Wireless switches using human body as a conductor

• US 10,033,381 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S, Johnson, Wendell C, DuVall, Wilbur E
• Primary Examiner(s): English, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/440,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0239 using movement detection or gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/266 with detection or alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children; with detection or alerting means responsive to improper locking or installation of the child seats or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/797 for use as electrical control means, e.g. switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/16 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/14 Dashboards as superstructure sub-units other dashboard aspects B60K
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9455 : constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 : Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

Arrangement for controlling a component having multiple states includes a device that generates a signal at a frequency that enables it to be conducted through a human body, and a conductive surface coupled to the device, situated in a position accessible by a part of the human, and which enables proximity or contact of the part of the human to the conductive surface to develop a reactive coupling between the human and the conductive surface. The component has multiple, different states and is controlled by the human to change from a first state to a second state upon completion of an electrical circuit including the component, the conductive surface and the device upon developing reactive coupling between the human and the conductive surface when the device is generating the signal conducted through the human. The component may be a vehicular component such as a door or window.

Claims

1. A control arrangement, comprising:

a device that generates a signal at a frequency that enables the signal to be conducted through a body of a human;

a first switch comprising;

a conductive surface situated in a position accessible by a part of the human, said conductive surface being configured to enable proximity or contact of the part of the human to said conductive surface to develop a reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, and

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) that receives power only when the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, and said RFID generating an identification signal when receiving power and which identification signal is transmitted from said first switch; and

a first component having multiple, different states, said first component being controllable based on the identification signal transmitted from said first switch to change from a first one of the states to a second one of the states only upon completion of an electrical circuit including said device and said first switch upon developing reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, whereby the electrical circuit is not completed unless the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first switch includes a capacitor that is charged by the completion of the electrical circuit including said device and said first switch upon developing reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal such that the reactive coupling is a capacitive coupling and said conductive surface is configured to enable proximity or contact of the part of the human to said conductive surface to develop the capacitive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said device comprises:

a first set of at least one antenna; and

at least one control unit coupled to said first set of at least one antenna and configured to direct said at least one antenna in said first set of at least one antenna to cause the signal to be generated.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said conductive surface is exposed and configured to enable contact of the part of the human with said conductive surface to develop the reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising material that covers said conductive surface and said conductive surface is configured to enable proximity of the part of the human to said conductive surface to develop the reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface through said material.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said device comprises an oscillator.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said device comprises:

a first set of at least one antenna;

a second set of at least one antenna physically separated from all of said antennas in said first set of at least one antenna; and

at least one control unit coupled to said first and second sets of at least one antenna and configured to direct said at least one antenna in each of said first and second sets of at least one antenna to cause current to be conducted through the body of the human.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said device comprises:

a first set of at least one antenna;

a second set of at least one antenna physically separated from all of said antennas in said first set of at least one antenna; and

at least one control unit coupled to said first and second sets of at least one antenna and configured to direct said at least one antenna in each of said first and second sets of at least one antenna to cause the signal to be generated.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of said antennas has a function state and a non-functioning state, said at least one control unit is configured to select at least one of said antennas to change from the non-functioning state into the function state based on morphology of the human.

10. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second sets of antennas is housed in a separate housing.

11. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second sets of antennas comprises a plurality of antennas.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a seat, said device being arranged in said seat.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first component is a vehicular component.

14. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first component is a door in a vehicle.

15. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first component is a window in a vehicle.

16. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a transponder receiver that receives the identification signal transmitted from said first switch.

17. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first component is controllable based on duration of a transmission of the identification signal from said first switch which is based on duration of the reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal to thereby provide variable control of said first component dependent on the duration of the proximity or contact of the part of the human to said conductive surface.

18. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said RFID transmits the identification signal through the body of the human when the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface and the reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface develops while said device is generating the signal.

19. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

a second switch comprising;

a conductive surface situated in a position accessible by the part of the human, said conductive surface being configured to enable proximity or contact of the part of the human to said conductive surface to develop a reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, and

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) that receives power only when the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface of said second switch while said device is generating the signal, and said RFID of said second switch generating an identification signal when receiving power and which identification signal is transmitted from said second switch,

the identification signal generated by said RFID of said second switch being different than the identification signal generated by said RFID of said first switch; and

a second component having multiple, different states, said second component being controllable based on the identification signal transmitted from said second switch to change from a first one of the states to a second one of the states upon completion of an electrical circuit including said device and said second switch upon developing reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface of said second switch while said device is generating the signal,

said second component being different than said first component.

20. A control arrangement for controlling a plurality of components, each of the components having multiple, different states, the arrangement comprising:

a device that generates a signal at a frequency that enables the signal to be conducted through a body of a human; and

a plurality of switches, each of said switches comprising;

a conductive surface situated in a position accessible by a part of the human, said conductive surface being configured to enable proximity or contact of the part of the human to said conductive surface to develop a reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, and

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) that receives power only when the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface while said device is generating the signal, and said RFID generating a unique identification signal when receiving power and which identification signal is transmitted from said switch,

whereby each of the components is controllable based on the identification signal transmitted from a respective one of said switches to change from a first one of the states to a second one of the states upon completion of an electrical circuit including said device and said respective one of said switches upon developing reactive coupling between the human and said conductive surface of said respective one of said switches while said device is generating the signal, the electrical circuit not being completed unless the part of the human is in proximity to or in contact with said conductive surface of said respective one of said switches.