TeslaPatent applicationCars & transportInterest 6/10

Tesla patents steering wheel buttons that vibrate when touched

Tesla describes a steering wheel control that uses a piezoelectric material to both sense when a driver presses it and create a vibration. The system detects the touch, processes the input, and sends a signal back to make the button buzz or click.

Why it mattersThis could make car controls feel more responsive and tactile, giving drivers clear physical confirmation that their button press was registered.

In the filing’s own words

A device may include a piezoelectric actuator and a processor. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to: generate a first electric signal in response to a first user contact associated with the switchpack; and generate a haptic feedback based on a control signal. The processor is configured to: determine, based at least in part on the first electric signal, that the first user contact indicates a first user operation; and generate the control signal based on the first user operation.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A switchpack for a vehicle, comprising: a piezoelectric actuator configured to: generate a first electric signal in response to a first user contact associated with the switchpack; and generate a haptic feedback based on a control signal; and a processor configured to: determine, based at least in part on the first electric signal, that the first user contact indicates a first user operation, and generate the control signal based on the first user operation.

Facts

Company: Tesla (Tesla, Inc.)
Official title: ADVANCED HAPTIC AND SENSING STEERING WHEEL SWITCH
Publication number: US20260274324A1
Application number: 19474971
Filed: Apr 11, 2024
Published: Sep 17, 2026
Inventors: 4
Claims: 20

Classified under

B62D 1/046 Operations & transportG06F 3/016 Physics & computingG06F 3/0362 Physics & computingG06F 3/038 Physics & computingG06F 3/044 Physics & computingG06F 2203/04108 Physics & computing

Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.