Iee International Electronics and Engineering S.a.

Baptiste Anti

Thomas Faber

Michael Puetz

Thomas Stifter

Laurent Lamesch

Andreas Fox

Gianluca Favalli

Christoph Wendt

Christian Urig

Hans Peter Beise

Heinrich Gierens

Miguel Ribeiro

Dirk Johannes Thomas

Johann Bar

Valentin Catalin Mica

Jan Liptak

Lukas Hillay

A sensing system for hand or body part positioning detection on an object, particularly on a rim of a steering wheel, includes at least one electrically conducting signal line that is arrangeable on a surface of the object with a priori knowledge about a relation between a distance of any portion of the at least one signal line from a reference point and information on a position on the object, a signal voltage source for providing a time-dependent measurement signal to be traveling along the signal line, and a control and evaluation unit. From a received reflected measurement signal, the control and evaluation unit determines a position or positions on the object of a portion or portions of the signal line at least partially reflecting the measurement signal. Based on the determined position or positions, a hand or body part positioning on the object is determined.

TDR-based system for hand or body part positioning detection on an object, particularly on a steering wheel

A capacitive measurement circuit for a capacitive sensing device having a plurality of antenna electrodes includes: a measurement signal voltage source, a remotely controllable switching unit, and a current measurement circuit. The switching unit includes a plurality of ports and switching members that are configured to provide connections between selected ports. The measurement signal voltage source and the current measurement circuit are operatively connected to a distinct port. Each antenna electrode is individually connectable to a distinct port. The switching unit is configured to connect, within a same measurement cycle, each of the antenna electrodes to the voltage output port and the current measurement circuit for loading mode operation. The switching unit is further configured to connect at least one of the antenna electrodes to the voltage output port and at least one other antenna electrode of the antenna electrodes to the current measurement circuit for coupling mode operation.

Capacitive sensor device with selective loading and coupling measurement mode

A method of operating a capacitive sensing device that includes exactly two electrically conductive antenna electrodes, which are placeable in two layers at a vehicle steering wheel rim, and a current measurement circuit for determining complex electric currents in the antenna electrodes. The method includes at least the following steps for constituting a measurement cycle: operating each one of the exactly two antenna electrodes in loading mode and determine the complex impedance of the respective antenna electrode; and generating a classification signal that is indicative of a present scenario, based on a fulfillment of at least one predetermined condition concerning at least one characteristic quantity of the first complex impedance as well as of the second complex impedance.

Device and method for detecting a hand grasp with a two-zone sensor in the steering wheel

A sensing system and method of recognizing a hand gesture established by a sequence of hand touch positionings on an object. The method includes at least steps of: providing to a signal line a time-dependent measurement signal; receiving the measurement signal after being at least partially reflected by at least one portion of the signal line; determining positions on the object of the portions of the signal line that have reflected the measurement signal; comparing an obtained plurality of stored successively determined positions on the object with at least one predefined pattern of successive positions to derive a measure of similarity; and providing an output signal that is indicative of the predefined pattern of successive positions if the derived measure of similarity is lower than a predefined threshold value.

TDR-based system for detection of hand touch positionings on an object, particularly on a steering wheel for the purpose of hand gesture recognition

A method of detecting a hand positioning on a steering wheel using a sensing system having an electrically conducting signal line on a rim of the steering wheel with a priori knowledge about a relation between a distance of any portion of the signal line from a reference point and information on a position on the rim, and which further includes an electric impedance change of predefined magnitude that is permanently arranged at a predefined position along the signal line, a signal voltage source, and a control and evaluation unit. From a received measurement signal traveling along the signal line and having been reflected by the electric impedance change and by another portion or portions of the signal line, a reference travel time is determined. A position or positions on the rim of the other portion or portions of the signal line can then be determined.

TDR-based system and method for hand detection on a steering wheel with elimination of aging and environmental effects

A method of operating a capacitive measurement system for compensation of temperature influence is described. The capacitive measurement system includes at least one capacitive sensor member in an installed state and a capacitive measurement circuit for determining a complex impedance of an unknown capacitance from a complex sense current through the at least one capacitive sensor member. In the method, a calibration measurement is carried out to obtain temperature characteristics of both the real part and the imaginary part of determined impedances. In following impedance measurements of the unknown capacitance at a current temperature, the real part and the imaginary part of the measured impedance is determined, and based on the real part determined at the current temperature and the determined temperature characteristics of both the real part and the imaginary part, the imaginary part of the impedance determined at the current temperature is corrected.

Method of compensating temperature influence in capacitive measurements

A method of operating a sensor system having at least one proximity sensor, with regard to generating a trigger signal indicative of an occurrence of an operator-intended event in the presence of noise. The method includes repetitive steps of: acquiring the sensor signal at specified sampling times, comparing a value obtained as a presently sampled sensor signal with a presently valid first threshold value, generating a trigger signal if the value obtained as the presently sampled sensor signal is as large as or exceeds the presently valid first threshold value, omitting to generate a trigger signal if the value obtained as the presently sampled sensor signal is less than or equal to the presently valid first threshold value, forming a subset out of the sampled sensor signals, determining an update value for the first threshold value, and replacing the presently valid first threshold value by the update value.

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Hettange-Grande, France

Baptiste Anti