Removable steering-wheel assembly for an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840279-B2
Application number	US-201615075722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 21, 2016
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A steering-wheel assembly includes an actuator, an actuator controller, a steering wheel, an attachment, and a data connector (referred to hereinafter as a first data connector). The actuator controller includes a processor and a memory and is communicatively coupled to the actuator. The steering wheel is rotatably coupled to the actuator. The attachment is coupled to the actuator. The first data connector is mounted on the attachment and in communication with the actuator controller. The actuator controller is programmed to instruct the actuator to rotate the steering wheel based on steering-wheel control data provided via the first data connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering-wheel assembly comprising:
a steering wheel;
a light display mounted on the steering wheel;
a light-display controller, comprising a processor and a memory, communicatively coupled to the light display;
an attachment rotatably coupled to the steering wheel; and
a data connector mounted on the attachment and in communication with the light-display controller; wherein
the light-display controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate in a pattern based on steering-wheel control data provided via the data connector;
the steering wheel has a circular periphery;
the light display is disposed on the circular periphery of the steering wheel; and
the light-display controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate an angular fraction of the light display based on steering-wheel control data provided via the data connector.

2. The steering-wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light-display controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate a first angular fraction of the light display in a first color and a second angular fraction of the light display in a second color, based on the steering-wheel control data provided via the data connector.

3. The steering-wheel assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an angle-detection sensor in communication with the data connector, and a torque-detection sensor in communication with the data connector.

4. The steering-wheel assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an airbag coupled to the steering wheel; and an inflator connected to the airbag, the inflator in communication with the data connector.

5. The steering-wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the steering-wheel control data includes at least one of an angle of the steering wheel and a torque of the steering wheel.

6. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle controller, comprising a processor and a memory; and
a steering-wheel assembly removably mateable to an attachment included in a vehicle dashboard, the steering-wheel assembly comprising
a steering wheel,
a first data connector mateable to a second data connector in the vehicle dashboard to form a data connection to the vehicle controller, and
an actuator in communication with the first data connector; wherein

the vehicle controller is programmed to receive vehicle state data;
the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct, via the data connection, actuation of the actuator based on the vehicle state data; and
the steering wheel is rotatably coupled to the actuator.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the actuator to rotate the steering wheel based on the vehicle state data.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising:
a front wheel; and
a wheel-angle detector coupled to the front wheel and in communication with the vehicle controller; wherein
the vehicle state data includes wheel-angle data gathered via the wheel-angle detector; and
the steering-wheel angle is a function of the front-wheel angle.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising:
a speedometer in communication with the vehicle controller; wherein
the vehicle state data includes speed data gathered via the speedometer;
the vehicle controller is programmed to receive a vehicle speed from the speedometer; and
the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the actuator to apply a torque to the steering wheel based on the vehicle state data.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the steering-wheel assembly further comprises:
an angle-detection sensor in communication with the vehicle controller via the data connection; and
a torque-detection sensor in communication with the vehicle controller via the data connection.

11. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the steering-wheel assembly further includes:
an airbag coupled to the steering wheel; and
an inflator connected to the airbag, the inflator in communication with the vehicle controller via the data connection.

12. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the actuator to provide a torque to the steering wheel based on torque data provided via the data connector.

13. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle state data includes at least one of an angle of the steering wheel and a torque of the steering wheel.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle controller, comprising a processor and a memory; and
a steering-wheel assembly removably mateable to an attachment included in a vehicle dashboard, the steering-wheel assembly comprising
a steering wheel,
a first data connector mateable to a second data connector in the vehicle dashboard to form a data connection to the vehicle controller, and
a light display mounted on the steering wheel; wherein

the vehicle controller is programmed to receive vehicle state data;
the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct, via the data connection, actuation of the means for indicating a steering-wheel angle based on the vehicle state data;
the light display is in communication with the first data connector; and
the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate in a pattern based on the vehicle state data.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein:
the steering wheel has a circular periphery;
the light display is disposed on the circular periphery of the steering wheel; and
the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate an angular fraction of the light display based on the vehicle state data.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the light display to illuminate a first angular fraction of the light display in a first color and a second angular fraction of the light display in a second color, based on the vehicle state data.

17. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle controller has an autonomous mode and a manual mode, and the steering wheel is fixed relative to the attachment when the vehicle controller is in autonomous mode.

18. The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising:
a front wheel; and
a wheel-angle detector coupled to the front wheel and in communication with the vehicle controller; wherein
the vehicle state data includes wheel-angle data gathered via the wheel-angle detector; and
the steering-wheel angle is a function of the front-wheel angle.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , further comprising a speedometer in communication with the vehicle controller; wherein the vehicle state data includes speed data gathered via the speedometer; the vehicle controller is programmed to receive a vehicle speed from the speedometer; and the vehicle controller is programmed to instruct the actuator to apply a torque to the steering wheel based on the vehicle state data.

20. The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising an airbag coupled to the steering wheel; and an inflator connected to the airbag, the inflator in communication with the data connector.

21. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle state data includes at least one of an angle of the steering wheel and a torque of the steering wheel.

22. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the steering-wheel assembly further comprises an angle-detection sensor in communication with the vehicle controller via the data connection; and a torque-detection sensor in communication with the vehicle controller via the data connection.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Abbas Samer
• Joyce John P
• Lauffer Scott J
• El Aile Steven R

Classifications

• B60R21/16

  Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags ({protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; } connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00) · CPC title

• B62D15/025 Primary

  Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title

• B62D1/00 Primary

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

• B62D15/02 Primary

  Steering position indicators {; Steering position determination; Steering aids} · CPC title