Combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus, method for operating a sensor and heating apparatus, steering input apparatus assembly having a sensor and heating apparatus, and vehicle having a steering input apparatus assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304552-B2
Application number	US-202017770792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus ( 10, 60, 70 ) having a capacitive sensor device for detecting the presence of a capacitively effective actuation means in a detection region of the sensor device, and having a heating device, wherein the sensor and heating apparatus ( 10, 60, 70 ) has an electrical combined sensor and heating element ( 4 ), wherein a synchronization device ( 40 ) is configured to capture an actual voltage applied to the first electrical path (P 1 ) between the first pole (V+) of a voltage source and the first connection ( 5 ) of the combined sensor and heating element ( 4 ) and/or an actual current flow and/or to capture an actual voltage applied between the second connection ( 6 ) of the combined sensor and heating element ( 4 ) and the second pole (GND) and/or an actual current flow and to detect an instantaneous actual state of the heating device on the basis thereof, and to control the sensor device and/or output at least one control signal for at least partially controlling the sensor device on the basis of the detected actual state of the heating device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus comprising:
a capacitive sensor device for detecting a presence of a capacitively effective actuation means in a detection region of the sensor device, for detecting the presence of a human hand in a gripping region of a steering input apparatus; and
a heating device for the steering input apparatus of a vehicle,
wherein the combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus has at least one electrical combined sensor and heating element which is configured to be used both as a capacitive sensor element by the sensor device and as an electrical heating element by the heating device,
wherein the combined sensor and heating element has a first connection and a second connection,
wherein the first connection of the combined sensor and heating element is configured to electrically connected to and electrically disconnected from a first pole of a voltage source via a first electrical path having at least one first switching device,
wherein the second connection of the combined sensor and heating element is configured to electrically connected to and electrically disconnected from a second pole of the voltage source via a second electrical path having at least one second switching device,
wherein, in order to operate the combined sensor and heating element as a sensor element, the first connection of the combined sensor and heating element is configured to electrically disconnected from the first pole of the voltage source by opening at least one switching device of the first electrical path, and the second connection of the combined sensor and heating element is disconnected from the second pole of the voltage source by opening at least one switching device of the second electrical path,
wherein, in order to operate the combined sensor and heating element as a heating element, the first connection of the combined sensor and heating element is configured to be electrically connected to the first pole of the voltage source by closing all switching devices of the first electrical path, and the second connection of the combined sensor and heating element is configured to be electrically connected to the second pole of the voltage source by closing all switching devices of the second electrical path, and
wherein the combined sensor and heating apparatus also has a synchronization device for at least partially synchronizing control of the sensor device and heating device,
wherein the synchronization device is electrically connected to the first electrical path or to the second electrical path via at least one further electrical path and is configured to capture, at least occasionally, an actual voltage applied to the first electrical path between the first pole of the voltage source and the first connection of the combined sensor and heating element comprising an actual voltage profile over time, or an instantaneous actual current flow along the first electrical path comprising an actual current flow profile over time, and/or to capture an actual voltage applied to the second electrical path between the second connection of the combined sensor and heating element and the second pole comprising an actual voltage profile over time, and/or an instantaneous actual current flow along the second electrical path comprising an actual current flow profile over time,
wherein the synchronization device is configured to detect or determine an instantaneous actual state of the heating device on the basis of the captured actual voltage and/or on the basis of the captured actual current flow, and at least to at least partially control the sensor device and/or output at least one control signal for at least partially controlling the sensor device on the basis of the detected or determined actual state of the heating device.

2. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus is configured to output a heating power, in a pulsed manner, on the basis of a requirement, wherein a pulsed current flow is guided through the at least one combined sensor and heating element for this purpose, wherein the pulsed current flow is modulated by pulse width modulation in such a manner that the heating power is output.

3. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus is configured to carry out sensor operation, one or more capacitive measurements for detecting the presence of a capacitively effective actuation means in a detection region of the sensor device and/or a diagnosis of the sensor device, at least partially between two heating power pulses.

4. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one further electrical path, via which the synchronization device captures an actual voltage and/or an actual current flow in the first electrical path or in the second electrical path, is electrically connected to the first electrical path via a synchronization connection node situated along the first electrical path between the first switching device and the first connection of the combined sensor and heating element and/or to the second electrical path via a synchronization connection node situated along the second electrical path between the second connection of the combined sensor and heating element and the second switching device.

5. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combined sensor and heating apparatus further comprises at least one control and evaluation device configured to:
at least partially control the sensor device of the combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus to control operation of the combined sensor and heating element as a sensor element, and
at least partially control the heating device of the combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus for controlling operation of the sensor and heating element as a heating element.

6. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the combined sensor and heating apparatus is configured for integration in a steering input apparatus assembly of a motor vehicle having a part on the steering wheel side and a part on the vehicle body side,
wherein the combined sensor and heating apparatus has a first assembly which is configured for integration in that part of a steering input apparatus assembly which is on the vehicle body side, and a second assembly which is configured for integration in that part of a steering input apparatus assembly which is on the steering wheel side, and
wherein some parts of the combined sensor and heating apparatus are assigned to the first assembly and other parts are assigned to the second assembly.

7. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first assembly and the second assembly are electrically connected to one another via an electrical connecting device, wherein the electrical connecting device has a coil spring or is a coil spring.

8. A combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control and evaluation device which is configured to at least partially control the sensor device is assigned to the second assembly, and the control and evaluation device which is configured to at least partially control the heating device is assigned to the first assembly.

9. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the synchronization device is part of the second assembly.

10. The combined capacitive sensor and heating apparatus according to claim 5 , the control and eval

Assignees

• Valeo Schalter & Sensoren Gmbh

Inventors

• Staude Sascha
• Poslowsky Georg
• Tsinistidis Iordanis
• Hartmueller Markus
• Mack Raphael

Classifications

• H05B1/0236 Primary

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H03K17/955

  using a capacitive detector · CPC title

• B62D1/046 Primary

  Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches · CPC title

• B60Y2400/83

  Steering input members · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title