Steering device

Abstract

To satisfactorily determine the gripping of an irregular-shape handle.SOLUTION: A steering device 50 includes: a steering wheel having a hub portion, a grip portion having a pair of right and left vertical portions extending substantially in upward and downward directions on the right and left sides of the hub portion and a horizontal portion extending substantially in rightward and leftward directions below the hub portion and connecting the pair of right and left vertical portions, and a spoke portion connecting the pair of right and left vertical portions to the hub portion; a steering angle sensor 13 that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel; a grip sensor 14 that detects contact or proximity of a human body with respect to the grip portion; a setting unit 111 that sets a grip detection range along the grip portion; and a determination unit 112 that determines whether a grip is detected in the grip detection range set by the setting unit 111, based on a detection value of the grip sensor 14. The setting unit 111 sets the grip detection range, based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering device having a function for detecting whether a driver is gripping a steering wheel. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a demand for steering devices that improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems. In this regard, a device has been known in the past in which a touch sensor is disposed on an irregular-shaped steering wheel having a steering part that is generally rectangular in front view and whose width in the left-right direction is larger than its width in the up-down direction, and the grip position is detected based on a signal from the touch sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, grip parts are provided on both the left and right sides of the steering wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-028505 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the steering device described in Patent Document 1, when the steering wheel is rotated around the steering center axis, there is a risk that the driver will steer by gripping an area other than the grip portion, such as the upper or lower part of the steering part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A steering device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a steering wheel having a hub portion, a grip portion having a pair of vertical portions extending generally up and down on the left and right sides of the hub portion and a horizontal portion extending generally left and right below the hub portion and connecting the pair of vertical portions, spoke portions connecting the pair of vertical portions to the hub portion, a steering angle detection portion that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, a sensor unit that detects contact or proximity of a human body with the grip portion, a setting portion that sets a grip detection range along the grip portion, and a determination portion that determines whether a grip is detected within the grip detection range set by the setting portion based on a detection value of the sensor unit. The setting portion sets the grip detection range based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection portion.

[0006] A steering device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a steering wheel having a hub portion, a grip portion having a pair of vertical portions extending generally up and down on the left and right sides of the hub portion and a horizontal portion extending generally left and right below the hub portion and connecting the pair of vertical portions, and spokes connecting the grip portion to the hub portion, a steering angle detection unit detecting a steering angle of the steering wheel, a sensor unit detecting contact or proximity of a human body with the grip portion, and a determination unit comparing a detection value of the sensor unit with a first predetermined threshold and determining whether the grip portion is being gripped based on the comparison result. An end of the grip portion protrudes above the spoke portion. When the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the position where the sensor unit detected contact or proximity of a human body is included in the end, the determination unit compares the detection value of the sensor unit with a second predetermined threshold different from the first predetermined threshold and determines whether the grip portion is being gripped based on the comparison result. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, grip determination for an irregularly shaped handle can be performed satisfactorily. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]1 is a front view of a steering handle to which a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2A] 2 is a diagram showing how the steering wheel 2 is operated by the driver. FIG. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 shows a state in which a steering wheel 2 is operated by a driver. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a grip detection range set by a setting unit. [Figure 4B] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of the grip detection range set by the setting unit. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance system including a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by a CPU of the controller of FIG. 3; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a steering wheel to which a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The steering device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a manually driven vehicle equipped with a driving assistance system such as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). The vehicle to which the steering device according to the present embodiment is applied may be referred to as the host vehicle to distinguish it from other vehicles. The steering wheel 2 in FIG. 1 is operated by a driver in the driver's seat of the host vehicle. A steering shaft 3 that pivotally supports the steering wheel 2 is connected to the back side of the steering wheel 2 in a front view (as seen from the driver).

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 2 is an irregularly shaped handle and includes a hub portion 21, a rim portion (grip portion) 22, and spokes 23 connecting the hub portion 21 and the rim portion 22. The rim portion 22 includes a pair of rim portions (vertical portions) 22L, 22R extending generally in the up-down direction on the left and right sides of the hub portion 21, and a horizontal portion 22H extending generally in the left-right direction below the hub portion 21 and connecting the rim portions (vertical portions) 22L, 22R. The spokes 23 include horizontal portions 23L, 23R connecting the hub portion 21 and the rim portions (vertical portions) 22L, 22R, and a vertical portion 23V connecting the hub portion 21 and the horizontal portion 22H. The rim portion (vertical portion) 22L is provided such that an end 25L thereof protrudes upward beyond a connection portion 26L between the spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23L and the rim portion (vertical portion) 22L. Similarly, rim portion (vertical portion) 22R has end portion 25R that protrudes upward beyond connection portion 26R between spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23R and rim portion (vertical portion) 22R. Hereinafter, end portions 25L and 25R will also be referred to as protrusions.

[0011] The spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23L incorporates conductive, plate-shaped electrodes 24L1 and 24L2. The electrodes 24L1 and 24L2 are provided on the steering wheel 2 near a recommended gripping area for the left hand defined with respect to the rim portion 22 (area AR1L in FIG. 4A, described later). More specifically, the electrode 24L1 is provided along the upper and radially outer sidewall surfaces of the spoke (horizontal portion) 23L. The electrode 24L2 is provided below the spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23L and along the surface of the lower left part of the hub portion 21 that faces the rim portion 22.

[0012] Similarly, the spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23R incorporates conductive, plate-shaped electrodes 24R1 and 24R2. The electrodes 24R1 and 24R2 are provided on the steering wheel 2 near a recommended gripping area for the right hand defined with respect to the rim portion 22 (area AR1R in FIG. 4B, described later). More specifically, the electrode 24R1 is provided along the upper and radially outer sidewall surfaces of the spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23R. The electrode 24R2 is provided below the spoke portion (horizontal portion) 23R and along the surface of the lower right portion of the hub portion 21 that faces the rim portion 22.

[0013] The electrodes 24 (24L1, 24L2, 24R1, 24R2) are connected to sensor units 14L1, 14L2, 14R1, 14R2 of a sensor unit (hereinafter also referred to as a grip sensor) 14 shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later, via signal lines (not shown).

[0014] Incidentally, driving assistance systems such as ADAS include a lane keeping assistance system (LKAS) that provides steering assistance by controlling a driving actuator (more specifically, a steering actuator that drives a steering device) so that the vehicle travels near the center of the vehicle's lane. When the lane keeping assistance system is enabled, the driver may be required to hold the steering wheel 2 so that the driver can quickly and accurately operate the steering wheel 2 in an emergency. In this case, the driving assistance system monitors whether the driver is fulfilling the obligation to hold the steering wheel 2, and continues driving assistance (steering assistance) as long as the driver is fulfilling the obligation. On the other hand, if the driving assistance system determines that the driver is not fulfilling the obligation to hold the steering wheel, the driving assistance system warns the driver via a display, speaker, or the like installed in the vehicle, or temporarily restricts driving assistance (steering assistance).

[0015] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating how the steering wheel 2 is operated by the driver. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2 with both hands (left hand HL and right hand HR), the driver is in a state where he or she can immediately and accurately operate the steering wheel 2. Therefore, the driving assistance system determines that the driver is fulfilling the gripping obligation and continues driving assistance. On the other hand, with a non-standard steering wheel having ends 25L and 25R like the steering wheel 2, as shown in FIG. 2B, the driver can operate the steering wheel by hooking the thumb of one hand (right hand HR in FIG. 2B) on end 25R or end 25L, which may lead to one-handed operation by the driver. However, when the lane keeping function is enabled, it is difficult for the driver to immediately and accurately operate the steering wheel 2 in the gripping state shown in FIG. 2B, which may compromise safety during driving assistance. Therefore, to address this problem, the steering device in this embodiment is configured as follows.

[0016] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a steering device according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, this steering device 50 has a controller 10, a steering angle sensor 13, a grip sensor 14, and a communication unit 15. The communication unit 15 connects the steering device 50 to a communication network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). The steering device 50 can communicate with an in-vehicle device (not shown) via the communication unit 15 using CAN communication or the like. Note that the steering device 50 may also be able to communicate with an in-vehicle device or an external device (not shown) via a wireless communication network.

[0017] The steering angle sensor 13 detects the steering angle according to the steering operation by the driver. The steering angle is expressed as a clockwise angle around the steering shaft 3 and based on the center position in the left-right direction of the upper end of the hub portion 21 as seen by the driver. The neutral position (0 [deg]) of the steering wheel 2 is a position where the steering wheel 2 is not rotated in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and the steered wheels (front wheels, rear wheels, or front and rear wheels) of the vehicle are not steered to either the left or right.

[0018] The grip sensor 14 has sensor units 14L1, 14L2, 14R1, and 14R2 connected to the electrodes 24L1, 24L2, 24R1, and 24R2 shown in Fig. 1 via signal lines (not shown). The sensor units 14L1, 14L2, 14R1, and 14R2 detect electrical characteristics of the electrodes 24L1, 24L2, 24R1, and 24R2, respectively (e.g., capacitance between the electrode and ground (e.g., the vehicle body)).

[0019] The controller 10 includes a calculation unit 11 such as a CPU (microprocessor) and a storage unit 12. The calculation unit 11 has, as functional components, a setting unit 111, a determination unit 112, and an output unit 113. The storage unit 12 stores various control programs, information such as thresholds used in the programs, etc.

[0020] The setting unit 111 sets a grip detection range along the rim portion 22. Fig. 4A is a diagram showing an example of the grip detection range set by the setting unit 111. The grip detection range is a range targeted for detecting the driver's grip of the steering wheel 2, and is set to correspond to a recommended grip area AR1L for the driver's left hand and a recommended grip area AR1R for the driver's right hand, which are predetermined on the rim portion 22. Specifically, the combined area of ​​the recommended grip area AR1L and the recommended grip area AR1R is set as the grip detection range.

[0021] Furthermore, the setting unit 111 changes the grip detection range based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13. Specifically, when the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th [deg], the setting unit 111 resets the grip detection range so that the ends 25L and 25R are excluded from the grip detection range. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing another example of the grip detection range set by the setting unit 111. The areas AR2L and AR2R shown in FIG. 4B are areas obtained by excluding the areas corresponding to the ends 25L and 25R from the recommended gripping areas AR1L and AR1R in FIG. 4A. In this way, when the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value Th, the setting unit 111 changes the grip detection range from the recommended gripping areas AR1L and AR1R to the areas AR2L and AR2R in FIG. 4B.

[0022] The determination unit 112 determines whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2 based on the detection result of the grip sensor 14. Specifically, the determination unit 112 detects contact or proximity of a human body with the electrode 24 (approaching action within a predetermined distance) based on the detection value (capacitance) of the grip sensor 14. More specifically, when the detection value (capacitance) of the grip sensor 14 is equal to or greater than a threshold for proximity determination, it determines proximity, and when the detection value (capacitance) is equal to or greater than a threshold for contact determination that is greater than the threshold for proximity determination, it determines contact. When the determination unit 112 determines that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2, it further detects the grip position based on the detection result of the grip sensor 14 and determines whether the grip position is within a grip detection range.

[0023] The output unit 113 determines the grip state based on the determination result of the determination unit 112, and outputs information indicating the grip state (hereinafter referred to as grip state information) to an output device mounted on the vehicle. The output device is a general term for devices that output information to the driver. The output device includes a display that provides information to the driver via a displayed image, a speaker that provides information to the driver by voice, and the like.

[0024] When the determination unit 112 determines that the steering wheel 2 is gripped and that the grip position is within the grip detection range, the output unit 113 outputs grip state information indicating "normal" as the grip state. On the other hand, when the determination unit 112 determines that the steering wheel 2 is gripped but the grip position is not within the grip detection range, the output unit 113 outputs grip state information indicating "not gripped" as the grip state. Furthermore, when the determination unit 112 determines that the steering wheel 2 is not gripped, the output unit 113 outputs grip state information indicating "not gripped" as the grip state. Note that when outputting grip state information indicating "not gripped", the output unit 113 may include warning information in the grip state information that prompts the driver to grip the steering wheel 2. The warning information may include display information or audio information output to a display, a speaker, or the like, as well as a signal for turning on or blinking a warning light or the like provided on the steering wheel 2 or in the vicinity (instrument panel, etc.) of the steering wheel 2. In addition, the output unit 113 may output the grip state information to an in-vehicle device or an external device via the communication unit 15.

[0025] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance system 1 including a steering device 50 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the driving assistance system 1 includes the steering device 50 and a driving assistance device 70, which is one of the in-vehicle devices. The steering device 50 is connected to the driving assistance device 70 via a CAN bus 60 so as to be able to communicate with the driving assistance device 70.

[0026] The driving assistance device 70 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU). The driving assistance device 70 includes a calculation unit 71 such as a CPU (microprocessor) and a memory unit 72. The calculation unit 71 has a driving control unit 711 as a functional configuration. The memory unit 72 stores various control programs and information such as thresholds used in the programs. The driving control unit 711 controls driving actuators (not shown) based on information obtained from on-board sensors (camera images, etc.). The driving actuators include a throttle actuator that adjusts the opening of the engine throttle valve (throttle opening), a brake actuator that activates the vehicle's braking device, a steering actuator that drives the steering device, etc.

[0027] The driving assistance device 70 has various driving assistance functions such as LKAS and ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). When LKAS is enabled, the driving control unit 711 recognizes the dividing lines that define the vehicle's lane based on information obtained from on-board sensors and controls the steering actuator so that the vehicle travels near the center of the lane. At this time, the driving control unit 711 acquires grip state information output from the output unit 113 of the steering device 50 via the CAN bus 60 and recognizes the grip state of the steering wheel 2 based on the grip state information. When the driving control unit 711 recognizes that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel 2, it temporarily stops driving assistance (steering assistance) by the LKAS. When the driver's non-grip state continues for a predetermined time, the driving control unit 711 cancels the steering assistance. When the driving control unit 711 recognizes that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2 before the driver's non-grip state continues for the predetermined time, it resumes the temporarily stopped steering assistance. In this way, the grip state information output from the steering device 50 is used for control of the driving assistance device 70, such as pausing, resuming, or canceling the driving assistance function.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the CPU of the controller 10 of Fig. 3 in accordance with a predetermined program. The processing shown in this flowchart is executed, for example, at a predetermined interval while the host vehicle is traveling. When the host vehicle starts traveling, the recommended grasping areas AR1L and AR1R of Fig. 4A are set as the grasping detection range.

[0029] First, in step S11, the controller 10 determines whether the sensor value (steering angle) of the steering angle sensor 13 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the result in step S11 is affirmative, in step S12, the controller 10 changes the grip detection range to the area shown in FIG. 4B, i.e., the area AR2L, AR2R obtained by excluding the area corresponding to the end portions 25L, 25R from the recommended gripping areas AR1L, AR1R. If the result in step S11 is negative, the controller 10 proceeds to step S13 without changing the grip detection range (i.e., sets the grip detection range to the recommended gripping areas AR1L, AR1R). In step S13, the controller 10 determines whether the driver's grip of the rim portion 22 is detected based on the detection result of the grip sensor 14. If the result in step S13 is negative, the controller 10 determines that the steering wheel 2 is not being gripped, and generates grip state information indicating "not gripped" in step S15. If the result in step S13 is affirmative, then in step S14, the controller 10 further detects a grip position based on the detection result of the grip sensor 14, and determines whether the detected grip position is within the grip detection range. If the result in step S14 is affirmative, the controller 10 determines that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2 correctly, and in step S16, generates grip state information indicating "normal." On the other hand, if the result in step S14 is negative, the controller 10 determines that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel 2 correctly, and proceeds to step S15. In step S17, the controller 10 outputs the grip state information generated in step S15 or step S16, and ends the process.

[0030] Through the above processing, when the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value while the vehicle is traveling, the areas AR2L and AR2R in FIG. 4B are set as the grip detection range until the steering angle becomes less than the predetermined value. When the steering angle becomes less than the predetermined value, the recommended gripping areas AR1L and AR1R in FIG. 4A are set as the grip detection range. In this way, the controller 10 changes the grip detection range according to the steering angle of the steering wheel 2 according to the flow in FIG. 6.

[0031] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) A steering device 50 includes a steering wheel 2 having a hub portion 21, a rim portion (grip portion) 22 having a pair of left and right vertical portions 22L, 22R extending generally up and down on the left and right sides of the hub portion 21 and a horizontal portion 22H extending generally left and right below the hub portion 21 and connecting the pair of left and right vertical portions 22L, 22R, and spoke portions 23L, 23R connecting the pair of left and right vertical portions 22L, 22R to the hub portion 21, a steering angle sensor 13 detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel 2, a sensor unit 14 detecting contact or proximity of a human body with the rim portion 22, a setting unit 111 setting a grip detection range along the rim portion 22, and a determination unit 112 determining whether a grip is detected within the grip detection range set by the setting unit 111 based on a detection value of the sensor unit 14. The setting unit 111 sets the grip detection range based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13. The ends 25L, 25R of the rim portion 22 protrude upward beyond the spoke portions 23L, 23R. The setting unit 111 pre-defines the recommended gripping areas AR1L, AR1R, including the ends 25L, 25R, as the grip detection range. When the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 exceeds a predetermined value, the setting unit 111 changes the grip detection range from the recommended gripping areas AR1L, AR1R to areas AR2L, AR2R, excluding the ends 25L, 25R. The predetermined value is, for example, the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 when the steering wheel 2 is steered 30 degrees ([deg]) clockwise and counterclockwise from the neutral position. This allows gripping at an inappropriate gripping position, such as that shown in FIG. 2B, to be determined as a non-grip state, further improving the accuracy of grip determination for irregularly shaped handlebars. (2) The steering device 50 further includes an output unit 113 that outputs information including the determination result of the determination unit 112 to an external device (an output device (such as a display or speaker) or the driving assistance device 70). This allows the driver to recognize the result of the grip determination. In addition, the result of the grip determination can be used for driving assistance functions such as LKAS. As a result, safety can be improved when operating an irregular-shaped steering wheel.

[0032] The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways. Modifications are described below. In the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit 14 detects contact or proximity of a human body with the rim portion 22. However, the sensor unit may also detect the grip force on the rim portion 22. In this case, a pressure sensor is built into the rim portion 22, and the sensor unit detects the grip force on the steering wheel 2 based on a sensor value obtained from the pressure sensor via a signal line (not shown). Note that a sensor other than a pressure sensor may be used to detect the grip force on the steering wheel 2. When the detection value of the sensor unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the setting unit 111 sets the grip detection range to the recommended grip areas AR1L, AR1R, even if the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This prevents the driver from unnecessarily determining that the steering wheel is not being gripped when firmly gripping the ends 25L, 25R while steering.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the determination unit 112 determines whether a grip is detected in the grip detection range based on the detection value of the sensor unit 14, and the output unit 113 outputs grip state information including the determination result of the determination unit 112 to an external device. However, the determination unit may determine whether a left-hand grip is detected in the grip detection range corresponding to the left hand (recommended grip area AR1L or area AR2L) and whether a right-hand grip is detected in the grip detection range corresponding to the right hand (recommended grip area AR1R or area AR2R). The output unit may output grip state information based on the determination result corresponding to the left hand (hereinafter referred to as a first determination result) and the determination result corresponding to the right hand (hereinafter referred to as a second determination result) to an external device. For example, when it is determined that the steering wheel 2 is gripped with both hands based on the first determination result and the second determination result, the output unit may output grip state information indicating a "normal" grip state. On the other hand, when it is determined that the steering wheel 2 is being gripped with either one hand, the output unit may output grip state information indicating the grip state as "not gripped." In this case, the grip state information may include warning information that urges the driver to grip the steering wheel with both hands.

[0034] In the above embodiment, when the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 13 serving as the steering angle detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, the setting unit 111 changes the grip detection range from the first recommended gripping area AR1L, AR1R to the second area AR2L, AR2R, excluding the ends 25L, 25R from the grip detection range. However, the method for excluding the ends 25L, 25R from the grip detection range when the steering angle is equal to or greater than the predetermined value is not limited to this. For example, when the steering angle is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, different grip determination thresholds may be used for the ends 25L, 25R and the portions of the rim portion 22 other than the ends 25L, 25R. Specifically, determination unit 112 compares the detection value of sensor unit 14L with a first predetermined threshold and determines whether rim portion 22 is being gripped based on the comparison result, while if the steering angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the position where sensor unit 14 detected contact with or proximity to a human body is included in end portions 25L, 25R, determination unit 112 compares the detection value of sensor unit 14 with a second predetermined threshold different from the first predetermined threshold and determines whether rim portion 22 is being gripped based on the comparison result. More specifically, determination unit 112 determines that rim portion 22 is being gripped when the detection value of sensor unit 14 is equal to or greater than the first predetermined threshold, while if the steering angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the position where sensor unit 14 detected contact with or proximity to a human body is included in end portions 25L, 25R, determination unit 112 determines that rim portion 22 is being gripped when the detection value of sensor unit 14 is equal to or greater than a second predetermined threshold that is greater than the first predetermined threshold.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the controller 10 executes the process of FIG. 6 while the host vehicle is traveling. However, the controller 10 may start the process of FIG. 6 when it receives a notification from the driving assistance device 70 indicating that a driving assistance function such as LKAS has been enabled. The controller 10 may also not execute the process of FIG. 6 when the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. Furthermore, the controller 10 may not execute the process of FIG. 6 when a driving assistance function that does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel 2, such as an automatic parking function (parking assist system), is enabled.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the steering device 50 is applied to a manually driven vehicle equipped with an ADAS, but the steering device 50 can also be applied to an automatically driven vehicle.

[0037] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. One or more of the above-described embodiment and modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can also be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 driving assistance system, 2 steering wheel, 10 controller, 11 calculation unit, 12 memory unit, 13 steering angle sensor, 14 grip sensor, 15 communication unit, 21 hub unit, 22 rim unit, 23 spoke unit, 24 electrode, 25L, 25R end, 26L, 26R connection unit, 70 driving assistance device, 111 setting unit, 112 determination unit, 113 output unit

Claims

1. a steering handle having a hub portion, a handle portion having a pair of left and right vertical portions extending generally up and down on the left and right sides of the hub portion, and a horizontal portion extending generally left and right below the hub portion and connecting the pair of left and right vertical portions, and spoke portions connecting the pair of left and right vertical portions to the hub portion; a steering angle detection unit that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel; a sensor unit that detects contact or proximity of a human body with the grip portion; a setting unit that sets a grip detection range along the grip unit; a determination unit that determines whether or not a grip is detected within the grip detection range set by the setting unit based on the detection value of the sensor unit, The steering device is characterized in that the setting unit sets the grip detection range based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit.

2. 2. The steering device according to claim 1, an end of the grip portion is provided to protrude upward beyond the spoke portion, the setting unit pre-sets a first area including the end portion as the grip detection range, and when the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, changes the grip detection range from the first area to a second area excluding the end portion.

3. 3. The steering device according to claim 2, The steering device is characterized in that the predetermined value is a steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit when the steering wheel is steered 30 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral position.

4. 2. The steering device according to claim 1, A steering device further comprising an output unit that outputs information including the determination result of the determination unit to an external device.

5. a steering handle having a hub portion, a handle portion having a pair of left and right vertical portions extending generally up and down on the left and right sides of the hub portion, and a horizontal portion extending generally left and right below the hub portion and connecting the pair of left and right vertical portions, and spoke portions connecting the handle portion and the hub portion; a steering angle detection unit that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel; a sensor unit that detects contact or proximity of a human body with the grip portion; a determination unit that compares the detection value of the sensor unit with a first predetermined threshold and determines whether the gripping portion is being gripped based on a comparison result, an end of the grip portion is provided to protrude upward beyond the spoke portion, the determination unit, when the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the position where the human body is in contact with or approaching the sensor unit is included in the end portion, compares the detection value of the sensor unit with a second predetermined threshold value different from the first predetermined threshold value, and determines whether the grip portion is being gripped based on the comparison result.

6. 6. The steering device according to claim 5, the determination unit determines that the grip portion is being gripped when the detection value of the sensor unit is equal to or greater than the first predetermined threshold, and determines that the grip portion is being gripped when the detection value of the sensor unit is equal to or greater than the second predetermined threshold that is greater than the first predetermined threshold, in a case where the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined value and the position where the sensor unit detected contact or proximity of the human body is included in the end portion.

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