Iee International Electronics and Engineering S.a.

Miguel Ribeiro

Frank Althaus

Thomas Faber

Baptiste Anti

Gianluca Favalli

Erik Holzapfel

Valentin Catalin Mica

Arnaud Meurens

Guenter Wagner

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 multi-electrode capacitive sensor is introduced to measure a spatial distribution of impedances to ground. The sensor can be used to identify the location of the highest impedance on the seating surface and can be a two-electrode sensor with a first electrode covering a central zone of a seat cushion and a second electrode with two galvanically connected electrode members, wherein each electrode member covers one side region of the seat cushion such that the first antenna electrode is arranged between the two electrode members of the second antenna electrode, or a two-electrode sensor with a left and right design. By measuring the difference of the impedance to ground between the two zones the system can get a simplified picture of the impedance distribution on the seating surface. This information can be used to distinguish between grounded structures such as (ISOFIX) child restraint systems and human occupants.

Capacitive occupant detection system with improved isofix discrimination

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Niederkorn, Luxembourg

Miguel Ribeiro