Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition LLC

T K Holdings, Inc.

Phillip B Maguire

Jeffrey Scott Bennett

Dwayne Van'tZelfde

Justin Richard McCurdy

Jason Carl Lisseman

Leonard Steven Cech

Len Cech

Judson G McDonnell

David Wilson

Blaine J Dolcetti

Kevin Chrustowski

Jeff Bennett

David Haggitt

Michael Tabaczynski

Shawn Tracy

Daniel Tabar

Robert Phillion

Michael Robert Tabaczynski

Systems and methods of shielding a hand sensor system in a steering wheel are disclosed herein. An exemplary hand sensor system includes a sensor mat and a heater mat that is disposed between the sensor mat and a frame of the steering wheel. A power source selectively provides a heating current to the heater mat to provide heat to the steering wheel and a shielding voltage signal to the heater mat to provide electrical shielding for the sensor mat when heating is not needed or when sensing takes priority over heating. Alternatively, the system may include a shield mat that is separate from the heater mat and is disposed between the sensor mat and the heater mat. In addition, to isolate the signal carried by individual sensor return wires, a metallic or insulating covering or conduit may be provided around the wires or portions thereof.

Systems and methods for shielding a hand sensor system in a steering wheel

According to various implementations, a sensor mat includes a mat substrate, a sensor electrode, and a shield electrode. At least a portion of the sensor and shield electrodes are spaced apart from and parallel to each other on a first surface of the mat substrate. The shield electrode is electrically coupled to a voltage source to create a capacitance between the shield electrode and the sensor electrode, and the sensor electrode is used to detect a change in the capacitance. The shield electrode may also be alternately used for heating the surface of the vehicle part adjacent the mat. For example, the sensor may be disposed adjacent a portion of a steering wheel or a seat assembly and is used for sensing presence of an occupant's hands or body adjacent the steering wheel or seat assembly.

Sensor mat providing shielding and heating

A system for controlling the operation of a human machine interface (HMI) device located in a vehicle configured to carry a passenger and a driver. The system includes an electrode positioned in a vehicle seat and a signal generating device configured to provide a signal to the electrode. The electrode transmit the signal through the occupant of the seat and the HMI device detects the signal when the occupant contacts the HMI device. The system is configured so that the HMI device operates in a first mode in response to exposure to the signal and in a second mode if the signal is not detected.

System and method for controlling a human machine interface (HMI) device

An occupant detection system includes a controller, a sensing electrode, and a shield electrode, the electrodes disposed in a vehicle seat. The controller is electrically coupled to the sensing electrode and shield electrode by a sensing circuit. The controller is configured to send an input signal to the sensing electrode, the shield electrode, or both and measures current, impedance, or capacitance values to determine the presence of an object on the seat, to classify the object, or both.

Occupant detection and classification system

A system for detecting the presence of an occupant of a seat. The system includes a sensing mat that includes an upper conducting layer and a lower conducting layer. At least one of the conducting layers comprises a printed electronic circuit separated into conductive zones by at least one resistive zone. The mat also includes a plurality of sensing zones and each of the sensing zones include a conductive zone from the upper conducting layer and a conductive zone from the lower conducting layer. Each of the conducting layers are connected to a controller configured to detect a change in capacitance of each of the sensing zones resulting from a change in distance between the upper conducting layer and the lower conducting layer. The controller is connected to a vehicle network and is configured to provide data to the network that indicates the absence or presence of the occupant.

Occupant detection system

According to various implementations, a vehicle pyrotechnic initiator assembly includes an initiator that includes at least one electrode pin and a validation device in electrical communication with the at least one electrode pin. The validation device provides validation information about at least a portion of the initiator assembly and/or a safety device in which the initiator assembly is installed. The validation information may include a date associated with an expiration of the initiator assembly and/or the safety device. The validation information may also or alternatively include a manufacturer identity associated with a manufacturer of the initiator assembly and/or safety device. In some implementations, the validation device includes an electrical circuit and/or memory that stores the validation information. For example, the validation device may include an ASIC chip.

Smart initiator assembly

A steering wheel system for vehicle includes a steering wheel configured to be gripped by an occupant and a first electrode positioned within a first sensing zone on the steering wheel. The first electrode is configured to generate heat when a first signal is supplied to the first electrode. The first electrode is configured to be used to determine the proximity of a hand of an occupant of the vehicle to the first sensing zone when a second signal is supplied to the first electrode. The steering wheel system also includes a controller configured to control the supply of the first and second signals to the first electrode based on the proximity of the hand of the occupant to the first sensing zone.

Hand sensing on steering wheel using heater element

A classification system for determining the occupancy state of a seat of a vehicle. The classification system includes a first sensing electrode located in a back portion of the seat and a second sensing electrode located in a base portion of the seat. The system includes a measurement circuit configured to measure a first property associated with the first sensing electrode and a second property associated with the second electrode. A controller is configured to send an occupancy signal indicative of the occupancy state of the seat based on the measured properties associated with the first and second sensing electrodes. The controller may be configured to send the occupancy signal to a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) system.

Occupant classification system with seat back sensor

A capacitive vehicle sensor includes a sensing electrode configured to generate an electric field, a shield electrode configured to reduce the electromagnetic influence of electric fields generated by objects outside of the electric field, a circuit coupled to the sensing electrode and shield electrode that allows a plurality of impedances to be coupled between the sensing electrode and the shield electrode, and a control system. The control system configures the impedances between the sensing electrode and the shield electrode, is configured to measure current to the sensing electrode in each configuration, and is configured to calculate a measure related to the impedance from the sensing electrode to ground.

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Phillip B Maguire