Active Safety Illuminated Steering Wheel with Segmented Light Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
As road vehicles become increasingly complex, there is a need for an intuitive and efficient interface between the driver and the vehicle's electronic systems to enhance safety, particularly in providing information and receiving directions without requiring the driver to divert attention from the road.
Innovation Solution
A chain of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is installed under the steering wheel rim, equipped with electronic input and output devices that use visible and invisible light, as well as other wavelengths, to communicate safety information, connected to a digital computer for real-time data exchange and tactile feedback through actuatable light sources and vibrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a chain of printed circuit boards is installed under the steering wheel rim with electronic input and output devices, then the ability to communicate safety information to the driver is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel is divided into multiple segments including a hub portion, rim, and at least one spoke. The groove is segmented to accommodate multiple actuatable light sources at different positions. This segmentation allows distributed information display across the steering wheel surface, improving safety information communication while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
A light diffuser or lens is introduced as an intermediary element between the actuatable light sources and the driver's view. This intermediary component diffuses or focuses the light to create visible patterns and symbols that communicate safety information clearly, while isolating the complex electronic light sources from direct exposure, thus managing device complexity.
2Illumination intensity
If actuatable light sources are positioned in or under the groove with a light diffuser or lens, then the visibility and intuitiveness of safety information is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is strategically positioned and shaped to accommodate light sources at specific locations where they will be most visible to the driver. The light diffuser or lens is placed only where needed to enhance specific light patterns. This localized approach improves illumination visibility without requiring complex modifications to the entire steering wheel structure, maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuatable light sources are nested within or under the groove, and the light diffuser or lens is positioned within the groove above the light sources. This nested arrangement integrates multiple components into a compact configuration that fits within the existing steering wheel structure, avoiding the need for additional external components and simplifying manufacturing.
3Loss of information
If multiple wavelengths of light are used for communication, then the quantity of information that can be transmitted is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses actuatable light sources capable of emitting multiple wavelengths (colors) of light to encode different types of safety information. Different colors or color patterns represent different alert levels or information categories. This color-coding system increases information transmission capacity while maintaining ease of detection by the human eye, which is naturally sensitive to color variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for real-time communication of critical vehicle safety information to the driver through the steering wheel, enhancing situational awareness without requiring the driver to take their eyes off the road, thereby improving safety by providing immediate and intuitive alerts through color patterns and tactile feedback.
Implementation Method 1
a light diffuser or lens positioned in the groove above the light sources
Implementation Method 2
a light diffuser or lens positioned in the groove above the light sources
Data Source
AI summary
A steering wheel (102) having a hub portion (118), a rim (112) and at least one spoke (114) connected to the hub portion (118) and to the rim (112), the rim (112) having a groove and a surface of the steering wheel (102); a number of actuatable light sources located in or under the groove; light diffuser or lens (140) positioned in the groove above the light sources.