Steering apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a steering apparatus for a vehicle. A steering apparatus for a vehicle includes: one or more sensors configured to detect a plurality of hand movements from an operator of the vehicle; and one or more circuits coupled to the one or more sensors; wherein the one or more circuits are configured to adjust one or more elements of the vehicle based on the detected hand movement such that an operator of the vehicle can adjust operation of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to steering devices for vehicles, specifically, but not limited to, including one or more sensors to allow vehicle operators to adjust the steering wheel of the vehicle without removing one or more of their hands. Background Technology

[0002] In a vehicle, there may be a number of knobs, buttons, or switches that enable the vehicle operator to perform various functions. These knobs, buttons, and switches form part of what is known as a Human-Machine Interface (HMI). For example, if the vehicle is a car, functions that can be controlled via the HMI may include adjusting the air conditioning, heating, adjusting the music volume, setting the car's driving mode, or activating an alarm indicator to warn other drivers of events.

[0003] Typically, HMI elements are mechanical. Recently, capacitive switches have been used. However, both mechanical HMI elements and capacitive switches require the vehicle operator to remove their hands from the devices used to steer the vehicle (e.g., the steering wheel if the vehicle is a car). This can reduce the driver's attention span or impair their ability to use the steering system.

[0004] To overcome this, some HMI components have been integrated into the steering system. For example, window controls or volume controls in a car can be integrated into the steering wheel. However, integrating HMI components into the steering system in this way increases the complexity of the system. Furthermore, when integrated into the steering system, the HMI component can only provide a single function. Therefore, a higher number of HMI components may be required, which is undesirable.

[0005] Therefore, a new way to implement HMI elements in vehicle steering systems is needed to overcome these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a steering device for a vehicle is provided, the steering device comprising: one or more sensors configured to detect multiple hand movements from an operator of the vehicle; and one or more circuits coupled to the one or more sensors; wherein the one or more circuits are configured to adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the detected hand movements, enabling the operator of the vehicle to adjust the operation of the vehicle.

[0007] Alternatively, the operator can adjust the vehicle's operation without removing one or more of their hands from the steering equipment.

[0008] Optionally, the one or more sensors may include one or more conductive foils.

[0009] Optionally, it also includes one or more shift paddles, which are located on the rear left-hand side and / or rear right-hand side of the steering device.

[0010] Optionally, the one or more sensors are disposed on the one or more shift paddles.

[0011] Optionally, the one or more sensors are located on the front side of the steering device.

[0012] Optionally, the one or more sensors are located on the rear side of the steering device.

[0013] Optionally, the one or more sensors are located on the left-hand side of the steering device.

[0014] Optionally, the one or more sensors are located on the right side of the steering device.

[0015] Optionally, the one or more sensors are located on the front, rear, left-hand, and right-hand sides of the steering device.

[0016] Optionally, the one or more sensors are arranged such that they define multiple detection zones, each detection zone being connected to each of the one or more circuits to adjust one or more components of the vehicle.

[0017] Optionally, the sensor includes an impedance sensor and / or a torque sensor.

[0018] Alternatively, the multiple hand movements are multiple touch movements.

[0019] Optionally, the multiple touch movements include the detection of one or more fingers, a grasp of one hand, a grasp of both hands, a release of one hand, a release of both hands, a swipe motion from left to right, a swipe motion from right to left, a single tap of one hand, two or more taps of one hand, a single tap of both hands, and / or two or more taps of both hands.

[0020] Optionally, each of the plurality of touch movements is associated with an operation that alters the components of the vehicle.

[0021] Optionally, the one or more circuits include an impedance measurement system.

[0022] Optionally, each of the one or more sensors has an associated impedance such that when one or more of the one or more sensors detects one of the multiple hand movements, the associated impedance changes.

[0023] Optionally, the impedance measurement system is configured to detect changes in associated impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the changes in associated impedance.

[0024] Optionally, changes in the associated impedance may include increases or decreases in the associated impedance.

[0025] Optionally, one or more components of the vehicle include at least one of an indicator system, a heating system, a call system, a volume control unit, an autonomous driving system, a display system, a navigation system, and / or a driving mode system.

[0026] Optionally, altering the operation of the vehicle includes at least one of the following: turning on and / or off one or more components of the vehicle, turning on or off one of the vehicle indicators, increasing or decreasing the temperature inside the vehicle, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the steering equipment, making, answering or rejecting a call, increasing or decreasing the volume of music or calls, muting music or calls, starting or ending autonomous driving, changing the content displayed on the displays in the vehicle, initiating map navigation to a predetermined destination and / or selecting the vehicle's driving mode.

[0027] Optionally, the steering device is a steering wheel.

[0028] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is provided that includes the steering device of the first aspect.

[0029] Optionally, the vehicle is a car, truck, large truck, and / or minivan.

[0030] It should be understood that the vehicle of the second aspect may include providing and / or using the features set forth in the first aspect, and may incorporate other features described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The present disclosure is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

[0032] Figure 1(a) is a first example embodiment of the steering device according to the present disclosure; Figure 1(b) is a second example embodiment of the steering device according to the present disclosure; Figure 1(c) is a third example embodiment of the steering device according to the present disclosure; and Figure 1(d) is a fourth example embodiment of the steering device according to the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2 It is a block diagram of the steering device according to this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a graph showing the detection results of multiple hand movements detected by the steering device of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an exemplary circuit that can be used in the steering device of this disclosure; and

[0036] Figure 5 This is a diagram of a vehicle that includes the steering equipment disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Figure 1(a) illustrates a first example embodiment of a steering device 100a for a vehicle according to the present disclosure. The steering device 100a includes a single sensor 110 integrated into the steering device 100a. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, more sensors may be integrated. The steering device 100a also includes one or more circuits (not shown) coupled to the sensor 110. The steering device 100a in this first example embodiment is a steering wheel 100a for an automobile; it should be understood that, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the steering device 100a may be implemented with other types of vehicles.

[0038] Sensor 110 is configured to detect multiple hand movements from a vehicle operator. Once sensor 110 detects a hand movement, the one or more circuits are configured to adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the detected hand movement. In this way, the vehicle operator can adjust the vehicle's operation without having to remove one or more of their hands from the steering system. The hand movements are performed by one or both hands of the operator and may include gripping or sliding the steering wheel. The one or more components of the vehicle may include HMI elements known in the art, such as volume controls for music playback or answering phone calls.

[0039] In the context of this disclosure, the term "adjustment" can refer to an action including turning one or more components of the vehicle on or off, activating or deactivating one or more components of the vehicle, and increasing or decreasing one or more components of the vehicle by a certain number of actions.

[0040] For example, in partially and fully autonomous vehicles, it is necessary to assess whether the operator has their hands on the steering equipment. In the case of partially autonomous vehicles (automation levels 2 and 3), this may be for legal / regulatory reasons, or it may be to achieve some kind of smooth transition from autonomous to manual driving (touching the steering wheel can indicate the deactivation of autonomous driving if the operator decides to take control of the vehicle). Therefore, to assess whether the operator has their hands on the steering wheel, a sensor 110 on the steering equipment 100 can be used. The sensor 110 can be positioned on the left or right side of the steering equipment 100a. The sensor 110 will measure different impedances depending on whether the operator touches the steering equipment 100a, so the vehicle can use the sensor 110 to detect whether the operator has one or more hands on the steering equipment 100c. This may also be referred to as hand-on / off detection. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the sensor 110 may be configured to detect different movements that will cause different changes in the operation of the vehicle.

[0041] In the steering device 100a of Figure 1(a), a single sensor 110 is integrated into the front side of the steering device 100b along its periphery. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the sensor 110 may be integrated into the rear side, left-hand side, or right-hand side of the steering device. The sensor 110 may include an impedance sensor or a torque sensor. An impedance sensor is preferred because it can distinguish hand movements attributable to one or more hands of the operator from hand movements attributable to adding an object to the steering device 100a. The sensor 110 is configured to detect whether the operator's hand is in contact with the steering device.

[0042] The circuit (not shown in Figure 1(a)) includes an impedance measurement system. Sensor 110 has an associated impedance. When an operator applies pressure to sensor 110 with one or both hands, the associated impedance changes. The impedance measurement system is configured to detect this change in impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on this change. This change can be an increase or decrease in the associated impedance.

[0043] As understood by those skilled in the art, in an alternative embodiment, the steering device 100a may include two sensors 110, wherein a first sensor is integrated into the front side of the steering device and a second sensor is integrated into the rear side of the steering device.

[0044] Figure 1(b) shows a second exemplary embodiment of an exploded view of a vehicle steering device 100b according to the present disclosure. The steering device 100b includes four sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d integrated into the steering device 100b. The steering device 100b also includes circuitry (not shown) coupled to one or more of the sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d. The steering device 100b in this second exemplary embodiment is a car steering wheel 100b; it should be understood that, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the steering device 100b may be implemented with other types of vehicles.

[0045] Sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d are configured to detect multiple hand movements from a vehicle operator. Once one or more of sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d detect a hand movement, the one or more circuits adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the detected hand movement. In this way, the vehicle operator can adjust the operation of the vehicle without having to remove one or more of their hands from the steering device 100b. The multiple hand movements can be, for example, multiple touch movements that can be performed by one or both of the operator's hands. The multiple touch movements can include the detection of one or more fingers, a gripping motion of one hand, a gripping motion of both hands, a release motion of one hand, a release motion of both hands, a sliding motion from left to right, a sliding motion from right to left, a single tap of one hand, two or more taps of one hand, a single tap of both hands, and / or two or more taps of both hands.

[0046] In the context of this disclosure, the term "adjustment" can refer to an action including turning one or more components of the vehicle on or off, activating or deactivating one or more components of the vehicle, and increasing or decreasing one or more components of the vehicle by a certain number of actions.

[0047] Each touch motion in the touch movement can be associated with changing the operation of different components of the vehicle. For example, in one embodiment of the steering device 100b, the vehicle operator can configure the vehicle such that if a call is coming in, a double-click on the front of the steering device 100b will accept the call, while a double-click on the rear of the steering device 100b will reject the call (or vice versa). As another example, in another embodiment of the steering device 100b, a tap on the rear of the steering device 100b during a call can end the call. In yet another example, in another embodiment of the steering device 100b, when no call is in progress, a double-click on the front of the steering device 100b can cause the navigation system to be maximized on the vehicle's display. A double-click on the rear of the steering device 100b can activate the "Navigate to Home" function, whereby the navigation system automatically guides the operator to their home address without further interaction with the vehicle and without requiring the operator to remove their hands from the steering device 100b.

[0048] In the steering device 100b shown in Figure 1(b), sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d are integrated into the front right-hand side, front left-hand side, rear right-hand side, and rear left-hand side of the steering device. This arrangement allows for four detection zones across the steering wheel: left, right, front, and rear. Sensors 120a, 120b, 120d, and 120c may include impedance sensors or torque sensors. Impedance sensors are preferred because they can distinguish between pressure attributed to one or more of the operator's hands and pressure attributed to adding an object to the steering device 100b. Sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d are configured to detect one or more fingers, a grip of one hand, a grip of two hands, a release of one hand, a release of two hands, a sliding motion from left to right, a sliding motion from right to left, a single tap of one hand, two or more taps of one hand, a single tap of two hands, and / or two or more taps of two hands.

[0049] In Figure 1(b), the steering device 100b has two separate sensors 120a and 120d in the front and two other separate sensors 120b and 120c in the rear. This allows detection of whether a specific, predefined contact, such as a tap, has occurred on the left or right side of the steering device 100b. For example, in a given embodiment of the steering device 100b, the right-side indicator of the vehicle can be activated by double-tapping on the right side of the steering device 100b at the front (or rear). Thus, the detected gesture can be location-specific. Furthermore, this allows for conditional touch-based input. For example, if the vehicle detects both a double-tapping on the left and a double-tapping on the right side of the steering device 100b (approximately simultaneously), the vehicle can be configured to switch to fully autonomous driving, but the operation of different components of the vehicle can be altered when the double-tapping occurs only on the left or only on the right side of the steering device 100b.

[0050] Each of the one or more circuits (not shown in Figure 1(b)) includes an impedance measurement system. Sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d each have an associated impedance. When an operator applies pressure to one or more of the sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d, the associated impedance changes. The impedance measurement system is configured to detect this change in associated impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the change in associated impedance. This change can be an increase or a decrease in the associated impedance.

[0051] Figure 1(c) illustrates a third exemplary embodiment of a vehicle steering device 100c according to the present disclosure. The steering device 100c includes a plurality of sensors 130 integrated into the periphery of the steering device 100c. The steering device 100c also includes circuitry (not shown) coupled to one or more of the plurality of sensors 130. The steering device 100c in this third exemplary embodiment is a car steering wheel 100c; it should be understood that, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the steering device 100c may be implemented with other types of vehicles in other embodiments.

[0052] Multiple sensors 130 are configured to detect multiple hand movements from the vehicle operator. Once one or more of the multiple sensors 130 detect a hand movement, the one or more circuits adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the detected hand movement. In this way, the vehicle operator can adjust the operation of the vehicle without having to remove one or both hands from the steering device 100c. The arrangement of the multiple sensors 130 defines multiple detection zones. Each detection zone is connected to each of the one or more circuits to adjust one or more components of the vehicle. The multiple detection zones enable the capture of more advanced gestures, such as sliding to the right or left (clockwise or counterclockwise). For example, in a given embodiment, the operator can activate the right indicator by sliding clockwise along the periphery of the steering wheel. The multiple hand movements can be multiple touch movements, which may also include the detection of one or more fingers, grasping with one hand, grasping with both hands, releasing with one hand, releasing with both hands, swiping from left to right, swiping from right to left, a single tap with one hand, two or more taps with one hand, a single tap with both hands, and / or two or more taps with both hands. Other hand movements and postures may be considered, as understood by those skilled in the art.

[0053] In the context of this disclosure, the term "adjustment" can refer to an action including turning one or more components of the vehicle on or off, activating or deactivating one or more components of the vehicle, and increasing or decreasing one or more components of the vehicle by a certain number of actions.

[0054] The steering device 100c of the third example embodiment is preferred because it helps to distinguish the multiple hand movements. Each hand movement can be associated with changing the operation of a component in the vehicle. For example, for the same hand movement, using three detection zones to activate the right (or left) indicator during a slide is more robust than having only two detection zones. Similarly, allocating three taps to answer a phone call is more robust than having only two taps.

[0055] In the steering device 100c of Figure 1(c), a plurality of sensors 130 are integrated around the periphery of the front and rear sides of the steering device 100c, thereby allowing for multiple detection zones. The plurality of sensors 130 may include impedance sensors or torque sensors. Impedance sensors are preferred because they can distinguish hand movements attributable to one or more hands of the operator from hand movements attributable to adding an object to the steering device 100c. The plurality of sensors 130 are configured to detect one or more fingers, a grasping motion of one hand, a grasping motion of two hands, a release of one hand, a release of two hands, a sliding motion from left to right, a sliding motion from right to left, a single tap of one hand, two or more taps of one hand, a single tap of two hands, and / or two or more taps of two hands. Other movements or hand postures may be detected, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] Each of the one or more circuits (not shown in Figure 1(c)) includes an impedance measurement system. Multiple sensors 130 each have an associated impedance. When an operator adds a hand to one or more of the multiple sensors 130, the impedance associated with that sensor changes. The impedance measurement system is configured to detect this change in associated impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on this change. The change can be an increase or a decrease in the associated impedance.

[0057] One or more sensors integrated into the steering device, combined with one or more circuits including an impedance measurement system, define an arrangement of one or more detection zones to achieve fast (update rate ≤ 0.5 ms per measurement configuration) and reliable gesture recognition, such as taps or swipes (one hand, two hands, full grip, one finger, two fingers, with / without gloves). The one or more circuits may include, for example, a sensor signal conditioner, but the steering device 100cs of this disclosure is not limited to using such circuits.

[0058] Figure 1(d) shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of an exploded view of a vehicle steering device 100d according to the present disclosure. The steering device 100d includes six sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f integrated into the steering device 100d. The steering device 100d also includes circuitry (not shown) coupled to one or more of the sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f. The steering device 100d in this fourth exemplary embodiment is a car steering wheel 100d; it should be understood that, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the steering device 100d may be implemented with other types of vehicles.

[0059] Sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f are configured to detect multiple hand movements from a vehicle operator. Once one or more of sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f detect a hand movement, the one or more circuits adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the detected hand movement. In this way, the vehicle operator can adjust the operation of the vehicle without having to remove one or more of their hands from the steering device 100d. The multiple hand movements can be, for example, multiple touch movements that can be performed by one or both of the operator's hands. The multiple touch movements can include the detection of one or more fingers, a gripping motion of one hand, a gripping motion of both hands, a release motion of one hand, a release motion of both hands, a sliding motion from left to right, a sliding motion from right to left, a single tap of one hand, two or more taps of one hand, a single tap of both hands, and / or two or more taps of both hands.

[0060] In the context of this disclosure, the term "adjustment" can refer to an action including turning one or more components of the vehicle on or off, activating or deactivating one or more components of the vehicle, and increasing or decreasing one or more components of the vehicle by a certain number of actions.

[0061] Each touch motion in the touch motion can be associated with changing the operation of different components of the vehicle. For example, in one embodiment of the steering device 100d, the vehicle operator can set the vehicle such that tapping the steering device 100d three times with two fingers initiates a call to a pre-set person or number. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other exemplary embodiments as described for steering devices 100a, 100b, 100c can also be implemented with the steering device 100d in FIG. 1(d).

[0062] In the steering device 100d shown in Figure 1(d), sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f are integrated into the front and rear sections of the steering device 100d. The arrangement is as follows: the rear section of the steering device 100d includes a single sensor 140a, while the front section includes five sensors 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f. Sensors 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f are not all the same size. Sensors 140d, 140e, and 140f, located at the top of the front section of the steering device, are smaller than sensors 140b and 140c located at the lower left and lower right of the front section of the steering device 100d. This arrangement allows for six detection zones across the steering device 100d. Compared to the rear of the steering device 100d, which includes only a single sensor 140a, a more advanced posture can be captured at the top of the front of the steering device 100d, which includes three sensors 140d, 140e, and 140f. Therefore, the detected posture can also be location-specific. Furthermore, such an arrangement allows for conditional touch-based input. For example, if the vehicle detects both a double-tap on the left and a double-tap on the right side of the steering device 100d (approximately simultaneously), the vehicle can be configured to switch to fully autonomous driving, but when the double-tap occurs only on the left or only on the right side of the steering device 100d, the operation of different components of the vehicle can be altered.

[0063] Each of the one or more circuits (not shown in Figure 1(d)) includes an impedance measurement system. Sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f each have an associated impedance. When an operator applies pressure to one or more of the sensors 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f, the associated impedance changes. The impedance measurement system is configured to detect this change in associated impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the change in associated impedance. This change can be an increase or decrease in the associated impedance.

[0064] The steering device disclosed herein can operate independently of any environmental changes (such as temperature and / or humidity).

[0065] The steering device disclosed herein can be configured to alter the operation of a number of different functions and elements of the vehicle. For example, hand grip and release detection can be performed on the steering device by recognizing full grip from both the right and left sides of the steering device. Other examples include: activating the turn signal function by sliding from right to left and from left to right on the top of the steering device; activating or deactivating the steering device heating system by gripping the left side of the steering device and applying three taps to the right front side of the steering device; answering or hanging up a phone call by gripping the right side of the steering device or tapping the left front side of the steering device three times; increasing or decreasing the volume of conversation / music using three taps on the upper right and upper left sides of the steering device; muting or unmuteing conversation / music using three taps on the upper middle part of the steering device; and setting two threshold levels for the rear sensors based on single-handed and two-handed touches.

[0066] Any of the steering devices 100a, 100b, and 100c may also include one or more shift paddles located on the left and / or right rear side of the steering device, whereby the one or more sensors may be located on the shift paddles and the steering device itself.

[0067] In any of the steering devices 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d, the impedance of one or more sensors can be changed more than twice by multiple hand movements within a predetermined timeout period. For example, for a given sensor, an operator can tap the sensor multiple times to adjust a component of the vehicle, and then, within the predetermined timeout period, slide the sensor to adjust a different component. The predetermined timeout period may be, for example, 5 seconds, but as those skilled in the art will understand, in other embodiments, the timeout period may be shorter or longer.

[0068] In the most preferred embodiment, one hand performs multiple hand movements on the steering devices 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d, while the other hand continuously grips the steering wheel. The gripping of the steering wheel by the other hand does not interfere with the hand movements performed by the first hand.

[0069] Figure 2 This is a block diagram 200 of a steering device 210 according to the present disclosure. The steering device 210 includes one or more sensors 220 and can be any of the steering devices 100a, 100b, or 100c described above. The steering device 210 can be, for example, a steering wheel for a car. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments, the steering device 210 can be integrated with other types of vehicles.

[0070] In an example embodiment of the steering device 210, the one or more sensors are one or more conductive foils (not shown). Each conductive foil is driven by a sinusoidal signal generated by integrated circuit 240. Front end 230 is configured to measure the voltage drop attributable to the load impedance and derive its in-phase and quadrature phase components based on amplitude and phase shift changes.

[0071] During operation, the pressure applied by the operator's hand causes the grounding capacitance at both ends of the conductive foil to increase, thereby adding impedance Z to the sensor 220.

[0072] Figure 3 This is a graph 300 illustrating the detection results of multiple hand movements that can be detected by any of the steering devices of this disclosure. The graph shows five different steering device settings 310, 320, 330, 340, and 350 and their detection responses to a single-finger tap (A), a two-finger tap (B), and a full-hand grip (C). The y-axis in graph 300 displays the LSB count of the in-phase components of the signal. The increase in amplitude at each detection response represents a change in impedance across the sensor.

[0073] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an exemplary circuit 400 that can be used in any steering device of the steering apparatus disclosed herein. In this particular example, circuit 400 is an impedance measurement interface integrated circuit (IC) for up to seven channels, which includes a wide set of self-monitored and sensor diagnostic features.

[0074] Circuit 400 can be configured with sixteen different settings, each featuring configurable gain, non-harmonic frequency, and demodulation phase shift. The circuit boasts a sensitivity of up to 3.3 fF / LSB, high accuracy of ±1.5% FS, and a fast measurement rate.

[0075] To measure the external impedance (DUT), circuit 400 must generate measurements representing the amplitude and phase (or in-phase and quadrature phase) of the DUT signal. To reduce the number of signal pins, each DUT should use only one connection to provide the "test signal". To measure both the in-phase and quadrature phase components of the complex DUT signal, the test signal must be a time-varying signal, such as a signal pulse or a sine wave.

[0076] By applying a sinusoidal signal (voltage) to the DUT, the amplitude and phase of the current flowing through the DUT can be measured. Alternatively, a current can be applied to the DUT and the voltage across it can be measured. The amplitude and phase are measured by demodulating the test signal (the current through the DUT or the voltage across the DUT) and multiplying it by SIN and COS signals at the same frequency. The output (after filtering) is a DC in-phase and quadrature signal. The amplitude is sqrt((in-phase)). (Orthogonal phase) The phase is arctan((orthogonal phase) / (in phase)).

[0077] Demodulation (ADC+Demod) is performed in the digital domain after the ADC, thus each construct gives a match between SIN / COS. Multiplication with SIN / COS occurs simultaneously with the same signal, and each result uses only one acquisition. The ADC is an oversampled ADC; in this exemplary embodiment, a ΔΣ ADC (e.g., a 1-bit, 2nd-order ΔΣ) can be used.

[0078] The test signal and SIN / COS used for demodulation are based on the same digital signal (e.g., a lookup table), so the phase difference is constant and independent of the analog matching between the three signals (test signal - SIN - COS).

[0079] The frequency of the test signal is coherent with the demodulated signal (SIN / COS), and the number of signal time intervals is a prime number of the sampled signal. Therefore, all harmonics of the demodulated signal will be completely filtered out by the digital filter. The result is a comb filter with notch filtering at all harmonics. Furthermore, the SIN / COS (digital) signal requires a small number of samples per time interval, which reduces the workload of the associated lookup table. The lower number of samples causes an increase in harmonics, but the system is insensitive to harmonics due to the comb filter. To generate the test signal using the DAC, the DAC's sampling rate can be reduced, meaning the circuitry is less sensitive to harmonics.

[0080] Figure 5 This is a diagram of a vehicle 500 including a steering device 510. The steering device 510 can be any steering device described herein. The vehicle 500 can be an automobile, truck, large truck, and / or minivan.

[0081] Steering device 510 is configured to detect one or more of the following hand movements: gripping with one hand, gripping with both hands, releasing with one hand, releasing with both hands, sliding from left to right, sliding from right to left, a single tap with one hand, more than two taps with one hand, a single tap with both hands and / or more than two taps with both hands.

[0082] Each of these hand movements can alter the operation of one or more components of the vehicle. These components may include an indicator system, heating system, call system, volume control, automatic driving system, display system, navigation system, and / or driving mode system. Changing the operation of one or more of these components means:

[0083] - To turn one of the vehicle indicators on or off;

[0084] - Increase or decrease the temperature inside the vehicle;

[0085] - Increase or decrease the temperature of the steering equipment;

[0086] - Make, answer, or reject calls; increase or decrease the volume of music or calls;

[0087] - Mute music or calls;

[0088] - Start or stop autonomous driving;

[0089] - Change the content displayed on the monitors in the vehicle;

[0090] - Initiate map navigation to a predetermined destination; and / or

[0091] - Select the vehicle's driving mode.

[0092] It should be understood that the steering device of this disclosure may be a vehicle steering wheel. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other embodiments may relate to a steering wheel for a truck, van, or boat, or a steering handle for a motorcycle.

[0093] Those skilled in the art will understand that variations in the disclosed arrangement are possible without departing from this disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing description of specific embodiments is by way of example only and not for limiting purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that minor modifications can be made without significantly altering the described operation.

Claims

1. A steering device for a vehicle, the steering device comprising: One or more sensors are configured to detect multiple hand movements from the operator of the vehicle; as well as One or more circuits coupled to the one or more sensors; The one or more circuits are configured to adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on detected hand movements, enabling the operator of the vehicle to adjust the operation of the vehicle.

2. The steering device of claim 1, wherein the operator is able to adjust the operation of the vehicle without removing one or more of his or her hands from the steering device.

3. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more conductive foils.

4. The steering device according to claim 1 further includes one or more shift paddles, the shift paddles being disposed on the rear left-hand side and / or the rear right-hand side of the steering device.

5. The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed on the one or more shift paddles.

6. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed on the front side of the steering device.

7. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed on the rear side of the steering device.

8. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed on the left-hand side of the steering device.

9. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed on the right-hand side of the steering device.

10. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein one or more sensors are disposed on the front, rear, left-hand, and right-hand sides of the steering device.

11. The steering device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are arranged to define a plurality of detection zones, each detection zone being connected to each of the one or more circuits to adjust the one or more components of the vehicle.

12. The steering device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises an impedance sensor and / or a torque sensor.

13. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hand movements are a plurality of touch movements.

14. The steering device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of touch movements include: Detection of one or more fingers, grasping with one hand, grasping with both hands, releasing with one hand, releasing with both hands, sliding motion from left to right, sliding motion from right to left, single tap with one hand, multiple taps with one hand, single taps with both hands and / or multiple taps with both hands.

15. The steering device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of touch movements is associated with an operation that alters an element of the vehicle.

16. The steering device of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuits include an impedance measurement system.

17. The steering device of claim 16, wherein each of the one or more sensors has an associated impedance such that when one or more of the one or more sensors detects a hand movement in one of the plurality of hand movements, the associated impedance changes.

18. The steering device of claim 17, wherein the impedance measurement system is configured to detect a change in the associated impedance and adjust one or more components of the vehicle based on the change in the associated impedance.

19. The steering device of claim 18, wherein the change in the associated impedance includes an increase or a decrease in the associated impedance.

20. The steering device of claim 1, wherein the one or more elements of the vehicle include at least one of: an indicator system, a heating system, a call system, a volume control unit, an autonomous driving system, a display system, a navigation system, and / or a driving mode system.

21. The steering device of claim 20, wherein altering the operation of the vehicle comprises at least one of: turning on and / or off one or more components of the vehicle; turning on or off one of the vehicle indicators; increasing or decreasing the temperature inside the vehicle; increasing or decreasing the temperature of the steering device; making, answering, or rejecting a call; increasing or decreasing the volume of music or a call; muting music or a call; starting or ending autonomous driving; changing the content displayed on a display in the vehicle; initiating map navigation to a predetermined destination; and / or selecting a driving mode for the vehicle.

22. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device is a steering wheel.

23. A vehicle comprising the steering device according to claim 1.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the vehicle is an automobile, truck, large truck and / or minivan.

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