Method of operating a foldable step device

Abstract

The application discloses an operation control method of a foldable pedal device, which can control the operation of the foldable pedal device so that when the starting function closed state changes into the starting function open state, the foldable brake pedal is popped out first, and then the foldable accelerator pedal is popped out after a time interval; and when the starting function open state changes into the starting function closed state, the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden first, and then the foldable brake pedal is hidden after a time interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an operation control method for a foldable pedal device, and more particularly to a technology related to the operation control method for a foldable pedal device, which allows the foldable brake pedal to pop out before the foldable accelerator pedal during vehicle start-up function activation, and allows the foldable accelerator pedal to pop out before the foldable brake pedal during vehicle start-up function deactivation. Background Technology

[0002] Autonomous vehicles are intelligent vehicles with autonomous driving technology. Even without the driver directly operating the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brakes, etc., these vehicles can autonomously reach their destination. Recently, the development of autonomous vehicles has progressed rapidly.

[0003] When autonomous driving becomes commonplace, drivers can choose between a manual driving mode where the driver directly drives the autonomous vehicle, and an autonomous driving mode where the vehicle can drive itself to its destination even when the driver is not directly driving it.

[0004] Since in autonomous driving mode, the driver should be able to rest comfortably by stretching out his / her legs, the pedals (accelerator and brake pedals) located in the space under the driver's seat remain directly exposed to the interior of the autonomous vehicle. The pedals can interfere with the driver's rest, especially when the pedal pads malfunction unrelated to the driver's intentions, and autonomous driving is forcibly terminated, raising concerns about a high risk of accidents.

[0005] Therefore, in the case of autonomous vehicles, the development of foldable pedal devices is actively underway, so that in the manual driving mode where the driver is directly driving, the pedal pad is exposed and protrudes towards the driver to allow the driver to manipulate the pedal pad, and in the autonomous driving mode, the pedal pad is hidden and does not protrude towards the driver, so that the driver cannot manipulate the pedal pad, so as to allow the driver to rest comfortably and ensure safety, including preventing malfunctions.

[0006] As described above, according to relevant technologies, vehicles equipped with foldable pedal devices have a configuration in which the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal simultaneously pop upwards during the start-up function. When the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal pop up simultaneously, the probability of the driver accidentally operating the pedals increases, resulting in a disadvantage that reduces vehicle safety.

[0007] Furthermore, according to relevant technology, the foldable accelerator pedal and foldable brake pedal are operated to be hidden simultaneously when the start function is off. A drawback of this simultaneous hiding of the foldable accelerator and brake pedals is that the driver feels uncomfortable when shifting into neutral (N) for parking.

[0008] The information disclosed in the background section of this invention is for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or any implication that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Various aspects of the present invention aim to provide an operation control method for a foldable pedal device, which allows the pop-up or hiding operation of a foldable accelerator pedal and a foldable brake pedal to be performed sequentially according to the vehicle's start function being on or off, wherein when the start function is changed from off to on, the foldable brake pedal pops up first, followed by the foldable accelerator pedal, thereby reducing the probability of driver misoperation of the pedals and improving vehicle safety.

[0010] In addition, when the start function changes from the on state to the off state, the foldable accelerator pedal is first hidden, and then the foldable brake pedal is hidden. This allows the driver to easily perform neutral shifting for parking even if the start function is restarted within a predetermined time after it is turned off.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, an operation control method for a foldable pedal device is provided, comprising: a first operation, determining whether a start button is operated or a door opening signal is generated when the vehicle's start function is in a deactivated state; a second operation, when the controller determines in the first operation that the start button is operated or a door opening signal is generated, extending a foldable brake pedal of the foldable pedal device; a third operation, determining whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period after the foldable brake pedal is extended upwards; and a fourth operation, when the controller determines in the third operation that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, activating the vehicle start function and extending a foldable accelerator pedal of the foldable pedal device upwards.

[0012] When the vehicle start function is off, both the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal can remain hidden.

[0013] When the controller determines in the third operation that no braking signal and start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the control logic can be fed back to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is in the off state and both the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal are kept in the hidden state, so that the logic is executed again from the first operation.

[0014] The operation control method may further include a fifth operation, in which, after the fourth operation, when the vehicle is in a state of terminated driving, a start function deactivation signal is determined; a sixth operation, in which, when the controller determines in the fifth operation that a start function deactivation signal has been generated, the vehicle's start function is deactivated and the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden; a seventh operation, in which a braking signal and a start function activation signal are determined within a predetermined time period after the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden; an eighth operation, in which, when the controller determines through the seventh operation that no braking signal and a start function activation signal have been generated within the predetermined time period, a braking signal and a shift lock release signal have been determined within the predetermined time period; and a ninth operation, in which, when the controller determines through the eighth operation that no braking signal and a shift lock release signal have been generated within the predetermined time period, the foldable brake pedal is hidden.

[0015] After the foldable accelerator pedal is deployed via the fourth operation, the vehicle can enter a ready-to-drive state, and both the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal can remain deployed or retracted depending on whether it is in manual driving mode or automatic driving mode.

[0016] When the controller determines in the seventh operation that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period, it feeds back control logic between the third operation and the fourth operation in which the vehicle start function is activated and the foldable accelerator pedal is deployed, so that the logic is executed again starting from the fourth operation.

[0017] When the controller determines in the eighth operation that a braking signal and a shift lock release signal will be generated within a predetermined time period, the vehicle's shift gear can be changed to N (neutral), and the control logic can execute the ninth operation.

[0018] After the ninth operation, the control logic can feed back to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is off and both the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal are kept hidden, thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation, and can terminate the control logic when it is determined in the first operation that the start button has not been operated and at the same time it is determined that no door opening signal has been generated.

[0019] According to another aspect, an operation control method for a foldable pedal device is provided, comprising: when a vehicle equipped with a foldable accelerator pedal and a foldable brake pedal is in a start-up function-off state, keeping both the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal in a hidden state; when the vehicle changes from a start-up function-off state to a start-up function-on state, first ejecting the foldable brake pedal upwards, and after a period of time following the ejection of the foldable brake pedal upwards, ejecting the foldable accelerator pedal upwards; and when the vehicle changes from a start-up function-on state to a start-up function-off state, first hiding the foldable accelerator pedal, and then hiding the foldable brake pedal after a period of time following the hiding of the foldable accelerator pedal.

[0020] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages, which will become apparent or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and in the following detailed description, and together serve to explain certain principles of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view exemplarily illustrating a foldable accelerator pedal and a foldable brake pedal according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 and Figure 3 These are schematic block diagrams and flowcharts illustrating the operation control method of a foldable pedal device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and

[0023] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D , Figure 4E and Figure 4F This is a diagram illustrating a foldable accelerator pedal and a foldable brake pedal operated by an operation control method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] It is understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and present slightly simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. Specific design features of the invention disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, may be determined in part by the specific intended application and environment of use.

[0025] In the accompanying drawings, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the invention, and are used throughout the various figures. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0027] The specific structural and functional descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this disclosure or application are for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention only, and exemplary embodiments of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure or application.

[0028] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various ways and may take various forms, as will be shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in this disclosure or application. However, it should be understood that exemplary embodiments based on the concept of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0029] The terms first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms may only be used to distinguish one component from another; for example, without departing from the scope of the invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component.

[0030] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "joined" to another component, it may be directly connected or joined to the other component, but it should be understood that there may be another component between the two components. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly joined" to another component, it should be understood that there may not be another component between the two components. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, namely "between" and "immediately between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should also be interpreted as described above.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the singular form includes the plural form. In this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “having,” etc., should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements, or combinations thereof described herein, and they do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements, or combinations thereof.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical or scientific terms used herein, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various exemplary embodiments of the invention pertain. General terms as defined in dictionaries should be interpreted as having a consistent meaning in the context of the relevant field and should not be construed as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this disclosure.

[0033] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the control unit (controller) may be an algorithm configured to control the operation of various components of the vehicle, a non-volatile memory configured to store data associated with software commands to reproduce the algorithm, or a processor configured to use data stored in a corresponding memory to perform operations described below. Here, the memory and processor may be implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor may be implemented as a single chip in which the memory and processor are integrated. The processor may be in the form of one or more processors.

[0034] In the following description, an operation control method for a foldable pedal device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Autonomous vehicles can be driven in either manual or autonomous mode. In manual mode, the driver directly drives the vehicle. In autonomous mode, the vehicle can drive itself to its destination even if the driver does not drive it directly.

[0036] In addition, autonomous vehicles can be equipped with foldable pedals. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the foldable pedal device includes a foldable accelerator pedal 10 and a foldable brake pedal 20.

[0037] The foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 are pivotally engaged to the pedal housing 30 and operated by the driver's foot, the pedal housing 30 being located in the space below the driver's seat inside the autonomous vehicle.

[0038] In an autonomous vehicle equipped with a foldable accelerator pedal 10 and a foldable brake pedal 20, in manual driving mode, the driver directly operates the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 with their feet. Therefore, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 should be in a pop-out state, extended from the pedal housing 30 and exposed to the driver.

[0039] Furthermore, in autonomous driving mode, for the driver's comfort, to prevent accidental operation, and for safety, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 should be in a concealed state, inserted into and hidden within the pedal housing 30. Therefore, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 should not extend towards the driver.

[0040] As described above, in order to realize the pop-up state and the hidden state of the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention further include a first actuator 40 and a second actuator 50 for forcibly pivoting the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20, respectively, and having a configuration in which the first actuator 40 and the second actuator 50 may be formed as motors and the controller 60 controls the operation of each of the first actuator 40 and the second actuator 50.

[0041] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when the autonomous vehicle equipped with a foldable accelerator pedal 10 and a foldable brake pedal 20 is in a starting-off state, both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 remain in a hidden state; and when the autonomous vehicle changes from a starting-off state to a starting-on state, the foldable brake pedal 20 is first deployed, and then, after a certain period of time after the foldable brake pedal 20 is deployed, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is deployed; and when the autonomous vehicle changes from a starting-on state to a starting-off state, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is first hidden, and then, after a certain period of time after the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is hidden, the foldable brake pedal 20 is hidden.

[0042] That is, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown in Figure 4, the operation control method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes: a first operation for determining whether the start button 70 is operated or whether a door opening signal is generated when the autonomous vehicle is in a state where the start function is off; a second operation for ejecting the foldable brake pedal 20 upward when it is determined in the first operation that the start button 70 is operated or a door opening signal is generated; a third operation for determining whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period after the foldable brake pedal 20 is ejected upward; and a fourth operation for activating the start function of the autonomous vehicle and ejecting the foldable accelerator pedal 10 upward when the controller determines in the third operation that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period.

[0043] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the control logic begins in the state where the starting function of the autonomous vehicle is turned off (operation S1), and when the starting function of the autonomous vehicle is turned off, due to the operation of the first actuator 40 and the second actuator 50 under the control of the controller 60, both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 remain in a hidden state (operations S2 and...). Figure 4A (The state shown).

[0044] After operation S2, when the driver operates the start button 70 or opens the door of the autonomous vehicle to board, the controller 60 performs a first operation to determine whether the start button 70 has been operated or whether a door opening signal has been generated due to the operation of the door switch 100 (operation S3). And when it is determined in the first operation (operation S3) that the start button 70 has been operated or a door opening signal has been generated, the controller 60 performs a second operation. Under the control of the controller 60, the foldable brake pedal 20 is first deployed due to the operation of the second actuator 50 (operations S4 and...). Figure 4B (The state shown).

[0045] When the start function changes from the off state to the on state, for safety reasons, the foldable brake pedal 20 should deploy before the foldable accelerator pedal 10. Conversely, if the foldable accelerator pedal 10 deploys before the foldable brake pedal 20, there is a risk of accidents due to improper driver operation and sudden acceleration. To prevent such accidents, when the start function changes from the off state to the on state, the foldable brake pedal 20 should deploy before the foldable accelerator pedal 10.

[0046] After the foldable brake pedal 20 is ejected via the second operation (operation S4), the controller 60 performs the third operation S5 to determine whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period (e.g., one minute or three minutes) after the foldable brake pedal 20 is ejected.

[0047] A braking signal is generated when the foldable brake pedal 20 is operated, and a start function activation signal is generated when the driver operates the start button 70.

[0048] When it is determined in the third operation (operation S5) that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the autonomous driving vehicle is activated (operation S6), and the controller 60 executes the fourth operation, in which the operation of the first actuator 40 under the control of the controller 60 causes the foldable accelerator pedal 10 to pop out (operations S7 and...). Figure 4C (The state shown).

[0049] However, when it is determined in the third operation (operation S5) that the braking signal and the start signal do not occur simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the control logic according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention returns to the operation in which the autonomous vehicle start function is in the OFF state and the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 are kept in the hidden state (returning before operation S3), thereby executing the logic again from the first operation.

[0050] When both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 are in the popped-out state via the fourth operation (operation S7), the autonomous vehicle enters the ready-to-drive state, and while the autonomous vehicle is in motion, depending on whether it is in manual driving mode or autonomous driving mode, both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 remain in the popped-out or retracted state (operations S8 and...). Figure 4C (state).

[0051] The autonomous vehicle is equipped with a driving mode switch 80 for changing the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle to manual driving mode or autonomous driving mode. When the driver operates the autonomous driving mode switch 81, the autonomous vehicle executes the autonomous driving mode. In this case, due to the operation of the first actuator 40 and the second actuator 50 under the control of the controller 60, both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 remain in a hidden state.

[0052] Conversely, when the driver operates the manual driving mode switch 82, the autonomous vehicle executes the manual driving mode where the driver directly drives the autonomous vehicle. In this case, due to the operation of the first actuator 40 and the second actuator 50 under the control of the controller 60, both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 remain in the pop-up state (e.g., Figure 4D (The state shown).

[0053] After the fourth operation (operation S7), when the driver operates the start button 70 while the vehicle is in a deactivated state, the controller 60 performs a fifth operation to determine whether a start function deactivation signal has been generated (operation S9). If a start function deactivation signal is determined to have been generated in the fifth operation (operation S9), the vehicle's start function is deactivated (operation S10), and a sixth operation (operation S11) is performed, which first hides the foldable accelerator pedal 10 due to the operation of the first actuator 40 under the control of the controller 60. Figure 4E (The state shown).

[0054] The reason why the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is hidden before the foldable brake pedal 20 when the start function changes from the on state to the off state is to protect the circuit from frequent changes when the autonomous vehicle restarts within a predetermined time after the start function is off state, thus providing convenience for the driver. Furthermore, it facilitates the driver's N (neutral) shifting operation after the start function is off state.

[0055] After the foldable brake pedal 10 is hidden by the sixth operation (operation S11), the controller 60 performs the seventh operation to determine whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period (e.g., one minute or three minutes) after the foldable brake pedal 10 is popped out (operation S12).

[0056] A braking signal is generated when the foldable brake pedal 20 is operated, and a start function activation signal is generated when the driver operates the start button 70.

[0057] When it is determined through the seventh operation (operation S12) that no braking signal and start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the controller 60 executes the eighth operation to determine whether a braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period (e.g., one minute or three minutes) (operation S13). And when it is determined through the eighth operation (operation S13) that no braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated simultaneously within the predetermined time period, the controller 60 executes the ninth operation, whereby the foldable brake pedal 20 is hidden due to the operation of the second actuator 50 under the control of the controller 60 (operations S14 and...). Figure 4F (The state shown).

[0058] A shift lock release signal is generated when the driver operates the shift lock release button 90.

[0059] Simultaneously, when it is determined through the seventh operation (operation S12) that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the controller 60 determines the operation of restarting the autonomous vehicle within a predetermined time period after the start function is deactivated as the driver's operation. Based on the above determination result, the control logic according to the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention returns between the third operation and the fourth operation, namely, starting the autonomous vehicle and ejecting the foldable accelerator pedal 10 (feedback before operation S6), thereby re-executing the logic starting from the fourth operation.

[0060] Furthermore, if it is determined through the eighth operation (operation S13) that a braking signal and a shift lock release signal are generated simultaneously within a predetermined time period, the shift gear of the autonomous vehicle is changed to N gear (neutral) (operation S15), and the control logic according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention performs the ninth operation (operation S14) through operation S15.

[0061] Furthermore, after the ninth operation (operation S14), the control logic according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention returns to the operation in which the start function of the autonomous vehicle is in the off state and both the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 are kept in the hidden state (feedback before operation S3), thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation (operation S3). Figure 4A (The state shown). In the first operation (operation S3), when it is determined that the start button 70 has not been operated and at the same time it is determined that no door opening signal has been generated, the control logic according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention terminates without further processing.

[0062] As described above, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to an operation control method for a foldable pedal device. Depending on whether the start function of the autonomous vehicle is on or off, the method controls the pop-up or hiding operation of the foldable accelerator pedal 10 and the foldable brake pedal 20 to be performed sequentially. When the start function is off, the foldable brake pedal 20 is popped up first, and the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is popped up after a certain interval. Therefore, it has the advantage of reducing the probability of driver misoperation of the pedals and improving the safety of the autonomous vehicle.

[0063] Furthermore, when the start function is changed from the on state to the off state, the foldable accelerator pedal 10 is first hidden, and then the foldable brake pedal 20 is hidden after a period of time. This provides convenience for drivers who are parked in neutral to perform neutral gear shifting operations, and also provides convenience for drivers even if a restart is performed within a predetermined time period after the start function is off.

[0064] According to the operation control method of the foldable pedal device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the pop-up or hiding operation of the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal can be performed sequentially according to the start function of the autonomous vehicle being turned on or off. When the start function is turned off to the start function is turned on, the foldable brake pedal is popped up first, and then the foldable accelerator pedal is popped up after a certain period of time. Therefore, the probability of the driver accidentally operating the pedal can be reduced and the safety of the autonomous vehicle can be improved.

[0065] Furthermore, terms related to control devices, such as “controller,” “control unit,” “control device,” or “control module,” refer to hardware devices including a memory and a processor, configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithmic structure. The memory stores the algorithmic steps, and the processor executes the algorithmic steps to perform one or more processes of methods according to various exemplary embodiments of the invention. A control device according to exemplary embodiments of the invention may be implemented using non-volatile memory and a processor configured to store algorithms for controlling the operation of various components of a vehicle or data regarding software commands for executing the algorithms, the processor being configured to perform the aforementioned operations using the data stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor may be integrated into a single chip. The processor may be implemented as one or more processors. The processor may include various logic circuits and arithmetic circuits, capable of processing data according to a program provided by the memory, and capable of generating control signals based on the processing results.

[0066] The control device may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, which may include a series of commands for performing the methods included in the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above.

[0067] The invention described above can also be embodied in computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data that can subsequently be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and implementations as carrier waves (e.g., transmission over the Internet).

[0068] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, each of the above operations may be performed by a control device, and the control device may be configured by multiple control devices or a single integrated control device.

[0069] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the control device may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software.

[0070] For ease of interpretation and accurate definition of the appended claims, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “upper,” “lower,” “upward,” “downward,” “front,” “rear,” “rear,” “inner side,” “outer side,” “inward,” “outer,” “internal,” “external,” “inner,” “outer,” “forward,” and “backward” are used with reference to the positions of such features shown in the figures to describe features of the exemplary embodiments. It will be further understood that the term “connection” or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0071] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and many modifications and variations will be apparent from the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, enabling others skilled in the art to implement and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An operation control method for a foldable pedal device, the operation control method comprising: The first operation involves the controller determining whether the start button has been pressed or whether a door opening signal has been generated when the vehicle's start function is disabled. The second operation is that when the controller determines that the start button has been operated or a door opening signal has been generated in the first operation, the controller pops out the foldable brake pedal of the foldable pedal device. The third operation involves the controller determining whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period after the foldable brake pedal pops up. as well as In the fourth operation, when the controller determines in the third operation that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller activates the vehicle's start function and pops up the foldable accelerator pedal of the foldable pedal device.

2. The operation control method according to claim 1 further includes: When the vehicle's start function is in the OFF state, the controller keeps the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal in a hidden state.

3. The operation control method according to claim 1 further includes: When the controller determines in the third operation that no braking signal and the start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to feed back control logic to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is OFF and the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal remain in a hidden state, thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation.

4. The operation control method according to claim 1 further includes: The fifth operation is to determine whether a start function deactivation signal is generated when the vehicle is in a state of terminated driving after the fourth operation. The sixth operation is that when the controller determines in the fifth operation that the start function is turned off, the start function of the vehicle is turned off and the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden. The seventh operation is to determine whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period after the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden. The eighth operation is as follows: when the controller determines through the seventh operation that no braking signal and start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, it determines whether a braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated within the predetermined time period. as well as The ninth operation is to hide the foldable brake pedal when the controller determines, through the eighth operation, that no braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated within a predetermined time period.

5. The operation control method according to claim 4, wherein, After the foldable accelerator pedal is popped out through the fourth operation, the vehicle enters a ready-to-drive state, and the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal are kept in the popped-out state or the hidden state depending on the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode.

6. The operation control method according to claim 4, wherein, When the controller determines in the seventh operation that the braking signal and the start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to provide feedback control logic between the third operation and the fourth operation of activating the vehicle's start function and popping out the foldable accelerator pedal, so that the logic is executed again starting from the fourth operation.

7. The operation control method according to claim 4, wherein, When the controller determines in the eighth operation that the braking signal and the shift lock release signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to change the vehicle's shift gear to neutral, and the controller controls the control logic to perform the ninth operation.

8. The operation control method according to claim 4, wherein, Following the ninth operation, the controller is configured to feed back control logic to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is OFF and the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal remain hidden, thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation. Furthermore, when the controller determines in the first operation that the start button has not been operated and no door opening signal has been generated, the controller is configured to terminate the control logic.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon for performing the method according to claim 1.

10. An operation control method for a foldable pedal device, the operation control method comprising: When a vehicle equipped with the foldable accelerator pedal and foldable brake pedal is in the start-up function off state, the controller keeps the foldable accelerator pedal and foldable brake pedal in a hidden state. When the vehicle changes from the start function off state to the start function on state, the controller first pops out the foldable brake pedal, and after a certain period of time after the foldable brake pedal pops out, the controller pops out the foldable accelerator pedal. as well as When the vehicle changes from the start function on state to the start function off state, the controller first hides the foldable accelerator pedal, and then hides the foldable brake pedal after a period of time.

11. A foldable pedal device, comprising: A foldable accelerator pedal and a foldable brake pedal, the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal being pivotally engaged to a pedal housing; A first actuator for pivoting the foldable accelerator pedal and a second actuator for pivoting the foldable brake pedal; as well as A controller, electrically connected to the first actuator and the second actuator, and configured to control the operation of each of the first actuator and the second actuator, wherein the controller is configured to perform the following operations: The first step, with the vehicle's start function turned off, is to determine whether the start button has been pressed or whether a door opening signal has been generated. The second operation is that when the controller determines that the start button has been operated or a door opening signal has been generated in the first operation, the controller pops out the foldable brake pedal. The third operation is to determine whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period after the foldable brake pedal pops up. as well as The fourth operation is that when the controller determines in the third operation that a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the vehicle's start function is activated, and the foldable accelerator pedal of the foldable pedal device is popped up.

12. The foldable pedal device according to claim 11, wherein, When the vehicle's start function is in the OFF state, the controller is configured to keep the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal in a hidden state.

13. The foldable pedal device according to claim 11, wherein, When the controller determines in the third operation that no braking signal and the start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to feed back control logic to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is OFF and the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal remain in a hidden state, thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation.

14. The foldable pedal device according to claim 11, wherein, The controller is configured to: The fifth operation is to determine whether a start function deactivation signal is generated when the vehicle is in a state of terminated driving after the fourth operation. The sixth operation is that when the controller determines in the fifth operation that the start function is turned off, the start function of the vehicle is turned off and the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden. The seventh operation is to determine whether a braking signal and a start function activation signal are generated within a predetermined time period after the foldable accelerator pedal is hidden. The eighth operation is as follows: when the controller determines through the seventh operation that no braking signal and start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, it determines whether a braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated within the predetermined time period. as well as The ninth operation is to hide the foldable brake pedal when the controller determines, through the eighth operation, that no braking signal and shift lock release signal are generated within a predetermined time period.

15. The foldable pedal device according to claim 14, wherein, After the foldable accelerator pedal is popped out via the fourth operation, the vehicle enters a ready-to-drive state, and the controller is configured to keep the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal in the popped-out or hidden state depending on whether it is a manual driving mode or an automatic driving mode.

16. The foldable pedal device according to claim 14, wherein, When the controller determines in the seventh operation that the braking signal and the start function activation signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to provide feedback control logic between the third operation and the fourth operation of activating the vehicle's start function and popping out the foldable accelerator pedal, so that the logic is executed again starting from the fourth operation.

17. The foldable pedal device according to claim 14, wherein, When the controller determines in the eighth operation that the braking signal and the shift lock release signal are generated within the predetermined time period, the controller is configured to change the vehicle's shift gear to neutral, and the controller is configured to control the control logic to perform the ninth operation.

18. The foldable pedal device according to claim 14, wherein, Following the ninth operation, the controller is configured to feed back control logic to the operation in which the vehicle's start function is OFF and the foldable accelerator pedal and the foldable brake pedal remain hidden, thereby re-executing the logic from the first operation. Furthermore, when the controller determines in the first operation that the start button has not been operated and no door opening signal has been generated, the controller is configured to terminate the control logic.

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