Zf Automotive Safety Germany Gmbh

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Trelleborgvibracoustic Gmbh

Michael Schillinger

Guido Hirzmann

Hanno Pfitzer

Volker Hirsch

Lucio Barro-Bejarano

Jörn Boes

The invention relates to a steering device sensor comprising an electrically insulating support, which can be integrated in a steering device for a vehicle, and an electric conductor, which is connected to the support, characterised in that the conductor forms multiple measurement zones of different measuring sensitivity on the support. The invention also relates to a measurement system comprising two steering device sensors. The invention also relates to an operator control system using a measurement system comprising two steering device sensors. The measurement system and the operator control system can be used in a steering device such as a steering wheel.

Steering device sensor, measurement system, operator control system, and steering device

A method for detecting contact with a manually activated steering or control device, in particular a vehicle steering wheel, comprises the following steps: applying an alternating voltage to at least one conductor arrangement () which is arranged on the steering or control device, and has at least one conductor line with a significant ohmic resistance; determining the current profile in the conductor arrangement (); determining the real component and the virtual component of the instantaneous alternating current resistance of the conductor arrangement (); determining the capacitance or the change in capacitance of the conductor arrangement (); determining the phase shift; and evaluating the determined values. A device for carrying out the method comprises a steering or control device, in particular a vehicle steering wheel, a conductor arrangement () which is arranged on the steering or control device and which has at least one conductor line with a significant ohmic resistance, and a control and evaluation device which is configured to apply an alternating voltage to the conductor arrangement (), to measure the current profile in the conductor arrangement () and to evaluate the determined values.

Method for detecting contact with a manually activated steering device, in particular a vehicle steering wheel, and a device for carrying out the method

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Aschaffenburg, Germany

Michael Schillinger