Operation of servo devices for driving a motor vehicle - control, arrangement and method

An arrangement for controlling a motor vehicle having an engine, drive wheels driven by the engine and a gearbox installed between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle, the vehicle engine also including a throttle, and the vehicle including a steering wheel;

• the arrangement comprising:
• first and second servo devices respectively for controlling acceleration of the engine by controlling operation of the throttle and for controlling the gear box;
• an operating unit mounted on the steering wheel at a location to be manually operable by the driver's fingers while the driver's hand having the operating fingers maintains its grip on the steering wheel;
• the operating unit including first and second pressure sensors, the first pressure sensor being operable in response to pressure by the driver's finger representing a desired change in acceleration to generate a first electrical signal and the second pressure sensor being operable in response to pressure by the driver's finger representing a desired change of gears to generate a second electrical signal;
• and
• control means responsive to the first electrical signal for actuating the first servo device to control acceleration of the engine and responsive to the second electrical signal for actuating the second servo device to control operation of the gearbox to initiate and execute gear changes;
• a memory unit containing a plurality of speed control settings and the operating unit including a third pressure sensor responsive to pressure from the driver's finger for generating a third electrical signal representative of one of the speed control settings stored in the memory unit, the arrangement being responsive to the third electrical signal and the memory unit for actuating the first servo to maintain the speed of the vehicle at the selected speed setting.

A control for controlling the operation of a motor vehicle, the vehicle having an engine with a throttle, an accelerator control for operating the throttle, a transmission with a gearbox and a vehicle steering wheel;

• the control having first and second servo devices connected to the control;
• the first servo device being connected to the accelerator control of the vehicle;
• the second servo device being connected to the gearbox of the transmission;
• the steering wheel including a rim and the control being mounted on the steering wheel adjacent the rim at a location to be manually operable by the driver's fingers while the driver's hand having the operating fingers maintains its grip on the steering wheel;
• the control further comprising:
• first signal generating means responsive to a first manual operation by the driver's finger for transmitting a first control signal to the first servo device for the accelerator control;
• and second signal generating means responsive to a second manual operation by the driver's finger for transmitting a second control signal to the second servo device to initiate and execute changing of gears in the vehicle transmission gearbox;
• the control comprises a control element moveable in response to the driver's finger in first and second and in third and fourth control directions, the first signal generating means being responsive to movement of the control element in either of the first and second directions, and the second signal generating means being responsive to movement of the control element in either of the third and fourth directions.

An arrangement for controlling a motor vehicle having an engine with a throttle, drive wheels for being driven by the engine and a gearbox installed between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle, the vehicle also including a steering wheel for steering the vehicle, the steering wheel having a rim,

• the arrangement comprising:
• an operating unit mounted on the steering wheel at a location to be accessible for operation by the driver's fingers while the driver's hand having the fingers grips the steering wheel, the operating unit including first, second, third and fourth finger grips thereon each individually respectively operable by the driver's fingers, means connected to each of the finger grips for generating a respective first, second, third and fourth electrical signal proportional to the amount of pressure applied to the respective finger grips;
• control means, including
• a first servo device connected with the first and second finger grips for receiving the first and second electrical signals and being connected with the throttle for controlling engine acceleration;
• the connections between the first and second finger grips, the first servo device and the throttle being such that operating the first finger grip increases acceleration of the vehicle and operating the second finger grip decreases acceleration of the vehicle;
• a second servo device connected with the third and fourth finger grips for receiving the third and fourth electrical signals therefrom and being connected with the gearbox for initiating and executing gear changes in the gearbox;
• the connections between the third and fourth finger grips, the second servo device and the gearbox being such that operating the third finger grip operates the second servo device to cause an upward gear change in the gearbox while operating the fourth finger grip operates the second servo device to cause a downward gear change in the gearbox.