Apparatus for paddle shift of vehicle and operating method thereof

Abstract

A paddle shift device for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a processor and a memory in which at least one instruction executed by the processor is stored, wherein the processor activates a mode of linkage between the paddle shift and the air conditioning module and controls the operation of the air conditioning module according to the manner in which a user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a paddle shift device for a vehicle and a method of operating the same. Background Technology

[0003] A paddle shift is a compound word of "paddle" and "shift," referring to a type of gear lever that allows manual control of vehicle transmission using paddles. In electric vehicles, paddle shifters are used to adjust the regenerative braking level up or down, and are typically installed on both sides of the rear of the steering wheel within the driver's reach for convenience. Although paddle shifters are designed to change gears according to the purpose of driving, they are not frequently used during actual operation; in the case of internal combustion engines, they are almost never used unless the vehicle is driven in manual mode. Similarly, in electric vehicles, usage remains low if the driver is not sensitive to the regenerative braking level. However, sales of vehicles equipped with paddle shift handles are increasing every year, leading to a growing demand for technologies that can enhance the utility of paddle shifters.

[0004] Vehicle climate control systems are generally controlled via buttons located on the navigation system or the center console. However, since these systems often feature buttons for various other functions in addition to climate control buttons, drivers may experience inconvenience when trying to operate the system. Consequently, there is currently a lack of technology that allows drivers to easily control the climate system while driving.

[0005] The background technology of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2019-0106023 (published September 18, 2019). The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention was devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective according to one aspect of the present invention is to implement a vehicle paddle shift device and method that links the paddle shift with the air conditioning module, allowing the driver to easily control the operation of the air conditioning module even while the vehicle is in operation by operating the paddle shift. means of solving the problem

[0009] A paddle shift device for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a processor; and a memory in which at least one instruction executed by the processor is stored. The processor is characterized by activating a mode of linkage between the paddle shift and the air conditioning module, and controlling the operation of the air conditioning module according to the manner in which a user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift.

[0010] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by receiving input from the user through an input unit regarding whether to activate the interlocking mode of the paddle shift and the air conditioning module.

[0011] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by turning on or off the operation of the air conditioning module when the user simultaneously operates the left lever and the right lever of the paddle shift for a preset time or longer.

[0012] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by controlling the air conditioning module to decrease or increase the airflow when the user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift for a shorter time than a preset time.

[0013] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by lowering or raising the set temperature by controlling the air conditioning module when the user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift for a preset time or longer.

[0014] A paddle shift operation method according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a step in which a processor activates an interlocking mode between a paddle shift and an air conditioning module; and a step in which the processor controls the operation of the air conditioning module according to the manner in which a user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift. Effects of the invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention can implement a paddle shift device for a vehicle and a method of operation thereof, which can increase the usability of the paddle shift by linking the paddle shift with an air conditioning module and promote driver convenience by allowing the driver to easily control the operation of the air conditioning module. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a paddle shift device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a paddle shift operation method for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0019] Hereinafter, a paddle shift device for a vehicle and a method of operation thereof according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In this process, the thickness of lines or the size of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present invention, and these may vary depending on the intention or convention of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0020] In describing the contents of the present invention throughout the specification, the terms "electrically connected," "connected," and "connected" between individual components include not only direct connections but also connections made through an intermediate medium while maintaining attributes above a certain level. Similarly, terms such as "transmitted" and "output" of individual signals include not only direct meanings but also indirect meanings made through an intermediate medium while maintaining the attributes of the signal above a certain level. Furthermore, terms such as "applied," "input," and "input" of voltage or signal are also used throughout the specification with these same meanings.

[0021] Additionally, according to various embodiments, each component of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to the integration.

[0022] According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a paddle shift device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] First, referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle paddle shift device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a processor (100), a paddle shift (200), and an air conditioning module (300).

[0025] First, the processor (100) can function as a configuration that controls the operation of the air conditioning module (300) according to how the user operates the paddle shift (200).

[0026] In this embodiment, the processor (100) may be the entity that controls the operation of the air conditioning module (300) by distinguishing the paddle shift (200) operated by the user (e.g., left or right) and measuring the time the user operates the paddle shift (200). The processor (100) may be implemented as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Central Processing Unit (CPU), or System on Chip (SoC) applied to the vehicle, and may control a plurality of hardware or software components connected to the processor (100) by running an operating system or application, and may perform various data processing and calculations. The processor (100) may include a memory (110) and may be configured to execute at least one command stored in the memory (110) and store the execution result data in the memory (110).

[0027] The memory (110) may include non-volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erased Programmable ROM), flash memory, HDD, SSDD, SSD, etc.

[0028] The processor (100) can receive a request to activate the linkage mode of the paddle shift (200) and the air conditioning module (300) through an input unit (not shown) provided in the vehicle. In this embodiment, the input unit may correspond to a configuration (e.g., a microphone or a touch panel) provided in the vehicle that receives a user's voice signal or touch signal.

[0029] The paddle shift (200) can function as a configuration that receives an operation signal input from a user and transmits the received signal to a processor (100).

[0030] The paddle shift (200) may be composed of a left lever (210) and a right lever (220) located on both sides of the steering wheel (not shown), and the left lever (210) may receive a negative (-) input, and the right lever (220) may receive a positive (+) input.

[0031] The air conditioning module (300) may be configured to perform heating or cooling inside the vehicle by introducing outside air into the vehicle or circulating air to heat or cool it. The air conditioning module (300) may include a blower (not shown) for blowing inside or outside air, an evaporator (not shown) for cooling, and a heater core (not shown) for heating, and may be implemented as a well-known air conditioning device, so a detailed description is omitted.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a paddle shift method for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Based on the foregoing description, the configuration of the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2, focusing on the paddle shift method by the processor (100).

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, a processor (100) of a paddle shift method for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention can activate a linkage mode between a paddle shift (200) and an air conditioning module (300) (S10).

[0034] Specifically, the processor (100) can receive a request from a user through an input unit to activate the linkage mode of the paddle shift (200) and the air conditioning module (300). The user may request the activation of the linkage mode through a voice signal or a touch signal, and accordingly, the processor (100) can activate the linkage mode that controls the operation of the air conditioning module (300) through the paddle shift (200).

[0035] Next, the processor (100) can control the operation of the air conditioning module (300) according to how the user operates the left lever (210) or the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200).

[0036] First, the processor (100) can turn on the operation of the air conditioning module (300) when the user operates the left lever (210) and the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) simultaneously for more than a preset time (S20 and S30).

[0037] For example, the processor (100) can turn on the operation of the air conditioning module (300) when the user presses the left lever (210) and the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) simultaneously for more than 3 seconds, and the processor (100) can turn off the operation of the air conditioning module (300) when the user performs the above action while the air conditioning module (300) is turned on.

[0038] Next, the processor (100) can measure the time the user operates the left lever (210) or the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) (S40).

[0039] The processor (100) can control the airflow or adjust the set temperature by controlling the air conditioning module (300) based on the time measured in step S40.

[0040] Specifically, the processor (100) can control the air conditioning module (300) to adjust the airflow when the time the user operates the left lever (210) or the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) is shorter than a preset time. For example, if the user presses the left lever (210) of the paddle shift (200) briefly (e.g., less than 30ms), the processor (100) can decrease the airflow, and conversely, if the user presses the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) briefly (e.g., less than 30ms), the processor (100) can increase the airflow.

[0041] Additionally, the processor (100) can control the air conditioning module (300) to adjust the set temperature when the time the user operates the left lever (210) or the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) exceeds a preset time. For example, if the user presses the left lever (210) of the paddle shift (200) for a long time (e.g., 3 seconds or more), the processor (100) can lower the set temperature, and conversely, if the user presses the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) for a long time (e.g., 3 seconds or more), the processor (100) can raise the set temperature.

[0042] After the processor (100) controls the air conditioning module (300) through the linkage mode of the paddle shift (200) and the air conditioning module (300), if the user presses the left lever (210) and the right lever (220) of the paddle shift (200) simultaneously for more than 3 seconds, the operation of the air conditioning module (300) can be turned off (OFF), and if a preset time is exceeded after the operation of the air conditioning module (300) is turned off, the processor (100) can automatically deactivate the linkage mode of the paddle shift (200) and the air conditioning module (300).

[0044] According to the present embodiment, a technology can be provided to implement a paddle shift device and method for a vehicle that enhances the usability of the paddle shift by linking the paddle shift with the air conditioning module and promotes driver convenience by allowing the driver to easily control the operation of the air conditioning module.

[0045] As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Furthermore, the implementation described herein may be implemented, for example, as a method or process, a device, a software program, a data stream, or a signal. Even if discussed only in the context of a single form of implementation (e.g., discussed only as a method), the implementation of the discussed feature may also be implemented in other forms (e.g., a device or a program). A device may be implemented in appropriate hardware, software, and firmware, etc. A method may be implemented in a device such as a processor, which generally refers to a processing device including, for example, a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, or a programmable logic device. The processor also includes communication devices such as computers, cell phones, portable / personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), and other devices that facilitate the communication of information between end-users.

[0046] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is merely illustrative and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0048] 100: Processor 110: Memory 200: Paddle shift 210: Left lever 220: Right lever 300: HVAC module

Claims

Claim 1 A paddle shift device comprising: a processor; and a memory storing at least one instruction executed by the processor; wherein the processor activates a linkage mode between the paddle shift and the air conditioning module and controls the operation of the air conditioning module according to the manner in which a user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift; wherein the processor receives input from the user through an input unit regarding whether to activate the linkage mode between the paddle shift and the air conditioning module, and if the user operates the left lever and the right lever of the paddle shift simultaneously for a preset time or longer, the operation of the air conditioning module is turned ON or OFF. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A paddle shift device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the air conditioning module to decrease or increase the airflow when the user operates the left lever or right lever of the paddle shift for less than a preset time. Claim 5 A paddle shift device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the air conditioning module to lower or raise the set temperature when the user operates the left lever or right lever of the paddle shift for a preset time or longer. Claim 6 A paddle shift operation method comprising: a step in which a processor activates a linkage mode between a paddle shift and an air conditioning module; and a step in which the processor controls the operation of the air conditioning module according to the manner in which a user operates the left lever or the right lever of the paddle shift; wherein, in the activation step, the processor receives input from the user through an input unit regarding whether to activate the linkage mode between the paddle shift and the air conditioning module, and if the user operates the left lever and the right lever of the paddle shift simultaneously for a preset time or longer, the operation of the air conditioning module is turned ON or OFF. Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 A paddle shift operation method according to claim 6, wherein in the controlling step, the processor controls the air conditioning module to decrease or increase the airflow when the user operates the left lever or right lever of the paddle shift for less than a preset time. Claim 10 A paddle shift operation method according to claim 6, wherein in the controlling step, the processor controls the air conditioning module to lower or raise the set temperature when the user operates the left lever or right lever of the paddle shift for a preset time or longer.

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