WO2020127418A1

WO2020127418A1 - Rotary control device

Info

Publication number: WO2020127418A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/085843
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rainer Haevescher; Artur Neumann
Original assignee: Zf Friedrichshafen Ag
Priority date: 2018-12-19
Filing date: 2019-12-18
Publication date: 2020-06-25
Also published as: DE102018222237A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary control device (1) for selecting operating modes (P, R, N, D) of a vehicle, comprising a user interface (3), particularly a knob, which is designed to rotate about an axis of rotation (7) of the device (1) with respect to a housing (5) of the device (1). Said rotary control device further comprises a sensor unit (9) for monitoring the orientation and/or the rotary movement of the user interface (3) with respect to the housing (5), a processing unit (11) and a communication interface (13) for transmitting control signals (Ts), wherein the communication interface (13) transmits control signals (Ts) for selecting the operating modes (P, R, N, D, AD) of the vehicle exclusively if the user interface is moved to the second position (P2) and is rotated to an orientation (S1 to S8) which is different from an initial orientation (S0).

Description

Rotary control device

The invention relates to a rotation control device for a vehicle, which comprises a user interface surface, in particular a button, which is designed to rotate with respect to a housing of the device about an axis of rotation of the device, which further comprises a sensor unit for monitoring the alignment and / or rotary movement of the user interface surface with respect to the housing, a processing unit and a communication interface for transmitting control signals according to an output from the processing unit, wherein the output is generated by the processing unit on the basis of sensor data from the sensor unit, the user interface surface in one is arranged in the first position along the axis of rotation of the device, the device being designed such that the user interface surface can be shifted along the axis of rotation in a first direction into a second position.

A rotation control device of this type is described in European patent publication EP1809928 B1. This document discloses a rotary control device for selecting operating modes of a vehicle with a user interface which can be pressed into an operating panel of the vehicle by an operator or user, for example to signal that the vehicle is not ready for operation.

Other rotary control devices are known, for example, for navigating multimedia menus from on-board computers in modern vehicles and for controlling multimedia functions, such as radio, volume and navigation menus. However, many of these turning devices are generally not suitable for the safety-relevant function of the selection of operating modes of the vehicle. The patent publications US2016 / 0378131 A1, US2016 / 0216763A1 and US2011 / 0181405A1 disclose further such rotary control devices which are generally suitable for use in motor vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a safer rotation control device for selecting operating modes of a vehicle. The object of the invention is achieved by a rotary control device defined by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims and the description further define advantageous embodiments of the device.

The object of the invention is therefore achieved by a rotary control device for selecting operating modes from a vehicle. The device comprises a user interface surface, in particular a button, which is designed to rotate with respect to a housing of the device about an axis of rotation of the device. Furthermore, the device comprises a sensor unit for monitoring the alignment and / or rotational movement of the user interface surface with respect to the housing, a processing unit and a communication interface for transmitting control signals according to an output from the processing unit, the output from the processing unit based on sensor data is generated by the sensor unit, the user interface surface being arranged in a first position along the axis of rotation of the device, the device being designed such that the user interface surface can be moved in a first direction along the axis of rotation to a second position, and wherein the first direction points away from the housing and a holding mechanism is provided, the holding mechanism serving to resist displacement of the user interface surface from the first position to the second position, and wherein the communication interface transmits control signals to select the operating modes of the vehicle only when the user interface surface has been moved to the second position and rotated to an orientation other than an initial orientation.

A position of the user interface surface in the sense of the invention relates to the placement of the user interface surface within a plane which is spatially offset from the housing at a certain distance. A direction of the user interface in the sense of the invention relates to a rotational displacement of the user interface by a certain one Degree of rotation with respect to an initial setting of the user interface surface with respect to the housing about the axis of rotation of the device.

The device is used to select an operating mode of the vehicle, for example a forward driving operating mode in which torque is transmitted from a drive unit of the vehicle to propel the vehicle in a forward direction, a reverse driving operating mode in which torque is transmitted from a drive unit of the Vehicle is transmitted to propel the vehicle in a reverse direction, an idle operating mode in which no torque is transmitted from a drive unit of the vehicle, a parking position operating mode in which a torque transmission unit attached to the drive unit of the vehicle is mechanically locked, or another operating mode. To select such an operating mode, the user interface surface must advantageously first be pulled upward away from the housing in the direction of the operator or the hand of the operator and then rotated into an orientation to select the desired operating mode. Therefore, the device is very resistant to accidental operation mode selection and requires movement in two-dimensional degrees of freedom before an operation mode selection signal is transmitted through the communication interface. Since security-relevant applications can be controlled when the user interface surface is in the second position, designing the second position as unstable increases the security of the device because the user interface surface cannot accidentally remain in the second position.

If a position and / or orientation of the user interface surface remains constant in the absence of a force applied to the device from an external source, then this position and / or orientation of the user interface surface can be referred to as a stable position. On the other hand, if the user interface surface does not remain in a certain position or orientation, for example because a mechanism of the device applies a force internally, then this position and / or orientation can be described as unstable. The rotation control device is therefore designed such that the user interface surface remains in the first position when there is no externally applied force, characterized in that the device is designed to return the user interface surface to the first position when one is applied externally Force that caused the user interface to move to the second position is removed.

A communication path in the sense of the invention can be, for example, a fixed wiring for transmitting data, such as a data bus, and / or a wireless data transmission channel. In many modern road vehicles, a CAN data bus is a preferred type of communication.

The user interface surface or the button in the sense of the invention can comprise the outer surface of an annular and / or half-shell-shaped structure which is accessible to an operator, that is to say a user, of the vehicle. The user interface surface may further include a structure underlying the outer surface of the user interface surface.

In one embodiment of the rotation control device, the user interface surface is configured to be rotatable about the axis of rotation to achieve rotational orientations in the first and second positions, and wherein the device transmits control signals according to the rotation orientation of the user interface surface, and wherein the device is configured to transmit control signals for non-safety-related functions of the vehicle when the user interface surface is in the first position, and the device is configured to transmit control signals for safety-related functions of the vehicle when the user interface surface is in the second position .

A safety-relevant function of the vehicle in the sense of the invention can be, for example, the selection of an operating mode of the vehicle, steering, acceleration or braking of the vehicle. A non-safety function of the vehicle can be navigation or control of a multimedia interface, for example. In one embodiment of the rotary control device, the rotary control device further comprises a magnetorheological actuator, the magnetorheological actuator comprising a rotary element that is mechanically connected to the user interface surface and is used to interact with a magnetorheological fluid of the magnetorheological actuator, and wherein the magnetorheological actuator is an arrangement for generating a magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid and / or influencing its properties, so that the magnetorheological actuator is used to modulate a torque transmission between the user interface surface and the housing.

The magnetorheological fluid defines the behavior of the rotary control device. For this purpose, a voltage with which the arrangement is supplied is varied in order to induce a surrounding magnetic field which changes the viscosity of the fluid. Depending on the magnetic field, in particular depending on properties of the magnetic field, such as intensity and / or direction, the MRF can vary between a liquid and a solid state, which can be controlled very precisely. In a liquid state, the MRF transmits little to no torque between the rotating element and the housing. However, as the viscosity increases and the fluid approaches a solid state, the shear forces in the fluid and between the fluid and the rotating member, and between the fluid and the housing or a component that is fixedly attached to the housing.

This leads to increased torque transmission between the user interface surface and the housing.

In one embodiment, the rotary control device of the rotary member includes a chamber that contains the magnetorheological fluid, and a static member is provided that is fixed with respect to the housing and at least partially disposed within the chamber so that the torque transmission between an inner surface the chamber of the rotating element and the static element is dependent on the properties of a magnetic field. In one embodiment of the rotary control device, the rotary element is designed to rotate within a chamber of the actuator, which contains the magnetorheological fluid, the chamber being arranged in relation to the housing, so that the torque transmission between the rotary element and one Inner surface of the chamber is dependent on the properties of a magnetic field.

In one embodiment of the rotation control device, the holding mechanism comprises a spring mechanism, the spring mechanism being connected to the user interface surface and a mechanical connection part, the mechanical connection part serving to remain stationary when the user interface surface is moved from the first position to the second position becomes.

In one embodiment of the rotation control device, the device further includes a spring-loaded pin in the housing and a contour that is engaged by the pin, and the contour and the spring-loaded pin are configured to cooperate so that the user interface interface is in a predetermined orientation and / or position is returned or remains in a predetermined orientation and / or position if there is no externally applied force.

In one embodiment of the rotation control device, the device further comprises a servo actuator and / or a spring mechanism, the servo actuator being configured such that the user interface interface is returned to a predetermined orientation or remains in a predetermined orientation when there is no externally applied force , and wherein the spring mechanism is configured such that the user interface interface is returned to a predetermined position along the axis of rotation or remains in a predetermined position along the axis of rotation when there is no externally applied force.

In one embodiment of the rotation control device, the sensor unit comprises a permanent magnet, which is arranged to move according to the user Move interface surface, and a sensor which is fixedly arranged on the housing, the sensor being used to monitor the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet.

Next, certain embodiments of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the following figures. In it show:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention

Rotary control device;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention

Rotary control device; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a user interface and a mechanical connection part, which are suitable for inclusion in a rotary control device according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the rotation control device 1 according to the invention, which has a user interface surface 3, which can be moved and rotated by a user or operator of a vehicle. The user interface surface can be rotated about an axis of rotation 7 of the device 1 in various orientations. The user interface 3 can also be moved by a user or operator of the vehicle between a first and a second position P 1, P2.

The device 1 comprises a housing 5, which at least partially encloses a processing unit 11 mounted on a substrate 15, which is a printed circuit board. The processing unit 11 is connected to a communication interface 13. Signals, such as control signals Ts, can be transmitted and received via the communication interface 13. The processing unit 11 is also connected to a sensor unit 9 which is used for monitoring Chen the rotational movement and / or the orientation of the user interface surface with respect to the housing 5 is used. The sensor unit 9 transmits sensor data Ds to the processing unit 11, and on the basis of this sensor data Ds the processing unit 11 can generate control signals for transmission via the communication interface 13.

Furthermore, the device comprises an arrangement 17 for generating and influencing a magnetic field in a chamber 19 of the housing 5. The chamber contains a magnetorheological fluid 21 also known as an MRF. A rotary element 23 is partially positioned within the chamber. The rotating element 23 is mechanically connected to the user interface surface 3 and rotates with the rotation of the interface 3.

According to changes in properties of the magnetic field caused by the arrangement 17, such as field strength and direction, particles are aligned within the magnetorheological fluid 12, and the viscosity of the fluid varies. Accordingly, the fluid accordingly transmits more or less torque between the user interface surface 3 and the housing 5 of the device 1. This is caused by the changing shear forces in the fluid and between the fluid and the chamber wall. Since the housing 5 of the device is generally fixedly mounted in the vehicle, it can be considered that the arrangement modulates a kind of deceleration force that acts on the user interface surface 3. Such systems, which include an MRF 21 in a chamber 19, rotary elements 23 and arrangements 17 for influencing the magnetic field in the chamber 19, are often referred to as MRF actuators. The processing unit 11 is designed to issue command signals for controlling the arrangement 17. The arrangement 17 can be controlled, for example, by a circuit on the substrate 15 which supplies the arrangement 17 with a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) current or a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) voltage in accordance with the command signals from the processing unit 11. Furthermore, the device comprises a servo actuator 25 which engages with the rotating element 23 and can therefore apply a torque to the user interface surface 3.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the rotary control device 1 according to the invention, the user interface surface 3 being shifted to the second position P2. A mechanical connecting part 27 is provided, which is fixed in a vertical direction with respect to the housing 5. That is, the mechanical connection part 27 is arranged in the device such that it is stationary with respect to the vertical direction as defined by the axis of rotation 7. A Halteme mechanism 29 is shown as a spring 29 which connects the user interface surface 3 and the mechanical connector 22. When the user interface surface 3 is pulled or shifted up by the operator of the vehicle to the second position P2, the spring 29 provides a resistance force. When the operator releases the user interface surface 3, the surface returns to the starting position P1.

The rotation control device 1 is designed such that an operator of a vehicle can only control safety-relevant functions of the vehicle with the device 1 if the user interface surface 3 is moved to and / or pulled into the second position P2. This prevents accidental selection of an operating mode P, R, N, D, AD, such as reverse travel R.

A spring-loaded pin 31 is shown, which is connected to a movable part 35, which is fixed to the user interface surface 3. A corresponding contour 33 is shown as a recess in a part of the mechanical connection part 27 Ver. The contour 33 is engaged by the pin 31. The contour 33 and the spring-loaded pin 31 are arranged here in such a way that they interact so that the user interface surface 3 is returned to a predetermined starting orientation SO and position P1 when an operator releases the user interface surface 3. That is, the user interface surface 3 returns to a predetermined orientation and / or position when there is no external force. Basically, one can be made from a pen 31 and a contour 33 existing system can be provided in many arrangements in order to provide various stable and / or unstable positions and orientations of the user interface surface 3.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a user interface surface 3 and a mechanical connecting part 27, which are suitable for receiving in a rotary control device 1 according to the invention. The user interface surface 3 shown must be pulled up by the user / operator in a first or initial orientation SO and then rotated in another orientation S1-S7 in order to select an operating mode P, R, N, D, AD of the vehicle. In the middle of the user interface surface 3, a display 37 is provided which shows a currently selected operating mode AD.

Reference sign

I rotary control device

3 user interface

5 housing

7 axis of rotation

9 sensor unit

I I processing unit

13 communication interface

15 substrate / PCB

17 Arrangement for generating / influencing a magnetic field

19 chamber

21 magnetorheological fluid

23 rotating element

25 servo actuator

27 mechanical connecting part

29 holding mechanism

31 spring-loaded pin

33 contour

37 moving part

37 display

X1 first direction

P1 first position

P2 second position

S0-S8 alignments

Ts control signal

Op processing signal

The sensor signal

Claims

1. A rotary control device (1) for selecting operating modes (P, R, N, D) of a vehicle, comprising a user interface surface (3), in particular a button, which is designed to relate to a housing (5) of the device (1) to rotate an axis of rotation (7) of the device (1), further comprising a sensor unit (9) for monitoring the alignment and / or rotational movement of the user interface surface (3) with respect to the housing (5), a processing unit (11) and a communication interface ( 13) for the transmission of control signals (Ts) according to an output (Op) from the processing unit (11), the output (Op) being generated by the processing unit (11) on the basis of sensor data (Ds) from the sensor unit (9) The user interface surface (3) is arranged in a first position (P1) along the axis of rotation (7) of the device (1), the device (1) being designed such that the user interface len surface (3) along the axis of rotation (7) in a first direction (X1) in a second position (P2), characterized in that the first direction (X1) away from the housing (5) points that a Holding mechanism (29) is provided, the holding mechanism (29) serving to resist a displacement of the user interface surface (3) from the first position (P1) to the second position (P2), and that the communication interface (13) control signals ( Ts) for the selection of the operating modes (P, R, N, D, AD) of the vehicle only when the user interface surface (3) is moved to the second position (P2) and in an orientation different from an initial orientation (SO) ( S1 to S8) has been transferred.

2. Rotation control device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, the user interface surface (3) is designed to be rotatable about the axis of rotation (7), by rotational orientations (S0-S8) in the first and second position ( P1, P2), and that the device transmits control signals (Ts) according to the rotational orientation (S0-S8) of the user interface surface (3), and that the device (1) is designed to control signals (Ts) for non-safety-related functions of the Transfer vehicle when the user interface surface (3) is in the first position (P1) finds, and that the device is designed to transmit control signals (Ts) for safety-relevant functions of the vehicle when the user interface surface (3) is in the second position.

3. The rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary control device (1) further comprises a magnetorheological actuator, the magnetorheological actuator comprising a rotary element which is mechanically connected to the user interface surface and for cooperation with one

serves magnetorheological fluid of the magnetorheological actuator, and wherein the magnetorheological actuator has an arrangement for generating and / or

Influencing properties of a magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid includes, so that the magnetorheological actuator is used to modulate a torque transmission between the user interface surface and the housing.

4. Rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary element comprises a chamber which contains the magnetorheological fluid, and that a static is provided which is fixed with respect to the housing and at least partially within Chamber is arranged so that the torque transmission between an inner surface of the chamber of the rotary element and the static element is dependent on the properties of a magnetic field.

5. Rotation control device (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rotating element is designed to rotate within a chamber of the actuator, which holds the magnetorheological fluid ent, the chamber being arranged fixedly with respect to the housing is, so that the torque transmission between the rotary element and an inner surface of the chamber is dependent on the properties of a magnetic field.

6. Rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding mechanism (29) has a Fe- the mechanism comprises, the spring mechanism (29) being connected to the user interface surface (3) and a mechanical connection part (27), the mechanical connection part (27) serving to remain stationary when the user interface surface (3) is from the first Position (P1) is moved to the second position (P2).

7. Rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) further comprises a spring-loaded pin (31) and a contour (33) which is taken into engagement by the pin (31) , and that the contour (33) and the spring-loaded pin (31) are designed to cooperate such that the user interface interface (3) returns to a predetermined orientation (S0-S8) and / or position (P1, P2) is or remains in a predetermined orientation and / or position when there is no externally applied force.

8. The rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) further comprises a servo actuator and / or a spring mechanism, the servo actuator being designed in such a way that the user interface interface is in a predetermined position direction is returned or remains in a predetermined orientation if there is no externally applied force, and the spring mechanism is designed such that the user interface interface is returned to a predetermined position along the axis of rotation or remains in a predetermined position along the axis of rotation, if there is no external force.

9. A rotary control device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor unit comprises a permanent magnet, which is arranged to move according to the user interface surface, and a sensor, which is fixedly arranged on the housing, the sensor being used to monitor the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnets.