US 12,253,161 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 Jul. 2, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/761,894.
Application 18/761,894 is a continuation 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 2024/0353002 A1, Oct. 24, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16H 59/08 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 59/08 (2013.01) [F16H 2059/081 (2013.01)] 20 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 been located at a rotation completion location by monitoring rotation of the sphere mechanism; and
additionally driving the motor whose driving is terminated when it is determined that the sphere mechanism is not located at the rotation completion location so that the sphere mechanism is located at the rotation completion location,
wherein the sphere mechanism includes a shifting unit on a first hemisphere of the sphere mechanism and a design unit on a second hemisphere of the sphere mechanism;
wherein the mode of the sphere mechanism includes:
a traveling mode in which the shifting unit is exposed to a vehicle interior through an opening portion of a housing of the spherical shifting apparatus and the design unit is kept concealed in the housing; and
a standby mode in which the design unit is exposed to the vehicle interior through the opening portion of the housing and the shifting unit is kept concealed in the housing; and
wherein the traveling mode and the standby mode are alternately changed each time that the sphere mechanism is rotated in a predetermined angle.