OPERATOR CONDITION DETECTING DEVICE AND STEERING WHEEL

• US 20120006147A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: SANO, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/243,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20120006147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

When the electrical condition of a driver who is an operator of a vehicle is acquired by providing an electrode part on a steering wheel or the like that comes into contact with the driver, the electrode part is formed on a steering-wheel structure and is covered with a protective member. Conductive parts that pass through the protective part are formed by way of holes that are formed in the protective member. The conductive parts make the hand of the driver touching the steering wheel be in electrical contact with the electrode part. This configuration enables detection of the electrical condition of the operator without losing the degree of freedom in design by increasing the durability and easing the restrictions on the material and shape.

Claims

1. An operator condition detecting device comprising:

an electrode part that detects an electrical condition of an operator of an apparatus;

a protective layer that covers the electrode part;

a plurality of holes that passes through the protective layer; and

conductive parts that are formed on inner walls of the holes to be in contact with the electrode part.

2. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 1, wherein an electrode-side open end of each the hole is smaller than a protective-layer-surface-side open end of the hole.

3. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 1, wherein an electrode-side part of each the hole is filled with a protective agent.

4. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive parts are formed by sewing the protective layer with conducting thread.

5. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 1, wherein electrical conditions are detected from a plurality of sites of the operator and an electrocardiogram is calculated from the detected electrical conditions.

6. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the apparatus that is steered by the operator is a vehicle, and

the electrode part, the protective layer, and the conductive parts are provided in a steering wheel and/or a seat of the vehicle.

7. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 6, wherein the electrode part includes a first electrode that detects the electrical condition from one hand of the operator and a second electrode that detects the electrical condition from another hand of the operator.

8. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 7, wherein

the electrode part further includes an auxiliary electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

the auxiliary electrode is switched to and used as either the first electrode or the second electrode.

9. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 6, wherein the electrode part is provided on an outside of the steering wheel and an inside of the steering wheel.

10. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 6, wherein an operator-side layout of the conductive parts of the steering wheel is denser than a vehicle-side layout of the conductive parts of the steering wheel.

11. The operator condition detecting device according to claim 6, wherein

the conductive parts are formed on the inner walls of the holes having an elliptical shape, and

a major axis of the ellipse is aligned with a radial direction of the steering wheel.

12. A steering wheel comprising:

an electrode part that detects an electrical condition of an operator who conducts a driving action;

a protective layer that covers the electrode part; and

conductive parts that pass through the protective layer to

be in contact with the electrode part.