Apparatus and method for controlling steering wheel of autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12227192-B2
Application number	US-202217745672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2022
Priority date	Sep 23, 2021
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are configured to control a steering wheel of an autonomous driving vehicle. A state of a driver may be monitored during autonomous driving, and at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle may be controlled based on the state of the driver. As a result, danger information may be delivered to the driver through a dual system during autonomous driving.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a steering wheel, the apparatus comprising:
a monitoring device provided in an autonomous driving vehicle and configured to monitor a state of a driver during autonomous driving; and
a controller configured to:
control, during the autonomous driving, movement of the steering wheel to achieve at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle, based on the state of the driver; and
determine a sensitivity, by which the steering wheel is controlled, based on the state of the driver,
wherein the sensitivity includes a magnitude of the steering wheel movement controlled by the controller; and
wherein the controller is configured to increase or decrease the sensitivity based on the state of the driver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device detects a location of a head of the driver, and
wherein the controller controls the leftward/rightward tilting angle of the steering wheel such that an axial direction of the steering wheel faces the location of the head of the driver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device detects a seating posture of the driver, and
wherein the controller controls the axial movement of the steering wheel based on the seating posture of the driver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller informs the driver of a request for switching of a control right by moving the steering wheel according to a preset motion when the switching of the control right of the driver is required.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hands-off detector configured to detect a hands-off state of the driver, and
wherein the controller controls at least one of the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial movement of the steering wheel, based on the state of the driver, when the driver is in the hands-off state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of a camera, a carbon dioxide measuring sensor, a motion sensor, a seat position sensor, or a radar sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device detects a sleepiness state of the driver, and
wherein the controller adjusts the upward/downward location of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel contacts a body of the driver when the sleepiness state of the driver is detected, when switching of a control right of the driver is required.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the sensitivity, by which the steering wheel is controlled, based on at least one of a speed or an acceleration of the autonomous driving vehicle or an external driving environment according to surrounding vehicles, and controls at least one of the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial direction of the steering wheel according to the sensitivity.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller outputs a preset signal through a display or a lamp provided in the steering wheel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller adjusts the preset signal based on at least one of the external driving environment of the autonomous driving vehicle or the state of the driver.

11. A method for controlling a steering wheel, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a monitoring device provided in an autonomous driving vehicle, a state of a driver during autonomous driving; and
controlling, by a controller, during the autonomous driving, movement of the steering wheel to achieve at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle, based on the state of the driver; and
determining, by the controller, a sensitivity, by which the steering wheel is controlled, based on the state of the driver;
wherein the sensitivity includes a magnitude of the steering wheel movement controlled by the controller; and
wherein the controller is configured to increase or decrease the sensitivity based on the state of the driver.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring the state of the driver by the monitoring device includes:
detecting, by the monitoring device, a location of a head of the driver, and
wherein the controlling of at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
controlling, by the controller, the leftward/rightward tilting angle of the steering wheel such that an axial direction of the steering wheel faces the location of the head of the driver.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring the state of the driver by the monitoring device includes:
detecting, by the monitoring device, a seating posture of the driver, and
wherein the controlling of at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
controlling, by the controller, the axial movement of the steering wheel based on the seating posture of the driver.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
informing, by the controller, the driver of a request for switching of a control right by moving the steering wheel according to a preset motion when the switching of the control right of the driver is required.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting, by the hands-off detector, a hands-off state of the driver,
wherein the controlling of at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
controlling, by the controller, at least one of the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial movement of the steering wheel, based on the state of the driver, when the driver is in the hands-off state.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring the state of the driver by the monitoring device includes:
detecting, by the monitoring device, a sleepiness state of the driver, and
wherein the controlling of at least one of an upward/downward location, a leftward/rightward tilting angle, or an axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
adjusting, by the controller, the upward/downward location of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel contacts a body of the driver when the sleepiness state of the driver is detected, when switching of a control right of the driver is required.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial movement of the steering wheel of the autonomous driving vehicle by the controller includes:
determining, by the controller, the sensitivity, by which the steering wheel is controlled, based on at least one of a speed or an acceleration of the autonomous driving vehicle or an external driving environment according to surrounding vehicles; and
controlling, by the controller, at least one of the upward/downward location, the leftward/rightward tilting angle, or the axial direction of the steering wheel according to the s

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Cheon Seo Hyung
• Jeong Jin Su
• Choi Eun Young
• Yu Min Sang
• Pyun Rosali Sun
• Seong Ki Seok
• Yang Dong Il
• Kim Woo Jin

Classifications

• B60W10/20 Primary

  including control of steering systems · CPC title

• B60W2540/229

  Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W2540/223

  Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined · CPC title

• B60W50/14 Primary

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title