A control element (100), for example for a vehicle (1000), is specified which has at least one tubular section (2) with a cavity (4) at least partially surrounded by a wall (3), and a piezoelectric component (1) which is arranged in the cavity and which is provided and embodied to generate a haptic signal at at least one partial region of the control element and/or to detect the action of pressure on at least one part of the piezoelectric component.

Furthermore, a vehicle (1000) with the control element (100) is specified.

The present disclosure relates to a steering wheel input device and, in particular, a gear shift device for a steering assembly. Aspects of the present disclosure are particularly relevant to automotive paddle shifters and automotive input devices for a steering wheel group. A steering wheel input device includes an input actuator for location adjacent to a steering wheel and includes a one or two input regions, each being moveable around an axis of the steering wheel and being pressable by one of the driver's hands on the steering wheel for registering inputs. A tracking input receives tracking data, and a controller moves the input regions based on this. The tracking data may include hand tracking data for determining the location of the driver's hands on the steering wheel, where the controller is operable to move the input regions in line with movement of the driver's hands around the steering wheel.

A human body detecting sensor system includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a drive circuit, a detection circuit, and a comparison circuit. The second electrode is connected to the first electrode via a capacitor. The drive circuit generates a first signal having a prescribed frequency for driving the first electrode. The detection circuit detects a second signal generated at the second electrode in response to the first signal being supplied to the first electrode. The comparison circuit compares the first signal with the second signal. The comparison circuit detects a touch and/or an approach of an object, which has an impedance in a certain range corresponding to a human body, with respect to at least one of the first and second electrodes when a phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is within a prescribed range.

A vehicle steering wheel includes a hoop, a plurality of presence sensors and an outer sheath. The presence sensors are each arranged so as to detect a proximity and/or contact between a user's limb and the hoop. The outer sheath covers the plurality of presence sensors and is stitched with at least one seam that extends around at least part of the hoop. The plurality of presence sensors is mounted on the same support.

There is disclosed a detecting device including a detecting portion that detects contact of a person with a contacted body, the detecting portion including: an insulating body, the insulating body being sheet-shaped; an electrode, the electrode being sheet-shaped, being disposed at at least one side surface side of the insulating body, and being less extensible than the insulating body; and a positioning hole, the positioning hole being formed so as to penetrate through the insulating body and the electrode, and the insulating body and the electrode being positioned by the positioning hole.

Example proximity sensors are described. The proximity sensor can include a transceiver unit, and a leaky coaxial cable operably coupled to the transceiver unit. The proximity sensor described herein can be used with a steering wheel. For example, the leaky coaxial cable can be embedded in the steering wheel.

A steering wheel in which detection is made of an electrostatic capacitance generated between a hand of an occupant and a sensor electrode of a rim section to detect contact of the occupant's hand with the rim. The sensor electrode is separated in a peripheral direction of the rim section into a first electrode and a second electrode. This enables the installation surface area of the sensor electrode to be made smaller, enabling the cost of the sensor electrode to be reduced.

A touch detection device that includes: a steering body; a sensor electrode provided at the steering body and having an electrostatic capacitance; and a measurement control section configured to: measure the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode over a measurement cycle according to a measurement frequency and to output a detection value according to values measured by setting the measurement frequency to 50 Hz or 60 Hz for removal target frequencies of 50 Hz and 60 Hz, set the measurement cycle and a period for calculating a segment average of the measurement values based on the measurement frequency, and set an interval between adjacent averaging segments for calculating the segment average such that one segment average value is suppressed by another segment average value for 50 Hz and 60 Hz frequency components, and output an averaged measurement value for the two averaging segments as the detection value.

A handle includes a handle main body having a gripping portion, and a display device disposed at a position visible to a driver in the gripping portion. The display device is configured to be mounted to a mounted portion provided at the gripping portion, and configured such that a harness extending from the handle main body side is capable of being connected thereto. The harness has a harness-side connector to be connected to a display device-side connector, on the tip side exposed from a portion with a surface side covered with an outer skin layer covering the surface side of the gripping portion. A holding portion capable of holding an exposed portion exposed from the outer skin layer in the harness over a range from the base portion side to the tip side where the harness-side connector is disposed is formed on the display device side or the mounted portion side.

An operating device includes a touchpad having an operating surface for detecting touch inputs, which operating surface has multiple regions which are delimited from each other at least in part by one or more structural elements, each structural element being designed to have a first haptic effect on a finger when the finger swipes over the structural element; and a haptic actuator which is designed to have a second haptic effect which enhances the first haptic effect on the finger when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element. The operating device has a first operating mode in which the actuator is activated to produce the second haptic effect on the finger when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element, and a second operating mode in which the actuator is deactivated when the finger touches or swipes over a structural element.