Steering Wheel Pressure Sensor for Intentional Driver Assistance Deactivation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current driver assistance systems for autonomous transverse vehicle guidance can be inadvertently deactivated by accidental contact, such as a driver's knee resting against the steering wheel, leading to safety-critical situations where the driver is not prepared to assume control.
Innovation Solution
A pressure sensor is mounted on the steering wheel rim, covering most of its surface except for a circular-segment-shaped arc area that is not monitored, to detect intentional hand contact and set a pressure threshold for control transfer, preventing accidental deactivation by requiring a specific grip force for system deactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pressure sensors are mounted on the entire steering wheel rim to detect driver contact, then the sensitivity for detecting intentional hand contact is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to accidental deactivation by knee or leg contact
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel rim is segmented into monitored and non-monitored contact zones. Pressure sensors are selectively mounted only on the monitored zones where intentional hand contact occurs, while non-monitored zones (prone to knee/leg contact) are excluded from sensor coverage. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between intentional driver actions and accidental contact, resolving the contradiction between detection sensitivity and false activation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the steering wheel rim are assigned different functional qualities: monitored zones have pressure sensors for detecting intentional hand contact, while non-monitored zones are left without sensors to prevent false activation from knee or leg contact. This local differentiation of sensor placement creates spatially varying contact detection capabilities, allowing the system to be sensitive to intentional contact while being insensitive to accidental contact types.
2Ease of operation
If the pressure threshold for deactivation is set low to respond to light hand contact, then the ease of operation is improved, but the system becomes susceptible to accidental deactivation by knee resting
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel contact surface is divided into monitored and non-monitored zones. By placing sensors only in monitored zones where intentional hand contact occurs, the system can use lower pressure thresholds for deactivation without risking false activation from knee contact in non-monitored zones. This spatial segmentation resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and accidental deactivation resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitored contact zone acts as an intermediary region that mediates between the driver's intentional deactivation input and the system's response. By confining sensor monitoring to this specific zone, the system creates a controlled interface that filters out accidental contact types while remaining sensitive to intentional hand contact, enabling low threshold operation without false activation.
3Area of stationary object
If pressure sensors cover the entire steering wheel surface, then the detection coverage is maximized, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel rim is segmented into monitored and non-monitored zones based on contact patterns. Pressure sensors are installed only in the monitored zones where intentional hand contact occurs, rather than covering the entire surface. This selective segmentation reduces the number of sensors required while maintaining detection effectiveness for the relevant contact types, resolving the contradiction between coverage area and system complexity.
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 ensures that the driver assistance system is only deactivated when the driver intentionally takes control, reducing the risk of errors due to accidental contact and enhancing safety by requiring a deliberate action to transfer control.
Implementation Method 1
senses a contact of the steering wheel rim by the driver by means of a pressure sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a device are provided for deactivating a driver assistance system for autonomous transverse guidance of a vehicle, which driver assistance system has a sensor unit for detecting a contact with the rim of a steering wheel by a driver, and a control unit which detects, via the detected contact, a request by the driver to transfer from the autonomous transverse guidance into a manual transverse guidance by the driver. The pressure sensor constitutes at least one pressure sensor, which extends over at least that part of the surface of the steering wheel rim which is usually touched by the driver's hands. It does not extend over the area of the surface of the steering wheel rim which, viewed in a cross section of the steering wheel rim, describes an approximately circular-segment-shaped arc which extends over a sector angle of the order of magnitude of 90°, which arc is spaced apart as far as possible from the center point of the steering wheel.