Abstract: A planar carrier for mounting on a rim of a steering wheel without wrinkles, the planar carrier including a portion of planar flexible foil of roughly rectangular shape having two longitudinal sides and two lateral sides, wherein the length B of the lateral sides is 0.96 to 1.00 times the perimeter of the rim, and wherein N cut-outs per unit length are provided on each of the longitudinal sides. The cut-outs of one side are located in a staggered fashion relative to opposing cut-out portions on the opposite side. The optimum shape and size of the cut-outs may be determined as described. The planar carrier may be implemented as a heat carrier, a heating device and/or a sensing device.

Abstract: A position determining device for determining the position of an object with reference to the position determining device, the position determining device encompassing: a transmitting device at a first location; a receiving device at a second location, the receiving device being configured for reception of a transmitted signal from the first transmitting device, and for determination of a transit time of the transmitted signal from the transmitting device to the object and from the object to the receiving device, the first location and the second location being at a distance from one another, and the position determining device being configured to determine, from the transit time, an ellipse on which the object lies and which has the first location and the second location as foci.

Abstract: A periodic type leaky wave antenna, formed, e.g. on a printed circuit board, using cells of a filled circular structure. The leaky wave antenna may be formed in a series fed patch configuration. In order to achieve a high quality factor with respect to high frequency sensitive beam, a circular patch structure may be used, giving the best area to perimeter ratio. The cavity model based design considerations yield a proportional Q-factor expression with respect to the geometrical ratio. The antenna design takes into consideration effects such as degradation at broadside and circular polarisation, as well as input reflection coefficient. The tuning of a delay loop length yields a simple optimization criterion in order to achieve Q-balancing, circular polarisation and a matched configuration.

Abstract: A system for hand detection on a steering wheel includes a signal line extending from a first point to a second point and being disposed along at least a portion of a surface of the steering wheel; and a detection unit coupled to the first point. The detection unit is configured to send a time-dependent detection signal over the signal line, receive a reflected signal from the signal line and detect the presence of a hand on the surface based on the reflected signal.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor system that includes: a sensor arrangement with a plurality of capacitive electrodes, each being connected to a corresponding detector line; and a detector device connected to each detector line and configured to detect the capacitance of each electrode by applying a detector signal. The sensor arrangement includes: at least one electrode group having at least two electrodes, each electrode of an electrode group being connected to another electrode via a resistive element so that all electrodes of this electrode group are connected in series; and a diagnose device that is connected, for each electrode group, at least to a first detector line of a first electrode and to a second detector line of a second detector electrode and is configured to apply a diagnose signal via the first and second detector lines and to detect a conductor break based on a response to the diagnose signal.

Abstract: A capacitance measurement circuit for determining a complex electric current of at least one capacitive sense-guard sensor. The circuit includes an alternating signal voltage source, wherein each guard electrode is electrically connectable to the signal voltage source, a current measurement circuit having at least one measurement channel to determine a measurement current through a sense electrode, and at least one diagnostics channel to determine, with reference to an AC ground potential, a diagnostic current flowing through a guard electrode and a sense electrode of a capacitive sensor, and a remotely controllable switching unit, which in a measurement switching state is configured to electrically connect the sense electrode of the capacitive sensor to the measurement channel, and in a diagnostic switching state is configured to electrically connect the sense electrode to the diagnostics channel.

Abstract: A camera system includes an imager unit for recording image data and converting the image data into a digital image signal, and a video processing unit operatively connected to the imager unit for receiving the digital image signal from the imager unit and for generating a corrected video output signal. The video processing unit has a dead pixel correction unit and a subsequent non-uniform offset error correction unit. The dead pixel correction unit is configured for correcting the signal of confirmed dead pixels, which are referenced in a map of confirmed dead pixels associated to the dead pixel correction unit. The non-uniform offset error correction unit is configured for correcting readout amplifier non-uniformity and pixel level non-uniformity in the digital image signal. The non-uniform offset error correction unit is further configured for new dead pixel detection simultaneously to the pixel level non-uniformity correction.

Abstract: A tunable dielectric metamaterial device for radar sensing comprises at least one metamaterial layer a plurality of electrically conductive electrodes and a plurality of electrically conductive control lines. The metamaterial layer includes a plurality of dielectric resonators comprising tunable material, wherein at least one electromagnetic property of the tunable material varies with an externally controllable electric field applied to it. Two distinct electrically conductive electrodes each are arranged in a spaced manner at any one of the dielectric resonators to cover the dielectric resonator. The electrically conductive control lines are configured for controlling the electric field to be applied to the tunable material, wherein each electrically conductive line is electrically connected to an electrically conductive electrode.

Abstract: A method of operating a modulated continuous-wave radar system at least includes steps of transmitting, with a modulation frequency, a plurality of n modulated continuous radar waves that represent mutually orthogonal codes towards a scene with a potential object to be detected, wherein the transmitted modulated continuous radar waves of the plurality of modulated continuous radar waves are consecutively transmitted with a constant time lag given by one nth of a period of the modulation frequency; digitally converting a plurality of reflected and received radar signals with a sampling rate that is equal to the modulation frequency; decoding individual range information for each received radar signal; and determining a range between the radar system and the object on the basis of the decoded individual range information.

Abstract: A polarimetric radar system for detecting and classifying objects positioned in an interior of a vehicle includes a radar transmitter unit for transmitting radar waves of at least two different polarizations, a radar receiving unit for receiving radar waves of at least two different polarizations, a radar signal generating unit for generating and providing radar waves to be transmitted by the at least one radar transmitter unit, a signal processing circuitry for processing the generated radar waves and the received radar waves and a signal evaluation unit that is configured to receive processed signals from the signal processing circuitry, to estimate values for a set of predetermined object parameters on the basis of the received processed signals, and to select an object class upon detecting a match of the estimated values for the set of object parameters with one out of a plurality of predetermined sets of object parameters.

Abstract: A capacitive seat occupancy detection and classification system with a capacitive sensor having at least two distinct antenna electrodes and a method of operating is proposed to reduce an impact of the sensor-to-object impedance ZSO on an object-to-ground impedance ZOG measurement that the system performs. By measuring the impedance between the different antenna electrodes by the system, additional information is obtainable that can be used to compensate the impact of the sensor-to-object impedance ZSO on the object-to-ground impedance. As one effect of combining both impedance measurement results, the proposed system is able to determine the object-to-ground impedance ZOG completely independent from wear of ISOFIX anchorages or human objects touching the electric ground of the vehicle, thus ensuring a stable classification of the object over the entire vehicle lifetime. The method further enables high-resolution seat occupancy classification.

Abstract: A measurement circuit for a capacitive measurement system includes a DC voltage source, a first switching member, a charge transfer circuit, an integration capacitor and a current sink electrically connected in parallel to the integration capacitor. The charge transfer circuit has an active semiconductor device and a direct current bias voltage source. At least one electrically conductive electrode that forms a capacitor of unknown capacitance in conjunction with a reference electrode is electrically connectable either to the DC voltage source for charging or to the charge transfer circuit for discharging into the integration capacitor. The charge transfer circuit is configured for receiving an electric input current at an input port and for giving out an electric output current at an output port that is equal to the electric input current within a predetermined range of voltages across the input port and the output port of the charge transfer circuit.

Abstract: A method of operating an automotive radar system that includes a radar transmitter unit for transmitting radar waveforms towards a scene, a radar receiving unit for receiving radar waveforms that have been reflected by a target in the scene, and an evaluation and control unit for decoding range-Doppler information from the received waveforms. The method includes: transmitting a first sequence of radar waveforms (xTx) and a second sequence of radar waveforms ({tilde over (x)}Tx,k) towards the scene that differs from the first transmitted sequence of radar waveforms (xTx) by predetermined phase shifts (?k) such that each radar waveform ({tilde over (x)}Tx,k) of the second sequence has a different predetermined phase shift (?k). First range-Doppler information and second range-Doppler information are decoded. Deviations of the second range-Doppler information from the first range-Doppler information are compared to at least one predetermined deviation value.

Abstract: A method of direction of arrival estimation with an automotive spread radar system. The automotive spread radar system includes a plurality of at least two transceiver antenna units, which are configured to work in a MIMO configuration, wherein the transceiver antenna units are arranged at a priori known positions. The automotive spread radar system is configured to determine, for each transceiver unit antenna unit of the plurality of transceiver antenna units, a range of a target reflecting radar waves that have been transmitted by at least the specific transceiver antenna unit by reading out a plurality of range gates assigned to a specific transceiver antenna unit. The method and radar system are capable of estimating a direction of arrival without the need of ensuring a synchronization of antennas on the scale of a radar carrier frequency.

Abstract: A camera based driver assistance system or vehicle safety system having a camera head including at least one imager unit for recording image data and converting said image data into a digital image signal and a serializing unit for providing said digital image signal at an output of said camera head. The camera system further includes a main processor unit connected to the output of said camera head by means of a data link connection for receiving and processing said digital image signal from said camera head. The camera head includes at least one bloc containing calibration data for said imager and a digital control circuit, said bloc and/or said digital control circuit being operatively coupled to said serializing unit and configured in such a way that said calibration data are transferable to said serializing unit and subsequently transmittable to said main processor unit to be used in the processing of said digital signal from said camera head.

Abstract: An electrical interconnection. In order to efficiently conduct electrical current in small-scale structures and at high frequencies, the electrical interconnection has a channel portion which includes at least one channel layer made of a weak topological insulator material and having a top surface with a plurality of grooves extending from a first terminal to a second terminal of the electrical interconnection, wherein the top surface and a bottom surface of each groove are insulating, whereas each side surface of each groove includes a conducting zone with a pair of topologically protected one-dimensional electron channels.

Abstract: A capacitance measurement circuit for determining a sense current of a capacitive sensor with a sense electrode and a guard electrode. The measurement circuit includes a periodic signal voltage source, a sense current measurement circuit configured for determining the sense current with reference to a reference voltage, and at least one remotely controllable switch member. In a first switching state, the at least one switch member electrically connects the sense current measurement circuit to the periodic signal voltage source for providing a first reference voltage, and in a second switching state, the at least one switch member electrically connects the sense current measurement circuit to a second reference voltage that is different from the first reference voltage.

Abstract: An impedance measurement circuit for determining a sense current of a guard-sense capacitive sensor operated in loading mode. The circuit includes a periodic signal voltage source for providing a periodic measurement voltage, a sense current measurement circuit, a differential amplifier that is configured to sense a complex voltage difference between the sense electrode and the guard electrode, a demodulator for obtaining, with reference to the periodic measurement voltage, an in-phase component and a quadrature component of the sensed complex voltage difference, and control loops for receiving the in-phase component and the quadrature component, respectively. An output signal of the first control loop and an output signal of the second control loop are usable to form a complex voltage that serves as a complex reference voltage for the sense current measurement circuit.

Abstract: A method for determining a distance comprises: providing at least two phase measurements made with modulated light of different modulation wavelengths, each phase measurement being indicative of the distance up to an integer multiple of a respective modulation wavelength; providing a set of possible wraparound count combinations; for each one of the possible wraparound count combinations, calculating a combination of unwrapped phase hypotheses corresponding to the at least two phase measurements; and selecting a most plausible combination of unwrapped phase hypotheses among the combinations of unwrapped phase hypotheses and calculating the distance based upon the selected most plausible combination of unwrapped phase hypotheses.

Abstract: A camera system comprises a 3D TOF camera for acquiring a camera-perspective range image of a scene and an image processor for processing the range image. The image processor contains a position and orientation calibration routine implemented therein in hardware and/or software, which position and orientation calibration routine, when executed by the image processor, detects one or more planes within a range image acquired by the 3D TOF camera, selects a reference plane among the at least one or more planes detected and computes position and orientation parameters of the 3D TOF camera with respect to the reference plane, such as, e.g., elevation above the reference plane and/or camera roll angle and/or camera pitch angle.