JP2012066666A - Shift device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shift device of a versatile two-dimensional slide operation type by performing force feedback control to an operation unit which can be slide-operated to an optional position on a plane.SOLUTION: The shift device 1 includes: a slide operation unit 20 which can be slide-operated to an optional position on an XY plane; X-axial and Y-axial linear encoders 161, 162 which detect an operation state of the slide operation part; and X-axial and Y-axial voice coil motors 14, 15 which give force to the slide operation part. A force control unit performs force feedback control to generate a "reaction wall" at an outer edge portion of an operation allowable area that is a predetermined orbit of shift change operation, whereby an abnormal slide operation such as deviating from the orbit is prevented.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift device in which force giving control by force feedback is performed on an operation unit operated by an operator.

  In recent years, in many fields where remote operation is required, attention has been paid to a force imparting device that reproduces an operation feeling in a pseudo manner to improve operation performance. An input device applying force sense technology is a so-called by-wire type input device that converts an operation state of an operation unit into an electrical signal and outputs it instead of a mechanical input mechanism. Force feedback according to a given condition is given to the operator by performing force feedback control on the operation unit.

  On the other hand, in the field of automobiles, in addition to driving performance, computerization in the vehicle has progressed from the viewpoint of safety, comfort, environment, etc., and various operation target devices such as air conditioners, car navigation systems, and audio systems will be installed. Has become commonplace. In order to reduce the burden on the operator who operates such various devices, there has been proposed a joystick-type force-sensing input device that can unify operation inputs with one input device in the driver's seat (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  According to such a force sense imparting type input device, there are a variety of operations such as a pseudo control feeling (click feeling) on the joystick, or an operation support control for urging the next operation with a reaction force. It becomes possible to give an operational feeling as a force sense. Further, by appropriately changing the haptic pattern according to the operation of the operation target device and the purpose of the operation, it can be shared as a versatile and multipurpose input device.

  Further, a by-wire type shift device (SBW: Shift By Wire) for switching the shift range of an automatic transmission of a vehicle is disclosed in which the above-mentioned force sense application technology is applied to a shift device that can be reciprocally tilted in only one direction. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP 2004-257872 A JP 2003-176870 A

  However, in the by-wire type shift device, the configuration corresponding to the multi-purpose and multi-purpose operation input by allowing the shift operation to any position on the two-dimensional plane like the above-mentioned joystick type input device is I can't find it. The shift device of the vehicle has a preset shift position such as R (reverse), N (neutral) or D (drive) along the track of the shift lever. For example, the shift range is directly switched from the D position to the R position. It is necessary to prohibit unexpected and dangerous shift operations. That is, in the conventional shift device, a strength member such as a gate for mechanically restricting the operation of the shift lever on a certain track is required, and versatility cannot be secured.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a highly versatile two-dimensional slide operation type shift device by performing force feedback control on an operation unit that can be slid to an arbitrary position on a plane.

[1] In order to achieve the above object, a shift device according to the present invention includes two transport means provided so as to be movable in directions orthogonal to each other, and slides to an arbitrary position on a plane connected to each of the transport means. An operation unit that can be operated, an operation detection unit that detects an operation state of the operation unit, a drive unit that drives each of the conveyance units to apply force to the operation unit, and the operation that the operation detection unit detects Control means for controlling the drive means based on the operation state of the part and feeding back force to the operation part.

[2] The control means controls the drive means so as not to deviate from a predetermined operation area on the plane, and applies a reaction force to the operation portion.

[3] In addition, a storage unit that stores haptic pattern data in which a continuous relationship between a sliding amount of the operation unit and a force applied by the driving unit to the operation unit is provided, and the control unit includes The feedback is controlled with reference to the force pattern data.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, force feedback control can be performed with respect to the slide-type operation part which can be operated to the arbitrary positions on a plane. Thereby, the versatility in the two-dimensional slide operation type shift device can be greatly enhanced.

Fig.1 (a) is a perspective view which shows the mechanical internal structure of the shift apparatus by embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a part of an X-axis voice coil motor, which is one of driving means of the shift device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the shift device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a mechanical internal configuration as another configuration example of a shift device using a rotary motor. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a positional relationship (shift pattern) between an array of shift positions and a trajectory of the slide operation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating force sense patterns applied to the slide operation unit with the home position as the operation origin in the shift device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is operation pattern diagrams (a) to (f) illustrating various operation paths of the slide operation unit. FIG. 7 illustrates a force sense pattern acting on the slide operation unit 20 in the force sense imparting shift device, and is an illustration of a force sense pattern for controlling the stationary operation of the slide operation unit 20. is there.

(Configuration of shift device)
Fig.1 (a) is a perspective view which shows the mechanical internal structure of the shift apparatus 1 by embodiment of this invention. As shown in the figure, the shift device 1 includes a main body unit 10, a cover 11 that covers the main body unit 10, and a slide operation unit 20 that can be slid in any direction on the XY plane.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the slide operation unit 20 is attached to the distal end portion of the shaft 21, and is provided so as to protrude outward from an opening 11a provided in the center of the cover 11 so that the operator can operate it. ing. The shaft 21 passes through the long holes 121 a and 122 a of the X carriage 121 and the Y carriage 122 provided so as to be orthogonal to each other, and is supported by the Y carriage 122 by a support member 172. The support member 172 has a flange portion having a diameter larger than the width of the long holes 121a and 122a, and supports the knob shaft 21 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

  Both ends of the X carriage 121 as one transport means of the slide operation unit 20 are slidably supported by the X-axis slide guides 131 and 131. Similarly, both ends of the Y carriage 122 are slidably supported by the Y-axis slide guides 132 and 132. Thus, the shift device 1 is configured such that the X carriage 121 moves by the X coordinate component and the Y carriage 122 moves by the Y coordinate component in conjunction with the slide movement of the slide operation unit 20 in the X and Y directions. Has been.

  The shift device 1 also includes an X-axis linear encoder 161 and a Y-axis linear encoder 162 as operation detection means. The X-axis linear encoder 161 is connected to one end of the X carriage 121, and the Y-axis linear encoder 162 is connected to one end of the Y carriage 122. The X-axis linear encoder 161 and the Y-axis linear encoder 162 output pulse signals according to the movements of the X carriage 121 and the Y carriage 122, respectively. This pulse signal is composed of two signals of phase A and phase B, the phases of which differ depending on the rotation direction of the encoder, and the force sense control unit 50 described later counts these pulse signals, so that the XY direction of the slide operation unit 20 The slide amount and slide direction are detected.

  In addition, the shift device 1 includes an X-axis voice coil motor 14 and a Y-axis voice coil motor 15 as drive means for applying an external force to the slide operation unit 20 in order to perform force sense control by force feedback. FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the X-axis voice coil motor 14. The Y-axis voice coil motor 15 has the same configuration as the X-axis voice coil motor 14.

  The X-axis voice coil motor 14 includes a magnet 142 disposed on a facing surface between a U-shaped yoke 141 made of a magnetic material having a first arm 141a and a second arm 141b, and the second arm 141b of the first arm 141a. And a voice coil 143 fitted to the second arm 141b so as to be able to move forward and backward. By supplying a current to the voice coil 143, a Lorentz force is generated in the X-axis direction with respect to the voice coil 143. ing. The yoke 141 is fixed to the main body 10, and the voice coil 143 is connected to the X carriage 121.

  As described above, the shift device 1 operates the motors when the X-axis voice coil motor 14 and the Y-axis voice coil motor 15 as driving means are connected to the X carriage 121 and the Y carriage 122, respectively. A force is transmitted to the slide operation unit 20 in the XY directions. Then, the haptic control unit 50 described next is based on the operation state of the slide operation unit 20 detected by the X-axis linear encoder 161 and the Y-axis linear encoder 162, and the X-axis voice coil motor 14 and the Y-axis voice coil motor. 15, force feedback control is performed on the slide operation unit 20. Thereby, it is possible to perform force sense control for various purposes such as automatic return control to the home position for the slide operation unit 20 and trajectory control for restricting the operation range of the slide operation unit 20 to only a predetermined trajectory. Become.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the shift device 1 according to the present embodiment. The haptic control unit 50 includes a CPU, a memory including a ROM and a RAM, an input / output port to which various sensors and switches are connected, an in-vehicle LAN controller, and the like as hardware circuits, and the CPU calculates according to a program stored in the ROM in advance. It is configured as a microcomputer unit that executes processing. The force control unit 50 is connected to an X-axis voice coil motor 14, an X-axis linear encoder 161, a Y-axis voice coil motor 15, and a Y-axis linear encoder 162. The force sense control unit 50 calculates and obtains the operation state (slide direction and slide amount in the XY plane) of the slide operation unit 20 based on the outputs of the X-axis linear encoder 161 and the Y-axis linear encoder 162. Output to the machine. The force control unit 50 also includes a vehicle safety management device (including alarm means such as a buzzer and a lamp) 70 when an unexpected abnormal operation that causes the slide operation unit 20 to deviate from a predetermined trajectory is performed. And an error signal is output to an engine ECU (not shown).

  A non-volatile memory 51 is connected to the force sense control unit 50. In the memory 51, a haptic pattern for performing an automatic return control to the home position according to an operation state of the slide operation unit 20 and a trajectory control for restricting the operation of the slide operation unit 20 to a predetermined trajectory is electronic data. Forced haptic pattern data 52 is stored in advance. The haptic control unit 50 refers to the haptic pattern data 52 to be specifically described below, and based on the operation state of the slide operation unit 20 calculated from the outputs of the X-axis linear encoder 161 and the Y-axis linear encoder 162. The current to the X-axis voice coil motor 14 and the Y-axis voice coil motor 15 is controlled. As a result, a reaction force corresponding to the force sense pattern data 52 is applied to the slide operation unit 20.

  The conveying means of the slide operation unit 20 is not limited to the above-described X carriage 121 and Y carriage 122, and may be an X stage and a Y stage respectively conveyed in the XY directions by, for example, a feed screw. In this case, as a drive unit that applies an external force to the slide operation unit 20, for example, an electric rotary motor that rotates a feed screw is used instead of a voice coil motor.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a shift device using a rotary motor. FIG. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a mechanical internal configuration as another configuration example of a shift device using a rotary motor. As the driving means, a rotary motor is used instead of a voice coil motor, and the other configuration is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS.

  Both ends of the X carriage 121 and the Y carriage 122 are supported by an X axis slide guide 131 and a Y axis slide guide 132, respectively. An X-axis rack gear 230 and a Y-axis rack gear 235 are attached to one end side of each, and these rack gears are the X-axis motor gear 260 of the X-axis motor 250 and the Y-axis motor 255 mounted on the main body 10 side. The motors 265 mesh with the shaft motor gear 265, and receive a reaction force based on the force sense pattern from each motor. The reaction force presents a reaction force by causing the force from the X-axis motor 250 and the Y-axis motor 255 to act on the slide operation unit 20 via the two-dimensional slide mechanism and the shaft 21. That is, force control of the slide operation unit 20 is performed, and an appropriate operation feeling is given when the operator operates the shift device 1.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a positional relationship (shift pattern) between the arrangement of shift positions set in the shift device 1 according to the present embodiment and the trajectory of the slide operation unit 20. In the present embodiment, the operation allowable area 67 (first to third operation allowable areas 67a, 67b, 67c) of the slide operation unit 20 and the other operation restriction areas 68 are mutually exclusive. Is set. The operation allowable area 67 is set along a trajectory on which the slide change operation of the slide operation unit 20 is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the first vertical operation-permitted area 67a on the right side, the reverse (abbreviated as “R”) and neutral (abbreviated as “N”) of the automatic transmission of the vehicle. And R position 61, N position 62, and D position 63, which are shift positions corresponding to the drive (abbreviated as “D”), are set in order. Further, in the second vertical operation-permitted area 67b on the left side, a shift up position (denoted as “+”) 64, a home position 65 (abbreviated as “H”), and a shift down position. (Indicated as “−”) 66 are set in order. Further, a third operation allowable area 67c that connects the H position 65 and the N position 62 in the horizontal direction is set.

(Shift change operation by shift device)
The haptic controller 50 determines the position of any one of the R position 61, the N position 62, the D position 63, the H position 65, the + position 64, and the − position 66 from the outputs of the X axis linear encoder 161 and the Y axis linear encoder 162. When the slide operation unit 20 is detected to be shifted, a signal indicating a shift change operation to the position is output to the automatic transmission of the vehicle.

(Automatic return control operation of slide operation unit)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a haptic pattern applied to the slide operation unit 20 with the H position 65 as the operation origin. These haptic patterns are digitized as haptic pattern data 52 and stored in the memory 51. Here, as an example, a slide operation (Y _H ^{+ to} Y _H ⁻ ) in the Y direction centering on the H position 65 shown in FIG. 5A and along the second operation allowable area 67b, and a third operation allowable Consider a sliding operation (X _H ^{+ to} X _H ⁻ ) in the X direction along the area 67c.

FIG. 5B shows the relationship between the slide operation unit 20 in the Y direction (Y _H ^{+ to} Y _H ⁻ ) and the output generated by the Y axis voice coil motor 15 (Y _H). It is a graph which shows the force sense pattern in an axis | shaft.

According to the force sense pattern of FIG. 5B, when the slide position of the slide operation unit 20 in the Y direction is on the Y _H ⁺ side, a reaction force in the opposite direction (downward) is applied to the slide operation unit 20. The output of the Y-axis voice coil motor 15 is controlled so as to act. Further, when the slide position of the slide operation unit 20 is on the Y _H ⁻ side, the output of the Y-axis voice coil motor 15 is controlled so that a reaction force in the opposite direction (upward direction) acts on the slide operation unit 20. Is done. Accordingly, a force is applied to the slide operation unit 20 in the second operation allowable area 67b in a direction of automatic return (momentary operation) around the H position 65.

FIG. 5C shows the relationship between the slide amount (X _H ^{+ to} X _H ⁻ ) of the slide operation unit 20 in the X direction and the output generated by the X axis voice coil motor 14 (X _H). It is a graph which shows the force sense pattern in an axis | shaft. According to FIG. 5 (c), when the slide position of the slide operation unit 20 is on the X _H ⁺ side, the X-axis voice is applied so that a reaction force in the opposite direction (left direction) acts on the slide operation unit 20. The output of the coil motor 14 is controlled. Therefore, a reaction force acts on the slide operation unit 20 in the third operation allowable area 67c in a direction of automatically returning to the H position 65 (momentary operation).

(Slide control section trajectory control operation)
Further, according to FIG. 5B, the Y-axis voice coil motor is used when the slide operation unit 20 slides from the + position 64 to the Y _H ⁺ side or from the − position 66 to the Y _H ⁻ side. The haptic pattern is set so that the output of 15 rapidly rises to the maximum (Y _nmax or Y _pmax ). As a result, even if the operator tries to slide the slide operation unit 20 further from the + position 64 or further from the − position 66, the “reaction force wall” perceived through the slide operation unit 20 is used. A slide operation that deviates from the second operation allowable area 67b is prevented.

Further, according to FIG. 5C, the X-axis voice coil motor is used for the sliding operation of the slide operation unit 20 from the N position 62 to the X _H ⁺ side or from the H position 65 to the X _H ⁻ side. The haptic pattern is set so that the output of 14 rapidly rises to the maximum (X _pmax or X _nmax ). Thus, even if the operator tries to slide the slide operation unit 20 further to the right from the N position 62 or further to the left from the H position 65, the “reaction force wall” perceived via the slide operation unit 20 A slide operation that deviates from the third operation allowable area 67c is prevented.

(Effects of the embodiment)
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the following technical effects are produced.
[1] Within the operable range of the slide operation unit 20, the operation allowable area 67 of the slide operation unit 20 is set along the track of the shift change operation in which the respective shift positions are arranged. A shift reaction trajectory is created by force feedback control at the outer edge of the operation-permitted area 67 that generates a “reaction force wall” that maximizes the output of the X-axis voice coil motor 14 and the Y-axis voice coil motor 15. An abnormal operation on the slide operation unit 20 that deviates from the above can be prevented.
[2] Also, for unexpected and dangerous slide operations that forcibly exceed the above-mentioned “reaction wall” and jump over the trajectory, the operations may be invalidated and handled by abnormal processing such as warnings. it can. Thereby, the safety | security with respect to abnormal slide operation is securable.
[3] Further, the operation allowable range (trajectory) of the slide operation unit 20 can be arbitrarily determined by electronic force feedback control, and the technical idea of the present invention can be used for various purposes and purposes other than the vehicle shift device. It can be applied to the operation input device. Therefore, the versatility of the two-dimensional slide operation type operation input device can be greatly enhanced.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to a joystick type general-purpose input device for centrally operating an air conditioner, a car navigation system and the like in a vehicle.

  Further, for example, not only the H-shaped pattern shown in the present embodiment but also various operation patterns can be handled. FIG. 6 is operation pattern diagrams (a) to (f) illustrating various operation paths of the slide operation unit. According to this, it can respond to the operation pattern which has various operation paths as an H-shaped pattern, an I-shaped pattern, and these combinations according to a vehicle model etc. Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, it is possible to deal with an operation pattern having an operation path including an operation pattern intersecting at an arbitrary angle.

Further, the force sense pattern for force-controlling these operation shape patterns is not limited to the force sense pattern shown in the present embodiment, and can be changed to various control patterns. In the haptic pattern shown in FIG. 5 shown in the present embodiment, the Y motor torque always acts on the Y _H ⁺ side even in the position of the R position 61 in the downward direction. Even at the position of the D position 63, the Y motor torque always acts upward. Therefore, after the slide operation unit 20 is shifted to the R position 61 and the D position 63, the slide operation unit 20 returns to the H position 65 without staying at those positions. That is, this is a haptic pattern for controlling a momentary operation that automatically returns to the H position 65 after the operation force applied to the slide operation unit 20 is released.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it is also possible to control the slide operation unit 20 by a stationary operation. FIG. 7 exemplifies a force sense pattern acting on the slide operation unit 20 in the shift device 1, and is an illustration of a force sense pattern for controlling the stationary operation of the slide operation unit 20. On the Y _H ⁺ side in FIG. 7B, the Y motor torque is inverted up and down near the R position 61. Further, it is inverted up and down in the vicinity of the D position 63. Accordingly, after the slide operation unit 20 is shifted to the R position 61, the slide operation unit 20 remains at the zero cross point ZC1 where the Y motor torque is reversed from the upper direction to the lower direction. Similarly, after the slide operation unit 20 is shifted to the D position 63, the slide operation unit 20 remains at the zero cross point ZC2 where the Y motor torque reverses from the downward direction to the upward direction. Therefore, by changing the haptic pattern shown in FIG. 5 to the haptic pattern shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to cope with the stationary operation of the slide operation unit 20.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Shift apparatus, 10 ... Main-body part, 11 ... Cover, 11a ... Opening part, 14 ... X-axis voice coil motor, 15 ... Y-axis voice coil motor, 20 ... Slide operation part, 21 ... Shaft, 50 ... Force sense control Part, 51 ... memory, 52 ... haptic pattern data,
61 ... Reverse (R) position, 62 ... Neutral (N) position, 63 ... Drive (D) position, 64 ... Shift up (+) position, 65 ... Home (H) position, 66 ... Shift down (-) position, 67, 67a, 67b, 67c ... operation allowable area, 68 ... operation restriction area, 70 ... safety management device,
121 ... X carriage, 121a ... long hole, 122 ... Y carriage, 122a ... long hole, 131 ... X-axis slide guide, 132 ... Y-axis slide guide, 141 ... yoke, 141a ... first arm, 141b ... second arm, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 142 ... Magnet, 143 ... Voice coil, 161 ... X-axis linear encoder, 162 ... Y-axis linear encoder, 172 ... Support member 230 ... X-axis rack gear, 235 ... Y-axis rack gear, 250 ... X-axis motor, 255 ... Y-axis motor 260 X-axis motor gear 265 Y-axis motor gear

Claims (3)

Two transport means provided respectively movable in directions orthogonal to each other;
An operation unit that can be slid to any position on a plane connected to each of the conveying means;
Operation detecting means for detecting an operation state of the operation unit;
Driving means for driving each conveying means to apply force to the operation section;
And a control unit configured to control the driving unit based on an operation state of the operation unit detected by the operation detection unit and feed back force to the operation unit.   The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the driving unit so as not to deviate from a predetermined operation allowable region on the plane to apply a reaction force to the operation unit.   Storage means for storing haptic pattern data in which a continuous relationship between the slide amount of the operation portion and the force applied to the operation portion by the driving means is provided, and the control means includes the haptic pattern The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the feedback control is performed with reference to data.

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