KR20180017471A - Vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle control system, and more specifically, to a vehicle control system capable of controlling a vehicle internal device only with a simple rotation and touch by forming an input unit on a steering wheel of a vehicle. According to the present invention, the vehicle control system comprises: a rotation input unit having a fixing unit formed on the outer circumference of the steering wheel of a vehicle and a rotary unit formed to cover the outside of the fixing unit and mounted to be able to rotate along the fixing unit, and sensing a relative rotation amount and rotation direction of the rotary unit with respect to the fixing unit to generate a first signal; a touch input unit formed on at least a portion of a surface of the rotation input unit to generate a second signal by a touch input; and a control unit for searching for a function module in a vehicle and selecting the same by the first signal generated in the rotation input unit and the second signal generated in the touch input unit, and controlling the selected function module.

Description

VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM [0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system, and more particularly, to a vehicle control system that configures an input unit on a steering wheel of a vehicle so as to control an in-vehicle apparatus by simple rotation and touch.

Recently, in order to reduce the button operation of the multimedia device installed in the center fascia of the vehicle, a technique of attaching a button or a remote control to the steering wheel, or using a touch screen and a gesture / voice has been developed.

However, when a button or a remote control switch is attached to the center of the steering wheel, there is a problem that the position of the button is changed during operation of the steering wheel for the left and right rotation of the vehicle.

In addition, the technique of controlling the multimedia device of the vehicle by recognizing the driver's hand movements by the contact type using the pressure applied to a part of the steering wheel may increase the time taken for the hand to be released from the wheel for touch operation, There was a disadvantage.

Korean Patent No. 10-1148981 Korean Patent No. 10-1525203

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control system capable of controlling a vehicle interior device by a simple rotation operation and a simple touch through a structure provided on a vehicle steering wheel without affecting a driving operation.

A vehicle control system according to the present invention includes a fixed portion formed on an outer periphery of a steering wheel of a vehicle and a rotating portion formed to surround the outside of the fixed portion and mounted to be rotatable along the fixed portion, A rotation input unit for generating a first signal by sensing a relative rotation amount and a rotation direction of the rotation shaft; A touch input unit formed on at least a part of a surface of the rotation input unit and generating a second signal by a touch input; And a control unit for searching and selecting the in-vehicle function module by the first signal generated by the rotation input unit and the second signal generated by the touch input unit, and controlling the selected function module; .

In the present invention, the rotation input unit may include: a pressing member that is pressed by elasticity and includes a plurality of rotation input portions formed at predetermined intervals on the surface of the fixing portion; A plurality of protruding members provided at predetermined intervals in the rotating unit to press the pressing members; And a sensing unit for sensing a rotation amount of the rotation unit according to the number of the pressing members to be pressed when the pressing member is sequentially pressed with respect to the one projection member according to the rotation of the rotation unit to generate a first signal; Wherein the pressing member and the projection member are formed to include the two pressing members between the two projection members.

In the present invention, the sensing unit senses the rotation direction of the rotation unit according to the order in which the two pressing members provided between the two projection members are pressed, and generates a first signal corresponding to the sensed rotation direction.

In the present invention, the pressing member is connected to the fixing unit through a spring member, and the sensing unit senses the elasticity of the spring member and senses the pressing of the pressing member.

In the present invention, the pressing member is formed of an elastic material, and the sensing unit senses the pressing force of the pressing member by measuring the elastic force of the elastic material.

In the present invention, the pressing member and the projection member are provided in a triangular toothed or rectangular toothed shape.

In the present invention, the pressing member and the projection member are provided in a hemispherical shape.

In the present invention, the touch input unit generates a second signal corresponding to a touch pattern that is compared with a pre-stored touch pattern when a touch is input.

In the present invention, the control unit searches for an in-vehicle function module to be controlled according to the first signal inputted from the rotation input unit, and, after the function module is searched, The controller selects one of the in-vehicle function modules and controls the selected in-vehicle function module by receiving the first signal from the rotation input unit after the function module is selected.

In the present invention, when the pattern of the second signal inputted from the touch input unit is a pattern for searching the in-vehicle function module, the control unit searches the in-vehicle function module to perform the control, In-vehicle function module when the pattern of the second signal input from the touch input unit is a pattern for selecting an in-vehicle function module, and after the function module is selected , And receives the first signal from the rotation input unit and controls the selected in-vehicle function module step by step.

In the present invention, when the first signal is received from the rotation input unit and the rotation direction of the rotation input unit is the first direction when the selected in-vehicle function module is stepwise controlled, the control unit controls the in- And controls the in-vehicle apparatus to decrease stepwise if the rotation direction of the rotation input unit is the second direction.

The vehicle control system according to the present invention further includes a display unit for displaying the search / selection / control status of the in-vehicle function module when the in-vehicle function module is searched / selected / controlled by the first signal or the second signal .

According to the present invention, each function of the in-vehicle apparatus can be searched and selected by simply pushing the rotary part of the vehicle steering wheel or performing a simple touch operation, and each function can be controlled step by step, so that operation can be safely performed during operation.

Further, by applying a projection to the rotating part, the user can feel the click feeling, and the user can feel the stepwise sense of rotation, so that the in-vehicle device can be appropriately controlled at a desired level without providing any information, and unnecessary adjustment operation becomes unnecessary.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a rotation input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a rotation input section in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating a rotation direction sensing method of a rotation input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention
FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a touch pattern input to a touch input unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
6 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle wiper speed control process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a vehicle control system 100 includes a rotation input unit 110 formed on an outer periphery of a steering wheel 10 of a vehicle, a touch input unit 120 and a rotation input unit 120 formed on at least a portion of a surface of a rotation input unit 110 And a controller 130 for searching and selecting a function module in the vehicle using the signals generated by the touch input unit 120 and controlling the selected function modules F1, F2, ..., Fn, When the in-vehicle function modules F1, F2, ..., Fn are searched, selected and controlled by the signals generated by the input unit 110 and the touch input unit 120, the display unit 140 ).

The rotation input unit 110 includes a fixing unit (not shown) and a rotation unit (not shown). The fixing unit is formed on the outer periphery of the steering wheel 10 of the vehicle. The rotation unit is formed to surround the outside of the fixing unit, And the rotation input unit 110 generates a first signal by sensing a relative rotation amount and a rotation direction of the rotation unit with respect to the fixed unit.

The touch input unit 120 is formed on the surface of the rotation input unit 110 and may be formed only on a part as shown in FIG. 1 or may be formed along the entire surface of the rotation input unit 110. The touch input unit 120 should be formed along the surface of the curve-shaped rotation input unit 110 and should be formed of a member capable of sensing a user's touch pattern, so that a flexible touch input material is preferably applied.

For example, the touch input unit 120 may be implemented by a method of sensing a contact, such as an electrostatic touch method or a pressure sensitive touch method, and converting it into a signal.

The touch input unit 120 receives a touch pattern according to a contact time, a contact pattern, a contact range, a contact direction, and the like, compares the received touch pattern with a preset touch pattern, and generates a second signal according to the touch pattern.

The control unit 130 controls the in-vehicle function modules F1, F2, ..., Fn using the first signal and the second signal generated through the rotation input unit 110 and the touch input unit 120, The in-vehicle function modules F1, F2, ..., Fn can be said to be all the devices that can be controlled using the electronic signals in the vehicle, and the modules that perform the control by the respective functions of the corresponding devices.

Refers to a function module that controls each function of all vehicle interior devices other than the vehicle related devices such as a wiper, a light, an interior light, a navigation device, a center fascia audio device, a side mirror, a room mirror, a seat, .

For example, in the case of a side mirror, a side mirror folding module, a side mirror opening module, a left side mirror right angle adjusting module, a left side mirror vertical angle adjusting module, Right Side Mirror Left / Right Angle Adjustment Module and Right Side Mirror Vertical Angle Adjustment Module. It can be divided into 6 functional modules according to each control function.

As another example, in case of seat, it can be divided into five function modules according to each seat control function by the backrest angle adjusting module, headrest height adjusting module, headrest angle adjusting module, seat height adjusting module and seat front and rear position adjusting module .

The functional modules F1, F2, ..., and Fn subdivided by each function of the in-vehicle device are controlled through the control unit 130. The control unit 130 controls the rotation input unit 110 and the touch input unit 120, ..., Fn) through the first signal and the second signal input through the first and second input /

The display unit 140 displays the current status and process of the function module whose display is controlled by the control unit 130 and is searched, selected and controlled by the control unit 130. [

The display unit 140 may be implemented as a display screen, for example, an in-vehicle navigation screen, a head-up display, or the like.

When the first signal and the second signal input through the rotation input unit 110 and the touch input unit 120 are signals for searching for a function module, the display unit 140 searches for a plurality of function modules For example, a list of the function module 1, the function module 2, ..., and the function module n is displayed, and the function module searched for by the first signal or the second signal is displayed so as to be highlighted, The user selects a highlighted function module and switches to a screen for controlling the selected function module. When a first signal or a second signal for controlling the step-by-step is inputted, the step of the functional module controlled according to the signal is displayed. An example of function module control using the display unit 140 will be described later in detail with reference to the embodiments.

Next, a detailed structure for generating the first signal and the second signal in the rotation input unit 110 and the touch input unit 120 will be described.

2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a rotation input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a fixed portion 111 is formed along the outer periphery of the vehicle steering wheel 10, and a protrusion is formed in the fixed portion 111. The rotation part 112 is formed so as to cover the fixing part 111 and the projection 1. When the rotation part 112 is mounted so as to cover the fixing part 111, Thereby forming a part of the shape.

The fixed portion 111 is fixed to the steering wheel and can not be operated separately. However, the rotating portion 112 is rotatable in both directions along the fixed portion 111 at the outer periphery of the fixed portion 111.

The rotation of the rotation part 112 is realized by applying a suitable pressure to the surface of the rotation part 112 and rotating the rotation part 112 when the rotation part 112 is rotated in a desired direction.

At this time, a curvature may be formed on the surface of the rotary part 112 so as to be easily pushed by a finger or the like.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a rotation input section in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the rotation input unit 110 is formed with protrusions at regular intervals in the fixing part 111 formed along the outer periphery of the steering wheel 10. FIG. Also, a protrusion is formed in the rotation part 112 surrounding the fixing part 110. [

The protrusions formed on the fixing portion 111 and the protrusions formed on the rotation portion 112 are overlapped with each other when one of the rotation portions 112 is rotated.

At this time, the protrusion formed on the fixing portion 111 is a pressing member 1 and is formed of a material having an elastic force or formed of a hard material, but is connected to the fixing portion 111 by an elastic member such as a spring, And is pressed by the projection.

The projections formed on the rotary part 112 serve to press the pressing member 1 formed on the fixing part 111 and are thus formed of a rigid material.

A plurality of pressing members 1 and protrusion members 2 are arranged at predetermined intervals. When a pressing member 1 is sequentially pressed against one of the protrusion members 2, The amount of rotation of the rotary member 112 can be sensed according to the number of the pressing members 2. The amount of rotation of the pressing member 2 when the pressing member 2 is pressed is sensed through a sensing unit (not shown).

The pressing of the pressing member 1 by the projection member 2 can be transmitted not only to the sensing part but also to the user who operates the rotation part 112. The pressing force of the pressing member 1 is adjusted, Each time the member 1 is depressed, a click feeling as if a single jaw is caught is felt, so that it is possible for the user to sense how many of the pressing members 1 are pressed and the amount of rotation thereof. With this structure, when the user intends to control the function module step by step, the user can control the function module as precisely as desired.

For example, if the user wishes to increase the speed of the wiper 2 steps higher than the basic speed, the user can sense the pressing feeling of pressing the two pressing members 1 when operating the rotation unit 112,

The protrusion member 2 and the pressing member 1 may be applied in a rectangular saw shape as shown in FIG. 3, to which various shapes can be applied, but also in a triangular saw shape. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of the latching due to the edge when the pressing member 1 is pressed.

The sensing unit senses not only the amount of rotation of the rotation unit 112 but also the rotation direction of the rotation unit 112. For this purpose, an interval is formed between the two protrusion members 2 so that the two pressing members 1 are disposed.

An example of a method of sensing the rotational direction of the rotary part 112 by the arrangement of the pressing member 1 and the projection member 2 is shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the pressing members 1a and 1b formed in the fixing unit 111 are connected to the fixing unit 111 by elastic members 3 such as springs in FIG. 4 (a) . The elastic member 3 is connected to the sensing part 113 to sense the elasticity so that the pressed state of the pressing members 1a and 1b can be confirmed.

The pressing members 1a and 1b are formed between the protruding members 2a and 2b formed in the rotating portion 112. Referring to Figure 4B, when the rotating portion 112 rotates clockwise, 2a press the pressing member 1a first.

That is, when the pressing member 1a is first pressed by the projection member 2a and the pressing member 1b is pressed later, it is possible to sense that the rotary unit 112 rotates clockwise in this order.

Conversely, when the pressing member 1b is pressed first by the projection member 2b and the pressing member 1b is pressed later, as shown in FIG. 4C, the rotating unit 112 rotates counterclockwise .

The rotation input unit 110 generates a first signal by sensing the rotation amount and the rotation direction of the rotation unit 112. When the first signal is to control the function module according to the first signal, It is used when controlling stepwise and the direction of rotation determines whether the step is rising or falling.

For example, when the rotation direction of the rotation part 112 is clockwise, it is increased, and when the rotation direction is counterclockwise,

The first signal can be used to control the level of a device according to the amount of rotation and the direction of rotation. For example, if the first signal is used to adjust the volume of the audio, the rotation amount is 3 in the first signal, and the rotation echo is in the clockwise direction, the controller 130 increases the volume of the audio by three steps .

On the other hand, the touch input unit 120 generates a second signal according to a pattern of an input touch.

The touch input unit 120 generates a second signal corresponding to a touch pattern that is compared with the pre-stored touch pattern when a touch is input.

An example of various touch patterns is shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 5, the touch pattern can be classified into various patterns according to the contact range, the contact time, the number of contact, the drag shape, the drag direction, the drag time, and the drag strength.

However, the second signal generated according to the touch pattern of the present invention is a signal used for controlling the function module of the in-vehicle apparatus.

As described above, the functional module is subdivided, and the control unit 130 performs control to search for, select, and adjust the level of the functional module.

Therefore, the touch pattern of the second signal may be a touch pad that can perform a function of searching, selecting, and adjusting the touch pattern. The touch pattern is generally implemented in a pattern used in a touch display.

For example, the touch pattern for searching for the function module uses up and down dragging and can be implemented so that the user can navigate to another function module each time the dragging is performed. In addition, for example, a single point touch can be applied to a touch pattern for selecting a searched function module.

And the touch pattern that controls the level of the selected function module can apply the direction and length of the drag. For example, the touch pattern that controls the volume of the audio can be dragged up and down after touching to adjust the volume by that length .

The touch input unit 120 sets a different second signal type for each touch pattern. If a touch is input, the touch input unit 120 generates a second signal corresponding to a matching touch pattern by comparing with a predetermined touch pattern and outputs the generated second signal to the control unit 130 .

The controller 130 searches for, selects, and controls the in-vehicle function module using the first signal and the second signal generated through this process.

The functional module control process of the controller 130 will be described in detail with reference to various embodiments.

6 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the rotation input unit 110 detects a rotation amount and a rotation direction of the rotation unit 112 and generates a first signal (S101).

Next, the control unit 130 searches for a function module to perform control according to the first signal generated in the rotation input unit 110 (S103).

When the function module is searched, the touch input unit 120 compares the touch input with the pre-stored touch pattern to generate a second signal corresponding to the matching touch pattern (S105).

Next, the controller 130 selects one of the function modules detected according to the second signal generated in the touch input unit 120 (S107).

The rotation input unit 110 senses the rotation unit 112 to generate a first signal (S109), and the control unit S111 controls the selected functional module step by step according to the generated first signal (S103).

The process of controlling the in-vehicle apparatus through the above process will be described in more detail with an example of the wiper control process of the vehicle.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle wiper speed control process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the rotation unit 112 of the rotation input unit 110 is turned to search for a function module. Referring to FIG. 7 (a), it can be seen that the rotary part 112 has been rotated in the clockwise direction by three steps from the point A set as the reference to the position A '. 7B illustrates a function module search in the display unit 140 according to the operation of the rotation input unit 110. Of the plurality of function modules indicated by the box icons, the rotation unit 112 rotates clockwise in three steps As you move, you can see that the function module "Wiper speed" function module is displayed in box in the above 3 times.

7 (c), the "wiper speed" function module retrieved in FIG. 7 (b) is selected through the point touch input to the touch input unit 120. In this example, it is assumed that the function module is selected by the point touch pattern. When a point touch is input to the touch input unit 120 on the surface of the rotation unit 112 with a finger as shown in FIG. 7C, The detailed control screen of the "wiper speed" function module is displayed on the display unit 140 as shown in Fig.

When the function module is selected by the touch input unit 120, the function module selected through the rotation input unit 110 is controlled.

7 (e), it can be seen that the rotation unit 112 has been rotated by two steps in the clockwise direction from the point B set as the reference to the position of B '. By rotating the rotation input unit 110, f), the display 140 allows the "wiper speed" function module to move the needle to the wiper speed scale by two steps so as to check the status of the second-step control more quickly.

Through this process, the user can control the apparatus in the vehicle in detail by simply rotating and touching the steering wheel of the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the search of the functional module to be controlled may be performed through the touch input unit 120, and a flow chart thereof is shown in FIG.

8 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

First, the touch input unit 110 senses an input touch pattern, compares the touch pattern with a previously stored touch pattern, and generates a corresponding second signal (S201). In this case, a pattern for searching the in-vehicle function module is input, and the second signal is also transmitted to the control unit 130 as a signal for searching for the function module.

Next, the control unit 130 searches for a function module to perform control according to the second signal generated in the touch input unit 110 (S203).

When the function module is searched, the touch input unit 120 compares the touch input with the pre-stored touch pattern to generate a second signal corresponding to the matching touch pattern (S205). At this time, the touch pattern is a touch pattern for selecting one of the function modules detected, and the controller 130 selects any one of the detected function modules (S207).

Finally, the rotation input unit 110 generates the first signal by sensing the rotation amount and the rotation direction of the rotation unit 112 (S109). The control unit S111 controls the selected function module according to the generated first signal, And the direction of rotation (S103).

Through the above-described processes, the vehicle driver can control the device in the vehicle by adjusting the level of each function without long-time release from the steering wheel by a simple rotation operation and a touch.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope of the appended claims, The genius will be so self-evident. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

100: vehicle control system 110: rotation input unit
111: fixing part 112: rotating part
113: sensing unit 120: touch input unit
130: control unit 140: display unit
1, 1a, 1b: pressing member 2, 2a, 2b:
3: connecting member 10: vehicle steering wheel

Claims (12)

The steering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a fixed portion formed on the outer periphery of the steering wheel of the vehicle; and a rotation portion formed to surround the outside of the fixed portion and mounted to be rotatable along the fixed portion, A rotation input unit for sensing and generating a first signal;
A touch input unit formed on at least a part of a surface of the rotation input unit and generating a second signal by a touch input; And
A control unit for searching and selecting the in-vehicle function module by the first signal generated by the rotation input unit and the second signal generated by the touch input unit, and controlling the selected function module; . The method according to claim 1,
The rotation input unit includes:
A pressing member which is provided on the surface of the fixing portion at a predetermined interval and is pressed by elasticity;
A plurality of protruding members provided at predetermined intervals in the rotating unit to press the pressing members; And
A sensing unit for sensing a rotation amount of the rotation unit according to the number of the pressing members to be pressed when the pressing member is sequentially pressed against the one projection member in accordance with the rotation of the rotation unit to generate a first signal; Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the pressing member and the projection member are formed to include the two pressing members between the two projection members. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the sensing unit senses the rotation direction of the rotation unit according to a sequence of being pressed with respect to the two pressing members provided between the two projection members to generate a first signal corresponding to the sensed rotation direction. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the pressing member is connected to the fixing unit via a spring member, and the sensing unit senses the elasticity of the spring member to sense the pressing of the pressing member. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the pressing member is formed of an elastic material, and the sensing unit measures the elastic force of the elastic material to sense the pressing of the pressing member. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the pressing member and the projection member are provided in a triangular toothed shape or a square toothed shape. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the pressing member and the projection member are provided in a hemispherical shape. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the touch input unit generates a second signal corresponding to a touch pattern that is compared with a pre-stored touch pattern when a touch is input. 9. The method of claim 8,
The control unit searches for an in-vehicle function module to be controlled according to the first signal input from the rotation input unit,
In-vehicle function module according to a second signal input from the touch input unit after the function module is searched,
Wherein the control unit receives the first signal from the rotation input unit and controls the selected in-vehicle function module step by step after the function module is selected. 9. The method of claim 8,
When the pattern of the second signal input from the touch input unit is a pattern for searching an in-vehicle function module, the control unit searches for a in-vehicle function module to be controlled,
In-vehicle function module when the pattern of the second signal input from the touch input unit is a pattern for selecting an in-vehicle function module after the function module is searched,
Wherein the control unit receives the first signal from the rotation input unit and controls the selected in-vehicle function module step by step after the function module is selected. 11. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 10,
When the control unit receives the first signal from the rotation input unit and controls the selected in-vehicle function module step by step,
Controls the in-vehicle apparatus to increase stepwise if the rotation direction of the rotation input unit is the first direction,
And controls the in-vehicle apparatus to decrease stepwise if the rotation direction of the rotation input unit is the second direction. 12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
A display unit for displaying a search / selection / control state of the in-vehicle function module when the in-vehicle function module is searched / selected / controlled by the first signal or the second signal; The vehicle control system further comprising:

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