Combined heating and capacitive seat occupant sensing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A combined heating and capacitive seat occupant sensing system, comprising:
- a heating element configured to produce heat when an electrical current is caused to flow across the heating element, said heating element comprising DC-coupling terminals structured for coupling said heating element to a heating current supply;
a capacitive sensing circuit connected to said heating element, wherein the heating element is structured to be used as an antenna electrode, said capacitive sensing circuit comprising;
a voltage source configured for driving a first alternating current at a first frequency f1 into said heating element and a second alternating current at a second frequency f2 into said heating element; and
a common mode choke connected to the DC-coupling terminals of said heating element and configured to suppress alternating current flow between said heating element and said heating current supply;
wherein said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 are comprised in a range from 50 kHz to 10 MHz, with said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 spaced from each other by at least 10 kHz,wherein said common mode choke is configured to satisfy at least one of the following operating conditions;
a) −
5%≤
[KREAL(f1,f2,T)−
KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)]/KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)≤
5%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KREAL(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio G(fy,T)/G(fx,T), where G(fx,T) and G(fy,T) is a conductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;
b) −
3%≤
[KIMAG(f1,f2,T)−
KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)]/KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)≤
3%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KIMAG(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio L(fy,T)/L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is an inductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;
orc) −
20%≤
[Δ
L(f1,f2,T)−
Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)]/Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)≤
20%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where the function Δ
L(fx,fy,T) is defined as a difference L(fy,T)−
L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is the inductance, at a temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;
and wherein the capacitive sensing circuit is configured to calculate a capacitance associated with the antenna electrode and to determine whether a seat occupant is present or not based on the capacitance, wherein the capacitive sensing circuit calculates the capacitance based on at least one of a real part and an imaginary part of measured values for said first alternating current and said second alternating current and at least one of the inductance and the conductance of the common mode choke relating to the functions for KREAL, KIMAG, and Δ
L, each of which are temperature independent functions when the common mode choke satisfies, respectively, at least one of operating conditions a), b), and c), wherein the calculated capacitance compensates for residual alternating currents introduced to the antenna electrode by the common mode choke.
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Abstract
A combined heating and capacitive seat occupant sensing system comprises a common mode choke configured so as to satisfy at least one of a plurality of conditions, which is taken into account by a decision unit of the system in such a way that an influence of the common mode choke on the decision is compensated.
24 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A combined heating and capacitive seat occupant sensing system, comprising:
-
a heating element configured to produce heat when an electrical current is caused to flow across the heating element, said heating element comprising DC-coupling terminals structured for coupling said heating element to a heating current supply; a capacitive sensing circuit connected to said heating element, wherein the heating element is structured to be used as an antenna electrode, said capacitive sensing circuit comprising; a voltage source configured for driving a first alternating current at a first frequency f1 into said heating element and a second alternating current at a second frequency f2 into said heating element; and a common mode choke connected to the DC-coupling terminals of said heating element and configured to suppress alternating current flow between said heating element and said heating current supply; wherein said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 are comprised in a range from 50 kHz to 10 MHz, with said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 spaced from each other by at least 10 kHz, wherein said common mode choke is configured to satisfy at least one of the following operating conditions; a) −
5%≤
[KREAL(f1,f2,T)−
KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)]/KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)≤
5%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KREAL(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio G(fy,T)/G(fx,T), where G(fx,T) and G(fy,T) is a conductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;b) −
3%≤
[KIMAG(f1,f2,T)−
KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)]/KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)≤
3%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KIMAG(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio L(fy,T)/L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is an inductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;
orc) −
20%≤
[Δ
L(f1,f2,T)−
Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)]/Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)≤
20%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where the function Δ
L(fx,fy,T) is defined as a difference L(fy,T)−
L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is the inductance, at a temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;and wherein the capacitive sensing circuit is configured to calculate a capacitance associated with the antenna electrode and to determine whether a seat occupant is present or not based on the capacitance, wherein the capacitive sensing circuit calculates the capacitance based on at least one of a real part and an imaginary part of measured values for said first alternating current and said second alternating current and at least one of the inductance and the conductance of the common mode choke relating to the functions for KREAL, KIMAG, and Δ
L, each of which are temperature independent functions when the common mode choke satisfies, respectively, at least one of operating conditions a), b), and c), wherein the calculated capacitance compensates for residual alternating currents introduced to the antenna electrode by the common mode choke.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A combined heating and capacitive seat occupant sensing system, comprising:
-
a heating element delivering heat upon flow of an electrical current across the heating element, said heating element comprising DC-coupling terminals structured for DC-coupling said heating element to a heating current supply; a capacitive sensing circuit connected to said heating element for using said heating element as an antenna electrode, said capacitive sensing circuit comprising a voltage source configured for driving a first alternating current at a first frequency f1 into said heating element and a second alternating current at a second frequency f2 into said heating element; and a common mode choke connected to the DC-coupling terminals of said heating element and configured to mitigate alternating current flow between said heating element and said heating current supply; wherein said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 are comprised in a range from 50 kHz to 10 MHz, with said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 spaced from each other by at least 10 kHz, wherein said common mode choke is configured to satisfy at least one of the following operating conditions; a) −
5%≤
[KREAL(f1,f2,T)−
KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)]/KREAL(f1,f2,TREF)≤
5%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KREAL(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio G(fy,T)/G(fx,T), where G(fx,T) and G(fy,T) is a conductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;b) −
3%≤
[KIMAG(f1,f2,T)−
KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)]/KIMAG(f1,f2,TREF)≤
3%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function KIMAG(fx,fy,T) is defined as a ratio L(fy,T)/L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is an inductance, at temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;
orc) −
20%≤
[Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)−
Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)]/Δ
L(f1,f2,TREF)≤
20%, for any temperature T in a range from −
40°
C. to +150°
C.,where TREF=25°
C. and where a function Δ
L(fx,fy,T) is defined as a difference L(fy,T)−
L(fx,T), where L(fx,T) and L(fy,T) is the inductance, at a temperature T, of the common mode choke at the frequencies fx and fy, respectively;wherein at least one of said first frequency f1 and said second frequency f2 is selected in the range from 50 kHz to 400 kHz; and
wherein the capacitive sensing circuit is configured to calculate a capacitance associated with the antenna electrode and to determine whether a seat occupant is present or not based on the capacitance, wherein the capacitive sensing circuit calculates the capacitance based on at least one of a real part and an imaginary part of measured values of said first alternating current and said second alternating current and at least one of the inductance and the conductance of the common mode choke relating to the functions for KREAL, KIMAG, and Δ
L, each of which are temperature independent functions when the common mode choke satisfies, respectively, at least one of operating conditions a), b), and c), wherein the calculated capacitance compensates for residual alternating currents introduced to the antenna electrode by said common mode choke.- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeIEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
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Original AssigneeIEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
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InventorsVirnich, Michael, Hoyer, David, Thinnes, Martin, Puetz, Micheal, Meyers, Thomas, Lamesch, Laurent
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Primary Examiner(s)Chou, Jimmy
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Application NumberUS13/542,420Publication NumberTime in Patent Office2,315 DaysField of Search219496, 219202, 219203, 219204, 324686, 29718012US Class CurrentCPC Class CodesB60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occu...B60N 2/5685 ResistanceB60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitiv...B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat he...
