Steering wheel for a motor vehicle

• US 7,441,800 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Weber, Helmuth, Muller, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US11/055,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 200/61.54, 200/61.55
• US Class Current: 280/731
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• 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: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A steering wheel for a motor vehicle is provided having a hub element, a steering wheel rim, at least one steering wheel spoke for attaching the steering wheel rim to the hub element and at least one activation device which is arranged on the hub element, the steering wheel rim or the steering wheel spoke for controlling and/or regulating an assembly of a motor vehicle. The activation device is preferably embodied as an optical reflection sensor device with a functional face. Such a sensor device operates without mechanically moving parts and during the service life of the steering wheel it is independent of general scratching and soiling of its functional faces. In addition, the functionality of the measurement of distances and/or speeds of the objects located above the functional faces of the sensor device permits further functions to be integrated without requiring further separate devices in order to do so.

Claims

1. A steering wheel for a motor vehicle having a plurality of operating assemblies including a music system, an air-conditioning system, a navigation system, or a hands-free phone system, the steering wheel comprising:

a hub element;

a steering wheel rim;

at least one steering wheel spoke for attaching the steering wheel rim to the hub element; and

at least one activation device which is arranged on the hub element, on the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel spoke and having the purpose of actively controlling or regulating a predetermined one of the plurality of motor vehicle operating assemblies,

wherein the activation device is embodied as an optical reflection sensor device, the steering wheel has a plurality or sensor devices with optical reflection functional faces which are arranged on the steering wheel rim, the steering wheel spoke, or the hub element, and the functional face of at least one sensor device is arranged in a depression in the steering wheel,

the functional face has a recessed region arranged in the lowest region of the depression and a first limb adjoining the recessed region on one side thereof and a second limb adjoining the recessed region on the other side thereof, the sensor device is embodied in such a way that a driver of a vehicle actuates a control function or regulating function of a motor vehicle assembly by tapping the functional face in the recessed region with a fingertip, the sensor device is embodied in such a way that the driver of the vehicle generates a first control signal or first regulating signal of an assembly of the motor vehicle by moving his fingertip onto the first limb from the recessed region, and the sensor device is embodied in such a way that the driver of the vehicle generates a second control signal or second regulating signal of an assembly of the motor vehicle by moving his fingertip onto the second limb from the recessed region.

2. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second limbs of the functional face are symmetrical with respect to one another.

3. A steering wheel for a motor vehicle having a plurality of operating assemblies including a music system, an air-conditioning system, a navigation system, or a hands-free phone system, the steering wheel comprising:

a hub element,

a steering wheel rim,

at least one steering wheel spoke for attaching the steering wheel rim to the hub element; and

at least one activation device which is arranged on the hub element, on the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel spoke and has the purpose of actively controlling or regulating a predetermined one of the plurality of motor vehicle operating assemblies,

wherein the activation device is embodied as an optical reflection sensor device that is configured for optically detecting a user'"'"'s fingertip and the fingertip'"'"'s movements relative thereto for actively controlling or regulating the predetermined motor vehicle operating assembly, the steering wheel having a plurality of sensor devices with optical reflection functional faces which are arranged on the steering wheel rim, the steering wheel spoke, or the hub element, at least one sensor device has a functional face which is extended along an axis (EA) of extent and is arranged on the steering wheel spoke or on the steering wheel hub, with the extent of the extended functional face being formed transversely with respect to the axis (EA) of extend in such a way that no significant movement of a fingertip of a driver of a vehicle transversely with respect to the direction (EA) of extent is possible, and a regulating function for an assigned parameter of the predetermined one of the motor vehicle operating assemblies is actuated by the user of a vehicle causing his fingertip to approach or touch the extended functional face.

4. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor device has an optical reflection functional face that is arranged in the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel spoke in such a way that the driver of the vehicle reaches the functional face with one of his fingertips without having to take his hand off the steering wheel rim in order to do so.

5. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the functional face of the one sensor device is countersunk in a transverse direction with respect to a plane extending from the steering wheel rim.

6. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the functional face of the one sensor device is countersunk essentially perpendicularly with respect to the plane extending from the steering wheel rim.

7. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the driver of the vehicle generates a switch-off or switch-on signal for a function of the predetermined motor vehicle operating assembly by tapping the functional face with a fingertip.

8. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein a functional face of the sensor device is arranged on a bulge of the steering wheel rim projecting in the direction of the hub element.

9. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein a functional face of the sensor device is arranged on the steering wheel in a region above an axis (D) of rotation of the steering wheel defined by the steering wheel rim in a straight-ahead position of the steering wheel.

10. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 9, wherein a functional face of a second sensor device in the region above the axis (D) of rotation of the steering wheel is arranged symmetrically with respect to the functional face of the sensor device in the straight-ahead position of the steering wheel.

11. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the assigned parameter of the motor vehicle assembly is increased or decreased by moving the fingertip in one or other direction along the direction (EA) of extent.

12. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the assigned parameter of the motor vehicle assembly is selected by speech-activated control by the user of the vehicle by means of a motor vehicle speech recognition system.

13. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 11, in combination with the motor vehicle wherein, a display or on board computer system is provided to permit the user of the vehicle to recognize the assigned parameter on the display, which is arranged on the steering wheel or in a dashboard region of the motor vehicle, or by means of a corresponding speech output of the motor vehicle on-board computer system.

14. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the assigned parameter is selected by the movement of the fingertip on a functional face, extended along a plurality of axes (EA1, EA2) of extent, of a further sensor device.

15. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the assigned parameter is selected by moving the fingertip along a second axis (EA2) of extent of the extended functional face, and the selected, assigned parameter is regulated by moving the fingertip along a first axis (EA1) of extent which is arranged essentially perpendicularly thereto.

16. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 14, in combination with the motor vehicle, wherein a selector display which is arranged on the steering wheel or in a dashboard region of the motor vehicle is provided to permit selectable assigned parameters to be visually recognized by the user of the vehicle, the movement of the fingertip on the extended functional face controlling a cursor on the selector display and the selection of a desired one of the selectable assigned parameters being possible by moving the cursor onto the one desired assigned parameter which is displayed on the selector display and subsequently tapping on the extended functional face.

17. The steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of sensor devices with functional faces are arranged on the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel spokes in such a way that regions in which a driver of a vehicle touches or grasps the steering wheel with his hands can be detected.

18. A method using a steering wheel as claimed in claim 3, having the following steps:

the parameters of the distance or approach speed of the upper part of the body of the driver of the vehicle in relation to the steering wheel is determined using at least one optical reflection sensor device that is different from the optical reflection sensor device that is used for actively controlling or regulating the predetermined motor vehicle operating assembly, and

the parameters which are determined in this way are passed on to an electronic safety system of the vehicle and influence, in the event of a crash, the decision of the electronic safety system as to whether, and in what way, a steering wheel airbag or side airbags which are assigned to the user of the vehicle are triggered.