US 12,345,583 B2
Control unit for a motor vehicle
Christophe Cazes, Versailles (FR); François Lelievre, Anthony (FR); Fabrice Severac, Toulouse (FR); and Nicolas Dufour, Vallegue (FR)
Assigned to NOVARES FRANCE, Clamart (FR); and NANOMADE LAB, Toulouse (FR)
Appl. No. 17/904,987
Filed by NOVARES FRANCE, Clamart (FR); and NANOMADE LAB, Toulouse (FR)
PCT Filed Feb. 24, 2021, PCT No. PCT/FR2021/050324
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/170957, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2002055 (FR), filed on Feb. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0021208 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B60K 35/00 (2024.01); B60K 35/10 (2024.01); G01D 5/24 (2006.01); G01L 1/22 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); H03K 17/96 (2006.01); B60K 35/25 (2024.01)
CPC G01L 1/2293 (2013.01) [B60K 35/00 (2013.01); G01D 5/24 (2013.01); G06F 3/016 (2013.01); G06F 3/0414 (2013.01); G06F 3/04164 (2019.05); G06F 3/0447 (2019.05); H03K 17/962 (2013.01); B60K 35/10 (2024.01); B60K 35/25 (2024.01); B60K 2360/143 (2024.01); B60K 2360/1438 (2024.01); B60K 2360/332 (2024.01); B60K 2360/336 (2024.01); B60K 2360/34 (2024.01); G06F 2203/04105 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control case for a motor vehicle, comprising:
an outer shell provided with several control areas, each of the control areas being assigned to a specific function of the motor vehicle;
a printed circuit board supporting a plurality of elementary sensors configured to generate an electrical signal in response to an action such as an approach movement, a contact or a pressure exerted by a user by having fingers on at least one of the control areas, said elementary sensors being connected to an electronic control unit, the electric signal generated by the elementary sensors being transmitted to the electronic control unit in order to be analyzed therein and converted into a control of a function of the vehicle,
wherein each of the elementary sensors comprises at least one insulating substrate on which are deposited conductive tracks forming a capacitive sensor and an assembly of conductive or semi-conductive nanoparticles in colloidal suspension in an electrically insulating ligand, said assembly forming a force sensor; and
at least one elementary sensor configured to detect the contact of a finger of a user on a control area specific to the control case by its capacitive sensor, the electronic control unit being capable, in response to the signal transmitted by said at least one elementary sensor, to switch some of the elementary sensors from a partially activated mode, in which they can only detect the contact of a finger of a user by means of their capacitive sensor, to a deactivated mode, in which they are not sensitive to the actions of a user, and some other elementary sensors from a deactivated mode, in which they are not sensitive to the actions of a user, to a partially activated mode, in which they may only detect the pressure of a finger from a user by means of their force sensor.