# US 12,112,590 B2 · Contact detection device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,112,590 B2 - Document ID: US12112590B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/673,248 - Filed: 2022-02-16 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-24 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shotaro Odate; Kotaro Nakamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112590B2 ## CPC - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - G01D 5/24: by varying capacitance - G01D 18/00: Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00 - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - B60W 60/005: {Handover processes (Handing over between remote control and on-board control or handing over between remote control arrangements G05D1/227)} - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - G01D 3/08: with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A contact detection device includes an electrostatic capacitance sensor provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle, and configured to detect contact of a human body with the steering wheel, an estimation unit configured to estimate whether the human body is in contact with the steering wheel, and a diagnosis unit configured to conduct a failure diagnosis related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor, based on a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel and a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A contact detection device comprising: an electrostatic capacitance sensor provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle, and configured to detect contact of a human body with the steering wheel; an estimation unit configured to estimate whether the human body is in contact with the steering wheel; a diagnosis unit configured to conduct a failure diagnosis related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor, based on a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel and a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel; a determination unit configured to compare a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor with a threshold value to determine whether the human body is in contact with the steering wheel; and a change unit configured to change the threshold value when the diagnosis unit determines that a failure related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor occurs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the failure diagnosis is an open failure diagnosis of wiring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis unit conducts the failure diagnosis, based on a difference between the detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in the case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel and the detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in the case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis unit diagnoses a failure in a case where the detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor of the case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel exceeds a first threshold value, and in a case where the detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor of the case where the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel is lower than a second threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The contact detection device according to claim 4, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value are set, based on the detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor before the diagnosis unit diagnoses the failure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes an occupant detection unit configured to detect an occupant in the vehicle, the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel in a case where the occupant detection unit detects no occupant, and the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel in a case where the occupant detection unit detects the occupant and the vehicle is traveling. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes: an opening detection unit configured to detect an opening of a door; and a door locking unit configured to lock the door to be a closed state, and the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel in a case where the door locking unit releases locking and the opening detection unit detects no opening of the door, and the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel in a case where after the opening detection unit detects the opening of the door, the vehicle is traveling. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is capable of conducting automated driving, the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel in a case where the vehicle is in the automated driving and the steering wheel is rotating from a neutral position, and the estimation unit estimates that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel in a case where the vehicle is in manual driving and the steering wheel is rotating from the neutral position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify an occupant of a diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit is configured to change the threshold value by adding a fixed value to a current threshold value when the diagnosis unit determines that an open failure as the failure related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor occurs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The contact detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance, as history information, in a case in which the estimation unit estimates the human body is in contact with the steering wheel and the diagnosis unit determines a failure related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor does not occur, wherein the changing unit is configured to change the threshold value by subtracting a fixed value from a value of the detection result stored in the storage unit as the history information when the diagnosis unit determines that an open failure as the failure related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor occurs. ### Claim 12 A contact detection device comprising: an electrostatic capacitance sensor provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle, and configured to detect contact of a human body with the steering wheel; and at least one processor configured to, by executing a program, perform: estimating whether the human body is in contact with the steering wheel; conducting a failure diagnosis related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor, based on a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where it is estimated in the estimating that the human body is in contact with the steering wheel and a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor in a case where it is estimated in the estimating that the human body is in no contact with the steering wheel; determining whether the human body is in contact with the steering wheel by comparing a detection result of the electrostatic capacitance sensor with a threshold value; and changing the threshold value when it is determined in the failure diagnosis that a failure related to the electrostatic capacitance sensor occurs.