Patent ID: 11886669
Assignee: JOYSON SAFETY SYSTEMS ACQUISITION LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  H | IPC B  G  H

Claim 14:
15. A sensor system for a vehicle steering wheel, comprising:
a first electrode on the vehicle steering wheel;
a controller electrically and physically coupled to the first electrode, the controller having a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer executable instructions for execution by the processor, the computer executable instructions causing the processor to receive an electrical signal from the first electrode;
a second electrode on the vehicle steering wheel, at least a portion of the second electrode being disposed within an electrical field generated by the first electrode, the second electrode being physically decoupled from the controller,
wherein the electrical field generated by the first electrode induces a corresponding charge on the second electrode, and proximity of a conductive material to the first or second electrode alters the electrical signal received by the controller from the first electrode;
wherein the controller transmits a first electrical input to the first electrode that generates heat on the steering wheel, and the controller transmits a second electrical input to the first electrode that induces a corresponding charge on the second electrode, wherein the first and second electrical inputs are time multiplexed;
and
a third electrode disposed between a steering wheel frame and the first and second electrodes as a pair, the third electrode being physically and electrically coupled to the controller, and the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to transmit a third electrical output to the third electrode that shields the first electrical input and the second electrical input on the first electrode from the frame of the steering wheel.