Steering Wheel Heating and Contact Detection With Shielding Track
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering wheel systems face interference issues between heating and sensor tracks, leading to false contact detections due to capacitive couplings and electromagnetic interferences, exacerbated by environmental factors like humidity and temperature.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a heating track, a sensor track, and a shielding track arranged on the same insulating support, with the shielding track positioned between the other two to minimize interference, allowing the sensor track to operate effectively even when the heating track is active.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If both a heating track and a sensor track are used, then the steering wheel can be heated and contact detection can be performed, but interference problems occur between the two tracks causing false contacts
Solution Approach 1:
A shielding track is introduced as an intermediary element positioned between the heating track and the sensor track. This shielding track acts as a mediator that blocks electromagnetic interference and capacitive coupling from the heating track from reaching the sensor track, thereby preventing false contact detections while allowing both heating and sensing functions to coexist
2Temperature
If the heating track operates, then the steering wheel is heated, but capacitive coupling and electromagnetic interference increase causing false contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding track serves as a protective intermediary that blocks electromagnetic fields and capacitive coupling generated by the heating track from interfering with the sensor track, allowing the heating function to operate effectively without generating harmful interference
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding track, which is electrically connected to ground or a reference potential, converts the harmful electromagnetic field from the heating track into a controlled reference potential, effectively grounding the interference and preventing it from affecting the sensor track
3Adaptability or versatility
If environmental humidity increases, then water drops form on the steering wheel introducing parasitic capacitance, but this is erroneously interpreted as hand contact
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding track acts as an intermediary barrier that prevents parasitic capacitance from water drops on the steering wheel surface from coupling with the sensor track, thereby filtering out environmental interference while allowing genuine hand contact signals to be detected accurately
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces false contact detections by shielding the sensor track from capacitive and electromagnetic interferences, maintaining accurate contact detection even under varying environmental conditions, while allowing continuous heating and sensor operation.
Implementation Method 1
A component provided with an electrically conductive track which is heated due to the Joule effect may be used for this purpose
Implementation Method 2
interference problems between the two tracks are encountered, in particular capacitive couplings and electromagnetic interferences in general
Data Source
AI summary
Device (100) for a system for detecting a contact between a user and a steering wheel (9) of a vehicle, and for heating the steering wheel (9). The device includes an electrically insulating support (10); a first track (1) for heating the steering wheel (9), a second track (2) for detecting the contact, and a third track (3) for avoiding the detection of false contacts. The first track (1), the second track (2) and the third track (3) are electrically conductive, distinct from one another and arranged on the same surface of the electrically insulating support (10), wherein the third track (3) is arranged between the first track (1) and the second track (2).