US 11,728,810 B2
Operator control device for a vehicle and method for operating such an operator control device
Sascha Staude, Bietigheim-Bissingen (DE)
Assigned to Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen (DE)
Filed by Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/554,833.
Application 17/554,833 is a continuation of application No. 15/748,429, granted, now 11,424,743, previously published as PCT/EP2016/068171, filed on Jul. 29, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2015 112 444.0 (DE), filed on Jul. 30, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0109443 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H03K 17/96 (2006.01)
CPC H03K 17/9622 (2013.01) [H03K 2017/9602 (2013.01); H03K 2017/9613 (2013.01); H03K 2017/9615 (2013.01); H03K 2217/960705 (2013.01); H03K 2217/960725 (2013.01); H03K 2217/960765 (2013.01); H03K 2217/960775 (2013.01); H03K 2217/960785 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An operator control device controlling safety-relevant functions associated with a vehicle, the operator control device comprising: at least one user interface having at least one user control input field for user input; and a sensor system for identifying a user input in an area of the user control input field, wherein the sensor system, for each user control input field separately, comprises:
a first, capacitive sensor device having a first, electrically conductive sensor structure and a second, capacitive sensor device having a second, electrically conductive sensor structure, the sensor structures being arranged beneath the at least one user interface in the area of the user control input field wherein the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure are each configured in comb-like and meanderous fashion and arranged in intermeshing fashion at least in a subarea of the user control input field,
wherein the sensor system is configured to, for each user control input field separately, register, in comparison with a reference state, a change in the capacitive coupling of
the first sensor structure to the surroundings and a reference electrode and a
change in the capacitive coupling of the second sensor structure to the surroundings
and a reference electrode, wherein the change in the capacitive coupling is caused as a result of the user input in the area of the user control input field,
wherein the operator control device triggers one of the safety-relevant functions, for each user control input field separately, based on the sensor system registering the change in both the capacitive coupling of the sensor structure of the first capacitive sensor device and the second sensor device of the sensor system to the surroundings and to a reference electrode simultaneously or at slightly staggered times, for safety-relevant plausibilization of captured sensor signals, and wherein at least one of the safety-relevant functions is triggered only if all of the captured sensor signals of the sensor devices are plausible, to which end the captured sensor signals are ANDed.