JP2015500175A - Tactile accelerator pedal provided with actuator driven by DC motor, and control method of tactile accelerator pedal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a pedal element (5) and an actuator (13), and the pedal element (5) can move from a stationary position (Pmin) to a maximum operating position (Pmax) in an operating direction (7). (13) can cooperate with the pedal element (5) via an operating element (27) movable by a motor (23) and opposite to the operating direction (7) via the operating element (27). The present invention relates to a tactile accelerator pedal (11) for a vehicle (1) capable of applying a direction force to a pedal element (5). According to the invention, the motor (23) is a direct current motor and is coupled to the operating element (27) via a transmission (25).

Description

  The present invention relates to a tactile accelerator pedal in a vehicle and a control method for a tactile accelerator pedal. The invention further relates to a correspondingly configured control device, a computer program product that causes a control device that is programmable during operation to perform the method of the invention, and a computer readable medium storing such a computer program product.

Prior art In today's vehicles, the driver is assisted by a large amount of information supplied when driving the vehicle. For example, it may be useful for the driver if the required driving state is fed back in the form of a signal in order to increase driving safety or driver comfort and save fuel. Such feedback is formed in various ways, such as optical or acoustic.

  Further, in today's vehicles, a tactile feedback means to the driver by an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is additionally realized. For this purpose, the accelerator pedal is provided with an actuator that can intentionally apply a predetermined force. For example, the accelerator pedal is vibrated by a variable force formed by an actuator during a signal phase, and the driver is configured to be able to perceive vibration or pulsation with a foot placed on the accelerator pedal. Alternatively, the actuator can exert an opposite force on the accelerator pedal, making it difficult for the accelerator pedal to be depressed beyond a predetermined pedal position, for example, to represent a tactilely perceptible variable pressure point. .

  In this way, the driver can receive suggestions and warnings by tactile sense, and can use the comfort function. At that time, attention of traffic observation is not distracted by an optical signal or an acoustic signal.

  DE 2555529 describes a device in a vehicle that forms a signal perceptible by touch (hereinafter referred to as a touch signal).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the features of the present invention, an advantageous embodiment of a tactile accelerator pedal in a vehicle and its driving method is obtained. In this case, the weight, size, cost, and the like of the accelerator pedal of the present invention can be reduced as compared with the tactile accelerator pedal of the prior art by the structural device of each element. In addition, energy consumption and wear phenomenon during operation of the tactile accelerator pedal can be reduced.

  The tactile accelerator pedal of the present invention includes a pedal element and an actuator. The pedal element can move from the rest position to the maximum operation position in the operation direction. The actuator can cooperate with the pedal element via an operation element movable by a motor, and can further exert a force on the pedal element in a direction opposite to the operation direction via the operation element. Here, the motor of the actuator is a direct current motor, and is coupled to the operation element via a transmission.

  The tactile accelerator pedal concept proposed in the present invention is based on the following knowledge. In order to transmit a large force of about 20N to about 100N necessary for generating a tactile signal to the pedal element of the accelerator pedal, the conventional tactile accelerator pedal usually uses a direct drive mechanism. A motor used as such a direct drive mechanism generally requires a special magnet made of, for example, a rare earth material because it must be large in weight and size, or, if compact, must generate a large torque in a small space. Become. Such magnets are effective. Furthermore, it is necessary to drive with a high current intensity of, for example, several amperes.

  Despite these shortcomings, it has so far been based on the direct use of a direct drive mechanism, for example a torque motor, in order to generate a sufficiently large force in a short time for the formation of a haptic signal. It was.

  In the present invention, it is proposed to replace the torque motor with a DC motor. In order to create the required force, a transmission is connected downstream of the direct current motor and this transmission is coupled to the operating element. The operation element is operatively coupled to the pedal element of the accelerator pedal, and the force of the DC motor is transmitted to the pedal element.

  Unlike a torque motor or the like, the DC motor can be formed over the entire rotation angle of the motor shaft without limiting the torque. For this reason, in the DC motor, the motor torque can be converted to an extremely large value by the gear transmission and the corresponding conversion stage. In this way, a torque equivalent to that produced by a conventional torque motor can be produced by a compact direct current motor that consumes very little current and has a low weight.

  The operating element and the pedal element are advantageously pedaled only with a force opposite to the operating direction (direction in which the driver can step on the pedal element from the rest position to the maximum operating position) via the operating element. It is configured to be able to act on the element. In other words, the operating element and the pedal element are coupled so that, for example, a force as pressure or an alternative tension acts only in one direction from the operating element to the pedal element and no force is transmitted in the opposite direction. This ensures that the actuator exerts a counter force opposite to the depression of the pedal element to the stationary position of the pedal element and does not move the pedal element from the stationary position.

  On the one hand, in order to apply a sufficiently large counter force to the pedal and on the other hand to move the operating element quickly, the transmission of the actuator is configured in two stages.

  The current consumption of a DC motor equipped with a transmission in the actuator is much smaller than that of a direct drive mechanism used in the past, and the associated power loss is also small, so the electronic circuit used to drive the actuator is controlled It can be incorporated into an existing internal combustion engine control device of a part, for example, an automobile. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an additional control device only for driving the tactile accelerator pedal.

  Furthermore, the present invention proposes a method for controlling a tactile accelerator pedal. Here, a counter force formed by an actuator is applied to the pedal element during the signal phase. The counter force is a force acting in the opposite direction to the operation direction, that is, the direction in which the pedal element moves from the stationary position (zero position) to the maximum operation position. Outside the signal phase, the actuator is driven such that the coupling between the pedal element and the actuator is decoupled.

  In other words, the pedal element and the actuator are separated from each other in the action coupling between the actuator and the pedal element when the actuator is operated in one direction, and the action coupling described above when the actuator is operated in the other direction. Is formed or maintained so that force can be transmitted from the actuator to the pedal element.

  Here, the actuator is formed only during the original signal phase, i.e. only during the period when the counter force for forming the haptic signal is applied to the pedal element, between the pedal element and the actuator. To be driven. During periods other than the signal phase, the actuator should be disconnected from the pedal element and not subjected to direct action. This ensures that the tactile accelerator pedal behaves in the same way as a conventional accelerator pedal outside the predetermined signal phase and that the driver does not feel the tactile influence of the actuator coupled to the pedal element. Further, outside the signal phase, the actuator is separated from the pedal element and can be stopped at no energy cost. Therefore, since energy is required only for a short time, the energy consumption of the actuator can be kept small.

  The actuator takes a stationary state after the signal phase, and in this stationary state, the actuator is driven such that there is no operative coupling between the pedal element and the actuator at any of the possible positions of the pedal element.

  In other words, the operating element of the actuator transitions to a state of not cooperating with the pedal element, following the signal phase, regardless of the position taken by the pedal element. In this case, the actuator once enters a stationary state after the signal phase and can remain there without further energy consumption until a new signal phase is initiated and the actuator is again operatively coupled to the pedal element.

  In addition, the actuator takes a standby state in which the action coupling between the pedal element and the actuator does not occur in the preparation phase before the signal phase, and the pedal element takes a shorter time when shifting from the standby state than when shifting from the stationary state. Driven to engage.

  Here, the standby state is selected so that, for example, the operation element of the actuator is located near the pedal element, and mechanical engagement with the pedal element is started more quickly than when the operation element is stationary. . The control device for controlling the actuator detects that a haptic signal should be formed in the next 200 ms, for example, and moves the actuator to a standby state in preparation for forming this signal. And the pedal element are connected to each other.

  The standby state here does not need to be fixed, and can follow the position of the pedal element at that time. For this reason, for example, the position of the pedal element at that time is detected by a sensor, and the position of the actuator may be made to follow the position of the pedal element at that time by appropriate control. Such follow-up control eliminates obstructive influence factors on the accelerator pedal during periods when the actuator and the pedal element are not engaged during the preparation phase, and the actuator is always in a very short time (eg within a few milliseconds) during the preparation phase. A) in such a way that it is arranged in a position where it can form a working connection with the pedal element. Thus, a tactile signal can be quickly formed.

  The above-described embodiment of the method of the present invention and the functions associated therewith are realized by a control device for controlling a tactile accelerator pedal provided in the vehicle.

  Here, the control device is configured to output a control signal to a drive motor included in the actuator via an appropriate interface. Furthermore, the control device can also comprise an interface for receiving information on the current position of the actuator or accelerator pedal and / or information on the force on the accelerator pedal, for example from a suitable sensor.

  The control device can implement the sensor signal control and information evaluation process of the present invention as hardware and / or software. Advantageously, a programmable control device can be programmed for carrying out the method described above. To this end, the computer program product includes a plurality of computer readable instructions that instruct a programmable controller to perform the steps of the method described above. The computer program product is stored on a computer readable medium such as a CD, DVD, flash memory, ROM, EPROM and others. In order to correctly control the force generated by the actuator or its direction, in addition to processing other sensor data, the response of the actuator to a predetermined control signal stored in a database or stored in the form of a characteristic curve. Information about work is available.

  Some of the features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention have been described in accordance with the tactile accelerator pedal control method of the present invention and the tactile accelerator pedal control apparatus of the present invention. It should be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that other embodiments and additional synergies can be achieved by arbitrarily combining or exchanging individual features of the control method and tactile accelerator pedal inventions in particular.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. However, the description and the description of the drawings do not limit the present invention.

  Note that the figures are schematic and are not drawn to scale.

It is a figure which shows the vehicle provided with the control apparatus which performs the method of the Example of this invention. It is a graph which shows a time characteristic when controlling an actuator relative to a pedal element and controlling according to the method of the example of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a vehicle 1 provided with a tactile accelerator pedal 11. By depressing the pedal element 5, the driver instructs the internal combustion engine 17 to accelerate the vehicle 1 via the cable 15 or via a track (not shown) connected to the engine control device 37. For this purpose, the driver must step on the pedal element 5 in the operating direction indicated by the arrow 7. The pedal position sensor 21 can determine the current position or state of the pedal element 5. The spring 19 is pre-biased in the opposite direction to the operating direction 7 so that the pedal element 5 remains stationary.

  The accelerator pedal 11 is configured as a tactile accelerator pedal. For this purpose, the accelerator pedal 11 is provided with an actuator 13, through which the pedal element 5 can move in a desired direction opposite to the operation direction 7. A force can be applied. In this case, the actuator 13 can excite the pedal element 5 in the form of rocking or pulsating, for example, or can form a variable pressure point.

  The actuator 13 is advantageously driven by a simple DC motor 23 coupled to a disk used as an operating element 27, for example via a two-stage transmission 25. By operating the motor 23, the operating element 27 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow 33. A cam 31 is provided in the eccentric region of the operation element 27. The cam 31 cooperates with a tappet 29 provided on the pedal element 5. For this purpose, the tappet 29 has a fork-like storage portion 35 that engages with the cam 31 when the operation element 27 rotates to a corresponding position at the end toward the actuator 13.

  The actuator 13 is controlled by the control device 3 incorporated in the engine control device 37. The control device 3 determines at which point a tactile signal should be transmitted to the driver via the accelerator pedal 11 in order to indicate, for example, a dangerous situation or to indicate that the fuel-saving travel mode is possible.

The function of the control device 3 will be described below with reference to FIG. The upper curve shows the position of the actuator 13 or the position of the operating element 27 of the actuator 13 depending on time. The lower curve shows the position of the pedal element 5 or the position of the accommodating part 35 of the tappet 29 depending on time. The pedal element 5 can move between the _unoperated rest position _Pmin and the maximum operated position _Pmax .

If the haptic signal is not formed, the control device 3 moves the actuator 13 to the resting state P _0, performs drive to stay there. The motor 23 is energized only for a short time, so that the operating element 27 rotates correspondingly, that is, clockwise as shown in FIG. 1, so that the cam 31 does not contact the tappet 29 of the accelerator pedal 11. Moving. Advantageously, a stationary state P ₀ is defined in which the cam 31 does not cooperate with the tappet 29. The stationary state P ₀ is not related to the current position of the pedal element 5. In other words, the pedal element 5, without engaging the actuator 13 at rest P _0, is movable over the entire movement path.

Immediately before the tactile signal is formed, for example, 100 ms before the start time t _S0 of the signal phase t _S , the control device 3 drives the actuator 13 in the preparation phase t _V to shift to the standby state P _W. In the standby state _PW , the operation element 27 is moved to the vicinity of the accommodating portion 35 of the tappet 29. Advantageously, in this case, the current position of the pedal element 5 is continuously determined by the pedal position sensor 21 so that the operating element 27 always follows the time-varying position of the pedal element 5 or the housing part 35. Controlled. The following control, during the prepare phase t _V, does not occur operative connection between the pedal element 5 and the operating element 27, a distance from the housing portion 35 until the operating element 27 is set to be kept small. For example, the distance is limited to less than 5 °, preferably less than 2 °, relative to the angular position that the pedal element 5 must move for operative coupling with the operating element 27.

Only after the tactile signal is formed, that is, after the start time t _S0 of the signal phase t _S , the control device 3 controls the motor 23 to rotate the operating element 27 so that the cam 31 contacts the tappet 29 mechanically. To. In this case, the control device 3 intentionally drives the actuator 13 using the information on the current position of the pedal element 5 sent from the pedal position sensor 21, and the operating element 27 rotates to the corresponding position. The cam 31 is engaged with the fork-shaped receiving portion 35.

  As soon as the actuator 13 is operatively coupled to the pedal element 5 in this way, the formation of a tactile signal is started. For this purpose, for example, the control voltage applied from the control device 3 to the motor 23 is changed over time, and the force applied from the motor 23 to the tappet 29 via the transmission 25 and the operation element 27 and eventually the force applied to the pedal element 5. Is changed over time, and the accelerator pedal is excited.

After the end t _S1 of the signal phase t _S , the control device 3 moves the actuator 13 to the stationary state P ₀ again. The pedal element 5 may be loosened by a driver who is prompted to travel in the fuel saving mode by a tactile signal, and may be driven in the reverse direction by the spring 19 to the stationary position _Pmin .

Claims (13)

A tactile accelerator pedal (11) for a vehicle (1) comprising a pedal element (5) and an actuator (13),
The pedal element (5) can move from the rest position (P _min ) to the maximum operation position (P _max ) in the operation direction (7),
The actuator (13) can cooperate with the pedal element (5) via an operating element (27) movable by a motor (23), and the operating direction ( 7) In the tactile accelerator pedal, which can apply a force in the opposite direction to the pedal element (5),
The tactile accelerator pedal, wherein the motor (23) is a direct current motor and is coupled to the operation element (27) via a transmission (25).   In the operation element (27) and the pedal element (5), the actuator (13) only applies a force opposite to the operation direction (7) via the operation element (27). The tactile accelerator pedal according to claim 1, wherein the tactile accelerator pedal is configured to act on the haptic accelerator.   The tactile accelerator pedal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission (25) is configured in two stages. A method for controlling a tactile accelerator pedal (11), comprising:
During the signal phase (t _S ), the actuator (13) is opposed to the operating direction (7) in which the pedal element (5) can move from the rest position (P _min ) to the maximum operating position (P _max ). Forming a counterforce and applying the counterforce to the pedal element (5),
Except for the signal phase (t _S ), the actuator (13) is driven such that the working coupling between the pedal element (5) and the actuator (13) is separated. After the signal phase (t _S ), the actuator (13) takes a stationary state (P ₀ ), and in the stationary state, the pedal element (5) at any of a plurality of possible positions of the pedal element (5). The method according to claim 4, wherein the actuator (13) is driven such that there is no operative coupling between the actuator and the actuator (13). In the preparatory phase (t _V ) before the signal phase (t _S ), the actuator (13) takes a standby state (P _W ) in which no action coupling with the pedal element (5) occurs, and the standby state The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the actuator (13) is driven so as to engage with the pedal element (5) in a shorter time when shifting from the stationary state (P ₀ ) than when shifting from the stationary state (P ₀ ). . The method according to claim 6, wherein the standby state (P _W ) follows the current position of the pedal element (5).   A control device (3) for controlling a tactile accelerator pedal (11) in a vehicle (1), wherein the control device (3) is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 4-7. A control device (3) characterized by the above. A tactile accelerator pedal (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A control device for controlling the motor (23) of the actuator (13) of the tactile accelerator pedal (11);
A vehicle (1) comprising:   The vehicle (1) according to claim 9, wherein the control device is a control device (3) according to claim 8.   The vehicle (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control device (3) is incorporated in an engine control device (37) of the vehicle (1).   Computer program product comprising a plurality of computer readable instructions for instructing a programmable control device (3) to perform the method according to any one of claims 4 to 7.   A computer readable medium storing a computer program product according to claim 12.

Images