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Light-based controls in a toroidal steering wheel

  • US 10,007,422 B2
  • Filed: 06/23/2016
  • Issued: 06/26/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A steering wheel for a vehicle, comprising:

  • front and back semi-toroidal surfaces of a steering wheel joined at their outer circumferences by a light guide in the shape of a circular rim, the steering wheel enclosing a toroidal volume having a cavity therein;

    a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in the cavity of the steering wheel;

    an alternating array of invisible-light emitters and receivers mounted on said PCB, such that the light guide projects invisible-light beams emitted by the emitters radially outward of the steering wheel, and directs reflections of the projected light beams off of a driver'"'"'s hands radially inward to the steering wheel toward the receivers; and

    a processor connected to said PCB and to equipment mounted away from the steering wheel, the processor synchronously activating each of the emitters with a respective neighboring receiver, identifying a driver'"'"'s hand gestures along an arc of the light guide based on reflected light detected by the receivers, and controlling the equipment in response to the thus-identified hand gestures.

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