Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Baku Sakaguchi

Tsuyoshi Nishio

Masaki Tada

Hiroshi Naitou

Yuta Okazaki

Shinji Fujikawa

Motoyuki Okayama

A steering wheel heater device including: a steering wheel heater configured of an electrical resistor which produces heat by electrical energy; an inductor; at least one switch; and a sensor circuit, wherein the inductor is connected in series to a first terminal of the steering wheel heater, the at least one switch turns on and off the supply of power to the steering wheel heater, the sensor circuit is electrically connected to the first terminal and determines whether a detected subject is in contact with a steering wheel based on a magnitude of capacitance of the steering wheel heater, and the at least one switch is at least one of a switch connected in series to the first terminal of the steering wheel heater via the inductor and a switch connected in series to a second terminal of the steering wheel heater.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Baku Sakaguchi