Steering wheel for a vehicle, device for controlling a vehicle and corresponding method

Abstract

A steering wheel (10) for a vehicle is proposed, which comprises at least one projection unit (11) and at least one projection surface (12), wherein the projection unit (11) is designed to generate a projection on the projection surface (12) of the steering wheel.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle and a device for controlling a vehicle comprising a corresponding steering wheel and a method for controlling a vehicle according to the independent claims.

[0002] Operating devices for vehicles are generally known from the prior art. For example, DE 10 2018 009 543 A1 relates to an operating device for a motor vehicle with an operating surface and a projection device for projecting an image element onto the operating surface. DE 10 2017 220 341 A1 also relates to a hologram display control device that may include a hologram projection device. DE 10 2017 117 780 A1 relates to a holographic display system comprising a holographic projector assembly for generating a holographic image in a central region of an annular element of a steering wheel assembly.

[0003] US 2017 0 253 191 A1 discloses a steering wheel assembly. This assembly comprises a plate and a projection device. The plate is connected to a steering wheel body and has a first surface opposite a second surface. The projection device is connected to the steering wheel body and displays a virtual input device on the first and / or second surface while the steering wheel is in a non-rotatable state.

[0004] US 2017 0 253 192 A1 discloses a steering wheel assembly comprising a steering wheel body with a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite the first surface. A keypad template is formed on the first surface. The keypad template includes a plurality of key areas.

[0005] CN 1 10 884 556 A relates to a steering wheel and an automotive operating system. The steering wheel comprises a steering wheel body, a projection unit, and a touch platform. The touch platform is arranged in the center of the steering wheel body. The projection unit is located at the edge of the touch platform. The projection unit is used to acquire display data from the navigation host and project the display data onto the touch platform; the touch platform is used to generate a control signal in response to a user's operation and to transmit the control signal to the navigation host. Through the projection function of the projection unit, the display data from the navigation host is projected onto the touch platform so that it can be perceived by a user; through the touch function of the touch platform, the user processes the display data on the steering wheel, thus improving the user experience.

[0006] To create a steering wheel lamp that does not require an illumination mechanism in a wheel portion of a vehicle's steering system, JP 2018 11 440 A proposes that a steering wheel lamp include light-emitting parts installed in an area (a spoke portion and a cushion portion) excluding a wheel portion of a vehicle's steering system, which emit irradiation light to illuminate the steering wheel portion, illumination parts arranged in the wheel portion in response to these light-emitting parts and illuminated by the irradiation light, and a control part for executing illumination control for the wheel portion. This makes steering wheel illumination possible without requiring an illumination mechanism in the vehicle's steering wheel portion.

[0007] The generic US 2016 0 375 924 A1 relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle with a steering wheel hub, wherein a first part of the steering wheel hub is provided with an electronic display. Furthermore, a second part of the steering wheel hub is provided with a keyboard, wherein the keyboard is in operative connection with the electronic display. The present invention is based on the object of improving a steering wheel for a motor vehicle in such a way that control of the vehicle is improved. In particular, a control option for a vehicle is to be enabled by projecting an image element in such a way that the driver of the vehicle can give control commands without removing his hands from the steering wheel. The aim is thus to create a novel, efficient, and safe option for controlling a motor vehicle.

[0008] The aforementioned object is achieved by a steering wheel for a vehicle, which comprises at least one projection unit and at least one projection surface. The projection unit is in particular a projector which is integrated in the steering wheel and is designed to project projections, in particular image elements which can be linked to control commands of the vehicle, onto the projection surface. The projection surface is also integrated in the steering wheel. In other words, the projection unit is designed to generate a projection on the projection surface of the steering wheel and thus to image an image element. The projection surface is in particular not a rear projection surface in which the projection is displayed on the rear side for the driver of the vehicle. The projection surface is not transparent or semi-transparent.Instead, the projection is shown directly on the front of the projection screen and can be seen directly by the driver.

[0009] The vehicle is primarily a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car.

[0010] In particular, the projection surface moves with the steering wheel. The projection surface is therefore not stationary, but rotates with the steering movement, preferably a rotational movement of the steering wheel.

[0011] The steering wheel comprises, in particular, an annular control element designed for the driver to grasp with his or her hands. The projection unit is preferably arranged in the annular control element. It is thus integrated into the annular control element and thus located in the edge area of the steering wheel, not in the center.

[0012] According to the invention, the annular control element comprises at least one grip recess for at least one finger of a driver of the vehicle, preferably for the thumb of the driver of the vehicle. The control element preferably comprises two grip recesses. The grip recess is defined by an inwardly directed projection of the annular control element. The projection preferably extends from an inwardly directed wall of the annular control element in an inner direction toward the center of the steering wheel. The projection unit is arranged in the projection.

[0013] The steering wheel may comprise a central region and at least one rib connecting the central region and the annular region, with the grip recess being defined by the rib. "Inwardly directed" refers to a direction toward the central region of the steering wheel. The projection surface is arranged in the rib.

[0014] The projection surface is preferably arranged such that a hand grasping the steering wheel at least partially covers the projection surface. The projection surface is preferably directed forward toward the driver so that it can be clearly seen by the driver. In particular, the projection surface is arranged in an area of the web that is directly adjacent to the ring-shaped control element. This can be an edge area of the web. The projection surface is preferably aligned at an angle to the projection direction of the projection unit. The projection direction is understood to mean the central and thus midway direction of the projection. The angle can preferably be between 20° and 70°.

[0015] In particular, a finger, preferably the thumb, positioned in the grip recess of the steering wheel, rests at least partially on the projection surface when grasping the steering wheel, so that projections are projected onto the hand or thumb. This allows the driver of the vehicle to execute the control command associated with the projection with a simple movement of the hand or finger, without having to remove their hands from the steering wheel.

[0016] Most preferably, the steering wheel comprises two projection units and two projection surfaces, which may be arranged on opposite sides with respect to the annular control element.

[0017] In a further aspect, the invention relates to a device for controlling a vehicle, comprising a steering wheel as described above for controlling a vehicle. The device can comprise a sensor for detecting a finger and / or hand movement of a driver of the vehicle. The device can thus determine whether the driver has responded to the projection and wishes to issue a control command. The sensor can, in particular, be an interior sensor, i.e., a camera, a LIDAR, or a RADAR sensor, arranged in the interior of the vehicle. Furthermore, the device can comprise a control unit for executing the control command associated with the projection. Preferably, the control command associated with the projection can thus be accepted with a corresponding finger movement and / or hand movement and subsequently executed by a control unit of the device.For example, certain finger and / or hand movements can be predefined to accept a control command associated with the projection.

[0018] In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle, which comprises projecting a projection linked to a control command onto at least one projection surface of a steering wheel of the vehicle by means of at least one projection unit of the steering wheel of the vehicle. Furthermore, the method comprises detecting a finger and / or hand movement of the driver of the vehicle in relation to the projection. If a corresponding finger and / or hand movement is detected, the control command linked to the projection can be executed.

[0019] They show in a purely schematic representation: Fig. 1: a perspective view of a steering wheel; Fig. 2: another perspective view of the steering wheel of the Fig. 1; Fig. 3: a device for controlling a vehicle; and Fig. 4: a method for controlling a vehicle.

[0020] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a steering wheel 10 comprising two projection units 11 and two projection surfaces 12. The steering wheel 10 comprises an annular control element 13 that extends completely around a central region 16 of the steering wheel. The central region 16 is connected to the annular control element 13 via several webs 17.

[0021] The annular control element 13 comprises two projections 15, each protruding from an inner wall surface 13a of the annular control element. A projection unit 11 is arranged in each of the projections 15. Each projection 15 delimits a grip recess 14. The grip recess 14 is further delimited by a web 17. This web 17 encloses the projection surface 12. The projection surface 12 is directed forward toward the driver so that it can be clearly seen by the driver. The projection surface 12 is arranged such that when the driver grasps the steering wheel 10, part of a hand rests on the projection surface 12 so that a projection can be projected onto this hand. In particular, the projection surface 12 is arranged in a region of the web 17 that directly adjoins the annular control element 13. This can be an edge region of the web 17.

[0022] In Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the steering wheel 10 of the Fig. 1, which is grasped by a driver's hands 20. A projection 30, specifically an image element 31, is depicted on both thumbs 21 of the driver's hands 20. The projection 30 can be associated with a control command for the vehicle. Furthermore, another projection 30 can be seen on the remainder of the projection surface 12, which is not covered by the thumb 21. This projection 30 can, for example, convey information about the image element 31 on the thumb 21.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows a device 90 for controlling a vehicle, which includes a sensor 91 in addition to the steering wheel 10. This sensor can be an interior sensor that detects a finger movement and / or a hand movement of the driver of the vehicle in order to determine the driver's reaction to the projection 30. For example, with a corresponding finger movement and / or hand movement, the control command associated with the projection can be accepted and subsequently executed by a control unit 92 of the device 90.

[0024] Fig.Figure 4 illustrates a method 100 for controlling a vehicle, which comprises a projection 101 on a projection surface 12 of a steering wheel 10 by means of a projection unit 11 of the steering wheel 10, in particular such that the projection is at least partially projected onto a finger and / or a hand of the driver. A finger movement and / or a hand movement of the driver can be detected 102, and a control command linked to the projection can be executed 103. List of reference symbols 10 Steering wheel 11 Projection unit 12 projection screen 13 ring-shaped control element 13a inner wall surface 14 recessed grip 15 lead 16 central area 17 jetty 20 hands 21 thumbs 30 Projection 31 image elements 90 Device for controlling a motor vehicle 91 Sensor 92 Control unit 100 methods for controlling a motor vehicle 101 Projection on a projection surface of a steering wheel by means of a projection unit of the steering wheel 102 Detecting a finger movement and / or hand movement of the driver 103 Executing a control command linked to the projection

Claims

[1] Steering wheel (10) for a vehicle, wherein the steering wheel (10) comprises at least one projection unit (11) and at least one projection surface (12), wherein the projection unit (11) is designed to generate a projection on the projection surface (12) of the steering wheel (10), and the annular control element (13) comprises at least one grip recess (14) for at least one finger of a driver when grasping the steering wheel (10), wherein the grip recess (14) is delimited by an inwardly directed projection (15) of the annular control element (13), wherein the steering wheel (10) comprises a central region (16) and at least one web (17) connecting the central region (16) and the annular control element (13), wherein the grip recess (14) is delimited by the web (17), characterized by , that the projection unit (11) is arranged in the projection (15) and the projection surface (12) is arranged in the web (17). [2] Steering wheel (10) according to claim 1, characterized by that the projection surface (12) moves when the steering wheel (10) moves. [3] Steering wheel (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the steering wheel (10) comprises an annular control element (13), wherein the projection unit (11) is arranged in the annular control element (13). [4] Steering wheel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the projection surface (12) is arranged such that a hand (20) grasping the steering wheel (10) at least partially covers the projection surface (12). [5] Steering wheel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the projection surface (12) is aligned at an angle to a projection direction of the projection unit (11). [6] Steering wheel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the steering wheel (10) comprises two projection units (11) and two projection surfaces (12). [7] Device (90) for controlling a vehicle characterized by that the device (90) comprises a steering wheel (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6. [8] Device (90) according to claim 7, characterized by that the device (90) comprises a sensor (91) for detecting a finger movement and / or hand movement of a driver of the vehicle. [9] Device (90) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by that the device (90) comprises a control unit (92) for executing a control command associated with the projection. [10] Method (100) for controlling a vehicle, wherein the method (100) comprises a projection (101) onto at least one projection surface (12) of a steering wheel (10) of the vehicle by means of at least one projection unit (11) of the steering wheel (10) of the vehicle, characterized bythat the method (100) is carried out with a steering wheel (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6 and / or a device (90) according to one of claims 7 to 9.

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