Wireless charging steering wheel

• US 10,396,584 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Madau, Dinu Petre, Bowden, Upton Beall, Lemecha, Myron, Whikehart, J. William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis B
• Application Number:
  US15/137,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320101, 320109, 320115, 320125, 320128, 320137, 320138, 219204, 219618, 219635, 219600, 219636, 219 67, 307 101, 307 91, 307 65
• 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 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles

Abstract

A wireless charging steering wheel device is described herein. The wireless charging steering wheel device is coupled to a power source via a clockspring included in the steering wheel. Also disclosed herein is an integrated wireless charging/heating system. Also disclosed herein are multiple coil placements for implementing the wireless charging steering wheel device.

Claims

1. A wireless charging steering wheel, comprising:

a center portion pivot-able and attached to a vehicle;

a connection portion coupled to the center portion;

a handle portion that circumscribes the center portion, and is connected to the connecting portion;

a clockspring installed in the center portion, the clockspring electrically connecting an electronic component unit (ECU) of the vehicle with actuators installed on the steering wheel;

an upholstery layer covering the center portion, the connection portion, and the handle portion;

at least one coil wrapped around the handle portion and coupled to the clockspring, and covered by the upholstery layer, wherein the coil is electrically charged to provide wireless charge to a wearable device worn by a driver of the vehicle in a proximity of the steering wheel; and

a processor configured to control whether the coil is in a heating mode, a wireless charging mode, both the heating mode and the wireless charging mode, or neither the heating mode nor the wireless charging mode.

2. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the coil is wrapped around the handle portion.

3. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 2, further comprising multiple coils wrapped around the handle portion, and the multiple coils are placed at a predetermined distance from each other.

4. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the coil is wrapped circumferentially around the steering wheel.

5. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 1, further coupled to a processor configured to determine whether the coil is in a heating mode, a wireless charging mode, both the heating mode and the wireless charging mode, or neither the heating mode and the wireless charging mode.

6. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the coils are further configured to electrically and wirelessly communicate data to and from the wearable device.

7. A method for a wireless charging steering wheel, the method comprising:

controlling, by a processor, a mode of a coil of the wireless charging steering wheel, the wireless charging steering wheel comprising a center portion pivot-able and attached to a vehicle, a connection portion coupled to the center portion, a handle portion that circumscribes the center portion, and is connected to the connecting portion, a clockspring installed in the center portion, the clockspring electrically connecting an electronic component unit (ECU) of the vehicle with actuators installed on the steering wheel, an upholstery layer covering the center portion, the connection portion, and the handle portion, at least one coil wrapped around the handle portion and coupled to the clockspring, and covered by the upholstery layer;

electrically charging the coil to provide wireless charge to a wearable device worn by a driver of the vehicle in a proximity of the steering wheel,

switching, by the processor, the mode of the coil from among a heating mode, a wireless charging mode, both the heating mode and the wireless charging mode, or neither the heating mode nor the wireless charging mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coil is wrapped around the handle portion.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless charging steering wheel further comprises multiple coils wrapped around the handle portion, and the multiple coils are placed at a predetermined distance from each other.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the coil is wrapped circumferentially around the steering wheel.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating data to and from the wearable device using the coil.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

electrically communicating data to and from the wearable device using the coil.

13. A wireless charging steering wheel, comprising:

a center portion pivot-able and attached to a vehicle;

a connection portion coupled to the center portion;

a handle portion that circumscribes the center portion, and is connected to the connecting portion;

a conductor installed in the center portion, the conductor electrically connecting an electronic component unit (ECU) of the vehicle with actuators installed on the steering wheel;

an upholstery layer covering the center portion, the connection portion, and the handle portion;

at least one coil wrapped around the handle portion and coupled to the conductor, and covered by the upholstery layer, wherein the coil is electrically charged to provide wireless charge to a wearable device in the vehicle in a proximity of the steering wheel; and

a processor configured to control whether the coil is in a heating mode, a wireless charging mode, or both the heating mode and the wireless charging mode, wherein the heating mode is configured to heat the steering wheel.

14. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein the coil is wrapped around the handle portion.

15. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 14, further comprising multiple coils wrapped around the handle portion, and the multiple coils are placed at a predetermined distance from each other.

16. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein the coil is wrapped circumferentially around the steering wheel.

17. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 13, further coupled to a processor configured to determine whether the coil is in a heating mode, a wireless charging mode, both the heating mode and the wireless charging mode, or neither the heating mode and the wireless charging mode.

18. The wireless charging steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein the coils are further configured to electrically and wirelessly communicate data to and from the wearable device.