# US 10,502,616 B2 · System for detecting the presence and position of hands and/or fingers near a vehicle steering wheel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,616 B2 - Document ID: US10502616B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/534,018 - Filed: 2015-12-03 - Published: 2018-11-22 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-09 - Assignees: Continental Automotive France; Continental Automotive GmbH - Applicants: Continental Automotive France; Continental Automotive GmbH - Inventors: Pascal Clochard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502616B2 ## CPC - G01J 1/0238: {making use of sensor-related data, e.g. for identification of sensor or optical parts} - B62D 1/046: {Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches} - B62D 1/06: Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers (B62D1/11 takes precedence) - G01J 1/08: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for photometry {standard sources, also using luminescent or radioactive material} - G01J 1/4228: {arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation} - G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} - H03K 17/9629: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard} - H03K 17/9631: {using a light source as part of the switch} - G01J 2001/446: {Photodiode} - H03K 2217/94108: making use of reflection - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract Disclosed is a system for a motor vehicle, including a steering wheel (2) connected to the steering system of the vehicle, the steering wheel including a plurality of optical sensors (7) arranged on the rim (25) of the steering wheel and designed to detect the presence of at least one finger (5) of at least one hand of the driver near or in contact with the rim of the steering wheel, by way of which the system is able to determine the number of fingers near or in contact with the rim of the steering wheel as well as their respective positions on the rim. Also disclosed is a method associated with the device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting a presence of at least one hand of a driver near or in contact with a rim (25) of a steering wheel (2) for a motor vehicle, the steering wheel (2) being connected to a steering system of the motor vehicle and equipped with a sensing system including a plurality of optical sensors (7) arranged on the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2), said optical sensors outfitted with infrared transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R), the method comprising: a) scanning the optical sensors (7), by a1) first capturing of a first light intensity of ambient illumination received by the receiving diodes (Rx, 7R) with the transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) not being active, and a2) activating the transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and second capturing of a second light intensity received by the receiving diodes (Rx, 7R) that includes reflected light of an illumination generated by the activated transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T); b) deducing, from the first captured light intensity and the second captured light intensity of the scanning, a count of zero or more fingers (5) of the driver near or in contact with the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2); and c) deducing, from the first captured light intensity and the second captured light intensity of the scanning, a count of zero or more hands of the driver in contact with the steering wheel, where steps a), a1), a2), and b) are carried out repeatedly, and real time and continual composite information, including updated counts of the driver's hands and updated counts of the driver's fingers, are provided from the sensing system to a third-party system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of detection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged on a side of the steering wheel opposite the driver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of detection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged as an alternation of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) such that any adjacent pair of said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) has a transmitting diode of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) positioned therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of detection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third-party system to which said composite information is provided is any of an assisted driving system of the vehicle and a monitoring system of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of detection as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: identifying, from said scanning, a position along the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) of one or more of the optical sensors (7) that is persistently occulted, including when the steering wheel (2) is operatively being turned; and deducing from said identifying that an object is permanently located at the position of the one or more optical sensors (7), and inhibiting the inclusion of information of the one or more optical sensors (7) in the composite information provided from the sensing system to the third-party system. ### Claim 6 A system for a motor vehicle to detect a presence of at least one hand of a driver near or in contact with a rim (25) of a steering wheel (2) of the steering system of the motor vehicle, comprising: a plurality of optical sensors (7) arranged on the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2), the plurality of optical sensors (7) configured to detect a presence of at least one finger (5) of the at least one hand (4) of the driver near or in contact with the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2), said optical sensors including infrared transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R); and an electronic processing unit (8) in communication with the plurality of optical sensors (7), configured to repeatedly scan the optical sensors (7), by first capturing of a first light intensity of ambient illumination received by the receiving diodes (Rx, 7R) with the transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) not being active, and activating the transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and second capturing of a second light intensity received by the receiving diodes (Rx, 7R) that includes reflected light of an illumination generated by the activated transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T), by means of which the electronic processing unit (8) determines a number of fingers (5) of the driver near or in contact with the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) as well as respective positions of the fingers of the driver on the rim (25). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of detection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) are configured to operate in a wavelength range between 850 nm to 940 nm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of detection as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged as an alternation of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) such that any adjacent pair of said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) has a transmitting diode of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) positioned therebetween. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of detection as claimed in claim 2, wherein the third-party system to which said composite information is provided is any of an assisted driving system of the vehicle and a monitoring system of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of detection as claimed in claim 3, wherein the third-party system to which said composite information is provided is any of an assisted driving system of the vehicle and a monitoring system of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method of detection as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: identifying, from said scanning, a position along the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) of one or more of the optical sensors (7) that is persistently occulted, including when the steering wheel (2) is operatively being turned; deducing from said identifying that an object is permanently located at the position of the one or more optical sensors (7), and inhibiting the inclusion of information of the one or more optical sensors (7) in the composite information provided from the sensing system to the third-party system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of detection as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: identifying, from said scanning, a position along the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) of one or more of the optical sensors (7) that is persistently occulted, including when the steering wheel (2) is operatively being turned; and deducing from said identifying that an object is permanently located at the position of the one or more optical sensors (7), and inhibiting the inclusion of information of the one or more optical sensors (7) in the composite information provided from the sensing system to the third-party system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The method of detection as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: identifying, from said scanning, a position along the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) of one or more of the optical sensors (7) that is persistently occulted, including when the steering wheel (2) is operatively being turned; and deducing from said identifying that an object is permanently located at the position of the one or more optical sensors (7), and inhibiting an inclusion of information of the one or more optical sensors (7) in the composite information provided from the sensing system to the third-party system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged on a side of the steering wheel opposite the driver. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged as an alternation of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) such that any adjacent pair of said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) has a transmitting diode of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) positioned therebetween. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the third-party system to which said composite information is provided is any of an assisted driving system of the vehicle and a monitoring system of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic processing unit (8) is further configured to identify, from said scanning, a position along the rim (25) of the steering wheel (2) of one or more of the optical sensors (7) that is persistently occulted, including when the steering wheel (2) is operatively being turned, and deduce from said identifying that an object is permanently located at the position of the one or more optical sensors (7) and inhibit an inclusion of information of the one or more optical sensors (7) in the composite information provided from the sensing system to the third-party system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is configured to operate in a wavelength range between 850 nm to 940 nm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of optical sensors (7) is arranged as an alternation of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) and said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) such that any adjacent pair of said receiving photodiodes (Rx, 7R) has a transmitting diode of said transmitting diodes (Tx, 7T) positioned therebetween. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the third-party system to which said composite information is provided is any of an assisted driving system of the vehicle and a monitoring system of the vehicle.