Sensor system for steering wheel for vehicle
First Claim
1. A sensor system for a steering wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
- a first sensor disposed within a left side portion of the steering wheel and configured to detect contact with a front left side surface of the steering wheel; and
a second sensor disposed within a right side portion of the steering wheel separate from the first portion and configured to detect contact with a front right side surface of the steering wheel; and
a third sensor disposed within the steering wheel to detect contact with a rear surface of the steering wheel,wherein the first, second and third sensors are configured to respectively detect contact with the front left side, front right side, and rear surfaces to indicate a hand grasp to the steering wheel made by an operator of the vehicle versus another body part contact to the steering wheel made by the operator of the vehicle.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor system for a steering wheel of a vehicle includes a first sensor disposed within a first portion of the steering wheel to detect contact with a front left surface of the steering wheel. The sensor system includes a second sensor disposed within a second portion of the steering wheel separate from the first portion to detect contact with a front right surface of the steering wheel. The sensor system also includes a third sensor disposed within the steering wheel to detect contact with a rear surface of the steering wheel. The first, second and third sensors are configured to respectively detect touching of the front left surface, the front right, and the rear surface of the steering wheel by a hand or a non-hand part of an operator of the vehicle. The first, second and third sensors can be complex impedance sensors.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A sensor system for a steering wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
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a first sensor disposed within a left side portion of the steering wheel and configured to detect contact with a front left side surface of the steering wheel; and a second sensor disposed within a right side portion of the steering wheel separate from the first portion and configured to detect contact with a front right side surface of the steering wheel; and a third sensor disposed within the steering wheel to detect contact with a rear surface of the steering wheel, wherein the first, second and third sensors are configured to respectively detect contact with the front left side, front right side, and rear surfaces to indicate a hand grasp to the steering wheel made by an operator of the vehicle versus another body part contact to the steering wheel made by the operator of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of sensing contact on a steering wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
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measuring impedance of a first sensor disposed within a first portion of the steering wheel to detect contact with a front left side surface of the steering wheel; and measuring impedance of a second sensor disposed within a second portion of the steering wheel separate from the first portion to detect contact with a front left side surface of the steering wheel; measuring impedance of a third sensor disposed within a third portion of the steering wheel separate from the first and second portions to detect contact with a back surface of the steering wheel; determining that the steering wheel is being contacted by two hands of a vehicle operator when the respective impedances of the first, second and third sensors are greater than or equal to a threshold impedance level; and determining that the steering wheel is being contacted by only one hand of the vehicle operator when the impedance of each of the first sensor and the third sensor is greater than or equal to the threshold impedance level and the impedance of the second sensor is less than the threshold impedance level, or when the impedance of each of the second sensor and the third sensor is greater than or equal to the threshold impedance level and the impedance of the first sensor is less than the threshold impedance level; determining that the steering wheel is being contacted by a non-hand portion of the vehicle operator when the impedance of either the first or second sensor is a non-zero level less than the threshold impedance level and the impedance of the third sensor is a zero or approximately zero level; and determining that the steering wheel is not being contacted by the vehicle operator when the respective impedances of the first, second and third sensors is at a zero or approximately zero level. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification