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:
Oct. 22, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 04, 2014
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Tsuyoshi Nishio, Chiba, JP;
Hiroshi Naitou, Osaka, JP;
Baku Sakaguchi, Osaka, JP;
Shinji Fujikawa, Osaka, JP;
Yuta Okazaki, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A steering wheel heater device including: a steering wheel heater configured of an electrical resistor which produces heat by electrical energy; an inductor; at least one switch; and a sensor circuit, wherein the inductor is connected in series to a first terminal of the steering wheel heater, the at least one switch turns on and off the supply of power to the steering wheel heater, the sensor circuit is electrically connected to the first terminal and determines whether a detected subject is in contact with a steering wheel based on a magnitude of capacitance of the steering wheel heater, and the at least one switch is at least one of a switch connected in series to the first terminal of the steering wheel heater via the inductor and a switch connected in series to a second terminal of the steering wheel heater.