US 12,304,549 B2
Sensor device and steering wheel
Hajime Osako, Miyagi (JP); and Kenji Kawano, Miyagi (JP)
Assigned to ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/519,594.
Application 18/519,594 is a continuation of application No. 17/444,920, filed on Aug. 12, 2021, granted, now 11,975,754.
Application 17/444,920 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/008999, filed on Mar. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-057316 (JP), filed on Mar. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0083488 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B62D 1/04 (2006.01); B62D 1/06 (2006.01); G01D 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 1/046 (2013.01) [B62D 1/06 (2013.01); G01D 5/24 (2013.01)] 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A steering device, comprising:
a sensor device configured for detecting contact or proximity of a hand of a driver, the sensor device comprising:
an electrode, the steering device including a spoke connected to the steering device, the steering device being configured to be operated while being held by the driver, and including a holding portion and a portion different from the holding portion, the holding portion being held by the driver, the electrode provided on the portion different from the holding portion continuously along the spoke of the steering device and configured to be capacitively coupleable to the hand of the driver to be detected; and
a controller electrically connected to the electrode and configured to detect a change in capacitance of the electrode, the change in the capacitance of the electrode occurring in response to the hand of the driver being in contact with or in proximity to the holding portion,
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the hand of the driver is in contact with or in proximity to the holding portion based on the change in the capacitance of the electrode.