WIRELESS SWITCHES USING HUMAN BODY AS A CONDUCTOR

• US 20160137148A1
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Wendell C., DuVall, Wilbur E., Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Vehicle including a seat on which an occupant sits, a set of at least one electric field antenna arranged in the seat, and a control unit coupled to the antenna set and configured to direct one or more antennas to generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through the seated occupant. An electrical circuit is coupled to a vehicular component and has a conductive surface in a position accessible by the occupant'"'"'s finger. Proximity of the occupant'"'"'s finger to or contact with the conductive surface, when an antenna is generating an oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant, causes a capacitive coupling to develop between the occupant and the conductive surface and completion of the circuit. This enables control of the component by the occupant'"'"'s finger, which may be adjustment or change in the state, condition or operation of the component.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a seat on which an occupant sits, said seat having a bottom portion and a back portion at an angle to said bottom portion;

a first set of at least one electric field antenna arranged in said back portion or said bottom portion;

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 generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through a body of the occupant when sitting on said seat; and

at least one electrical circuit that controls a vehicular component and each having a conductive surface in a position accessible by a finger of the occupant, said conductive surface being configured to enable proximity or contact of the finger of the occupant to said conductive surface to develop a capacitive coupling between the occupant and said conductive surface when said at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant,

each of said at least one electrical circuit comprising a transponder arranged in the vehicle and connected to said conductive surface, each transponder being configured to transmit a wireless signal upon developing capacitive coupling between the occupant and said conductive surface when said at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant,

whereby the capacitive coupling between the occupant and said conductive surface when said at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant causes completion of said at least one electrical circuit which enables control of the vehicular component by the finger of the occupant.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first set of at least one antenna is arranged in said bottom portion of said seat.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first set of at least one antenna consists of only one antenna.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said transponder defines said conductive surface.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat is a driver seat, further comprising:

a passenger seat on which another occupant sits, said passenger seat having a bottom portion and a back portion at an angle to said bottom portion; and

a second set of at least one electric field antenna arranged in said back portion or said bottom portion of said passenger seat;

said at least one control unit being coupled to said second set of at least one antenna in said passenger seat and configured to direct at least one antenna in said second set of at least one antenna to generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through the occupant in said passenger seat when sitting on said passenger seat.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said second set of at least one antenna is arranged in said bottom portion of said passenger seat.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said at least one control unit comprises a first 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 generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through the occupant in said driver seat when sitting on said driver seat, and a second control unit coupled to said second set of at least one antenna and configured to direct said at least one antenna in said second set of at least one antenna to generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through the occupant in said passenger seat when sitting on said passenger seat.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said at least one control unit comprises a control unit arranged in or on said driver seat.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical circuit comprises a plurality of electrical circuits each controlling a respective vehicular component.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said transponder is part of a radio frequency identification device (RFID) switch and an input terminal of said RFID switch is defined by said conductive surface.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat is a passenger seat and said at least one control unit comprises a control unit arranged in or on said passenger seat.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said conductive surface is exposed in the vehicle and configured to be activated by contact with the occupant.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said conductive surface is covered by material in the vehicle and configured to be activated by presence of part of the occupant within a distance that causes capacitance to develop between the occupant and said conductive surface.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical circuit further comprises a transponder receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted signal sent by said transponder upon developing capacitive coupling between the occupant and said conductive surface when said at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant, reception of the wirelessly transmitted signal by said transponder receiver causing the vehicular component to be controlled based thereon.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said transponder comprises a radio frequency identification device having a unique identification.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a steering wheel, said conductive surface being arranged on said steering wheel.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an instrument panel, said conductive surface being arranged on said instrument panel.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an armrest, said conductive surface being arranged on said armrest.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an instrument panel with a projecting portion, said conductive surface being arranged on said projecting portion of said instrument panel.

20. A method for enabling an occupant of a vehicle to control a component in the vehicle, comprising:

directing at least one antenna in a first set of at least one electric field antenna arranged in a seat on which the occupant sits to generate an oscillating electric field at a frequency that enables the electric field to be conducted through a body of the occupant when sitting on the seat, a capacitive coupling developing between the occupant and a conductive surface in a position accessible by a finger of the occupant when the occupant'"'"'s finger is in proximity to or contacts the conductive surface while the at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant;

transmitting a wireless signal from a transponder arranged in the vehicle and connected to the conductive surface when capacitive coupling develops between the occupant and the conductive surface while the at least one antenna is generating the oscillating electric field conducted through the occupant;

then

receiving the transmitted wireless signal at a transponder receiver arranged in the vehicle; and

then

controlling the component based on the received wireless signal.