Automotive key device, steering wheel docking station, and system including the automotive key device and the steering wheel docking station
AssigneeHuinno Co., Ltd.
InventorsYeong Joon Gil, Min Yong Shin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
provided is an automotive key device connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door. The automotive key device includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor having a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode and a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor. The contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle. A steering wheel docking station and a system configured to include the steering wheel docking station and the automotive key device are also provided.
Claims17
A steering wheel docking station to which an automotive key device is connected, wherein the automotive key device is connected, in the form of a holder, to or merged with a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door and includes an ECG sensor having a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode and a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor, the steering wheel docking station comprising:
- one or more replacement electrodes separate and distinct from the body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode, the one or more replacement electrodes being configured to replace functions of one or both of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device;
- and
- a receptacle configured to removeably and replaceably receive the automotive key device therein,
- wherein the contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle, and
- wherein the replacement electrodes (i) are configured to transmit signals from a driver's hands on a steering wheel to the automotive key device through the contact terminal such that the driver's ECG information can be obtained and (ii) are disposed at locations where the driver's hands are placed while driving.
A system comprising:
- an automotive key device (i) connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door and (ii) including an ECG sensor having:
- a first body signal electrode,
- a second body signal electrode, and
- a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor;
- a steering wheel docking station including (i) one or more replacement electrodes configured to replace functions of one or both of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device, and (ii) a receiver configured to removably and replaceably receive the automotive key device therein;
- and
- an automotive navigation device or personal computer (PC) electrically connected to the steering wheel docking station,
- wherein the contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle,
- wherein the first and second body signal electrodes of the automotive key device are configured to be inoperable upon the automotive key device being received in the receiver, and the replacement electrodes of the steering wheel docking station (i) are configured to transmit signals from a driver's hands on a steering wheel of the vehicle to the automotive key device through the contact terminal such that the driver's ECG information can be obtained and (ii) are disposed at locations where the driver's hands are placed while driving,
- wherein the steering wheel docking station is configured to provide body signal information including ECG information obtained by the automotive key device to the automotive navigation device or PC, and
- wherein the body signal information is stored in the automotive navigation device or PC or configured to be used as a basis for providing other body signal information through an arithmetic operation.
An automotive system for use with an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- an automotive key device, the automotive key device, the automotive key device having an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor with at least a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode, and the automotive key device having a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor, the contact terminal being configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within the automotive vehicle;
- a steering wheel docking station configured to connect with the automotive key device, the steering wheel docking station including one or more replacement electrodes configured to replace functions of the first and second body signal electrodes of the automotive key device, the one or more replacement electrodes (i) being configured to transmit body signals from a driver's hands on a steering wheel of the automotive vehicle to the automotive key device through the contact terminal and (ii) being disposed at locations where the driver's hands are placed while driving;
- and
- a receptacle on the steering wheel docking station configured to receive the automotive key device therein,
- wherein at least one of the first or second body signal electrodes is configured to become inoperable when the automotive key device is received into the receptacle, and
- wherein at least one of the one or more replacement electrodes is configured to obtain body signals of the driver in place of the at least one inoperable first or second body signal electrodes of the automotive key device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.