Patent ID: 12209656

It may be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure as included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particularly intended application and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present disclosure(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the present disclosure(s) to those exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. On the other hand, the present disclosure(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Hereafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the same or similar components are provided the same reference numerals regardless of the numbers of figures and are not repeatedly described.

Terms “module” and “unit” that are used for components in the following description are used only for the convenience of description without having discriminate meanings or functions.

In the following description, if it is decided that the detailed description of known technologies related to the present disclosure makes the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments described herein unclear, the detailed description is omitted.

Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are provided only for easy understanding of embodiments included in the specification, and the technical spirit included in the specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes, equivalents, and replacements should be understood as being included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second”, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not to be construed as being limited to the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component.

It is to be understood that when one element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly connected to or directly coupled to another element or be connected to or coupled to another element, including the other element intervening therebetween.

On the other hand, it should be understood that when one element is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “coupled directly to” another element, it may be connected to or coupled to another element without the other element intervening therebetween.

Singular forms are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” or “have” used in the present specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof.

A unit or a control unit included in names such as a Motor Control Unit (MCU) and a Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) is only a term which is generally used to name a controller that is configured to control specific functions of a vehicle rather than meaning a generic function unit.

A controller may include a communication device that communicates with another controller or a sensor to control corresponding functions, a memory that stores an operating system or logic commands and input/output information, and one or more processors that perform calculation, determination, decision, etc. For controlling the corresponding functions.

A column-type electronic shift control apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is described hereafter in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A column-type electronic shift control apparatus according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG.1,FIG.2,FIG.3,FIG.4,FIG.5,FIG.6,FIG.7, andFIG.8, includes: a housing100disposed ahead of a steering wheel10; a shifter200including a first end portion rotatably coupled to the housing100and a second end portion radially protruding, and operated by a driver to shift a vehicle; and a power mechanism300disposed in the housing100and rotating the shifter200when operating.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure includes a configuration in which the shifter200which is operated by a driver to shift is disposed at the steering wheel10in a vehicle, and includes an advantage that there is no demand for providing a specific space for mounting the shifter200.

The present disclosure is characterized in that a rotation axis S1of the shifter200and a rotation axis S2of the steering wheel10are disposed substantially in parallel. That is, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure includes a structure in which a steering column20passes through both the housing100and the first end portion of the shifter200, the housing100is fixed to the steering column20ahead of the steering wheel10, and the shifter200is rotated on the steering column20.

In the case in which the steering column20passes through the first end portion of the shifter200and the shifter200may be rotated with respect to the steering column20, as described above, the rotation axis S1of the shifter200and the rotation axis S2of the steering wheel10are substantially the steering column20, and in the instant case, the external size may be reduced.

As an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a structure in which the steering column20does not pass through the first end portion of the shifter200and the shifter200is disposed outside the steering column20is possible. For example, the rotation axis S1of the shifter200and the rotation axis S2of the steering wheel10may be spaced apart and substantially parallel with each other, and the present case has an advantage that it is possible to increase the degree of free designing because the shifter200may be provided at various positions, when necessary.

When the power mechanism300is operated, the shifter200is rotated on the steering column20and may be switched to a standby mode and a use mode when rotating.

FIG.6Ais the state in which the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode andFIG.6Bis the state in which the shifter200is positioned at the use mode.

The standby mode may be defined as a position at which the shifter200extends upward ahead of the steering wheel10in the visual field of a driver and the use mode may be defined as a position at which the shifter200laterally extends by rotating from the standby mode.

For example, the standby mode may be a position at which the shifter200extends in the direction of twelve o'clock and the use mode may be a position at which the shifter200extends in the direction of two o'clock or the direction of ten o'clock.

The standby mode and the use mode of the shifter200may be switched by operation of the power mechanism, and switching from the standby mode to the use mode may be set at 90 degrees or less 90 degrees.

When switching from the standby mode to the use mode of the shifter200is set at 90 degree or more and the shifter200is positioned over the direction three o'clock or before the direction of nine o'clock in the use mode, a knee of a driver may be interfered with by coming in contact with the shifter200at the position of the use mode. Accordingly, switching from the standby mode to the use mode of the shifter200may be set at 90 degree or less.

The shifter200is switched to the use mode from the standby mode by rotating clockwise or counterclockwise by operation of the power mechanism300and is returned to the standby mode by rotating in the opposite direction from the use mode.

That is, when the power mechanism300is operated, the shifter200may be switched to the use mode in the direction of two o'clock by rotating clockwise from the position of the standby mode in which the shifter200extends in the direction of twelve o'clock, or when the power mechanism300is operated, the shifter200may be switched to the use mode in the direction of ten o'clock by rotating in the opposite direction from the position of the standby mode in the direction of twelve o'clock.

Furthermore, the shifter200in the use mode may be returned to the position of the standby mode in the direction of twelve o'clock by rotating in the opposite direction by operation of the power mechanism300.

When the shifter200is positioned at the use mode by rotating clockwise from the standby mode, as inFIG.7, the shifter200may be positioned left and right symmetrically to a turn signal switch30disposed at the left with the steering wheel10therebetween, and accordingly, a driver can more easily operate the shifter200.

The power mechanism300that rotates the shifter200includes: a motor310fixed to the housing100: a gear member320that transmits power of the motor310to the shifter200; and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)330that is configured to control driving of the motor310.

The motor310may be a bidirectional motor that can rotate the shifter200both clockwise and counterclockwise.

The gear member320includes a worm321connected to the motor310, a worm wheel322engaged with the worm321, and an intermediate gear323coaxially connected to the worm wheel322, and the shifter200is characterized in that it is self-locked and its position is fixed in the standby mode and the use mode by engagement of the worm321and the work wheel322.

Self-locking means that the position of the shifter200is fixed in the standby mode or the use mode by engagement of the worm321and the worm wheel322even though power which is transmitted to the motor310is cut, and accordingly, there is an advantage that there is no demand for a specific stopper for fixing the position of the shifter200.

A gear portion210is formed on the external surface of the first end portion of the shifter200, the intermediate gear323and the gear portion210are engaged with each other, and rotation of the intermediate gear323is transmitted to the gear portion210, whereby the shifter200is rotated.

The intermediate gear323shares a shaft with the worm wheel322and may be a spur gear or a spiral gear.

InFIG.2andFIG.3, reference numeral110indicates a housing cover, reference numeral311indicates a motor support, and reference numeral340indicates a gear shaft.

The motor support311is provided to be fixed to the housing100and the motor310is coupled to be fixed to the motor support311.

A first end portion of the gear shaft340is fixed to the housing cover110and a second end portion of the gear shaft340passes through the center portion of the worm wheel322, and the worm wheel322is rotated on the gear shaft340.

A permanent magnet350is fixed to the gear member320, the PCB330includes a Hall sensor360which is configured to detect rotation of the shifter200based on variation of magnetic flux of the permanent magnet350due to rotation of the gear member320, and the PCB330is configured to control driving of the motor320using a signal of the Hall sensor360.

The PCB330detects the position of the shifter200using a signal of the Hall sensor360, whereby it is possible to know whether the shifter200is correctly positioned at the position of the standby mode or the use mode.

Furthermore, the PCB330is configured to control rotation of the shifter200by controlling driving of the motor310, whereby the shifter200may be rotated to the use mode from the standby mode or to the standby mode from the use mode.

Furthermore, the Hall sensor360may be used for fail safe (breakdown control) when the shifter200is not correctly positioned at the position of the standby mode or the use mode.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the shifter200includes an indicator400.

A visual information image410excluding gear stages may be displayed on the indicator400when the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode, as inFIG.6A, and gear stages420of a vehicle may be displayed on the indicator300when the shifter200is positioned at the use mode, as inFIG.6B.

The gear stages420of a vehicle that are displayed on the indicator400may be a D-stage, an N-stage, an R-stage, and a P-stage, and the visual information image410excluding gear stages, as shown inFIG.8, may include any at least one of a welcome image411, a goodbye image412, an autonomous driving activation image413, and a driving assistant system activation image414.

The welcome image411is an image which is visually displayed when a driver gets in a vehicle, the goodbye image412is an image which is displayed when a driver get off a vehicle, the autonomous driving activation image413is an image that visually shows an autonomous driving activation state, and the driving assistant system activation image is an image that visually shows an activation state of a driving assistant system such as an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).

As described above, the current condition of a vehicle is displayed as a visual image on the indicator400and is provided to a driver under various conditions, whereby a commercial value may be improved.

Because the standby mode is a mode at which the shifter200extends upward, the shifter200is positioned at the front that a driver looks at when the driver gets in a vehicle, so that the visual image410excluding gear stages may be easily transmitted to the driver and an aesthetic sense may be aroused.

Because the use mode is a mode at which the shifter200laterally extends, when the shifter200is positioned at the use mode, a driver can easily hold the shifter200by hand and can more easily change gear stages.

The PCB330according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to control the motor310to open when a signal is input through an input unit500and the signal from the input unit500is any one of vehicle on- and off-signals, door open and close signals, door lock and unlock signals, an autonomous driving mode change signal, and a manual driving mode change signal.

The vehicle on-signal of the signals from the input unit500includes a drivable state (EV ready) when the vehicle is an electric vehicle, whereby a driver can clearly recognize whether the electric vehicle is in the on-state.

The shifter200is positioned at the standby mode when a vehicle is in the off-state, and is positioned at the use mode when a vehicle is in the on-state, so it is possible to clearly recognize whether an electric vehicle is in the on-state based on the position change of the shifter200.

Furthermore, the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode when a vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode, and is positioned at the use mode when a vehicle is in a manual driving mode.

It is assumed that a vehicle is in the on-state in the situation of the autonomous driving mode or the manual driving mode of the vehicle.

In an autonomous driving mode, a vehicle is being driven but the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode in the direction of twelve o'clock, and in the instant case, the autonomous driving activation image413is displayed on the indicator400, so recognizability of the autonomous driving mode is improved.

When a door open signal or a door unlock signal is generated, the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode and the welcome image411is displayed on the indicator400.

In a door open condition, the welcome image411is displayed on the indicator400, whereby a satisfactory aesthetic sense may be provided to a driver.

The shifter200should be switched between the use mode and the standby mode, depending on signals from the input unit500, and for example, the shifter200may be positioned at the standby mode when a door open signal is generated, and may be positioned at the use mode when a door close signal is generated.

Furthermore, the shifter200may be positioned at the standby mode when a door unlock signal is generated, and may be positioned at the use mode when a door lock signal is generated.

When the shifter200is positioned at the use mode, a driver can change gear stages by operating the shifter200, and when the shifter200is operated at the standby mode position, gear stages cannot be changed or an N-stage shifting signal may be output for only a predetermined time period immediately after a vehicle is turned off.

In a manual driving mode situation, the shifter200is positioned at the use mode and a driver can change gear stages by operating the shifter200.

A vehicle is in the off-state or is in an autonomous driving mode situation when the shifter200is positioned at the standby mode, so, in the instant case, gear stages are not changed for safety even though a driver operates the shifter200.

Exceptionally, to park a vehicle in the N-stage, it may be possible to output an N-stage shifting signal for only a predetermined time period immediately after a vehicle is turned off when the shifter200is operated.

When the shifter200is positioned at the use mode, as inFIG.6B, a driver can change gear stages by turning a shift knob220of the shifter200.

That is, when a driver turns the shift knob220forward (in the direction of an arrow R1), a D-stage or an R-stage is selected, when a driver turns the shift knob220backward (in the direction of an arrow R2), the R-stage or the D-stage is selected, and when a driver turns the shift knob220forward or backward and then releases the shift knob220, the shift knob220is returned to the initial position by a restoring force of an elastic member such as a spring. The initial position, for example, may be a Null stage at which a specific signal is not generated.

As an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be possible to change gear stages by rotating the shifter200itself in the use mode.

That is, when a driver rotates the shifter200itself upward (in the direction of an arrow R3), a D-stage or an R-stage is selected, when a driver rotates the shifter200itself downward (in the direction of an arrow R4), the R-stage or the D-stage is selected, and when a driver rotates the shifter200upward or downward and then releases the shifter200, the shifter200is returned to the initial position by a restoring force of an elastic member such as a spring.

Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a P-stage button600is separately disposed at the end portion of the shifter200, so it is possible to park a vehicle by operating the P-stage button600.

The shifter200according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a shift controller700that detects a change of gear stages by operation of the shifter.

The shift controller700is disposed and fixed in the shifter200, the shift controller700and the PCB330are connected to each other to transmit and receive signals through a wiring710, and the shift controller700can make the visual information image410excluding gear stages be displayed on the indicator400in the standby mode and can make the gear stages420of a vehicle be displayed on the indicator in the use mode in response to signals received from the PCB330.

That is, when a driver operates the shift knob220, the shift controller770detects a change of gear stages and transmits gear stage change information to the PCB330and the PCB330transmits the present information to a vehicle controller, whereby shifting is finished. Furthermore, the vehicle controller is configured to transmit a shift finishing signal to the PCB330in consideration of shift conditions, the PCB330transmits shift finishing information back to the shift controller700, and finally, the information of a changed gear stage420is displayed on the indicator400by the shift controller700.

It may be possible to define a configuration in which the PCB330in the housing100is a main PCB, the shift controller700in the shifter200is an assistant PCB, and the main PCB and the assistant PCB are electrically connected to each other through the wiring710.

The present disclosure, which relates to a column-type electronic shift control apparatus which is mounted on a steering column20of a vehicle, is characterized by including: a shifter200selecting gear stages of a vehicle; and a power mechanism300transmitting power to rotate the shifter200in response to a signal from an input unit500, and is characterized in that the shifter200is positioned at a standby mode which is a mode at which the shifter200extends upward or is positioned at a use mode which is a mode at which the shifter200laterally extends in the visual field of a driver ahead of a steering wheel10, and the shifter200is switched to the use mode from the standby mode by rotating clockwise or counterclockwise and is returned to the standby mode from the use mode by rotating in the opposite direction by operation of the power mechanism300when signals are input from an input unit500.

As described above, because the column-type electronic shift control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted in a rotation type on the steering wheel20of a vehicle so that the shifter200is positioned to extend upward in the standby mode and is positioned to extend laterally in the use mode by rotating from the standby mode in the visual field of a driver ahead of the steering wheel10, high-tech images may be provided, so there is an advantage that the commercial value may be improved.

Furthermore, because the column-type electronic shift control apparatus is configured to be able to shift by operating the shifter200even in the standby mode when the shifter200cannot be rotated to a use mode from a standby mode due to breakdown, there is an advantage that safety in shifting may be further reinforced.

Furthermore, the term related to a control device such as “controller”, “control apparatus”, “control unit”, “control device”, “control module”, or “server”, etc refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithm structure. The memory stores algorithm steps, and the processor executes the algorithm steps to perform one or more processes of a method in accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The control device according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented through a nonvolatile memory configured to store algorithms for controlling operation of various components of a vehicle or data about software commands for executing the algorithms, and a processor configured to perform operation to be described above using the data stored in the memory. The memory and the processor may be individual chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor may be integrated in a single chip. The processor may be implemented as one or more processors. The processor may include various logic circuits and operation circuits, may process data according to a program provided from the memory, and may be configured to generate a control signal according to the processing result.

The control device may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program which may include a series of commands for carrying out the method included in the aforementioned various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

The aforementioned invention can also be embodied as computer readable codes on a computer readable recording medium. The computer readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data which may be thereafter read by a computer system and store and execute program instructions which may be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include Hard Disk Drive (HDD), solid state disk (SSD), silicon disk drive (SDD), read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy discs, optical data storage devices, etc and implementation as carrier waves (e.g., transmission over the Internet). Examples of the program instruction include machine language code such as those generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code which may be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, each operation described above may be performed by a control device, and the control device may be configured by a plurality of control devices, or an integrated single control device.

In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable commands (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) for facilitating operations according to the methods of various embodiments to be executed on an apparatus or a computer, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including such software or commands stored thereon and executable on the apparatus or the computer.

In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device may be implemented in a form of hardware or software, or may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

Furthermore, the terms such as “unit”, “module”, etc. included in the specification mean units for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “up”, “down”, “upwards”, “downwards”, “front”, “rear”, “back”, “inside”, “outside”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “interior”, “exterior”, “internal”, “external”, “forwards”, and “backwards” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. It will be further understood that the term “connect” or its derivatives refer both to direct and indirect connection.

The term “and/or” may include a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items. For example, “A and/or B” includes all three cases such as “A”, “B”, and “A and B”.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.