Steering wheel control system, steering wheel assembly, steering wheel control method and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a steering wheel control system, a steering wheel assembly, a steering wheel control method and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of steering wheels, the steering wheel control system comprises a physiotherapy module suitable for being installed on a steering wheel; the control module is electrically connected with the physical therapy module, and the control module is used for controlling the physical therapy module to be selectively opened or closed and enabling the physical therapy module to conduct physical therapy massage on the hands, placed on the steering wheel, of the user. According to the steering wheel control system, active physical therapy massage can be conducted on the hands of a driver through the physical therapy module so as to relieve the symptoms of fatigue and aching pain of the hands of the driver, the control module can actively control the physical therapy module so as to enrich the functionality of hand massage, and the driving experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of steering wheels, and in particular to a steering wheel control system, a steering wheel assembly, a steering wheel control method and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As human society develops towards a highly information-based and intelligent future, cars have become an indispensable means of transportation in people's daily lives. The rapid development of the automotive industry has led to higher demands for driving comfort and safety. Drivers may experience hand fatigue and soreness after extended periods of driving, but currently there are no effective designs to alleviate hand fatigue, leaving room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a steering wheel control system that can actively massage the driver's hands to enhance the user experience.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the steering wheel control system includes: a physiotherapy module, which is suitable for being installed on the steering wheel; a control module, which is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module, and the control module is used to control the physiotherapy module to selectively open or close, and enable the physiotherapy module to perform physiotherapy massage on the user's hands placed on the steering wheel.

[0005] According to the steering wheel control system of an embodiment of the present invention, the driver's hands can be actively massaged through the therapy module to relieve the symptoms of fatigue and soreness in the driver's hands, and the control module can actively control the therapy module to enrich the functionality of the hand massage and enhance the driving experience.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the steering wheel control system further includes an HOD module, which is electrically connected to the control module, and the control module is suitable for selectively controlling the therapy module according to the detection signal of the HOD module.

[0007] According to the steering wheel control system of some embodiments of the present invention, the control module includes a control switch and a main controller, the main controller is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module, and the control switch is used to input operating instructions for controlling the physiotherapy module to the main controller.

[0008] According to the steering wheel control system of some embodiments of the present invention, the control module is also configured to be electrically connected to the body domain control module, and the control module is also used to send operating instructions for controlling the instrument display module and the intelligent driving module to the body domain control module.

[0009] The invention also provides a steering wheel assembly.

[0010] The steering wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a steering wheel and the steering wheel control system described in any one of the above embodiments, and the physiotherapy module and the control module are installed on the steering wheel.

[0011] According to the steering wheel assembly of some embodiments of the present invention, the physiotherapy module includes a far-infrared lamp, which is installed in the steering wheel and is suitable for emitting far-infrared rays toward the outside of the steering wheel.

[0012] According to the steering wheel assembly of some embodiments of the present invention, the steering wheel has a physiotherapy area, the physiotherapy area is covered with a light-transmitting layer, and the far-infrared lamp is suitable for emitting far-infrared rays to the physiotherapy area.

[0013] According to the steering wheel assembly of some embodiments of the present invention, the therapy area has silk-screen characters, and the silk-screen characters are configured to be visible under far-infrared irradiation and invisible under normal light.

[0014] According to the steering wheel assembly of some embodiments of the present invention, there are at least two physiotherapy modules, and the at least two physiotherapy modules are spaced apart and distributed in the circumferential direction of the steering wheel.

[0015] According to the steering wheel assembly of some embodiments of the present invention, there are two physiotherapy modules, and one of the two physiotherapy modules is located at the 2 o'clock position of the steering wheel, and the other is located at the 10 o'clock position of the steering wheel.

[0016] The invention also proposes a steering wheel control method.

[0017] A steering wheel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to any one of the above-mentioned steering wheel control systems and includes:

[0018] Detecting the driver's driving time;

[0019] When the driving time exceeds a set time, the therapy module is controlled to start to perform therapy on the driver's hands.

[0020] The steering wheel control method according to some embodiments of the present invention further includes:

[0021] After turning on the physiotherapy module, detecting the driver's hand position;

[0022] When the hand position is within the therapy area, an intelligent driving control instruction is output to the vehicle.

[0023] The steering wheel control method according to some embodiments of the present invention further includes:

[0024] After outputting the intelligent driving control command, continuously detecting the driver's hand position;

[0025] After detecting that the driver's hand leaves the therapy area, an exit intelligent driving control instruction is output to the vehicle.

[0026] The steering wheel control method according to some embodiments of the present invention further includes:

[0027] After the physiotherapy module is turned on, continuously detecting the driver's hand position;

[0028] After detecting that the driver's hand leaves the physiotherapy area, the physiotherapy module is controlled to be turned off.

[0029] The present invention also provides a vehicle.

[0030] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steering wheel control system described in any one of the above embodiments, or includes the steering wheel assembly described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0031] The advantages of the vehicle, the steering wheel control method, the steering wheel assembly and the above-mentioned steering wheel control system compared with the prior art are the same and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a steering wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a steering wheel control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of the control module and the CAN module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the steering wheel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the steering wheel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 6This is a flowchart of the steering wheel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the steering wheel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 .

[0041] Reference numerals:

[0042] Steering wheel control system 100,

[0043] Physiotherapy Module 1,

[0044] Control module 2, control switch 21, main controller 22,

[0045] HOD module 3,

[0046] Body domain control module 4, instrument display module 41, intelligent driving module 42,

[0047] CAN module 5, CAN transceiver 51, CAN line 52,

[0048] Output drive circuit 6,

[0049] Steering wheel assembly 200, steering wheel 2001. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0053] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 3 The steering wheel control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform physical massage on the driver's hands, thereby relieving fatigue of the driver's hands, improving the driver's driving experience, and ensuring safe driving of the driver.

[0054] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a steering wheel control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a therapy module 1 and a control module 2.

[0055] The therapy module 1 is suitable for installation on the steering wheel 2001. That is, the therapy module 1 can be integrated with the steering wheel 2001 so that the therapy module 1 can perform therapy and massage when it is turned on. Therefore, if a driver experiences hand fatigue or soreness after long-term driving, the driver can place their hands in the corresponding position of the therapy module 1, and the therapy module 1 can actively perform therapy and massage on the driver's hands, thereby alleviating the driver's hand fatigue and soreness.

[0056] The physiotherapy module 1 may include a far-infrared lamp to emit far-infrared rays toward the driver's hands, or the physiotherapy module 1 may include other safe and controllable physiotherapy methods such as electric shock and vibration. The specific physiotherapy structure can be flexibly configured according to actual needs.

[0057] The control module 2 is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module 1. The control module 2 is used to control the physiotherapy module 1 to selectively turn on or off, and to enable the physiotherapy module 1 to perform physiotherapy massage on the user's hands placed on the steering wheel 2001. Thus, the working state of the physiotherapy module 1 can be flexibly controlled by the control module 2, so that when the driver's hands show symptoms of fatigue and soreness, the control module 2 can actively control the physiotherapy module 1 to turn on, so as to perform physiotherapy massage on the driver's hands. When the driver's hand fatigue is relieved, the physiotherapy module 1 can be turned off to avoid the problem of power consumption waste caused by the physiotherapy module 1 being turned on for a long time.

[0058] It should be noted that the control module 2 can selectively turn on the therapy module 1 according to the driver's driving time, or actively turn it on according to the driver's massage needs. The control method is flexible and optional, which is conducive to meeting the massage needs of the driver in different states, enriching the control functionality, and improving the driver's driving experience.

[0059] According to the steering wheel control system 100 of an embodiment of the present invention, the physical therapy module 1 can actively perform physical therapy massage on the driver's hands to relieve the symptoms of fatigue and soreness in the driver's hands, and the control module 2 can actively control the physical therapy module 1 to enrich the functionality of the hand massage and enhance the driving experience.

[0060] In some embodiments, the steering wheel control system 100 also includes an HOD module 3. The HOD module 3 (Hands off Detection) is a key component in advanced driver assistance systems and unmanned driving technologies. It is mainly used to monitor the driver's hand movements and postures, and determine whether the driver has left the steering wheel 2001, thereby providing timely warnings and interventions to ensure driving safety.

[0061] The HOD module 3 is electrically connected to the control module 2, and the control module 2 is adapted to selectively control the therapy module 1 based on a detection signal from the HOD module 3. In other words, the HOD module 3 is capable of monitoring the position of the driver's hand. For example, if the HOD module 3 detects that the driver's hand is placed within the therapy range of the therapy module 1, the control module 2 determines that the driver's hand is within the therapy range based on the monitoring signal, thereby controlling the therapy module 1 to massage the driver's hand. Furthermore, if the HOD module 3 detects that the driver's hand has left the therapy range, the control module 2 can also control the therapy module 1 to shut down, thereby achieving automated control of the therapy module 1.

[0062] During actual installation, the HOD module 3 can be integrated and installed inside the steering wheel 2001 to achieve built-in installation and reduce the occupation of external installation space.

[0063] In some embodiments, the control module 2 includes a control switch 21 and a main controller 22. The main controller 22 is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module 1. The control switch 21 is used to input operating instructions for controlling the physiotherapy module 1 to the main controller 22. In this way, the driver can input the opening or closing operating instructions through the control switch 21, and then the main controller 22 actively controls the physiotherapy module 1 according to the operating instructions.

[0064] The control switch 21 is mounted on the steering wheel 2001 so that the driver can directly operate the control switch 21 on the steering wheel 2001 to output corresponding operation instructions according to his / her own wishes. Specifically, the control switch 21 can be a touch-sensitive, push-sensitive, or knob-sensitive type, or can also be set in other forms.

[0065] In this way, when the driver needs to turn on the therapy module 1, he can execute the opening operation instruction through the control switch 21, such as pressing the control switch 21. And when the driver needs to turn off the therapy module 1, he can execute the closing operation instruction through the control switch 21, such as pressing the control switch 21 again, so as to flexibly turn the therapy module 1 on or off according to the needs. The opening and closing instructions of the therapy module 1 can be input through a single control switch 21, or two control switches 21 can be provided for inputting the opening and closing instructions respectively, which makes the setting more flexible.

[0066] The main controller 22 is integrated into the steering wheel 2001, and the main controller 22 can serve as the core processing component of the control module 2, and can transmit signals with the physical therapy module 1, HOD module 3, etc. to realize the transmission of control instructions.

[0067] In some embodiments, the control module 2 is also configured to be electrically connected to the body domain control module 4, and the control module 2 is also used to send operating instructions to the body domain control module 4 to control the instrument display module 41 and the intelligent driving module 42, such as electrically connecting the main controller 22 to the body domain control module 4 so that the main controller 22 sends operating instructions to the instrument display module 41 and the intelligent driving module 42.

[0068] It should be noted that when the driver's hands are placed within the treatment range and treatment is being performed by the treatment module 1, the control module 2 can control the instrument display module 41 to display the treatment function, that is, to display an indication on the instrument display module 41 that the treatment mode has been entered, or to provide instrument lighting prompts, voice prompts, etc., to remind the driver to pay attention to fatigue driving. Similarly, when the treatment module 1 is treating the driver's hands, it can send an intelligent driving instruction to the vehicle body domain control module 4 to switch the vehicle to intelligent driving mode. At this time, the driver can place his hands within the treatment range more relaxedly, perform massage and relaxation, and ensure driving safety during the treatment process.

[0069] The main controller 22 of the control module 2 can communicate with the vehicle body domain control module 4 via the CAN module 5 to achieve accurate output of the control signal.

[0070] The present invention also provides a steering wheel assembly 200 .

[0071] The steering wheel assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a steering wheel 2001 and a steering wheel control system 100 according to any of the above-described embodiments, with a therapy module 1 and a control module 2 mounted on the steering wheel 2001. The driver can control the vehicle's driving direction by operating the steering wheel 2001. The therapy module 1 and the control module 2 are integrated into the steering wheel 2001, allowing the driver's hands to actively operate the control module 2 without removing their hands from the steering wheel 2001. Furthermore, the driver can also perform therapy massage via the therapy module 1 without removing their hands from the steering wheel 2001. This allows the driver to quickly grasp the steering wheel 2001 and perform emergency operations in the event of an emergency, thereby improving driving safety.

[0072] Therefore, by setting the physiotherapy module 1 and the control module 2 on the steering wheel 2001, the driver can perform massage therapy through the physiotherapy module 1 when driving the vehicle for a long time, thereby relaxing the driver's hands, thereby helping to improve the driver's safety and comfort during long-term driving.

[0073] In some embodiments, the physiotherapy module 1 includes a far-infrared lamp, which is installed in the steering wheel 2001 and is suitable for emitting far-infrared rays toward the outside of the steering wheel 2001. That is to say, in actual design, the physiotherapy module 1 can be set to irradiate the driver's hands through the far-infrared lamp, so as to improve the blood circulation of the driver's hands and improve fatigue through far-infrared rays.

[0074] The number and intensity of the far-infrared lamps can also be flexibly adjusted based on actual needs to ensure that the far-infrared rays improve blood circulation in the driver's hands and alleviate hand fatigue. Furthermore, the far-infrared lamps are internally mounted within the steering wheel 2001, reducing the amount of space occupied. Thus, installing the physical therapy module 1 within the steering wheel 2001 does not excessively occupy the space outside the steering wheel 2001, thus preventing interference with the driver's driving operations after installing the physical therapy module 1 and ensuring safe driving. Furthermore, the internal placement of the far-infrared lamps within the steering wheel 2001 allows the far-infrared lamps to be closer to the driver's hands, allowing the far-infrared rays to act on the driver's hands at a relatively close distance. This prevents the far-infrared rays from being reduced in intensity due to a greater distance, thereby preventing the effect of improving blood circulation in the hands from being weakened, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the physical therapy massage.

[0075] In some embodiments, the steering wheel 2001 has a therapeutic area coated with a light-transmitting layer, and the far-infrared lamps are adapted to emit far-infrared rays into the therapeutic area. Specifically, the far-infrared lamps may be located within the therapeutic area, and the far-infrared rays may radiate outward from the therapeutic area. This allows the driver to place their hands within the therapeutic area to be irradiated by the far-infrared rays, thereby improving blood circulation in the hands and relieving fatigue.

[0076] Furthermore, when the far-infrared lamp irradiates the treatment area with far-infrared rays, they pass through the light-transmitting layer. The light-transmitting layer surrounding the treatment area prevents any interference with the far-infrared rays. This means that when the far-infrared rays pass through the light-transmitting layer, their intensity does not change significantly, effectively improving blood circulation in the driver's hands and relieving hand fatigue. It should be noted that far-infrared rays are invisible to the human eye. This means that when the driver places their hands in the treatment area for a therapeutic massage, the irradiated far-infrared rays will not cause discomfort to the eyes, thereby preventing any impact on driving.

[0077] The light-transmitting layer can be constructed as translucent leather. Specifically, the translucent leather can be wrapped around the outside of the far-infrared lamp to provide structural protection for the far-infrared lamp, preventing the far-infrared lamp from being directly exposed to the outside. This prevents direct contact between the external structure and the far-infrared lamp, thus preventing damage to the far-infrared lamp structure and improving the safety of the physical therapy module 1. Furthermore, the provision of translucent leather ensures a smooth surface of the steering wheel 2001 outside the far-infrared lamp, thereby maintaining the feel of the steering wheel assembly 200 and ensuring driving comfort for the driver.

[0078] In some embodiments, the treatment area has silk-screened characters that are visible under far-infrared light and invisible under normal light. In other words, the silk-screened characters can remind the driver of the location of the treatment area. During treatment, the driver can accurately adjust their hand position to receive treatment within the treatment area, relieving hand fatigue. The silk-screened characters can be set to "treatment area" or other characters to serve as a reminder to the driver.

[0079] Among them, when the driver's hands are placed in the therapy area, the far-infrared lamp emits far-infrared rays to illuminate the silk-screen characters so that they can be seen by the driver. After seeing the silk-screen characters, the driver can immediately adjust the position of his hands to accurately perform therapy massage on the tired parts of his hands. Among them, the driver can flexibly adjust the irradiation parts of the hands with far-infrared rays according to needs, so as to obtain the maximum therapy massage effect.

[0080] When the driver does not need therapeutic massage, he only needs to keep his hands away from the therapy area, the far-infrared lamp stops emitting far-infrared rays, and the silk-screen characters are not visible to the driver, thereby avoiding affecting the driver's attention, improving driving safety, and enhancing the vehicle's sense of technology and aesthetics.

[0081] In some embodiments, there are at least two therapy modules 1, and the at least two therapy modules 1 are spaced apart and distributed circumferentially around the steering wheel 2001. In other words, the number of therapy modules can be two, three, or more, and the specific number can be flexibly selected. Multiple therapy modules 1 can simultaneously provide massage therapy to the driver's hands, improving the efficiency of relieving hand fatigue. Furthermore, the spacing of the therapy modules 1 allows the driver to flexibly choose the placement of their hands, enhancing comfort.

[0082] Multiple therapy modules 1 can perform therapy massage on the driver's hands, and allow the driver to flexibly select the therapy area on the steering wheel 2001, increasing the convenience of therapy massage. At the same time, multiple therapy modules 1 and the therapy modules 1 are spaced apart and distributed to perform therapy massage on both hands of the driver at the same time, increasing the efficiency of relieving hand fatigue.

[0083] Among them, multiple physiotherapy modules 1 can be controlled separately by the control module 2, that is, multiple physiotherapy modules 1 can be used redundantly with each other. When one or part of the physiotherapy modules 1 fails or cannot perform physiotherapy massage normally, other physiotherapy modules 1 can be used as backup modules. There is no need for urgent maintenance and replacement when one or part of the physiotherapy modules 1 fails, thereby improving the flexibility of use for the driver.

[0084] In some embodiments, there are two therapy modules 1, one of which is located at the 2 o'clock position of the steering wheel 2001, and the other is located at the 10 o'clock position of the steering wheel 2001. In other words, two therapy modules 1 can be provided on the steering wheel 2001, so that the steering wheel 2001 has two therapy areas. The driver can place both hands in the two therapy areas respectively, thereby simultaneously receiving therapy massage for both hands.

[0085] The two therapy modules 1 can be located in the upper areas on the left and right sides of the steering wheel 2001, i.e., at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock, respectively. That is, when the user feels hand fatigue while driving, they can place their left hand in the therapy area at 10 o'clock, which is closer, and their right hand in the therapy area at 2 o'clock, which is closer, to simultaneously perform therapy massage on both hands.

[0086] Also, it should be noted that the setting positions of the two physiotherapy modules 1 are not limited to the above-mentioned positions, but can also be flexibly set according to the preferences of different drivers. For example, the distribution positions of the two physiotherapy modules 1 on the steering wheel 2001 can be set to 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, that is, the installation position of the physiotherapy module 1 on the steering wheel 2001 can be flexibly set according to user needs, so as to realize the area desired by the user according to user customization.

[0087] The invention also proposes a steering wheel control method.

[0088] According to the steering wheel control method of the embodiment of the present invention, any one of the above-mentioned steering wheel control systems 100 is adopted, and as Figure 4-Figure 7 As shown, the control method includes:

[0089] S1: Detecting the driver's driving time. Specifically, during the execution of the steering wheel control method, after the vehicle begins driving, the driver's driving time is actively detected. For example, the main controller 22 in the control module 2 detects the driving time to determine whether the driver is fatigued. It will be appreciated that the method for obtaining driving time is relatively flexible. The main controller 22 can be used to actively obtain driving time, or the vehicle's controller can be used to actively obtain the vehicle's driving time, i.e., determining the driver's driving time based on driving time. Alternatively, the driver's driving time can be calculated using other methods.

[0090] S2: When the driving duration exceeds a set time, the therapy module 1 is controlled to activate to provide therapy to the driver's hands. That is, after obtaining the driver's driving time, a comparison and analysis can be performed between the driver's driving time and the set time to determine whether the driver is fatigued or has reached the driving duration suitable for massage therapy. The set time can be set in the main controller 22. When the main controller 22 detects that the driving time has reached the set time, the main controller 22 can output a control command to the therapy module 1. Upon receiving the control command, the therapy module 1 begins emitting far-infrared rays to provide therapy massage to the driver's hands.

[0091] It should be noted that the set time period can be set by default in the steering wheel control system 100 or can be actively set by the driver. The specific value of the set time period can be set according to actual needs, such as 4 hours, which can be considered as fatigue driving, or other shorter time periods.

[0092] It should be noted that, when it is determined that the driving duration exceeds a set time, the control module 2 can automatically control the activation of the therapy module 1 to achieve automatic massage therapy for the driver's hands. Alternatively, after the set time has expired, the driver can actively operate the control switch 21 in the control module 2, causing the control switch 21 to input an activation command to the main controller 22 in the control module 2, thereby enabling the main controller 22 to control the therapy module 1 to actively activate and achieve massage therapy for the driver's hands.

[0093] Among them, the opening method of the control switch 21 can be touch-type, press-type or knob-type. If the control switch 21 is set to press-type, when the driver needs to perform physiotherapy massage on his hands, he can press the control switch 21 to turn on the physiotherapy module 1. When the driver needs to turn off the physiotherapy module 1, he can press the control switch 21 again. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient.

[0094] In some embodiments, the steering wheel control method further includes:

[0095] S3: After turning on the therapy module 1, detecting the driver's hand position. Specifically, after the main controller 22 controls the therapy module 1 to turn on, it can send a control instruction to the HOD module 3. After receiving the control instruction, the HOD turns on to detect the driver's hand position.

[0096] The main controller 22 can transmit control instructions to the HOD module 3 via an electrical connection, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the HOD module 3. Thus, by detecting the position of the driver's hand, it can be determined whether the driver's hand is placed in the therapy area, and further inferred whether the driver's hand has entered the therapy area or remains in the normal driving position on the steering wheel 2001.

[0097] S4: When the hand is within the therapy area, an intelligent driving control command is output to the vehicle. Specifically, when the HOD module 3 detects that the driver's hand is within the therapy area, it can be determined that the driver's hand has entered a massage therapy state, making it impossible to accurately perform driving operations. The main controller 22 can send monitoring information to the body domain control module 4 based on the detection information from the HOD module 3. After receiving the monitoring information, the body domain control module 4 can send a control command to the intelligent driving module 42. After receiving the control command, the intelligent driving module 42 can control the vehicle to enter the intelligent driving mode. Therefore, when the driver places his hand in the therapy area, the vehicle can enter the intelligent driving mode, allowing the driver's hand to receive a full therapeutic massage.

[0098] Among them, the main controller 22 can send control instructions to the intelligent driving module 42 through the CAN network, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the intelligent driving module 42.

[0099] Furthermore, after receiving the monitoring information, the body domain control module 4 may send a control instruction to the instrument display module 41 , and the instrument display module 41 may be turned on after receiving the control instruction, thereby reminding the driver to pay attention to fatigue driving.

[0100] In some embodiments, the steering wheel control method further includes:

[0101] S5. After outputting the intelligent driving control command, continuously monitor the driver's hand position. That is, after the intelligent driving module 42 is turned on, the HOD module 3 remains on to continuously monitor the driver's hand position and transmits the monitored information to the main controller 22 to determine the driver's hand position in real time.

[0102] S6. After detecting that the driver's hand has left the treatment area, output an exit intelligent driving control command to the vehicle. Specifically, when the HOD module 3 detects that the driver's hand has left the treatment area, it can send monitoring information to the main controller 22. The main controller 22 sends the monitoring information to the body domain control module 4 via the CAN network. The body domain control module 4 can analyze the monitoring information and send a control command to the intelligent driving module 42. After receiving the control command, the intelligent driving module 42 can control the vehicle to exit the intelligent driving mode.

[0103] Therefore, when the driver's hands leave the therapy area, the vehicle can exit the intelligent driving mode and be controlled by the driver, so that when the driver actively operates the steering wheel 2001, the vehicle automatically exits the intelligent driving mode, thereby avoiding interference between the vehicle's intelligent driving mode and the driver's driving operation, and improving the intelligence of the vehicle's driving.

[0104] The CAN network can be controlled by a CAN module 5, which includes a CAN transceiver 51. The CAN transceiver 51 is connected to the vehicle body domain control module 4 via a CAN line 52, thereby enabling information transmission between the main controller 22 and the vehicle body domain control module 4. Furthermore, the main controller 22 can be electrically connected to the therapy module 1 and the HOD module 3 via an output drive circuit 6, thereby controlling the on and off of the therapy module 1 and the HOD module 3.

[0105] In this way, the steering wheel control system 100 can be combined with the control system of the entire vehicle, so that when the control module 2 controls the working state of the physiotherapy module 1, the body domain control module 4 of the entire vehicle can also perform corresponding control on the intelligent driving mode of the entire vehicle, thereby improving the integrity of the vehicle operation.

[0106] In some embodiments, the steering wheel control method further includes:

[0107] S7. After the therapy module 1 is turned on, the driver's hand position is continuously monitored. Specifically, after the therapy module 1 is turned on to perform a therapy massage on the driver's hands, the HOD module 3 remains on to continuously monitor the driver's hand position and transmit the monitored information to the main controller 22.

[0108] S8. After detecting that the driver's hand has left the treatment area, the treatment module 1 is controlled to shut down. Specifically, when the HOD module 3 detects that the driver's hand has left the treatment area, the monitoring information may be sent to the main controller 22. The main controller 22 may then send a control instruction to the treatment module 1, which then shuts down upon receiving the control instruction. Thus, after the driver's hand leaves the treatment area, the treatment module 1 stops the treatment massage.

[0109] That is, when the driver's hand no longer needs to be massaged, the control module 2 can automatically detect the driver's hand position, automatically make a corresponding judgment, and automatically shut down the therapy module 1. In other words, when the driver stops the massage, the therapy module 1 can automatically shut down, thereby preventing the therapy module 1 from remaining in the on state after the driver's hand leaves the therapy area. This prevents the therapy module 1 from remaining in the therapy working state for a long time after the driver's hand leaves the therapy area, thereby reducing the power consumption of the therapy module 1.

[0110] The present invention also provides a vehicle.

[0111] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steering wheel control system 100 according to any of the above embodiments. The physical therapy module 1 can actively massage the driver's hands to relieve fatigue and soreness in the driver's hands, and the control module 2 can actively control the physical therapy module 1 to enrich the functionality of the hand massage and enhance the driving experience.

[0112] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative uses of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0113] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A steering wheel control system, characterized in that: include: A physiotherapy module (1), the physiotherapy module (1) being suitable for being mounted on a steering wheel (2001); A control module (2) is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module (1), and the control module (2) is used to control the physiotherapy module (1) to selectively turn on or off, and to enable the physiotherapy module (1) to perform physiotherapy massage on the user's hands placed on the steering wheel (2001).

2. The steering wheel control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an HOD module (3), the HOD module (3) is electrically connected to the control module (2), and the control module (2) is suitable for selectively controlling the physiotherapy module (1) according to the detection signal of the HOD module (3).

3. The steering wheel control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module (2) comprises a control switch (21) and a main controller (22), wherein the main controller (22) is electrically connected to the physiotherapy module (1), and the control switch (21) is used to input an operation instruction for controlling the physiotherapy module (1) to the main controller (22).

4. The steering wheel control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module (2) is further configured to be electrically connected to a vehicle body domain control module (4), and the control module (2) is further configured to send operating instructions for controlling an instrument display module (41) and an intelligent driving module (42) to the vehicle body domain control module (4).

5. A steering wheel assembly (200), characterized in that: It comprises a steering wheel (2001) and a steering wheel control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the physiotherapy module (1) and the control module (2) are installed on the steering wheel (2001).

6. The steering wheel assembly (200) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The physiotherapy module (1) comprises a far-infrared lamp, which is installed in the steering wheel (2001) and is suitable for emitting far-infrared rays toward the outside of the steering wheel (2001).

7. The steering wheel assembly (200) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The steering wheel (2001) has a physical therapy area, the physical therapy area is covered with a light-transmitting layer, and the far-infrared lamp is suitable for emitting far-infrared rays to the physical therapy area.

8. The steering wheel assembly (200) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The treatment area has silk-screen characters, and the silk-screen characters are configured to be visible under far-infrared irradiation and invisible under normal light.

9. The steering wheel assembly (200) according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are at least two physiotherapy modules (1), and at least two of the physiotherapy modules (1) are spaced apart and distributed in the circumferential direction of the steering wheel (2001).

10. The steering wheel assembly (200) according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are two physiotherapy modules (1), and one of the two physiotherapy modules (1) is located at the 2 o'clock position of the steering wheel (2001), and the other is located at the 10 o'clock position of the steering wheel (2001).

11. A steering wheel control method, characterized in that: The steering wheel control method is applicable to the steering wheel control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and comprises: Detecting the driver's driving time; When the driving time exceeds a set time, the physiotherapy module (1) is controlled to start to perform physiotherapy on the driver's hands.

12. The steering wheel control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: Also includes: After the physiotherapy module (1) is turned on, the position of the driver's hands is detected; When the hand position is within the therapy area, an intelligent driving control instruction is output to the vehicle.

13. The steering wheel control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: Also includes: After outputting the intelligent driving control command, continuously detecting the driver's hand position; After detecting that the driver's hand leaves the therapy area, an exit intelligent driving control instruction is output to the vehicle.

14. The steering wheel control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: Also includes: After the physiotherapy module (1) is turned on, the driver's hand position is continuously detected; After detecting that the driver's hand leaves the physiotherapy area, the physiotherapy module (1) is controlled to be turned off.

15. A vehicle, characterized in that: A steering wheel control system comprising any one of claims 1-4, or a steering wheel assembly (200) comprising any one of claims 5-10.

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