Light-based controls in a toroidal steering wheel
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
A steering wheel for a vehicle, including front and back semi-toroidal surfaces joined at their outer circumferences by a light guide in the shape of a circular rim, and enclosing a toroidal volume having a cavity therein, a PCB mounted in the cavity, an alternating array of invisible-light emitters and receivers mounted on the 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 equipment mounted away from the steering wheel, the processor synchronously activating each emitter 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.
182 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A steering wheel for a vehicle, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification