Vehicle control system for controlling steering of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155530-B2
Application number	US-201715420980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments provide a vehicle control system comprising a projecting device, a camera device, a control device and an actuating device. The vehicle steering control system does not need a physical steering wheel, thus the weight and cost of the vehicles can be reduced. In addition, the steering control system according to the present invention provides the drivers with brand new driving experience.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling steering of a driving apparatus, wherein the system comprising:
a projecting device configured to project a steering wheel image on to a surface within the driving apparatus such that a user of the driving apparatus may act on the projected image of the steering wheel;
a capturing device configured to capture motion data regarding movements of one or two hands on the projected steering wheel image;
a processor configured by machine-readable instructions to:
calculate a movement of the one or two hands based on the motion data,
determine a steering input according to the movement of the one or two hands, and
output a steering signal according to the steering input direction; and

an actuating device configured to receive the steering signal and effectuate a maneuver of the driving apparatus according to the steering signal.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage device configured to store positions of the hands; and, wherein
the processor is further configured to calculate a position difference vector according to the motion data and at least one position of the one or two hands determined at a previous time to form the movement position difference vector.

3. The control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the capturing device is configured to capture motion data of the left and right hands on the steering wheel image; and, wherein
the processor is configured to:
separately calculate a left hand movement position difference vector and a right hand movement position difference vector,
check whether the left hand movement position difference vector is consistent with the right hand movement position difference vector, and,
in response to determining the left hand movement position difference vector is consistent with the right hand movement position difference vector, determine the steering input according to the left or right hand movement position difference vector.

4. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage device configured to store predetermined steering angles and steering directions corresponding to respective movement position difference vectors.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating device is a steering motor, operative connected to a steering structure having a steering rack and a steering gear.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving apparatus includes a vehicle, a motorcycle, a train, a truck, a tram, a vessel, and an aircraft.

7. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the calculated movement of the one or two hands in association with a timestamp.

8. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the steering input includes at least one of a steering angle and steering direction.

9. A method for controlling steering of a driving apparatus, the method being implemented by a processor, the method comprising:
projecting a steering wheel image on to a surface within the driving apparatus such that a user of the driving apparatus may act on the projected image of the steering wheel;
capturing motion data regarding movements of one or two hands on the projected steering wheel image;
calculating a movement of the one or two hands based on the motion data,
determining a steering input according to the movement of the one or two hands, and
outputting a steering signal according to the steering input direction; and
receiving the steering signal and effectuate a maneuver of the driving apparatus according to the steering signal.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising
calculating a position difference vector according to the motion data and at least one position of the one or two hands determined at a previous time to form the movement position difference vector.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein capturing motion data regarding movements of one or two hands on the projected steering wheel image comprising capturing motion data for the left and right hands on the steering wheel image,
wherein calculating a movement of the one or two hands based on the motion data comprises:
separately calculating a left hand movement position difference vector and a right hand movement position difference vector, and
checking whether the left hand movement position difference vector is consistent with the right hand movement position difference vector, and, wherein
determining the steering input according to the movement of the one or two hands comprises:
in response to determining the left hand movement position difference vector is consistent with the right hand movement position difference vector, determining the steering input according to the left or right hand movement position difference vector.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising storing predetermined steering angles and steering directions corresponding to respective movement position difference vectors.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein effectuating the maneuver of the driving apparatus according to the steering signal comprises controlling a steering motor in according to the steering signal.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the driving apparatus includes a vehicle, a motorcycle, a train, a truck, a tram, a vessel, and an aircraft.

15. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising storing the calculated movement of the one or two hands in association with a timestamp.

16. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the steering input includes at least one of a steering angle and steering direction.

Assignees

• Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sham Wellen

Classifications

• B62D1/286 Primary

  Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention · CPC title

• B62D1/00 Primary

  Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• H04N9/3179

  Video signal processing therefor · CPC title

• B60Y2200/50

  Aeroplanes, Helicopters · CPC title