Touchscreen Steering Wheel Hub With Hand-Adaptive Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle steering systems lack ergonomic and customizable interfaces, particularly in steer-by-wire systems, which do not provide seamless integration of touchscreen displays with real-time driver hand positioning and vehicle wheel alignment.
Innovation Solution
A steer-by-wire system with a touchscreen display integrated into the steering wheel hub, equipped with sensors to detect hand positions and wheel angles, allowing dynamic repositioning of controls and wheel indicators to match driver hand locations and vehicle direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touchscreen display interface is integrated into the steering wheel hub with sensors to detect hand positions, then the ergonomics and customization of the steering interface is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touchscreen display interface directly into the steering wheel hub, combining multiple functions (display, control interface, hand position detection) into a single integrated component. This integration improves ergonomics by providing a centralized, accessible interface while the combined structure manages the complexity through unified design rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering wheel hub serves multiple functions: it acts as the structural center of the steering wheel, houses the touchscreen display interface, contains hand position sensors, and provides mounting for soft touch controls. This multi-functionality improves ease of operation by consolidating controls in one location while managing complexity through versatile component design.
2Ease of operation
If soft touch controls are dynamically repositioned on the touchscreen display to match driver hand locations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the extent of automation increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses hand position sensors to continuously monitor where the driver's hands are located on the steering wheel, then feeds this information back to the control system. Based on this feedback, the soft touch controls are automatically repositioned on the touchscreen display to match the detected hand locations, improving accessibility while using automated feedback loops to manage the complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft touch controls are designed to be dynamically repositionable on the touchscreen display rather than fixed in static positions. This dynamic adaptation allows controls to move and resize based on real-time hand position detection, improving ease of operation while the automated dynamic adjustment manages the complexity through algorithmic control.
3Ease of operation
If the touchscreen display automatically synchronizes the steering wheel's perceived rotational position with the road wheels' angle, then the user experience is improved, but the measurement and control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the actual road wheel angle through sensors and feeds this information back to the touchscreen display control system. The display then synchronizes the perceived steering wheel position with the actual wheel angle, creating a seamless user experience. The automated feedback synchronization manages the precision requirements through continuous correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and road wheels with an electro-mechanical steer-by-wire system. This substitution allows for precise electronic sensing of wheel angles and automated synchronization of the display with the actual wheel position, improving user experience while managing precision requirements through electronic control rather than mechanical coupling.
4Adaptability or versatility
If hand position sensors are embedded in the handwheel to detect real-time hand positions, then the customization capability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hand position sensors are merged directly into the handwheel structure, combining the sensing function with the existing steering wheel component. This integration improves customization capability by enabling real-time hand position detection while managing manufacturing complexity through unified component design rather than adding separate sensor assemblies.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving a key-on command to turn on the vehicle. A touchscreen display interface mounted to a central hub of a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle's steering system displays a wheel angle indicator at a first location and a soft touch controls set at a second location. A position sensor generates sensor data indicative of a steering angle of a front vehicle wheel and/or a position of a user's hand on a handwheel of the steering wheel assembly. The touchscreen display interface displays: the wheel angle indicator moved to a new orientation responsive to the sensor data indicating the front vehicle wheel's steering angle is a non-zero angle, and/or the soft touch controls set moved to a new location responsive to the sensor data indicating the user's hand position moved to a new position on the steering wheel assembly's handwheel.