Patent ID: 8738224

Claim:
A steering wheel system for use with a vehicle, the steering wheel system comprising: a steering wheel configured for attachment to a steering column of the vehicle, the steering wheel having a rim; a touch sensitive member associated with the rim, the touch sensitive member configured to detect a first gesture having a first movement and a first position on the rim and a second gesture having a second movement and a second position on the rim and to generate a first electronic signal when the first gesture is detected and to generate a second electronic signal when the second gesture is detected, wherein the first movement is different than the second movement and wherein the first position is the same as the second position; and a processor communicatively coupled to the touch sensitive member, the processor configured to be operatively coupled to a first subsystem and to a second subsystem, wherein the touch sensitive member is further configured to send the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal to the processor and wherein the processor is further configured to send a first command to the first subsystem after receiving the first electronic signal and to send a second command to the second subsystem after receiving the second electronic signal, and wherein the first gesture comprises wrapping a finger at least partially around the rim and twisting a hand with the finger around the rim in a direction towards or away from a driver.