of the type for controlling one or more steerable wheels in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:

a steering column having a free end and a steering axis extending from said free end;

a steering wheel secured to said free end of said steering column for manual rotation by a driver in a plane generally perpendicular to said steering axis;

an adjustment actuator for relocating the rotation plane of said steering wheel to improve driver comfort;

a sensor for detecting the occurrence of an emergency condition; and

a haptic controller responsive to said sensor for automatically energizing said adjustment actuator in response to the detection of said emergency condition whereby driver attention to said emergency condition is focused by the unexpected movement of said steering wheel to a different rotation plane.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said adjustment actuator translates the rotation plane of said steering wheel.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said adjustment actuator tilts the rotation plane of said steering wheel together with said steering axis.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said emergency condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

seat belt unfastened, door ajar, engine alert, driver drowsiness symptom, and unsafe lane change detection.

7. The assembly of claim 1 further including a second adjustment actuator for relocating the rotation plane of said steering wheel in a direction different than that of the first said adjustment actuator, said haptic controller automatically energizing said second adjustment actuator in the event said emergency condition persists for more than a predetermined period of time.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said haptic controller creates an audible noise.

8. A steering column assembly of the type for controlling one or more steerable wheels in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:

a steering column having a free end and a steering axis extending from said free end;

a steering wheel secured to said free end of said steering column for manual rotation by a driver in a plane generally perpendicular to said steering axis;

a column support coupled to said steering column for mounting to a support structure in a vehicle;

a sensor for detecting the occurrence of an emergency condition; and

a haptic controller responsive to said sensor for automatically moving the rotation plane of said steering wheel in short reversing directions in response to the detection of said emergency condition whereby driver attention to said emergency condition is focused by the unexpected back and forth movement of said steering wheel.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said haptic controller translates the rotation plane of said steering wheel.

10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said haptic controller tilts the rotation plane of said steering wheel together with said steering axis.

11. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said emergency condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

seat belt unfastened, door ajar, engine alert, driver drowsiness symptom, and unsafe lane change detection.

12. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said haptic controller creates an audible noise.

13. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said haptic controller simultaneously translates and tilts the rotation plane of said steering wheel if said emergency condition persists more than a predetermined period of time.

14. A method of alerting a vehicle driver to an emergency condition, said method comprising the steps of:

changing the directional course of a vehicle by manually rotating a steering wheel in a rotation plane;

detecting an emergency condition; and

automatically moving the rotation plane of the steering wheel in short reversing directions in response to the detection of the emergency condition whereby driver attention to the emergency condition is focused by the unexpected back and forth movement of the steering wheel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of automatically moving the rotation plane includes translating the rotation plane in linear reversing directions.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of automatically moving the rotation plane includes tilting the rotation plane in arcuate reversing directions.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of detecting the occurrence of an emergency condition includes at least one of the following predetermined conditions:

seat belt unfastened, door ajar, engine condition alert, driver drowsiness symptom, and unsafe lane change detection.

18. The method of claim 14 further including the step of creating an audible noise in response to the detection of the emergency condition.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of automatically moving the rotation plane includes simultaneously translating and tilting the rotation plane of the steering wheel if the emergency condition persists more than a predetermined period of time.