CAPACITIVE SENSING AND HEATING SYSTEM FOR STEERING WHEELS OR SEATS TO SENSE PRESENCE OF HAND OF OCCUPANT ON STEERING WHEEL OR OCCUPANT IN SEAT

• Main Authors: NORMAND, Tim, MARTON, Peter, CHEAH, Daniel Wei Li, LAKATOS, Robert, MAASS, Michael, FERNANDEZ, Gerardo Edel de la Garza, BARFUSS, Jack, GONZALEZ, Ricardo Edmundo Flores
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.07.2019
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MEASURING; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TESTING; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A capacitance measuring system detecting an occupant of a vehicle. A sensor/heater assembly is arranged in at least one of a seat or a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. A measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly, measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly in response to the excitation signal; determine at least one capacitance value based on the resonant frequency; and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the at least one capacitance value.