Patent ID: 8063754
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: B60N,B60Q,B62D,G08G

Abstract:
1. A vehicle state information transmission apparatus comprising: a steering wheel actuatable by a driver of a vehicle for operating the vehicle; a vehicle state detecting device for detecting a state of the vehicle; warning indicator for issuing a warning to the driver based on information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device; and vehicle state information transmitting device for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver, wherein the vehicle state information transmitting device comprises a tactile device which transmits a change in the vehicle state via the steering wheel to the driver as a tactile information, and the tactile device is operable in conjunction with the warning indicator such that vehicle state information is perceived by the driver even when the vehicle is operated in loud environments, wherein said tactile device is operable to selectively generate a plurality of geometric tactile information patterns, each having distinct configurations and being operable to produce distinct tactile movements; wherein one of the geometric tactile information patterns is pre-selected by the driver; wherein said vehicle state detecting device comprises a lane departure sensor for detecting a lane departure of the vehicle, wherein when the lane departure of the vehicle is detected by the lane departure sensor, the tactile device operates to issue a lane departure warning to the driver by way of one of the pre-selected geometric tactile information patterns transmitted via the steering wheel to the driver; and wherein said tactile device comprises a plurality of actuators incorporated in the steering wheel and arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows of the actuators lying in a radial direction of the steering wheel and a plurality of columns of the actuators lying in a circumferential direction of the steering wheel, wherein when the lane departure sensor detects a lane departure of the vehicle, the tactile device activates the actuators in one of the columns which corresponds in direction and amount to the detected lane departure of the vehicle.