VEHICLE CONTROL ELEMENT FOR MEASURING CONCENTRATIONS OF SUBSTANCES IN EXHALED AIR AND/OR IN BODY ODOR OF VEHICLE OCCUPANTS

Abstract

A vehicle control element measures concentrations of substances in air of vehicle, where the air includes the exhalations and/or body odors or other odors from occupants within the vehicle. A measurement chamber on or in the vehicle control element may include at least one first entry hole through which air can be drawn into the measurement chamber; at least one first exit hole through which air can be discharged from the measurement chamber; a polygonal, elliptical, or circular cross section; reflective inside walls; a laser located at a second entry hole in the measurement chamber, with which laser beams are projected into the measurement chamber through the second entry hole; and a detector located at a second exit hole in the measurement chamber with which laser beams exiting the measurement chamber through the second exit hole are detected. The vehicle control element also includes an interface to an evaluation device.

Claims

1. A vehicle control element for measuring concentrations of substances the air within a vehicle, comprising: an interface to an evaluation device with which the concentration of the substances is determined from a laser beam on the basis of a laser spectroscopic method; and at least one measurement chamber, in which the measurement chamber comprises: at least one first entry hole through which the air is drawn into the measurement chamber; at least one first exit hole through which the air is discharged from the measurement chamber; at least one of a polygonal, elliptical, or circular cross section; reflective inside walls; a laser located at a second entry hole in the measurement chamber, with which the laser beam is projected into the measurement chamber through the second entry hole; a detector located at a second exit hole in the measurement chamber with which the laser beam exiting the measurement chamber through the second exit hole are detected.

2. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the first entry hole and/or the first exit hole include a filter for filtering the air.

3. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the first entry hole and/or the first exit hole include a valve for controlling a flow of the air through the measurement chamber.

4. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the walls of the measurement chamber comprise reflectors that are configured for heating.

5. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, comprising at least one vibrator for cleaning the inner surfaces.

6. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is integrated in the detector or in the vehicle control element.

7. The vehicle control element according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation device determines a spectrum and executes a computer program that contains commands with which a machine learning model trained for image classification derives the concentration of substances in the air on the spectrum.

8. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control element is a steering wheel and the measurement chamber is located on a steering wheel rim, on a steering wheel spoke, or on a steering column.

9. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein a horn button on a steering wheel or a mount for the horn button forms the measurement chamber.

10. The vehicle control element according to claim 1, wherein the air includes exhalations and/or body odors from passengers within the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle control element is configured to measure the concentrations of the substances sourced from the exhalations and/or body odors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings.

Therein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a measurement chamber according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle control element according to the invention;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3; and

[0031] FIG. 5 shows another exemplary embodiment of a vehicle control element according to the invention.

[0032] The same reference symbols are used for identical or functionally similar elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The measurement chamber 1 in FIG. 1 has a heptagonal cross section, by way of example. The laser 3 and detector 4 are placed on the measurement chamber 1. The signals from the detector 4 are sent to the evaluation unit 6 via the interface 5. The detector 4, interface 5, and evaluation device 6 can be in the form of a system on a chip, or SoC. Reflectors 7 in the form of mirrors are located on the inner surfaces of the walls of the measurement chamber 1.

[0034] In another exemplary embodiment of the measurement chamber 1 according to the invention, the laser 3 is tilted slightly. The detector 4 is lower than the laser 3. This results in the laser beam circulating through the measurement chamber 1 more than once, thus lengthening the path of the laser beam within the measurement chamber 1.

[0035] The first entry hole 2a and first exit hole 2b are shown in FIG. 2 in the side view of the measurement chamber from FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the possible positions where the measurement chamber 1 can be installed in the vehicle control element 10, e.g. a steering wheel. One or more measurement chambers 1 can be placed in a steering wheel rim 11. One or more measurement chambers 1 can be placed in steering wheel spokes 12. One or more measurement chambers 1 can be placed in a steering column 13. One or more measurement chambers 1 can be place in a horn button 14, or on or in a mount for the horn button 14. By way of example, a first measurement chamber 1 is located in the steering wheel rim 11, a second and third measurement chamber 1 are located in the steering wheel spokes 12, a fourth measurement chamber 1 is located in the steering column 13, and a fifth measurement chamber 1 is located in the horn button 14.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a side view of FIG. 3 and illustrates where the measurement chamber 1 is installed. The steering column 13 connects the steering wheel to a dashboard 15 and forms the connection to the steering column assembly. The steering column 13 comprises a steering column switch, e.g. a lever for turning signals, high beam flasher, windshield wipers, and/or cruise control. The front windshield 16 is also shown.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the horn button 14, which forms the measurement chamber 1.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0039] 1 MEASUREMENT CHAMBER [0040] 2a first entry hole [0041] 2b first exit hole [0042] 3 laser [0043] 4 detector [0044] 5 interface [0045] 6 evaluation device [0046] 7 reflector [0047] 10 vehicle control element [0048] 11 steering wheel rim [0049] 12 steering wheel spoke [0050] 13 steering column [0051] 14 horn button [0052] 15 dashboard [0053] 16 windshield