CAPACITIVE DETECTION DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR USE IN VEHICLE INTERIOR

Abstract

A capacitive detection device and capacitive detection system for use in a vehicle interior includes at least one electrically conductive wire, at least partially attached to a component of the vehicle interior, and at least one electrically conductive layer that is arranged in close proximity to the at least one electrically conductive wire, compared to a potential minimum distance to a vehicle occupant, wherein a galvanic connection between the at least one electrically conductive layer and the at least one electrically conductive wire is avoided.

Claims

1. A capacitive detection device for use in a vehicle interior, comprising at least one electrically conductive wire, at least partially attached to a component of the vehicle interior, a signal generating unit provided for generating a time-varying output signal and for applying the time-varying output signal to each electrically conducting wire of the at least one electrically conductive wire, at least one electrically conductive layer that is arranged to at least partially overlap the at least one electrically conductive wire in a direction perpendicular to a portion of an outer surface of the component that is closest to the at least one electrically conductive layer, wherein a galvanic connection between the at least one electrically conductive layer and the at least one electrically conductive wire is avoided, wherein the ratio of the lesser of a minimum distance between a portion of the outer surface of the component to the at least one electrically conductive wire and a minimum distance (d2) between the portion of the outer surface of the component to the at least one electrically conductive layer to the minimum distance (d1) between the at least one electrically conductive wire and the at least one electrically conductive layer at a location of the portion of the outer surface of the component is larger than or equal to 2.0 at least for a major portion of the part of the at least one electrically conductive wire that is attached to the component.

2. A capacitive detection system comprising a capacitive detection device as claimed in claim 1, and further including a signal evaluation unit that is provided for sensing a change of an electrical quantity that is indicative of a change in capacitance of the at least one electrically conductive wire, and that is provided for generating an output signal that is representative of the sensed change of the electrical quantity.

3. A vehicle seat with an installed capacitive detection system as claimed in claim 2, the vehicle seat comprising a seat base configured for taking up a seat base cushion, the seat base and the seat base cushion being provided for supporting a bottom of a seat occupant, and a backrest configured for taking up a backrest cushion provided for supporting a lumbar and back region of the seat occupant, wherein at least one electrically conductive wire of the at least one electrically conductive wire is at least partially attached to at least one out of the seat base cushion and the backrest cushion.

4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a seat heater device including at least one seat heater wire, wherein at least one seat heater wire of the at least one seat heater wire serves as the at least one electrically conductive wire to which the time-varying output signal of the signal generating unit is applied.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein each electrically conductive wire of the at least one electrically conductive wire forms a meandering pattern, and wherein the meandering pattern covers a major portion of a surface of the seat base cushion or the backrest cushion.

6. A vehicle steering wheel with an installed capacitive detection system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive wire is at least partially attached to the steering wheel in a portion of a circumference of the steering wheel.

7. The vehicle steering wheel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one electrically conductive layer is arranged to cover a portion of a surface of the steering wheel.

8. The vehicle steering wheel as claimed in claim 6, wherein an areal density of the at least one electrically conductive wire is higher in regions of azimuthal positions with regard to an axis of rotation of the steering wheel that correspond to regular holding positions used by a vehicle driver when driving in a straight forward direction.

9. The vehicle steering wheel as claimed in claim 6, the vehicle steering wheel further including a heater device with at least one heater wire, wherein at least one heater wire of the at least one heater wire serves as the at least one electrically conductive wire to which the time-varying output signal of the signal generating unit is applied.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle seat with an installed capacitive detection system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0030] FIG. 2 schematically shows a configuration of a capacitive detection device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and a vehicle occupant.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle seat 30 with an installed capacitive detection system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The vehicle seat 30 comprises a seat base 32 configured for taking up a seat base cushion 34. The seat base 32 and the seat base cushion 34 are provided for supporting a bottom of a seat occupant 50. The vehicle seat 30 further includes a backrest configured for taking up a backrest cushion provided for supporting a lumbar and back region of the seat occupant 50. The backrest, which is not shown in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity, is arranged at a rear edge 36 of the seat base 32 shown on the right-hand side of FIG. 1.

[0032] The vehicle seat 30 includes a seat heater device including a one or more seat heater wires 46 made e.g. from Constantan? wire having an outer electrical insulation layer 52. The seat heater wire or wires 46 is/are arranged in the vehicle seat 30 so as to extend through the various locations of the seat. One part of the heater wire 46 each is attached to each one of two seat base cushion side members 38 that are provided for supporting the seat occupant's thighs. Another portion of the heater wire 46 is attached to a seat base cushion front member 40, and two more portions of the heater wire are attached to a two-part seat base cushion center member 42, close to the A surface 44 of the seat base cushion 34. It will be noted that the different heater wires of the different portions of the heater wire may be independent from each other or may be interconnected so as to form a single heater loop. As will be explained in the following, this heater wire or heater wires 46 serve as electrically conductive wire 24 to which a time-varying output signal of a signal generating unit 14 of the capacitive detection system 10 will be applied.

[0033] The capacitive detection system 10 comprises the electrically conductive wire 24 formed by the heater wire 46 that is attached to the seat base cushion center member 42. The conductive wire 24 forms a meandering pattern that is arranged in parallel to the A surface 44 of the seat base cushion center member 42. The capacitive detection system 10 further includes two electrically conductive layers 26. Each electrically conductive layer 26 is arranged to overlap the meandering pattern formed by two heater wire 24, 46 attached to the two parts of the seat base cushion center member 42 in a direction 28 that is perpendicular to a portion of a surface of the seat base cushion center member 42 that is closest to the electrically conductive layer 26. The conductive layer 26 is arranged to overlap the meandering pattern at least in the area where a person/hand is expected to be in proximity. It will be appreciated that instead of two separate electrically conductive layers 26, a single electrically conductive layer may be arranged overlapping both parts of the seat base cushion center member 42.

[0034] Due to the outer electrical insulation 52 of the electrically conductive wire 24/heater wire 46 and an optional electrical insulating layer, which may be positioned between the electrically conductive layer 26 and the electrically conductive wire 24, a galvanic connection between the electrically conductive layers 26 and the electrically conductive wire 24 is avoided. The meandering patterns formed by the electrically conductive wire 24/heater wire 46 covers a major portion of the surface of the seat base cushion center member 42.

[0035] Moreover, the capacitive detection system 10 includes a signal generating unit 14 and a signal evaluation unit 18, which are installed remotely from the vehicle seat 30. The signal generating unit 14 is electrically connected with its output port(s) 16 to the electrically conductive wire(s) 24 formed by the heater wire(s) that is/are attached to the seat base cushion center member 42. The signal generating unit 14 is provided for generating a sine-wave output signal and for applying the output signal to the electrically conducting wire 24 or the electrically conductive wires 24.

[0036] The electrically conductive wire 24 is connected via the signal generating unit 14 to an input port 20 of the signal evaluation unit 18. The signal evaluation unit 18 is provided for sensing a change of an electrical quantity that is indicative of a change in capacitance of the electrically conductive wire 24, and is provided for generating an output signal at its output port 22 that is representative of the sensed change of the electrical quantity.

[0037] It will be appreciated, that the signal generating unit 14 and the signal evaluation unit 18 are preferably integrated in a single electronics module or circuit, e.g. in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0038] A configuration of the capacitive detection device 12 and the seat occupant 50 is schematically shown in FIG. 2. The configuration as well applies to a vehicle steering wheel with an installed capacitive detection system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and a vehicle occupant holding the steering wheel as a driver of the vehicle, which therefore will not be described to avoid repetition.

[0039] In FIG. 2, which expressly is not meant to scale, the electrically conductive wire 24 to which the square-wave output signal is applied is shown in the bottom part, being arranged close to the A surface 44 of the seat base cushion center member 42 (not shown in FIG. 2). Above the electrically conductive wire 24, the electrically conductive layer 26 is positioned in a minimum distance d.sub.1. In principle, the sequence of the electrically conductive wire 24 and the electrically conductive layer 26 may be reversed, such that the electrically conductive wire 24 is positioned above the electrically conductive layer 26. Above the electrically conductive layer 26, a trim layer 48 of a vehicle interior component is shown, which in case of the vehicle seat 30 shown in FIG. 1 may be a cover layer of the seat base cushion 34 or the backrest cushion, and in case of a vehicle steering wheel may be the trim layer of the steering wheel. The closest position to the capacitive detection device 12 that the seat occupant 50 can take is to be in contact with the cover layer of the seat base cushion 34 (or the backrest cushion), or the steering wheel trim layer, respectively.

[0040] The minimum distance between a portion of the outer surface of the vehicle interior component to the electrically conductive wire 24 is given by d.sub.1+d.sub.2. The minimum distance between the portion of the outer surface of the component to the electrically conductive layer 26 is given by d.sub.2. The lesser of these two minimum distances is therefore given by d.sub.2 in the shown embodiment.

[0041] A ratio of the lesser of the two minimum distances to the minimum distance d.sub.1, between the electrically conductive wire 24 and the electrically conductive layer 26 at a location of the portion of the outer surface of the component is thus given by d.sub.2/d.sub.1 and is larger than or equal to 2.0 (in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 about 2.6) for a major portion of the part of the electrically conductive wire 24 that is attached to the component, i.e. the seat base cushion center member 42.

[0042] While one or more embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0043] Other variations to be disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article a or an does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting scope.