Method and system for recognizing a tilt angle through sensing of torque variation in vehicle
Disclosed herein is a system for recognizing a tilt angle through detection of torque variation in a vehicle. The system includes a steering unit including a steering wheel steered by a driver and a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, a torque detection unit configured to detect a torque variation according to a change in tilt angle of the steering shaft, and a control unit configured to calculate a torque variation using pre-stored data for a joint angle of the steering shaft and a plane angle of the steering shaft according to the change in tilt angle of the steering shaft, and to derive data for a tilt angle of the steering shaft by matching the calculated torque variation with the torque variation detected by the torque detection unit.
1. A system for recognizing a tilt angle through detection of torque variation in a vehicle, comprising:
a steering unit comprising a steering wheel steered by a driver and a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel;
a torque detection unit configured to detect a torque variation according to a change in the tilt angle of the steering shaft; and
a control unit configured to calculate a torque variation using pre-stored data for a joint angle of the steering shaft and a plane angle of the steering shaft according to the change in the tilt angle of the steering shaft, and to derive data for the tilt angle of the steering shaft by matching the calculated torque variation with the torque variation detected by the torque detection unit.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit searches the calculated torque variation coinciding with the torque variation detected by the torque detection unit, and derives the tilt angle of the steering shaft using the joint angle and plane angle of the steering shaft matched with the calculated torque variation.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the calculated torque variation is calculated by the pre-stored joint angle, the pre-stored plane angle, and a phase angle of the steering shaft; and
the phase angle of the steering shaft is measured by a torque sensor.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the steering shaft comprises a first steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, a second steering shaft connected to the first steering shaft, and a third steering shaft connected to the second steering shaft;
a vertical angle formed by the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft is a first joint angle; and
a vertical angle formed by the second steering shaft and the third steering shaft is a second joint angle.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein:
a plane angle formed by the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft is a first phase angle; and
a plane angle formed by the second steering shaft and the third steering shaft is a second phase angle.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the calculated torque variation is calculated by the pre-stored first and second joint angles, the pre-stored plane angle, and the pre-stored first and second phase angles.
7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a seat adjustment unit configured to move a driver seat in forward and backward directions or adjust an angle of a backrest according to control of the control unit,
wherein the control unit controls the seat adjustment unit according to the derived tilt angle of the steering shaft.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit estimates a driver's body type or sitting height according to stored driver data and the derived tilt angle of the steering shaft.
9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit controls the seat adjustment unit considering the driver's body type or sitting height and the tilt angle of the steering shaft in the event of vehicle collision.
10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit informs the driver of data for the driver's body type or sitting height according to the derived tilt angle using at least one of sound and display manners.
11. A method of recognizing a tilt angle through detection of torque variation in a vehicle, the method being performed by a system in which a joint angle and a plane angle according to a tilt angle of a steering shaft are matched and stored in a table, the method comprising:
(a) changing the tilt angle of the steering shaft;
(b) detecting a torque variation according to a change in the tilt angle of the steering shaft by a torque detection unit;
(c) calculating a torque variation using data for the pre-stored joint angle and a plane angle of the steering shaft, based on the table, by a control unit;
(d) deriving the calculated torque variation coinciding with the torque variation detected by the control unit; and
(e) deriving the tilt angle of the steering shaft matched with the calculated torque variation.
12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising (f) controlling a driver seat according to the derived tilt angle by the control unit.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit searches the calculated torque variation coinciding with the torque variation detected by the torque detection unit, and derives the tilt angle of the steering shaft using the joint angle and plane angle of the steering shaft matched with the calculated torque variation.
14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit informs a driver of data for a driver's body type or sitting height and an optimal seat position according to the derived tilt angle using at least one of sound and display manners.