Haptic feedback system for vehicle accelerator pedal

Abstract

A haptic feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal includes: an accelerator pedal configured to control acceleration of a motor of a vehicle; and a vibration transducer mechanically connected with the accelerator pedal. The vibration transducer is configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal in accordance with a haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer. The haptic feedback system includes at least one vehicle sensor configured to sense one or more vehicle operating parameters; and a vehicle control module configured to obtain one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor, and selectively provide the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal according to the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

Description

[0001] introduction

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, and the description of various aspects that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure to the extent they are described in this section.

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to haptic feedback signals for a vehicle accelerator pedal, including vibrations applied to an accelerator pedal in a vehicle having an electric motor.

[0004] When a consumer drives an electric vehicle, there may be less sense of the vehicle's power and speed via feedback through the accelerator pedal than with an internal combustion engine vehicle. Because electric motors are quiet and produce little vibration, the driver has no reference to the amount of power being applied to the vehicle via the accelerator pedal. In an internal combustion engine, these subtle vibrations and sounds can enhance driver awareness and act as indirect communication between the vehicle engine and the driver. Summary of the invention

[0005] A tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal comprises: an accelerator pedal configured to control acceleration of a vehicle motor; a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal according to a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer; at least one vehicle sensor configured to sense one or more vehicle operating parameters, and a vehicle control module configured to obtain the one or more vehicle operating parameters via the at least one vehicle sensor and selectively provide a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer according to the one or more vehicle operating parameters to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal.

[0006] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a drive mode setting for the vehicle, provide a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the drive mode setting is a sport mode, and disable providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the drive mode setting is an economy mode.

[0007] In other features, the motor is an electric motor powered by at least one battery of the vehicle.

[0008] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a propulsion limiting condition for the vehicle based on a state of charge of at least one battery, provide a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the state of charge is greater than a propulsion limiting threshold, and prohibit providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the state of charge is less than the propulsion limiting threshold.

[0009] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a transmission gear state of the vehicle, provide a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a drive gear state or a reverse gear state, and prohibit providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a neutral state.

[0010] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle and, in response to a determination that the brake pedal is in a depressed position, apply a gain multiplier value to the haptic feedback signal.

[0011] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to obtain a position of an accelerator pedal, determine a signal frequency corresponding to the position of the accelerator pedal, and provide a haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer at the determined signal frequency corresponding to the position of the accelerator pedal.

[0012] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to select a first frequency value in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a first depression distance range, and to select a second frequency value in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a second depression distance range, wherein the second frequency value is greater than the first frequency value, and the second depression distance range is greater than the first depression distance range.

[0013] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to obtain a longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle, determine a frequency gain value corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle, and apply the determined frequency gain value to the haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer.

[0014] In other features, the signal frequency is in a range from ten vibrations per millisecond to forty vibrations per millisecond.

[0015] In other features, the one or more vehicle operating parameters include at least one of a drive mode setting of the vehicle, a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle, a transmission gear state of the vehicle, a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle, a position of an accelerator pedal, a speed value of the vehicle, and an acceleration value of the vehicle.

[0016] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to obtain one or more vehicle operating parameters via a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle.

[0017] In other features, the tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer includes at least one of a triangular wave signal and a square wave signal.

[0018] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively provide tactile feedback to vibrate at least one of a steering wheel of the vehicle, a brake pedal of the vehicle, a seat of the vehicle, a door panel of the vehicle, or a center console of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0019] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively control a brightness level of one or more lights of an instrument panel of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0020] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively control at least one speaker of the vehicle to generate the simulated internal combustion engine noise based on one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0021] A method for controlling a tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal includes: controlling the acceleration of a motor of the vehicle via the position of the accelerator pedal, vibrating the accelerator pedal via a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer being configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal based on a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer, sensing one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor, and selectively providing a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal.

[0022] In other features, the method includes determining a drive mode setting for the vehicle, providing a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the drive mode setting is a sport mode, and disabling providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the drive mode setting is an economy mode.

[0023] In other features, the motor is an electric motor powered by at least one battery of the vehicle.

[0024] In other features, the method includes determining a propulsion limiting condition of the vehicle based on a state of charge of at least one battery, providing a tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the state of charge is greater than a propulsion limiting threshold, and prohibiting providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer in response to a determination that the state of charge is less than the propulsion limiting threshold.

[0025] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] The present invention also includes the following solutions.

[0027] Solution 1. A tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal, the tactile feedback system comprising:

[0028] an accelerator pedal configured to control acceleration of a motor of the vehicle;

[0029] a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal based on a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer;

[0030] at least one vehicle sensor configured to sense one or more vehicle operating parameters; and

[0031] A vehicle control module configured to:

[0032] obtaining one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor; and

[0033] The haptic feedback signal is selectively provided to the vibration transducer to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0034] Option 2. The tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0035] determining a drive mode setting for the vehicle;

[0036] In response to a determination that the drive mode setting is a motion mode, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and

[0037] Responsive to a determination that the drive mode setting is an economy mode, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

[0038] Option 3. A tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the motor is an electric motor powered by at least one battery of the vehicle.

[0039] Option 4. The tactile feedback system according to Option 3, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0040] determining a propulsion limitation condition for the vehicle based on a state of charge of the at least one battery;

[0041] responsive to a determination that the state of charge is greater than a propulsion limit threshold, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and

[0042] Responsive to a determination that the state of charge is less than the propulsion limit threshold, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

[0043] Option 5. The tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0044] determining a transmission gear state of the vehicle;

[0045] In response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a drive gear state or a reverse gear state, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and

[0046] In response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a neutral state, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

[0047] Option 6. The tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0048] determining a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle; and

[0049] Responsive to a determination that the brake pedal is in a depressed position, a gain multiplier value is applied to the haptic feedback signal.

[0050] Option 7. The tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0051] obtaining the position of the accelerator pedal;

[0052] determining a signal frequency corresponding to a position of the accelerator pedal; and

[0053] The haptic feedback signal is provided to the vibration transducer at a determined signal frequency corresponding to the position of the accelerator pedal.

[0054] Embodiment 8. The tactile feedback system according to embodiment 7, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0055] selecting a first frequency value in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a first depression distance range; and

[0056] A second frequency value is selected in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a second depression distance range, wherein the second frequency value is greater than the first frequency value and the second depression distance range is greater than the first depression distance range.

[0057] Embodiment 9. The tactile feedback system according to embodiment 7, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to:

[0058] Obtaining a longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle;

[0059] determining a frequency gain value corresponding to a longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle; and

[0060] The determined frequency gain value is applied to the haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer.

[0061] Embodiment 10. A tactile feedback system according to Embodiment 7, wherein the signal frequency is in the range from ten vibrations per millisecond to forty vibrations per millisecond.

[0062] Option 11. A tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the one or more vehicle operating parameters include at least one of the following: a drive mode setting of the vehicle, a charge state of the vehicle's battery, a transmission gear state of the vehicle, a position of the vehicle's brake pedal, a position of the accelerator pedal, a speed value of the vehicle, and an acceleration value of the vehicle.

[0063] Embodiment 12. A tactile feedback system according to embodiment 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to obtain the one or more vehicle operating parameters via a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle.

[0064] Embodiment 13. The tactile feedback system according to embodiment 1, wherein the tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer comprises at least one of a triangular wave signal and a square wave signal.

[0065] Option 14. A tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to selectively provide tactile feedback based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters to vibrate at least one of a vehicle steering wheel, a vehicle brake pedal, a vehicle seat, a vehicle door panel, or a vehicle center console.

[0066] Embodiment 15. A tactile feedback system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to selectively control the brightness level of one or more lights of the dashboard of the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0067] Option 16. A tactile feedback system according to Option 1, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to selectively control at least one speaker of the vehicle to generate simulated internal combustion engine noise based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0068] Solution 17. A method for controlling a tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal, the method comprising:

[0069] controlling acceleration of a motor of the vehicle via the position of an accelerator pedal;

[0070] vibrating the accelerator pedal via a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer being configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal based on a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer;

[0071] sensing one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor; and

[0072] The haptic feedback signal is selectively provided to the vibration transducer to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

[0073] Scheme 18. The method according to Scheme 17, further comprising:

[0074] determining a drive mode setting for the vehicle;

[0075] In response to a determination that the drive mode setting is a motion mode, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and

[0076] Responsive to a determination that the drive mode setting is an economy mode, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

[0077] Option 19. A method according to Option 17, wherein the motor is an electric motor powered by at least one battery of the vehicle.

[0078] Solution 20. The method according to solution 19, further comprising:

[0079] determining a propulsion limitation condition for the vehicle based on a state of charge of the at least one battery;

[0080] responsive to a determination that the state of charge is greater than a propulsion limit threshold, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and

[0081] Responsive to a determination that the state of charge is less than a propulsion limit threshold, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0082] The present disclosure will become more fully understood based on the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0083] Figure 1 is a diagram of an example vehicle including a haptic feedback system for an accelerator pedal.

[0084] Figures 2A-2D is a graph of example accelerator pedal haptic feedback signals having different frequencies.

[0085] Figure 3 is a flow chart depicting an example process for controlling haptic feedback of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle.

[0086] Figure 4 is a flow chart depicting an example process for selecting a profile parameter for a haptic feedback signal of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle.

[0087] In the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0088] While an internal combustion engine may provide tactile feedback to the driver via the accelerator pedal for some indication of the power level generated by the internal combustion engine, an electric vehicle motor (or other motor type) may vibrate less and provide less (or no) tactile feedback to the driver via the accelerator pedal. Some example embodiments described herein reintroduce vibration to the accelerator pedal in an intelligent, haptically controlled manner. This provides an enhanced driving experience that allows the driver to be more attuned to the vehicle's performance. This may also help mitigate unintended over-acceleration and help provide a safer driving experience (e.g., because the vibration provided to the accelerator pedal provides the driver with more tactile feedback about the current power level generated by the vehicle's motor).

[0089] The tactile feedback signal provided to a vibration transducer mechanically connected to, for example, an accelerator pedal may vary based on sensed vehicle operating parameters. Example operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, a drive mode setting of the vehicle (e.g., sport mode or economy mode), a charge state of one or more batteries of the vehicle, a transmission gear state of the vehicle, a position of a brake pedal, a position of an accelerator pedal, a speed value of the vehicle, an acceleration value of the vehicle, etc.

[0090] Reference now Figure 1 , the vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. Figure 1 , the drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive trains 16, 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include different types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (ICE), or other types of vehicles.

[0091] Some examples of drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, a power inverter, and a motor controller configured to control a power switch within the power inverter to adjust motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. During propulsion or regeneration, the battery system provides power to or receives power from the electric motor of drive unit 14 via the power inverter.

[0092] Although in Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes one drive unit 14, but the vehicle 10 can have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units can drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more separate drive units can drive separate wheels, etc. As can be appreciated, other vehicle configurations and / or drive units can be used.

[0093] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding a torque setting of an electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 may receive inputs for controlling vehicle components, such as signals received from a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a transmission gear state, a vehicle camera, a braking system, etc. The vehicle control module 20 may monitor the vehicle's telematics, such as vehicle speed, vehicle position, vehicle braking and acceleration, etc., for safety purposes.

[0094] The vehicle control module 20 may receive signals from any suitable component for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors 22 such as cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, brake sensors, accelerometers, position sensors such as global positioning system (GPS) antennas, etc. Some sensors may be configured to monitor the current motion of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, the braking of the vehicle, the position or depression distance of the accelerator pedal, steering torque, etc.

[0095] like Figure 1 As shown in , vehicle 10 includes an accelerator pedal 26 that is configured to control acceleration of vehicle 10. For example, accelerator pedal 26 can control the amount of torque generated by drive unit 14 (such as when drive unit 14 includes an electric motor) based on the degree to which accelerator pedal 26 is depressed. In some embodiments, pressing on accelerator pedal 26 with increased force, or increasing the distance that accelerator pedal 26 is depressed from a resting baseline position, can increase the amount of torque generated by drive unit 14.

[0096] The vibration transducer 24 is connected to the accelerator pedal 26. For example, the vibration transducer 24 may be mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal 26 and configured to generate vibrations of the accelerator pedal 26 in response to a haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer 24.

[0097] The vibration transducer 24 may include any suitable component(s) for converting an electrical signal (which may be received from the vehicle control module 20) into mechanical vibrations of the accelerator pedal 26. For example, an actuator, diaphragm membrane, or the like may be linked to the accelerator pedal 26 (such as mechanically connected to an upper portion or upper arm of the accelerator pedal 26) and may cause the accelerator pedal 26 to vibrate in response to vibrations or oscillations generated at the vibration transducer 24.

[0098] In some examples, a vehicle with a smoother engine operation than an internal combustion engine, such as an electric motor, may provide little tactile feedback to the driver regarding acceleration or other conditions of the vehicle. For example, the torque, roar, etc. of the internal combustion engine may provide tactile feedback to the accelerator pedal 26 via a mechanical linkage, which causes the accelerator pedal 26 to shake, vibrate, generate increased resistance, etc.

[0099] This tactile feedback can be sensed by the driver (e.g., via the driver's foot on the accelerator pedal 26) to provide more feedback about the acceleration state of the vehicle 10. In situations where there is less mechanical feedback, such as an electric motor, the vibration transducer 24 can simulate the tactile feedback that would otherwise be present (e.g., if the drive unit 14 includes an internal combustion engine), so the driver can have a similar experience of sensing tactile feedback through the accelerator pedal 26.

[0100] The vehicle control module 20 can communicate with another device (such as another vehicle in an automated vehicle driving fleet) via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate via any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with a remote computing device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. With respect to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g., V2X signal transmission and / or reception antennas).

[0101] The vehicle 10 also includes a user interface. The user interface may include any suitable display (such as on a dashboard, console, or elsewhere), a touch screen or other input device, speakers for generating audio, and the like.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to receive vehicle operating parameters via, for example, a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle. Based on the received vehicle operating parameters, the vehicle control module may make a series of decisions to determine whether a tactile input should be provided via the accelerator pedal to communicate the amount of acceleration or torque generated by the motor.

[0103] For example, accelerator pedal haptic feedback may be enabled if the drive mode is an advanced drive mode, the vehicle is in drive or reverse, the vehicle's battery has a sufficient state of charge level, etc. Additionally, other vehicle operating parameters such as the current transmission gear state, accelerator pedal and brake pedal positions, etc. may be used to determine the haptic profile and gain of the haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer. This haptic feedback algorithm may communicate to the driver how much power the motor is generating.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the haptic feedback signal may have a frequency defined in a range of vibrations per millisecond. By increasing the VPM, the vehicle control module may communicate that the motor is generating additional power. In other examples, changing the wave from, for example, a triangle wave to a square wave may change the perception of the haptic feedback (e.g., to indicate the current vehicle gear state).

[0105] Figures 2A-2D is a graph of example accelerator pedal haptic feedback signals having different frequencies. Figure 2A A drive signal 202 is illustrated having a signal frequency corresponding to a low level of accelerator pedal activation, such as when the accelerator pedal 26 is depressed between 0% and 25% of a fully depressed distance (e.g., where 0% is a resting baseline position when the accelerator pedal is not depressed at all, and 100% is a position where the accelerator is depressed as far as possible by the driver).

[0106] exist Figure 2A , the vibration actuator drive signal is a triangular wave signal that goes back and forth between 0% (e.g., 0 volts or minimum value provided to the vibration transducer) and 100% (e.g., maximum value provided to the vehicle transducer, such as 5 volts, 12 volts, 24 volts, etc.). The vibration actuator drive signal can be provided to the vibration transducer 24 from the vehicle control module 20.

[0107] Figure 2A The vibration actuator drive signal is illustrated as having a frequency of ten vibrations per millisecond. In other example embodiments, the low range of accelerator pedal depression may have a higher or lower frequency, the range may have endpoints other than 0% and 25%, etc. Other suitable drive signals may be used, such as square waves, sine waves, etc.

[0108] Figure 2B The vibration actuator drive signal 204 is illustrated for a second example accelerator depression range, such as when the accelerator pedal 26 is depressed 25% to 50% of the total range of motion. Figure 2B As shown in , an example frequency of the drive signal corresponding to the 25% to 50% range of accelerator pedal depression is twenty vibrations per millisecond. In other example embodiments, the second range of accelerator pedal depression may use other range endpoints, may use other frequency values, etc.

[0109] Figure 2C The vibration actuator drive signal 206 is illustrated for a third example accelerator depression range, such as when the accelerator pedal 26 is depressed 50% to 75% of the full range of motion. Figure 2C As shown in , an example frequency of the drive signal corresponding to the 50% to 75% range of accelerator pedal depression is 30 vibrations per millisecond. In other example embodiments, the third range of accelerator pedal depression may use other range endpoints, may use other frequency values, etc.

[0110] Figure 2D The vibration actuator drive signal 208 is illustrated for a third example accelerator depression range, such as when the accelerator pedal 26 is depressed 75% to 100% of the full range of motion. Figure 2D As shown in , an example frequency of the drive signal corresponding to the 75% to 100% range of accelerator pedal depression is forty vibrations per millisecond. In other example embodiments, the fourth range of accelerator pedal depression may use other range endpoints, may use other frequency values, etc.

[0111] Although Figures 2A-2D Four different ranges of accelerator pedal depression are illustrated, but other embodiments may use more or fewer ranges, ranges with different endpoints, frequencies that scale linearly with accelerator pedal position in a continuous manner, etc. Other example embodiments may use other vibration frequencies.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the vibrations may also be synchronized with the engine sounds (such as by generating engine sounds that are played through the vehicle speakers) to provide a reference to the vehicle speed. This driving enhancement may generate excitement while conveying potential vehicle torque and performance to the driver.

[0113] The example embodiments of the intelligent accelerator pedal vibration can also be applied to other vehicle fields, such as tactile feedback vibration of seats, tactile feedback vibration of steering wheels, tactile feedback vibration of brake pedals, tactile feedback vibration of door panels, tactile feedback vibration of center consoles, etc., thereby providing the driver with an all-round experience.

[0114] In some example embodiments, haptic vibrations of the accelerator pedal may be accompanied by lights in the instrument panel, speedometer, etc., where the brightness and color of the lights vary depending on the amount of power generated by the vehicle's motor.

[0115] In different drive mode settings, a haptic feedback feature for the accelerator pedal may be selectively activated or deactivated, depending on the driver's preference.Example embodiments may utilize a display, lighting, and haptic system to provide a visual indication of the potential torque buildup of a motor.

[0116] Figure 3 is a flow chart depicting an example process for controlling haptic feedback of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle. Figure 3 The process illustrated in FIG. 4 can be performed by, for example, Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 is executed.

[0117] The process begins at 304 by identifying the drive mode selection state of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle may be in a sport mode, a track mode, an off-road mode, an economy mode, a normal mode, etc. The vehicle control module is configured to determine at 308 whether an advanced drive mode, such as a sport mode, a track mode, an off-road mode, etc., is activated.

[0118] If the advanced drive mode is not currently set at 308 (e.g., because the vehicle is in normal mode, economy mode, etc.), the process proceeds to 312 to disable the accelerator pedal haptic feedback. For example, when driving in normal or economy mode, the driver may be less interested in haptic feedback, but when driving in sport or other advanced drive modes, the driver may have a greater desire to "feel" the acceleration of the engine via haptic feedback through the accelerator pedal.

[0119] If the vehicle is in the advanced drive mode at 308, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a propulsion limitation state at 316. For example, if the battery's state of charge is below a threshold (such as less than 25% of a full state of charge, less than 10% of a full state of charge, etc.), the vehicle may be configured to limit other less necessary features of the vehicle to conserve battery charge for use in propulsion of the vehicle.

[0120] If the vehicle is currently in a propulsion-limited state (eg, due to a low state of charge of the vehicle battery) at 320, control proceeds to 312 to disable accelerator pedal haptic feedback at 312. If the vehicle is not in a propulsion-limited state at 320, control proceeds to 324 to determine the current transmission gear state of the vehicle.

[0121] For example, the vehicle control module may determine whether the vehicle is currently in drive, in reverse, in neutral, etc. In some example embodiments, haptic feedback may only be provided when the vehicle is in drive or reverse, as the driver may not want accelerator pedal haptic feedback when the car is in neutral and not moving.

[0122] If the vehicle is currently in neutral at 328, control proceeds to 312 to disable the accelerator pedal haptic feedback. If the vehicle is not in neutral at 328, control proceeds to 332 to select a haptic feedback profile. For example, the haptic feedback profile may change the intensity of the haptic feedback provided to the accelerator pedal 26 via the vibration transducer 24, such as by increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the haptic feedback signal, increasing or decreasing the frequency of the haptic feedback signal, selecting the shape of the haptic feedback signal (e.g., a triangle wave, a square wave, or a sine wave), etc. Figure 4 To further explain additional details regarding the selection of tactile feedback distribution.

[0123] At 336 , the vehicle control module is configured to output the selected haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer. At 340 , the vibration transducer is configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal according to the selected haptic feedback signal.

[0124] Figure 4 is a flow chart depicting an example process for selecting distribution parameters for a haptic feedback signal of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle. Figure 4 The process illustrated in FIG. 4 can be performed by, for example, Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 is executed.

[0125] At 404 , the vehicle control module is configured to determine a current transmission state. If the vehicle is in drive range at 408 , control proceeds to 412 to set haptic profile parameters according to the drive range profile for the haptic feedback signal.

[0126] If the vehicle is in reverse gear at 408, control proceeds to 416 to set the haptic profile parameters to the reverse gear setting. For example, the drive profile and the reverse profile may use different types of haptic feedback signals for the accelerator pedal, such as a triangular wave signal used in the drive profile and a square wave signal used in the reverse profile. This may allow the driver to sense different haptic feedback responses through the accelerator pedal depending on whether they are driving forward or reverse.

[0127] At 420, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the brake pedal of the vehicle is depressed. If so, control proceeds to 424 to apply a gain multiplier to the tactile profile parameters. For example, the vehicle control module may be configured not to apply a gain multiplier when the brake pedal is not depressed, but to apply a specified gain multiplier (e.g., a 2x multiplier, a 4x multiplier, etc.) to the tactile feedback signal of the accelerator pedal when the brake pedal is depressed. This can be used to generate additional acceleration feedback if the driver is increasing motor torque via the accelerator pedal while also using the brake pedal to hold the vehicle in position.

[0128] At 428 , the vehicle control module is configured to determine the accelerator pedal position (eg, how far the accelerator pedal is depressed). The vehicle control module is then configured to set the vibration frequency based on the accelerator pedal position.

[0129] For example, the vehicle control module may use a frequency of approximately ten vibrations per millisecond (VPM) when the accelerator pedal position is in the range of 0-25% of the accelerator pedal's full depression range, may use a frequency of approximately twenty vibrations per millisecond when the accelerator pedal position is in the range of 25-50% of the accelerator pedal's full depression range, may use a frequency of approximately thirty vibrations per millisecond when the accelerator pedal position is in the range of 50-75% of the accelerator pedal's full depression range, and may use a frequency of approximately forty vibrations per millisecond when the accelerator pedal position is in the range of 75-100% of the accelerator pedal's full depression range. These values ​​are merely examples, and other example embodiments may use more or less ranges, ranges with different endpoints, vibration frequencies that are linearly scaled relative to the accelerator pedal's depression distance, other vibration frequency values, etc.

[0130] At 436 , the vehicle control module is configured to determine a current vehicle acceleration value, such as a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. At 440 , the vehicle control module is configured to modify the selected vibration frequency based on the vehicle acceleration.

[0131] For example, if the longitudinal acceleration is approximately zero (eg, steady-state vehicle speed), the vehicle control module may not apply any modifications to the vibration frequency selected based on the accelerator pedal position.

[0132] If the longitudinal acceleration is greater than zero but less than 0.25*G (e.g., 0.25 times the force of gravity), the vehicle control module may apply a gain factor of 1.5 to the vibration frequency selected based on the accelerator pedal position. If the longitudinal acceleration is greater than 0.25*G but less than 1*G, the vehicle control module may apply a gain factor of 2 (e.g., twice the selected vibration frequency) to the vibration frequency selected based on the accelerator pedal position.

[0133] If the longitudinal acceleration is greater than 1*G, the vehicle control module may apply a gain factor of 3 (e.g., twice the selected vibration frequency) to the vibration frequency selected based on the accelerator pedal position. These values ​​are merely examples, and other example embodiments may use more or fewer acceleration ranges, ranges with different endpoints, gain multipliers that increase linearly in a continuous manner relative to vehicle acceleration, etc. Other example embodiments may use different gain multiplier values.

[0134] At 444, the vehicle control module is configured to set the haptic feedback signal according to the specified haptic profile parameters. For example, the vehicle control module may provide a drive signal to the vibration transducer having a frequency and waveform corresponding to the vehicle's current transmission gear, current accelerator and brake pedal positions, and the vehicle's current acceleration.

[0135] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because when studying the drawings, the specification and the following claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0136] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when a relationship between a first and a second element is described in the above disclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical "OR," and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0137] In the various figures, the direction of the arrow indicated by the arrow generally shows the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the diagram. For example, when element A and element B exchange multiple information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the diagram, the arrow can be directed from element A to element B. This one-way arrow does not mean that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B can send a request for the information or a confirmation of receipt of the information to element A.

[0138] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be a part of, or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0139] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functions of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0140] The term "code" used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuit" covers a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" covers a processor circuit that executes some or all code from one or more modules in combination with additional processor circuits. References to multiple processor circuits cover multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term "shared memory circuit" covers a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuit" covers a memory circuit that is combined with additional memory to store some or all code from one or more modules.

[0141] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium". The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein does not cover transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term "computer-readable medium" may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0142] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer, which is created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions contained in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components and other elements described above act as software specifications, which can be translated into a computer program by a skilled technician or a routine work of a programmer.

[0143] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0144] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a real-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be compiled using languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and The grammar of the language is used to write it.

Claims

1. A tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal, the tactile feedback system comprising: an accelerator pedal configured to control acceleration of a motor of the vehicle; a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal based on a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer; at least one vehicle sensor configured to sense one or more vehicle operating parameters; as well as A vehicle control module configured to: obtaining one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor; and The haptic feedback signal is selectively provided to the vibration transducer to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

2. The haptic feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: determining a drive mode setting for the vehicle; In response to a determination that the drive mode setting is a motion mode, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and Responsive to a determination that the drive mode setting is an economy mode, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled. 3 . The haptic feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an electric motor powered by at least one battery of the vehicle.

4. The haptic feedback system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: determining a propulsion limitation condition for the vehicle based on a state of charge of the at least one battery; responsive to a determination that the state of charge is greater than a propulsion limit threshold, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and Responsive to a determination that the state of charge is less than the propulsion limit threshold, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

5. The haptic feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: determining a transmission gear state of the vehicle; In response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a drive gear state or a reverse gear state, providing the tactile feedback signal to the vibration transducer; and In response to a determination that the transmission gear state is a neutral state, providing the haptic feedback signal to the vibration transducer is disabled.

6. The haptic feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: determining a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle; and Responsive to a determination that the brake pedal is in a depressed position, a gain multiplier value is applied to the haptic feedback signal.

7. The haptic feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: obtaining the position of the accelerator pedal; determining a signal frequency corresponding to a position of the accelerator pedal; and The haptic feedback signal is provided to the vibration transducer at a determined signal frequency corresponding to the position of the accelerator pedal.

8. The haptic feedback system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: selecting a first frequency value in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a first depression distance range; and A second frequency value is selected in response to the position of the accelerator pedal being depressed within a second depression distance range, wherein the second frequency value is greater than the first frequency value and the second depression distance range is greater than the first depression distance range.

9. The haptic feedback system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: Obtaining a longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle; determining a frequency gain value corresponding to a longitudinal acceleration value of the vehicle; and The determined frequency gain value is applied to the haptic feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer.

10. A method of controlling a tactile feedback system for a vehicle accelerator pedal, the method comprising: controlling acceleration of a motor of the vehicle via the position of an accelerator pedal; vibrating the accelerator pedal via a vibration transducer mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, the vibration transducer being configured to vibrate the accelerator pedal based on a tactile feedback signal provided to the vibration transducer; sensing one or more vehicle operating parameters via at least one vehicle sensor; as well as The haptic feedback signal is selectively provided to the vibration transducer to selectively vibrate the accelerator pedal based on the one or more vehicle operating parameters.

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