US 2026/0169575 A1Published application

Sensor device

AssigneeAlps Alpine Co., Ltd.

InventorsKazuhito OSHITA, Takeshi MASAKI

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Abstract

A sensor device includes a first proximity sensor outputting a first sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of a target object and provided inside one of a hub or a spoke of a steering operation unit, the first proximity sensor being disposed along a first lateral portion of a lateral surface of the one of the hub or the spoke, the lateral surface connecting a first outer surface on a driver side and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, a second proximity sensor to output a second sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of the target object provided inside the one of the hub or the spoke, the second proximity sensor being disposed along a second lateral portion of the lateral surface, and a processor to determine whether the target object is in contact with a grip.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A sensor device comprising:

a first proximity sensor configured to output a first sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of a target object and provided inside one of a hub or a spoke of a steering operation unit including the hub, the spoke, and a grip, the first proximity sensor being disposed along a first lateral portion of a lateral surface of the one of the hub or the spoke, the lateral surface connecting a first outer surface on a driver side and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, and the first lateral portion being located closer to the first outer surface than to the second outer surface;
a second proximity sensor configured to output a second sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of the target object and provided inside the one of the hub or the spoke, the second proximity sensor being disposed along a second lateral portion of the lateral surface, and the second lateral portion being located closer to the second outer surface than to the first outer surface;
and
a processor configured to determine at least one of:
that the target object is in contact with the grip when:
the first sensor value and the second sensor value are equal to or greater than a threshold value and are values indicating that an arrangement of the target object relative to the first proximity sensor and an arrangement of the target object relative to the second proximity sensor are regarded as an equivalent positional relationship;
or
an amount of change in the first sensor value and an amount of change in the second sensor value are equal to or greater than a threshold value and are values indicating that an arrangement of the target object relative to the first proximity sensor and an arrangement of the target object relative to the second proximity sensor are regarded as an equivalent positional relationship;
or
that the target object is not in contact with the grip when:
the first sensor value and the second sensor value are values indicating that an arrangement of the target object relative to the first proximity sensor and an arrangement of the target object relative to the second proximity sensor are regarded as different positional relationships;
or
an amount of change in the first sensor value and an amount of change in the second sensor value are values indicating that an arrangement of the target object relative to the first proximity sensor and an arrangement of the target object relative to the second proximity sensor are regarded as different positional relationships.

10 more elements

A sensor device comprising:

a first proximity sensor configured to output a first sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of a target object and provided inside one of a hub or a spoke of a steering operation unit including the hub, the spoke, and a grip, the first proximity sensor being disposed along a first outer surface on a driver side of the one of the hub or the spoke or a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface;
a second proximity sensor configured to output a second sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of the target object and provided inside the one of the hub or the spoke, the second proximity sensor being disposed along a lateral surface connecting the first outer surface and the second outer surface;
and
a processor configured to determine at least one of:
that the target object is in contact with the grip when:
the second sensor value is regarded as a value greater than the first sensor value;
or
an amount of change in the second sensor value is regarded as a value greater than an amount of change in the first sensor;
or
that the target object is not in contact with the grip when:
the second sensor value is regarded as a value less than the first sensor value;
or
an amount of change in the second sensor value is regarded as a value less than an amount of change in the first sensor.

10 more elements

A sensor device comprising:

a first proximity sensor configured to output a first sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of a target object and provided inside a hub of a steering operation unit including the hub, a spoke, and a grip, the first proximity sensor being disposed along a lateral surface of the hub connecting a first hub outer surface of the hub on a driver side and a second hub outer surface opposite the first hub outer surface, and;
a second proximity sensor configured to output a second sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of the target object and provided inside the spoke, the second proximity sensor being disposed along a lateral surface of the spoke connecting a first spoke outer surface of the spoke on the driver side and a second spoke outer surface opposite the first spoke outer surface;
and
a processor configured to determine at least one of:
that the target object is in contact with the grip when:
the second sensor value is regarded as a value greater than the first sensor value;
or
an amount of change in the second sensor value is regarded as a value greater than an amount of change in the first sensor value;
or
that the target object is not in contact with the grip when:
the second sensor value is regarded as a value less than the first sensor value;
or
an amount of change in the second sensor value is regarded as a value less than an amount of change in the first sensor value.

10 more elements

A sensor device comprising:

a plurality of proximity sensors each configured to output a sensor value that varies according to a degree of proximity of a target object, the plurality of proximity sensors being arranged, in a neutral state when a steering operation unit including a hub, a spoke, and a grip is mounted on a vehicle, inside one of the hub or the spoke at a position closer to a floor of the vehicle relative to a center of the hub, and arranged from a hub side toward a grip side;
and
a processor configured to determine, by comparing sensor values of the proximity sensors and a first sensor threshold value indicating the target object is close to the grip, at least one of:
that the target object is not in contact with the grip when a proximity sensor on the grip side indicates a value equal to or greater than the first sensor threshold value and a proximity sensor on the hub side indicates a sensor value greater than the first sensor threshold value;
or
that the target object is in contact with the grip when the proximity sensor on the grip side indicates a value equal to or greater than the first sensor threshold value and the proximity sensor on the hub side indicates a value less than a second sensor threshold value, the second sensor value being a value equal to or less than the first sensor threshold value.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/536,674Filed 11 Feb 2026
Priority: JP 2023-14180431 Aug 2023
Published: 18 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G06F 3/0346
Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor: with detection of the…
B60R 16/027
For transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems: between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and…
B62D 1/046
Hand wheels: adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
B62D 1/06
Hand wheels: rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers