US 12,253,160 B2
Method for controlling operation of sphere-type shifting apparatus
Min Gi Song, Seoul (KR); Ki Young Song, Suwon-Si (KR); Hee En Zoo, Goyang-Si (KR); Yong Min Chae, Gyeongsan-Si (KR); and Ho Cheol Jang, Daegu (KR)
Assigned to Hyundai Motor Company, Seoul (KR); and Kia Corporation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by Hyundai Motor Company, Seoul (KR); and Kia Corporation, Seoul (KR)
Filed on May 14, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/663,983.
Application 18/663,983 is a division of application No. 17/833,106, filed on Jun. 6, 2022, granted, now 12,055,215.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0106289 (KR), filed on Aug. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0301948 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. F16H 59/08 (2006.01); F16H 61/32 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 59/08 (2013.01) [F16H 2059/081 (2013.01); F16H 2061/326 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling an operation of a spherical shifting apparatus, the method comprising:
rotating a sphere mechanism to change a mode of the sphere mechanism by a power generated by driving of a motor when a signal of an input unit configured to generate a rotation operation signal of the sphere mechanism is generated;
determining whether the sphere mechanism has reached a rotation completion location within a predetermined time period by monitoring the rotating of the sphere mechanism;
checking a number of times of determination in the determining whether the sphere mechanism has reached the rotation completion location when it is determined that the sphere mechanism does not reach the rotation completion location, and checking whether the number of times of determination has exceeded a reference number of times; and
driving the motor in a reverse direction when it is determined that the number of times of determination does not exceed the reference number of times, and returning the sphere mechanism to an original state thereof by a reverse driving of the motor;
wherein the mode of the sphere mechanism includes a traveling mode so that a shifting unit is exposed to a vehicle interior through an opening portion of a housing of the spherical shifting apparatus, and a standby mode so that a design unit is exposed to the vehicle interior through the opening portion of the housing,
wherein the traveling mode and the standby mode are alternately changed whenever the sphere mechanism is rotated in 180 degrees, and
wherein the design unit includes a light source and a light window having a specific pattern formed on a surface of the light window to implement indirect light.