Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-10
2004-05-04
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C074S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732035
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adjustable pedal assembly for a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to an adjustable pedal assembly that can be disabled due to J1850 messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motor vehicles are likely to be driven by more than one person including family vehicles and company vehicles. Even for an individual driver, vehicles are driven by different people for maintenance purposes or in case of an emergency. Most likely, different drivers have different anatomy. Thus, motor vehicles are required to have suitable adjustment features to provide desirable driving conditions for more than one driver.
Conventional vehicular pedals are foot operated by the driver. The positional relationship between a vehicle occupant and a pedal is set by adjusting the front seat. Typically, the front seat is slidably mounted on a seat track with means for securing the seat along the track in a plurality of adjustment positions. However, due to difference in anatomical dimensions, the use of front seat tracks has been a growing concern since such adjustment could not accommodate all vehicle occupants.
Several attempts have been made over many years to provide selective adjustment of the pedal system to accommodate various size drivers. Recently, a control pedal mechanism has been developed that accomplishes the pedal adjustment without altering further dimensional relationships between the driver and the pedal assembly. However, none of these developments has been adapted to take into consideration certain safety concerns.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide an adjustable pedal assembly that is simple, inexpensive and easy to operate, yet capable of providing the adjustment of the pedal assembly to a desired position. It would also be highly desirable to provide an adjustable pedal assembly that can disable the adjustment of the pedal assembly under certain conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is provided an adjustable pedal assembly for a motor vehicle. The invention is capable of disabling the required adjustment under certain conditions while the adjustable pedal assembly is active.
To achieve this object, the present invention provides an adjustable pedal system for a motor vehicle. The adjustable pedal system includes an adjustable pedal assembly and an adjustable pedal module. The pedal assembly is movable to at least two pedal positions. The adjustable pedal module is responsive to a pedal command. The adjustable pedal module controls the movement of the adjustable pedal assembly. The pedal module further includes a lockout module to disable the movement of the adjustable pedal assembly when a predetermined lockout condition is detected. The adjustable pedal module is interconnected through a data bus to several vehicle electronic modules. The predetermined lockout condition is communicated to the adjustable pedal module over the data bus.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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Carlson James L
Danna Michael E
Dean Patrick D
Hoeffel James J
Kajdasz Gary F
Bacon, Jr. Edwin W.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Zanelli Michael J.
LandOfFree
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