US 7,321,311 B2
Steering handle for motor vehicles and method for recording a physical parameter on a steering handle
Peter Rieth, Eltville (Germany); Jürgen Böhm, Oberneisen (Germany); Steffen Linkenbach, Eschborn (Germany); Oliver Hoffmann, Frankfurt (Germany); Joachim Nell, Hanau (Germany); Andreas Schirling, Pfungstadt (Germany); Achim Netz, Seeheim-Jugenheim (Germany); Peter Stauder, Mainz (Germany); and Matthias Kuhn, Mainaschaff (Germany)
Assigned to Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG, Frankfurt (Germany)
Appl. No. 10/526,717
PCT Filed Sep. 04, 2003, PCT No. PCT/EP03/09802
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 04, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO2004/022409, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 18, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 102 41 414 (DE), filed on Sep. 06, 2002; application No. 102 58 648 (DE), filed on Dec. 13, 2002; and application No. 103 00 874 (DE), filed on Jan. 10, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0242965 A1, Nov. 03, 2005
Int. Cl. G08B 23/00 (2006.01); G01R 27/26 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B60K 28/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 340—576  [340/573.1; 340/575; 340/576; 324/658; 324/660; 324/686; 701/1; 701/41; 180/271; 180/272] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Steering handle for motor vehicles comprising:
a core;
a secondary metal about the core;
a dielectric material between said core and said secondary metal such that a capacitor is defined thereby;
means for monitoring a capacitance of the capacitor and determining a contact between at least one hand of the driver and the steering handle based on the monitored capacitance; and
a second secondary metal about the core and configured such that the secondary metal and the second secondary metal define a differential capacitor.