Feedback device for a motor vehicle, motor vehicle and procedure for issuing feedback

Abstract

Feedback device for a motor vehicle (12), comprising a support body (14) on which at least a portion of a hand (22) of an occupant of the motor vehicle (12) can be placed, and which is movable relative to a substructure (20) of the feedback device (10), and comprising at least one actuator (24) for moving the support body (14), wherein a control device (28) of the feedback device (10) is configured to effect the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) by means of the at least one actuator (24) depending on an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12) such that, even before the driving maneuver carried out without any action by the occupant of the motor vehicle (12) by means of an autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12) begins, the occupant whose hand (22) rests on the support body (14),by means of the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) of the feedback device (10) indicating the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12), characterized in that the support body (14) is mounted on the substructure (20) via three rod elements (72, 78) which are inclined.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a feedback device for a motor vehicle, comprising a support body on which at least a portion of a hand of a motor vehicle occupant can be rested. The support body is movable relative to a base of the feedback device. At least one actuator is provided for moving the support body. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a feedback device and a method for outputting feedback to a motor vehicle occupant.

[0002] DE 10 2015 004 745 A1 describes a method for operating a motor vehicle, which comprises a steering wheel and a lateral guidance device that controls a steering angle of a wheel of the motor vehicle. In an autonomous operating mode, the steering wheel is decoupled. In the autonomous operating mode, upon intervention of the lateral guidance device, the steering angle of the wheel is indicated by an actuator that triggers a rotational movement of the steering wheel. Preferably, the steering wheel is rotated by the actuator prior to the intervention of the lateral guidance device.

[0003] DE 10 2015 214 608 A1 describes a steering system for a motor vehicle with four steerable wheels. The control system comprises a sensing device for sensing the movement of a control element and a control device. The control device is configured to steer the wheels so that they can roll in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the control element.

[0004] DE 10 2012 002 305 A1 describes a motor vehicle with a driver assistance system.

[0005] US 2011 / 0 160 957 A1 describes an input device for vehicles.

[0006] DE 198 03 873 C2 describes an actuator assembly for controlling a transverse and longitudinal movement of a vehicle. A driver can exert an actuating force on a handle of the adjustment assembly, which is used as a measure for a desired longitudinal movement control intervention or transverse movement control intervention. The resulting actual vehicle movement is then reported back to the driver as a corresponding deflection of the handle.

[0007] The deflection of the handle provides feedback on the actual vehicle movement, which was requested by the driver by exerting the actuating force on the handle.

[0008] A disadvantage here is that it is confusing for the driver if he first exerts the actuating force on the handle, but only when the vehicle is actually moving does the handle deflect.

[0009] Furthermore, during autonomous or piloted driving of a vehicle, it may be provided that a vehicle occupant is informed of upcoming driving maneuvers by visually perceivable displays or acoustically, i.e. by auditory feedback.

[0010] For performing operating actions, translationally movable or rotatably mounted control elements or input elements can also be provided. For example, a rotary push button can be installed in a motor vehicle to perform operating actions. Or a so-called space mouse can be installed at a computer workstation to control a display element on a screen. Such a hemispherical mouse can be moved in all three spatial directions.

[0011] However, providing visual or acoustic information in a vehicle, for example to indicate upcoming maneuvers in autonomous driving, is proving problematic. Vehicles already contain a high density of visual and auditory information.

[0012] Furthermore, the achievable movement or range of motion of control elements or input elements currently used in motor vehicles is comparatively small. In particular, such a movement is too small to be clearly perceived by a vehicle occupant as haptic feedback or driving feedback.

[0013] The size of the control elements or input elements currently found in motor vehicles, such as rotary push buttons, is also comparatively small. In particular, their size is too small to generate comfortable and ergonomic feedback that can be perceived haptically by the vehicle's occupants.

[0014] In addition, the movement or operation of familiar control elements or input elements is already linked to existing functions. For example, turning the rotary push-button in a vehicle can scroll, and pressing the rotary push-button can make a selection.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to provide a feedback device of the type mentioned at the outset which enables the output of an intuitively easily graspable and clearly perceptible feedback, to specify a motor vehicle with such a feedback device and to create a corresponding method for outputting feedback.

[0016] This object is achieved by a feedback device having the features of patent claim 1, a motor vehicle having the features of patent claim 8, and a method having the features of patent claim 9. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims.

[0017] The feedback device according to the invention for a motor vehicle comprises a support body on which at least a portion of a hand of a motor vehicle occupant can be placed. The entire support body is movable relative to a substructure of the feedback device. At least one actuator of the feedback device is provided for moving the support body. A control device of the feedback device is designed to cause the support body to move relative to the substructure by means of the at least one actuator in response to an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle. Even before the driving maneuver of the motor vehicle, which is carried out autonomously (i.e. without any action by the occupant), begins, the occupant, whose hand is resting on the support body, is alerted to the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle by the movement of the support body relative to the substructure of the feedback device.

[0018] In the feedback device according to the invention, the support body is mounted on the substructure via three rod elements that are aligned at an angle. The rod elements thus serve as supports for the support body, similar to a tripod or tripod, allowing the support body to be deflected relative to the substructure in a reliable and simple manner. This is especially true when the three rod elements are aligned at an angle toward a center point of the support body.

[0019] Thus, by moving the support body, haptic feedback about the upcoming driving maneuver can be communicated to the occupant. In other words, the support body or such a control element informs the occupant about upcoming driving maneuvers of the autonomous or piloted motor vehicle using haptic movement feedback. Because the occupant of the motor vehicle can place at least part of their hand, in particular the entire hand, on the movable support body or rest it on the support body, at least part of the hand, in particular the entire hand, is moved together with the support body. Consequently, the output of particularly clearly perceptible feedback is made possible by moving the support body.Furthermore, the movement of the support body caused by the at least one actuator can be intuitively perceived particularly well by the occupant of the motor vehicle.

[0020] By alerting the occupant of the imminent maneuver before the actual execution of the autonomous maneuver, i.e., maneuver initiated by an autonomous driving system of the motor vehicle, by at least one actuator moving the support body relative to the substructure, the maneuver does not come as a surprise to the occupant. This advantageously builds the occupant's trust in the vehicle's autonomous driving system. The occupant, informed in advance by the movement of the support body, then also expects the maneuver to be executed by the vehicle's autonomous driving system.

[0021] It is therefore possible for the occupant of the vehicle to remain particularly calm, precisely because they are not surprised by the autonomous driving maneuver. This increases road safety because the occurrence of stressful situations for the occupant during autonomous driving of the vehicle is largely avoided. This is particularly advantageous if the driver is required to take over control of the vehicle again upon request from the vehicle's autonomous driving system. Such a takeover of control by the occupant can occur, for example, if the vehicle is operated for autonomous driving at Level 3 or Level 4 of the six stages or levels currently used in Europe by the Federal Highway Research Institute.

[0022] However, even with Level 2 autonomous driving of the motor vehicle, in which functions such as automatic parking, lane keeping, longitudinal guidance, acceleration, and braking are performed by an assistance system or such autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle, it is helpful if the occupant can be alerted to the impending autonomous driving maneuver by moving the support body. However, particularly with Level 3 conditional automation of the motor vehicle and especially with Level 4 high-level automation of the motor vehicle, haptic feedback about the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle by moving the support body relative to the substructure is particularly advantageous.

[0023] Preferably, the support body is movable relative to the substructure along a plurality of movement paths and at a constant distance from a pivot point arranged above the support body by means of the at least one actuator about the pivot point. The movement paths preferably have different orientations from one another. In particular, at least two different movement paths or their straight, imaginary extensions can intersect. With such mobility of the support body at a constant distance from the pivot point arranged above the support body, respective movement paths can be very easily specified, which can be easily detected by the occupant as an indication of the driving maneuver corresponding to the respective movement path.

[0024] Furthermore, such a pendulum movement of the support body around the pivot point is particularly noticeable to the occupant. The flowing, floating, or pendulum-like movement of the support body on its respective trajectory around the pivot point is also perceived by the occupant as magical. The fascination associated with this novel movement reliably ensures that the occupant is alerted to the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the vehicle through the movement of the support body relative to the substructure. This is especially true when the pivot point is located above a center point of the support body.

[0025] Preferably, the control device is designed to cause the support body to move in a transverse direction of the feedback device by means of the at least one actuator when a lane change is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of an autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle. In this case, the actuator can cause the support body to move to the left when a change to a lane located to the left of the motor vehicle is to be carried out. Analogously, the actuator can cause the support body to move in the transverse direction to the right when a change of lane to the right is imminent as an autonomous driving maneuver. Such movements of the support body relative to the substructure, which coincide or correspond with the subsequent actual movement of the motor vehicle, are particularly easy for the occupant to understand and thus intuitively grasp.If the feedback device is arranged in the motor vehicle, the transverse direction of the feedback device can in particular run parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis.

[0026] Alternatively, but preferably additionally, the control device is preferably designed to cause the support body to move in a longitudinal direction of the feedback device by means of the at least one actuator when acceleration or braking is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of an autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle. For example, the support body can be moved forward in the longitudinal direction by means of the at least one actuator when acceleration of the motor vehicle is imminent. Furthermore, the support body can be moved in the longitudinal direction or rearward by means of the at least one actuator when braking of the motor vehicle is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver. Such movements of the support body can also be particularly well understood by the occupant as an indication of the impending driving maneuver.

[0027] The same applies if, according to a further advantageous embodiment, the control device is designed to cause the support body to move in a direction running obliquely to a transverse direction and obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the feedback device by means of the at least one actuator if an overtaking maneuver is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of an autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle. If the support body is moved obliquely to the front left, the overtaking maneuver may involve overtaking another motor vehicle or road user on the left. Analogously, if the support body is moved obliquely to the front right, the overtaking of the motor vehicle or road user on the right may be imminent. If the feedback device is installed in the motor vehicle, the longitudinal direction of the feedback device preferably runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle.

[0028] Preferably, the support body has an upper surface and a lower surface facing the base, with the upper surface being convexly curved. Such a convexly curved upper surface allows the entire hand to be rested particularly well in an ergonomically favorable and comfortable position for the occupant.

[0029] In particular, the underside can also be convexly curved, so that the support body as a whole is designed in the manner of a disc or a biconvex spherical lens. This also ensures particularly well that the support body, assisted by gravity, returns to an initial position in which the support body is not deflected by the at least one actuator. Furthermore, a convex design of the underside of the support body is advantageous if, during movement of the support body, the underside is in contact with a surface of the substructure or with at least one rolling element arranged between the underside and the surface of the substructure.

[0030] It is also beneficial for ergonomic hand placement if the support body is round in a horizontal section plane. This applies in particular if the support body has a maximum diameter of approximately 10 cm to approximately 16 cm. In particular, it can also be ensured that the occupant can easily reach an edge of the support body with their fingertips, with the ball of their hand being positioned at or near the edge of the support body. Such a size of the support body or control element makes it particularly easy to generate clearly perceptible haptic movement feedback when the occupant's hand is resting on the upper side of the support body. This applies in particular if the support body is designed to perform the pendulum-like movement around the pivot point arranged above the support body.

[0031] In a variant of the feedback device not covered by patent claim 1, the support body can be mounted on the substructure by means of a plain bearing and / or a roller bearing. Such bearings allow for particularly fluid and very low-friction movement of the support body. Completely friction-free movement of the support body and thus particularly smooth movement of the support body can be achieved if, in a further variant of the feedback device not covered by patent claim 1, the support body is held at a distance from the substructure by magnetic force. For this purpose, permanent magnets and / or electromagnets can be arranged in the support body and in the substructure.

[0032] The rod elements can be designed to be bendable as a result of the movement of the support body caused by the at least one actuator. For example, the rod elements can be formed as wires made of spring steel. During the preferably pendulum-like, low-friction movement of the support body relative to the substructure, the respective rod elements thus bend. Such mounting of the support body on the substructure via the three rod elements can be implemented simply and cost-effectively.

[0033] This applies analogously if the rod elements are coupled to the support body on the one hand and to the substructure on the other via respective ball joints. However, in this case, it can be provided in particular that the rod elements are rigid, i.e., they do not bend as a result of the movement of the support body. The at least one actuator can also act in particular on at least one of the rod elements to effect the desired low-friction, preferably pendulum-like, movement of the support body relative to the substructure.

[0034] Both by supporting the support body on the substructure via the three rod elements and by supporting the support body on the substructure with low friction or frictionless by means of the plain bearing, the roller bearing or the magnetic bearing, a flowing or continuous or uninterrupted movement of the support body can be achieved, which is perceptible by the occupant.

[0035] The control device is preferably designed to use the at least one actuator to move the support body from an initial position to at least one target position depending on the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle. In the target position, the support body is deflected relative to the initial position. In this case, the control device is designed to hold the support body in the target position while the autonomous driving maneuver is being carried out. This clearly communicates to the occupant that the autonomous driving maneuver previously announced by the deflection of the support body to the target position is actually being carried out. Once the autonomous driving maneuver has ended, the control device preferably controls the at least one actuator such that it moves the support body back to the initial position.

[0036] The motor vehicle according to the invention has at least one feedback device according to the invention. The feedback device is preferably arranged in a location in the motor vehicle that is easily accessible for the occupant of the motor vehicle who is the driver, for example, centrally between a driver's seat and a passenger seat of the motor vehicle.

[0037] Preferably, an autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle is configured to transmit at least one data value indicating the upcoming autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle to the control device of the feedback device. In this way, the control device can inform the occupants of the motor vehicle in a particularly timely manner about the upcoming driving maneuver to be performed by the autonomous driving device of the motor vehicle.

[0038] The method according to the invention for outputting feedback to a motor vehicle occupant is carried out using a feedback device. The feedback device comprises a support body on which at least a portion of the occupant's hand can be rested. The support body is moved relative to a substructure of the feedback device by means of at least one actuator. A control device of the feedback device controls the at least one actuator depending on an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle. By controlling the at least one actuator, the control device causes the support body to move relative to the substructure.Even before the driving maneuver, which is carried out without any action by the occupant and is triggered by the vehicle's autonomous driving system, begins, the occupant, whose hand rests on the support body, is alerted to the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the vehicle by the movement of the support body relative to the base of the feedback system. The movement of the support body relative to the base is achieved via three rod elements that are mounted on the base and aligned at an angle. This method makes it possible for the occupant to intuitively grasp and clearly perceive the feedback output.

[0039] The invention also includes combinations of the described embodiments.

[0040] The invention also includes further developments of the method according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the feedback device according to the invention or the motor vehicle according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

[0041] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are: Fig. 1 schematically shows a feedback device for a motor vehicle, wherein a disc-shaped or lens-shaped support body of the feedback device can perform pendulum, low-friction movements relative to a base of the feedback device; Fig. 2 shows a highly schematic illustration of a motor vehicle, in which the pendulum-like movements of the support body enable an occupant of the motor vehicle to haptically perceive upcoming autonomous driving manoeuvres of the motor vehicle; Fig. 3 a variant of the feedback device in which the support body is mounted on the substructure by means of a plain bearing; Fig. 4 a variant of the feedback device in which the support body is mounted on the base via rolling elements of a rolling bearing; Fig. 5 a variant in which the support body is magnetically mounted on the base; Fig. 6 schematically shows a variant of the feedback device in which the support body is mounted on three flexible wires made of spring steel; Fig. 7 in a schematic perspective view the variant according to Fig. 6; Fig. 8 a variant of the feedback device in which the support body is mounted on the substructure via three rigid rods each having ball joints; and Fig. 9 in a schematic perspective view the variant according to Fig. 8.

[0042] The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual, independently considered features of the invention, which also further develop the invention independently of one another and are thus also to be considered as components of the invention, either individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0043] In the figures, functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0044] In Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a feedback device 10 for a Fig. 2 schematically illustrated motor vehicle 12. The feedback device 10 comprises a support body 14, which is designed, for example, in the manner of a disc or a biconvex, spherical lens. Accordingly, the support body 14 has a convexly curved upper side 16. A likewise convexly curved lower side 18 of the support body 14 faces a substructure 20 of the feedback device 10. An occupant of the motor vehicle 12 can, as in Fig. 2, the passenger can place his hand 22 from above onto the support body 14. In other words, the passenger can place his entire hand 22 flatly on the upper side 16 of the support body 14. When the passenger's hand 22 then rests on the support body 14, the passenger can easily perceive movements of the support body 14 by touch.

[0045] In the present case, for moving the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20, at least one Fig. 1, an actuator 24 is provided. The actuator 24 causes a deflection or movement of the support body 14 via a mechanical coupling 26, which is only indicated schematically here. In order for the actuator 24 to ensure the movement of the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20, a control device 28 of the feedback device 10 controls the at least one actuator 24.

[0046] By moving the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20, the occupant, whose hand 22 rests on the support body 14, is notified of an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle 12. Thus, the movement or deflection of the support body 14 generates haptic feedback, which informs the occupant of the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle 12.

[0047] In this case, it is particularly provided that the support body 14 can be moved by means of the actuator 24 like a pendulum, which is attached to a Fig. 1 shown, virtual pivot point 30. The support body 14 can therefore perform pendulum-like or pendulum movements around the pivot point 30. The pivot point 30 is located above the support body 14, in particular above a center point 32 of the support body 14. Different deflected positions of the support body 14 are shown schematically in Fig. 1. Accordingly, Fig. 1 that the support body 14 can be moved relative to the substructure along a plurality of movement paths and at a constant distance from the pivot point 30 in order to alert the occupant, whose hand 22 rests on the support body 14, to the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle 12.

[0048] Through a round area 36 in this case, Fig. 1, a circumference is specified within which the support body 14 remains when the support body 14 oscillates around the pivot point 30 on the various movement paths. It can also be provided that the virtual pivot point 30 can move within the exemplary round area 36, ​​which in Fig. 1 is shown outside or above the support body 14.

[0049] Preferably, the support body 14 floats above the substructure 20, and the movement of the support body 14 is particularly low-friction. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the direction of movement of the support body 14 corresponds to the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle 12. This should be explained with reference to Fig. 2 will be explained.

[0050] In Fig. Figure 2 shows a highly schematic plan view of the motor vehicle 12 with front wheels 38 and rear wheels 40. The control device 28 receives data values ​​or data sets from an autonomous driving device 42 of the motor vehicle 12, which indicate the respective upcoming driving maneuver. For example, it can be provided that the motor vehicle 12 will accelerate without any action by the driver, whose hand 22 rests on the support body 14. A corresponding trajectory 44 is shown in Fig. 2 by an arrow. The movement path 44 runs in the longitudinal direction of the feedback device 10, which runs parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis x. If the support body 14 oscillates forward along the movement path 44 at a constant distance from the pivot point 30, this indicates to the driver that acceleration of the motor vehicle 12 is imminent, i.e., that acceleration will occur as soon as the support body 14 is moved along the movement path 44 into a target position. The support body 14 can also be moved in the longitudinal direction of the feedback device 10, but backward, by means of the actuator 24 on a further movement path 46 if braking of the motor vehicle 12 is to be carried out by the autonomous driving device 42 as the autonomous driving maneuver.

[0051] Another arrow indicates Fig. 2 illustrates a movement path 48 extending in the transverse direction of the feedback device 10, which alerts the driver, whose hand 22 rests on the support body 14, to an impending lane change to the left as the autonomous driving maneuver. However, if a lane change to the right is imminent, the support body 14 is moved to the right, oscillating around the pivot point 30, on a further movement path 50, which Fig. 2 is illustrated by a further arrow. The transverse direction of the feedback device 10 preferably runs parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis y.

[0052] If the support body 14 is moved by the actuator 24 along further movement paths 52, 54 at a constant distance from the pivot point 30 diagonally to the front left (movement path 52) or diagonally to the front right (movement path 54), this indicates to the occupant that an overtaking maneuver will be performed as the autonomous driving maneuver. The impending driving maneuvers are thus translated into respective movements of the support body 14 or a similar control element of the feedback device 10. The autonomous driving device 42 effects corresponding steering angles, in particular of the front wheels 38, and the autonomous driving device 42 ensures the driving or braking of the front wheels 38 and / or the rear wheels 40.

[0053] The control element in the form of the disc-like support body 14, which preferably oscillates within the area 36 around the pivot point 30, informs the occupant by means of haptic feedback about the upcoming driving maneuvers of the piloted or autonomous motor vehicle 12.

[0054] In the present case, the disc-like or lens-shaped support body 14 is round in a horizontal section plane 56, which in Fig. 3. A maximum diameter 58 of the support body 14 is further preferably dimensioned such that the occupant can grasp an edge 60 of the support body 14 (cf. Fig. 7 and Fig. 9) can be easily reached even when the ball of the hand 22 rests near the edge 60 on the upper side 16 of the support body 14. For this purpose, it can be provided, in particular, that the maximum diameter 58 of the support body 14 lies in a range of, for example, 12 cm to 15 cm. In particular, such a size of the support body 14 and the pivot point 30 arranged above the support body 14 generate a clearly perceptible, haptic movement feedback when the actuator 24 deflects the support body 14.

[0055] Preferably, the movement of the support body 14 relative to the base 20 is fluid, uninterrupted, and particularly low-friction. A sliding bearing 62 may be provided for this purpose (see Fig. 3). Thus, the underside 18 of the support body 14 can rest on an upper side 64 of the base 20, which in this variant can be concavely curved.

[0056] A low-friction movement of the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20 can also be achieved by providing a rolling bearing 66 (see Fig. 4). In this case, rolling elements in the form of balls 68 can be arranged between the underside 18 of the support body 14 and the upper side 64 of the base 20. A rolling bearing cage of the rolling bearing 66 is in Fig. 4 not shown for the sake of clarity.

[0057] A magnetic bearing 70 is in Fig. 5 schematically illustrates this. Here, the underside 18 of the support body 14 is held at a distance from the upper side 64 of the base 20 by magnetic force.

[0058] A further possibility of low-friction, flowing movement of the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20 is to be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Here, the support body 14 is mounted on the substructure 20 via three rod elements in the form of three wires 72.

[0059] The wires 72 are directed towards the center point 32 of the support body 14 (compare Fig. 1) are inclined and can be formed, for example, from spring steel. During the desired pendulum, low-friction movement of the support body 14 relative to the base 20, a bending of the wires 72 occurs. First ends of the wires 72 can be held in respective bearing bushes 74, which widen in a funnel shape towards the support body 14 and are fixed to the base 20. Bearing bushes 76 of an analogous design, but widening towards the base 20, take up according to Fig. 7 the opposite ends of the wires 72. These additional bearing bushes 76 are fixed to the support body 14.

[0060] At the Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the rod elements are provided by three rigid, i.e. non-flexible rods 78, which are coupled to the substructure 20 via first ball joints 80. In the variant according to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the rigid rods 78 or rod elements are coupled to the support body 14. The ball joints 82 can be coupled to a structural part 84 formed in the support body 14. The three inclined rods 78, mounted via ball joints, also enable the fluid, low-friction movement of the support body 14 relative to the substructure 20.

[0061] Overall, the examples show how the invention can provide a fluid and intuitive movement of a haptic control element or support body 14 for maneuver feedback in a piloted or autonomous motor vehicle 12.

Claims

[1] Feedback device for a motor vehicle (12), comprising a support body (14) on which at least a portion of a hand (22) of an occupant of the motor vehicle (12) can be placed, and which is movable relative to a substructure (20) of the feedback device (10), and comprising at least one actuator (24) for moving the support body (14), wherein a control device (28) of the feedback device (10) is designed to effect, by means of the at least one actuator (24), the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) in dependence on an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12) in such a way that, even before the driving maneuver, which is carried out without any action by the occupant of the motor vehicle (12) and is effected by an autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12), begins, the occupant whose hand (22) rests on the support body (14),by the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) of the feedback device (10), the driver is informed of the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12), characterized by that the support body (14) is mounted on the substructure (20) via three rod elements (72, 78) which are aligned at an incline. [2] Feedback device according to claim 1, characterized by that the support body (14) is movable relative to the substructure (20) on a plurality of movement paths (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) and at a constant distance from a pivot point (30) arranged above the support body (14), in particular above a center point (32) of the support body (14), about the pivot point (30) by means of the at least one actuator (24). [3] Feedback device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the control device (28) is designed to move the support body (14) by means of the at least one actuator (24) - in a transverse direction (y) of the feedback device (10) if a lane change is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of the autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12), and / or - in a longitudinal direction (x) of the feedback device (10) when acceleration or braking is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of the autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12), and / or - in a direction extending obliquely to a transverse direction (y) and obliquely to a longitudinal direction (x) of the feedback device (10) when an overtaking maneuver is to be carried out as the autonomous driving maneuver by means of the autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12). [4] Feedback device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that the support body (14), which is in particular round in a horizontal sectional plane (56) and / or has a maximum diameter (58) of 10 cm to 16 cm, has an upper side (16) and an underside (18) facing the substructure (20), wherein the upper side (16) and / or the underside (18) is convexly curved. [5] Feedback device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the three rod elements (72, 78) are inclined towards a center point (32) of the support body (14). [6] Feedback device according to claim 5, characterized by that the rod elements (72, 78) are designed to be bendable as a result of the movement of the support body (14) caused by the at least one actuator (24) and / or are coupled to the support body (14) on the one hand and to the substructure (20) on the other hand via respective ball joints (80, 82). [7] Feedback device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that the control device (28) is designed to move the support body (14) from an initial position into at least one target position by means of the at least one actuator (24) as a function of the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12) and to hold the support body (14) in the target position during the execution of the autonomous driving maneuver. [8] Motor vehicle with at least one feedback device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12) is designed to transmit to the control device (28) of the feedback device (10) at least one data value which indicates the upcoming autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12). [9] Method for outputting feedback to an occupant of a motor vehicle (12) by means of a feedback device (10) comprising a support body (14) on which at least a portion of a hand (22) of the occupant can be placed, in which the support body (14) is moved by means of at least one actuator (24) relative to a substructure (20) of the feedback device (10), wherein a control device (28) of the feedback device (10) controls the at least one actuator (24) as a function of an impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12) and by controlling the at least one actuator (24) causes the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20), wherein even before the driving maneuver carried out without any action by the occupant of the motor vehicle (12) and effected by an autonomous driving device (42) of the motor vehicle (12) begins, the occupant whose hand (22) is on the Support body (14) rests,by the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) of the feedback device (10), the driver is informed of the impending autonomous driving maneuver of the motor vehicle (12), characterized by that the movement of the support body (14) relative to the substructure (20) is effected via three rod elements (72, 78) which are mounted on the substructure (20) and are inclined.

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