The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2019
Filed:
May. 29, 2015
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aichi, JP;
Yuta Okazaki, Osaka, JP;
Hiroshi Naitou, Osaka, JP;
Shinji Fujikawa, Hiroshima, JP;
Tsuyoshi Nishio, Chiba, JP;
Nobuharu Katsuki, Kyoto, JP;
Takeshi Matsumura, Numazu, JP;
Hirotada Otake, Susono, JP;
PANASONIC CORPORATION, Osaka, JP;
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
An electrostatic steering wheel hold detection device includes: a first heater element located in a steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to a power source; an inductor—that is electrically connected to an other end of the first heater element; a second heater element that is included in the steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to the other end of the first heater element via the inductor; and a sensor circuit that is electrically connected to a connection point between the first heater element and the inductor, and detects, from a change in capacitance at the connection point, whether or not the steering wheel is held. An other end of the second heater element is electrically connected to a ground. The second heater element is located lower than the first heater element in the steering wheel when the steering wheel is in a neutral position.