Vehicle steering device

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the operability of an input device during autonomous driving while suppressing an increase in complexity of configuration. [Solution] A steering device 100 comprises an input device 20 for operating equipment 39 in a vehicle cabin, and a rim part 11 that is gripped during manual driving. The rim part 11 is movable relative to the input device 20 and is movable between a first position corresponding to manual driving and a second position corresponding to autonomous driving. The rim part 11 includes a palm rest portion 12 for a user to place their hand when operating the input device 20 when the rim part 11 is positioned in the second position.

Description

Vehicle steering device

[0001] The present technology relates to a steering device for a vehicle.

[0002] For autonomous vehicles, a system has been proposed that includes an input device operated by a user and a rim portion that is gripped during manual driving. When the input device includes a keyboard or the like, a palm rest on which the hands can be placed makes input operations easier.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a palm rest is provided in the hub section. In Patent Document 2, a wrist rest for inputting operations is provided as an equivalent to a palm rest, separate from a hand rest (fourth embodiment). In Patent Document 3, a steering member for a vehicle is disclosed in which a keyboard is provided on the table surface, and it is considered that the table surface can be used as a palm rest.

[0004] JP 2010-137654 A Japanese Patent No. 7045354 A Japanese Patent No. 6468522 A

[0005] However, in all of Patent Documents 1 to 3, the palm rest is provided separately from the rim portion. Also, the positional relationship between the palm rest and the input device is fixed, which may make input operations difficult for some users. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of avoiding a complex configuration and improving operability.

[0006] The present technology aims to improve the operability of an input device during autonomous driving while suppressing the complexity of the configuration.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the steering device of the vehicle of the present technology comprises an input device for operating equipment within the vehicle cabin and a rim portion that is gripped during manual driving, the rim portion being movable relative to the input device and movable between a first position corresponding to manual driving and a second position corresponding to automatic driving, and the rim portion, when positioned at the second position, includes a portion that serves as a palm rest for placing hands when operating the input device.

[0008] According to the present technology, it is possible to improve the operability of an input device during autonomous driving while suppressing an increase in the complexity of the configuration.

[0009] 1A is a schematic diagram of a steering device of a vehicle. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a schematic side view showing the attitude of the steering device during manual driving and automatic driving. FIG. 1D is a schematic side view showing the attitude of the steering device during manual driving and automatic driving. FIG. 1E is a block diagram of a control system. FIG. 1F is a transition diagram showing how the rim unit and input device are stored in a storage unit. FIG. 1G is a transition diagram showing how the rim unit and input device are stored in a storage unit. FIG. 1H is a transition diagram showing how the rim unit and input device are stored in a storage unit. FIG. 1I is a schematic side view showing the rim unit stored in the storage unit. FIG. 1I is a schematic diagram of a steering wheel employing a modified palm rest unit. FIG. 1I is a schematic diagram of a steering wheel employing a modified palm rest unit. FIG. 1J is a schematic diagram of a steering wheel employing a modified palm rest unit.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1A is a schematic diagram of a steering device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present technology. As an example, the steering device 100 is applied to a vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle, but is not limited thereto.

[0012] The steering device 100 mainly includes a steering wheel 10 and an input device 20. The steering wheel 10 is rotatable about a rotation center C0. The main part of the steering wheel 10 is a rim portion 11.

[0013] The driving modes of the vehicle 200 include an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. The rim portion 11 is the part that is gripped by the user, who is the driver, in the manual driving mode (hereinafter referred to as manual driving). In manual driving, the steering wheel 10 (rim portion 11) and the input device 20 rotate together around the rotation center C0 through operation by the user. In the automatic driving mode (hereinafter referred to as automatic driving), the steering wheel 10 (rim portion 11) and the input device 20 do not rotate around the rotation center C0. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center C0, the overall shape of the rim portion 11 is annular.

[0014] It should be noted that the steering wheel 10 is not physically connected to a steering mechanism (not shown) of the vehicle 200. During manual driving, the rotation angle of the steering wheel 10 is detected, and the steering mechanism is controlled in accordance with the detected angle.

[0015] Although not shown, the input device 20 has a group of mechanical switches, a group of touch switches, a touch pad, a touch panel, etc. on the operation surface 21. The input device 20 is used to operate equipment 39 (see FIG. 3) in the vehicle cabin, and to input text and operate the cursor in cooperation with a separately provided display device 35 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the input device 20 is used for connecting to an external personal computer (not shown), etc.

[0016] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1A. The rim portion 11 includes a portion (hereinafter referred to as palm rest portion 12) that serves as a palm rest on which the user places their hands when operating the input device 20 during autonomous driving. The palm rest portion 12 includes a flat surface 12a that the hand contacts, making it easy for the user to place their hands. The input device 20 is disposed on the axis of the rotation center C0. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center C0, the input device 20 is disposed inside the annular shape of the rim portion 11. Therefore, the user can easily operate the input device 20 by placing their hands on the palm rest portion 12. Note that it is not essential that the palm rest portion 12 includes the flat surface 12a.

[0017] 2A and 2B are schematic side views showing the posture of the steering device 100 during manual driving and automatic driving, respectively. The rim portion 11 is movable relative to the vehicle and the input device 20. The input device 20 is movable relative to the vehicle and the rim portion 11.

[0018] First, the rim portion 11 can be moved between a first position (FIG. 2A) corresponding to manual driving and a second position (FIG. 2B) corresponding to automatic driving. The rim portion 11 can also be moved to a storage position (FIG. 4D, which will be described later). The palm rest portion 12 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is a portion suitable for placing hands when operating the input device 20 when the rim portion 11 is located in the second position.

[0019] The input device 20 is movable among a position corresponding to the first position (first corresponding position), a position corresponding to the second position (second corresponding position), and a position corresponding to the storage position (storage corresponding position). Both the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 move by pivoting about an axis parallel to the horizontal direction. The movement of the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 may involve a movement other than pivoting. The rim portion 11 and the input device 20 may also move along separate paths. In particular, the tilt angle changes when the input device 20 moves by pivoting, improving input operability. The input device 20 is movable independently of the rim portion 11 when the rim portion 11 is at least in the second position, but may also be movable independently when the rim portion 11 is in a position other than the second position. The pivot axes of the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 are not limited to axes parallel to the horizontal direction. Hereinafter, the position of the rim portion 11, including the first position, the second position, and the storage position, will be used synonymously with the position of the steering wheel 10.

[0020] 3 is a block diagram of the control system of this embodiment. In addition to the input device 20, the steering device 100 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, a memory 34, a first drive unit 36, a second drive unit 37, and a storage drive unit 38. The CPU 31, the ROM 32, the RAM 33, and the memory 34 are included in the control unit 30. The vehicle 200 includes a display device 35 and a plurality of devices 39. Note that although the drive units 36 and 37 are configured to be included in the input device 20 ( FIG. 2B ), they may be provided separately from the input device 20. Furthermore, the storage drive unit 38 is configured to be included in a storage unit 40 (see FIG. 4D ), which will be described later, but may be provided separately from the storage unit 40.

[0021] The CPU 31 controls the entire steering system 100. The ROM 32 stores programs executed by the CPU 31. The RAM 33 provides a work area when the CPU 31 executes the programs. The memory 34 is a non-volatile memory and stores various types of information.

[0022] The device 39 is operated by operation of the input device 20, and is, for example, an air conditioner, a car navigation system, audio equipment, etc. The type of the display device 35 is not important, and may be, for example, an in-vehicle display that also has a voice generation function. The display device 35 may be, for example, a head-up display, a meter display, or a CID (Center Information Display). There may be multiple display devices 35, and some of them may be configured as part of the input device 20, such as a touch panel display.

[0023] Each of the drive units 36, 37, 38 includes a motor, gears, link mechanisms, etc. (none of which are shown). The CPU 31 in the control unit 30 controls the drive units 36, 37, 38 to move the rim unit 11 and / or the input device 20. The first drive unit 36 ​​moves the rim unit 11 between a first position and a second position. The second drive unit 37 moves the input device 20 between a first corresponding position and a second corresponding position.

[0024] 4A to 4D are transition diagrams showing how the rim unit 11 and the input device 20 are stored in the storage unit 40. The storage unit 40 is provided in the vehicle 200, and is, for example, a glove box. The storage unit 40 includes a storage unit main body 41 and a lower cover 42, which together form a storage space. The lower cover 42 is movable relative to the storage unit main body 41. Under the control of the CPU 31, the storage drive unit 38 moves the rim unit 11 and the input device 20 and drives the lower cover 42 to open and close.

[0025] In Figure 4A, the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 are in the first position and the first corresponding position, respectively, and the lower cover 42 is closed. The lower cover 42 opens, the rim portion 11 rotates counterclockwise around an axis parallel to the horizontal, and the input device 20 moves downward, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4B. Then, as shown in Figure 4C, the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 move in the direction of the arrow toward the storage position. After the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 have moved to the storage position, the lower cover 42 is closed, and the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 are stored in the storage portion 40 (Figure 4D). This allows for more space to be used inside the vehicle while protecting the rim portion 11 and the input device 20.

[0026] The rim portion 11 can be moved to the storage position from either the first position or the second position, and the input device 20 moves in parallel during this movement. The movement path of the rim portion 11 between the first position, the second position, and the storage position, and the accompanying movement path of the input device 20, are not important. Furthermore, it is not essential that the movement of the rim portion 11 or the input device 20 be accompanied by a rotational movement.

[0027] Here, the movement of the rim portion 11 to the storage position is mainly assumed to occur when parking, but may also be applied during autonomous driving. The position of the rim portion 11 when parking may be the first position or the second position. The position of the rim portion 11 when parking may be selectable by the user.

[0028] 5 is a schematic side view showing the state in which the rim portion 11 is stored in the storage portion 40. It is not necessary for both the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 to be stored; as shown in FIG. 5, the input device 20 may be exposed from the storage portion 40 and only the rim portion 11 may be stored in the storage portion 40. In this case, the input device 20 may be positioned in the second position (FIG. 2B). In this way, the user can use the input device 20 without the rim portion 11 getting in the way, for example, when parking.

[0029] The driving mode of the vehicle 200 may be switched by a user instruction or by a determination of the CPU 31. Various user instructions can be realized via the input device 20.

[0030] During automatic driving, it is expected that the user will operate the input device 20 with their hands placed on the palm rest portion 12, and therefore preferences for the position and orientation of the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 will differ from user to user. Therefore, the second position during automatic driving can be set by the user.

[0031] Here, the second position that can be set for the rim portion 11 may be provided in multiple stages, or the second position may be set continuously. The second corresponding position of the input device 20 may also be set by the user. The second corresponding position may be set independently, or may be automatically set in correspondence with the second position.

[0032] Furthermore, the CPU 31 may store the set second position and second corresponding position in the memory 34 and use them to control the first drive unit 36 ​​and the second drive unit 37. As a result, the rim unit 11 and the input device 20 move to the position desired by the user during automatic driving. By storing and reproducing multiple second positions and multiple second corresponding positions, there is no need to manually adjust the positions of the rim unit 11 and the input device 20 even when different users use them, which reduces the complexity.

[0033] Note that the object of storing and reproducing a plurality of positions in this manner may be only either the second position or the second corresponding position, or the first position and the first corresponding position may also be stored and reproduced.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the rim portion 11 is movable relative to the input device 20. Furthermore, when the rim portion 11 is located in the second position, the palm rest portion 12 serves as a portion on which the user places their hands when operating the input device 20. Therefore, during autonomous driving, the user can place their hands on the palm rest portion 12 and operate the input device 20 in a comfortable position. Furthermore, because the palm rest portion 12 is part of the rim portion 11, the configuration is simple. Therefore, the operability of the input device 20 during autonomous driving can be improved while suppressing the complexity of the configuration.

[0035] Furthermore, by making it possible for the rim portion 11 and the input device 20 to be stored in the storage portion 40 even during automatic driving, the interior of the vehicle can be used more widely even during automatic driving.

[0036] Furthermore, when the rim portion 11 is positioned at least in the second position, the input device 20 can move independently of the rim portion 11, which increases the degree of freedom in the position and posture of the input device 20 during automatic driving, making input operations easier.

[0037] Furthermore, since the input device 20 is disposed inside the ring-shaped portion of the rim portion 11, it is easy to operate the input device 20 with both hands placed on the palm rest portion 12. However, such an arrangement is not essential, and the input device 20 may be disposed outside the ring-shaped portion. Alternatively, a part of the input device 20 (such as an input operator) may be disposed inside the ring-shaped portion, and another part of the input device 20 (such as a display screen) may be disposed separately outside the ring-shaped portion. Even in this case, the display on the display screen may be changed in conjunction with the operation of the input operator of the input device 20.

[0038] Furthermore, the second position and second corresponding position set by the user are stored in memory 34 and used to control first drive unit 36 ​​and second drive unit 37, thereby automatically reproducing the positions of rim unit 11 and input device 20 according to the driving mode. This eliminates the need to manually fine-tune each position, thereby reducing the complexity.

[0039] The position of the rim portion 11 when parking may be configured so that the user can select any one of a plurality of positions including the first position, the second position, and the storage position, and the CPU 31 may control the rim portion 11 to move to the selected position when parking. The same can be said for the first corresponding position, the second corresponding position, and the storage corresponding position of the input device 20. This improves the working environment and comfort when parking.

[0040] The rim portion 11 may not only automatically move to the second position or the storage position in conjunction with switching of the driving mode, but also the position of the rim portion 11 may be manually changed.

[0041] The overall shape of the rim portion 11 as viewed in the axial direction of the rotation center C0 is not limited to a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape. For example, it may be circular, elliptical, D-shaped, U-shaped, or H-shaped. Furthermore, the overall shape of the rim portion 11 may be an approximately annular shape with some parts not connected.

[0042] As shown in the modified examples in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the palm rest portion 12 can have various shapes.

[0043] 6A to 6C are schematic diagrams of steering wheels 10 employing modified palm rest portions. As shown in FIG. 6A, a portion of the palm rest portion 12 may have an annular recess 121 recessed outward when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center C0. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, the entire palm rest portion 12 may have a recessed shape 122. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6C, the entire or a portion of the palm rest portion 12 may have a U-shaped curved portion 123.

[0044] It is not necessary to provide the first drive unit 36 ​​and the second drive unit 37 separately, and a single drive unit having the functions of both may be provided. In this case, the CPU 31 may store the set second position and second corresponding position in the memory 34 and use them to control the drive units. For example, the CPU 31 may switch the movement target depending on the situation, and move either the rim unit 11 or the input device 20, or both.

[0045] The present technology has been described above in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, but the present technology is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present technology are also included in the present technology.

[0046] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-200732, filed on November 28, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0047] 11 Rim portion 12 Palm rest portion 20 Input device 39 Equipment 40 Storage portion 100 Steering device

Claims

1. A steering device for a vehicle comprising: an input device for operating equipment within the vehicle cabin; and a rim portion that is gripped during manual driving, said rim portion being movable relative to said input device and movable between a first position corresponding to said manual driving and a second position corresponding to said automatic driving, and said rim portion including a portion that serves as a palm rest for placing hands when operating said input device when positioned at said second position.

2. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein, during the automatic driving, the rim portion is also movable to a storage position where it is stored in a storage portion provided in the vehicle.

3. A steering device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the overall shape of the rim portion is annular, and when viewed from the axial direction of the center of rotation of the rim portion, the input device is disposed inside the annular shape of the rim portion.

4. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the rim portion is located at least in the second position, the input device is movable independently of the rim portion to a second corresponding position corresponding to the second position.

5. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 4, comprising: a first drive unit that moves the rim portion; and a control unit that controls the first drive unit, wherein the second position can be set by a user, and the control unit stores the set second position in a memory and uses it to control the first drive unit.

6. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 5, further comprising a second drive unit that moves the input device, wherein the control unit controls the second drive unit, the second corresponding position can be set by a user, and the control unit stores the set second corresponding position in a memory and uses it to control the second drive unit.

7. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 4, comprising: a drive unit that moves the rim portion and the input device; and a control unit that controls the drive unit, wherein the second position and the second corresponding position during the autonomous driving can be set by a user, and the control unit stores the set second position or the second corresponding position in a memory and uses it to control the drive unit.

8. A steering device for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising: a first drive unit that moves the rim portion; and a control unit that controls the first drive unit, wherein the second position can be set by a user, and the control unit stores the set second position in a memory and uses it to control the first drive unit.