VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DRIVER-BASED ADJUSTMENTS

• US 20130013157A1
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: KIM, Young Suk, SHIN, Jong Kyun, JEON, Kyeong Won
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

A control system of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an input portion for inputting an order for generating an virtual avatar of a driver, an image detection portion that detects an outside image of the driver according to the order that is input by the input portion, an avatar generating portion that transforms the image of the real driver into the virtual avatar, and an integrated control portion that controls a driver seat, a steering device, a side view mirror, or a rear view mirror according to the shape of the virtual avatar.

Claims

1. A control system of a vehicle, comprising:

an input portion configured to input an order for generating a virtual avatar of a driver;

an image detection portion configured to detect an outside image of the driver according to the order that is input by the input portion;

an avatar generating portion configured to transform the image of the driver to the virtual avatar; and

an integrated control portion configured to control at least one of a driver seat, a steering device, a side view mirror, or a rear view mirror according to the shape of the virtual avatar.

2. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the integrated control portion is configured to apply the virtual avatar that is made by the avatar generating portion in a virtual vehicle.

3. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the integrated control portion is configured to return the driver seat, the steering device, the side view mirror, or the rear view mirror to an original position and applies the virtual avatar to the original position.

4. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the integrated control portion includes a seat control portion that is configured to control front/rear position, height, and slope of a seat back of the driver seat.

5. The control system of a vehicle of claim 4, wherein the seat control portion is configured to control a front/rear position of the driver seat such that a knee angle of the virtual avatar becomes a predetermined angle in a condition that the virtual avatar pushes the brake to its limit,

to control the slope of the seat back such that the seat back is slanted to a predetermined angle,

to control the height of the seat of the driver such that a gazing distance that the virtual avatar sees through a front window of the vehicle becomes a predetermined length,

to control the position of the lumbar supporting portion of the driver seat along the lumbar slope of the virtual avatar, and

to control the neck supporting portion of the driver seat to coincide with an occipital region center.

6. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the integrated control portion is configured to control a telescopic length and a tilting angle of the steering device.

7. The control system of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the steering device control portion is configured to:

make both hands of the virtual avatar grasp predetermined positions of the steering wheel,

control a tilting angle of the steering wheel such that the shoulder height of the virtual avatar becomes equal to the height of the hands grasping the steering wheel, and

control a telescopic length of the steering wheel such that the elbow angle of the virtual avatar becomes a predetermined value.

8. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the integrated control portion includes a mirror control portion that is configured to control up/down/left/right angles of the side view mirror or the rear view mirror.

9. The control system of a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the mirror control portion is configured to:

control the up/down angle of the side view mirror such that the ratio of the lower portion of an virtual horizontal line, which is seen by the eye of the virtual avatar through the side view mirror, becomes a predetermined value, and

control the left/right angle of the side view mirror such that the ratio of the outside of the vehicle body, which is seen by the virtual avatar through the side view mirror, becomes a predetermined value.

10. The control system of a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the mirror control portion is configured to control the left/right angle of the rear view mirror such that the eye of the virtual avatar gazes at a central portion of the rear window through the rear view mirror, and to control the up/down angle of the rear view mirror such that the gazing distance of the virtual avatar through the rear view mirror becomes a predetermined value.

11. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the input portion is an input unit that is disposed in the vehicle or a portable communication means.

12. The control system of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the image detecting portion is a rear camera of a vehicle.

13. A method, comprising:

inputting an order for generating a virtual avatar of a driver of a vehicle;

detecting an outside image of the driver according to the input order;

transforming the detected image of the driver into an virtual avatar; and

controlling at least one of a driver seat, a steering device, a side view mirror, or a rear view mirror according to the shape of the virtual avatar.