An input mechanism, such as a crown, detects amounts of applied force. In various examples, an assembly including an input mechanism has an enclosure; a stem coupled to the enclosure such that the stem is rotatable, translatable, and transversely moveable with respect to the enclosure; a sensor, coupled between the stem and the housing, to which force is transferred when the stem moves with respect to the housing; and a processing unit coupled to the sensor. The processing unit is operable to determine a measurement of the force, based on a signal from the sensor.

An input mechanism, such as a crown, detects amounts of applied force. In various examples, an assembly including an input mechanism has an enclosure; a stem coupled to the enclosure such that the stem is rotatable, translatable, and transversely moveable with respect to the enclosure; a sensor, coupled between the stem and the housing, to which force is transferred when the stem moves with respect to the housing; and a processing unit coupled to the sensor. The processing unit is operable to determine a measurement of the force, based on a signal from the sensor.

A dial indicator for accurately measuring displacement of a part along a measurement axis. The dial indicator includes scale electrodes of a given pitch and reader stationary scale electrodes of a given pitch. A reader carries a plurality of reader bars having a pitch of one half that of the scale electrodes. A set of drive signals of a given frequency are applied in different ways to the scale bar electrodes to achieve coarse and fine positions of the reader relative to the scale. One operating mode involves determining the position of the reader 34 with a coarse measurement relative to the scale, and a fine measurement. These signals can combined to obtain an accurate position over the reader and position of a spindle reading displaced.

The invention relates to a timepiece. According to the invention, the timepiece includes: a timepiece movement provided with an analogue display and with at least one wheel set rotating integrally with a rotary indicator of said analogue display, said wheel set including an electrically conductive plate extending substantially orthogonally to the axis of rotation of the wheel set, and pierced with at least one aperture, a device for detection of a reference angular position of the aperture, the detection device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a common electrode which are planar and arranged in a plane parallel to the wheel set (MB), the common electrode being arranged along portions of the first electrode and of the second electrode,
the aperture being at least partially above or below: the first electrode in a position called the first position of disequilibrium the first electrode and the second electrode in a position called the position of equilibrium the second electrode in a position called the second position of disequilibrium.

Disclosed is a system and to a process for manufacturing a system including a network of sensors including a sheet of dielectric material that is elastically deformable under compressive and shear stress, each cell of the network including a first capacitive sensor for sensing normal pressure in a first direction, a second capacitive sensor for sensing shear stress in a second direction and a third capacitive sensor for sensing shear stress in a third direction. Each capacitive sensor includes a first electrode fixed to the first side of the sheet of dielectric material and a second electrode fixed to the second side of the sheet of dielectric material, the first electrodes of the capacitive sensors of a given cell being connected in series to a first electrically conductive track connecting a row of cells of the network of sensors.

Disclosed embodiments include a multi-mode sensor including an elastomeric strand having a first multi-mode sensing region configured to sense at least two different physical parameters, and a second multi-mode sensing region, space apart from the first multi-mode sensing region, and configured to sense at least two different physical parameters. In some disclosed embodiments the first multi-mode sensing region is configured to measure the physical parameters of angular displacement and strain.

Electromechanical apparatus including a wheel set and an analogue indicator member which are integral in rotation, a stepping motor, and a capacitive device for detection of the angular position of the wheel set, including a rotor, a stator and an electronic measuring circuit, the stator including a first pair of electrodes having a first capacitance and a second pair of electrodes having a second capacitance, the rotor being adapted such that the values of the two capacitances depend on the angular position of the rotor, and an electronic measuring circuit being provided for generating an output signal representative of a difference between the respective values of the first and of the second capacitance.

A system is disclosed, comprising a base and at least a first moveable entity, the first moveable entity being moveable with respect to the base and positionable in at least a first position with respect to the base. The base comprises a first base electrode and a second base electrode, and the moveable entity comprises a first moveable entity electrode and a second moveable entity electrode. The electrodes are arranged such that when the moveable entity is in the first position the first base electrode and the first moveable entity electrode align to form a first capacitor and the second base electrode and second moveable entity electrode align to form a second capacitor. The first moveable entity further comprises a first resistor connecting the first moveable entity electrode to the second moveable entity electrode, and the base further comprises: signal supply means arranged to supply a time-varying electrical signal to the first base electrode; and signal detection means arranged to detect an electrical signal from the second base electrode.

A method for measuring an angular position of a rotatable signal-inducing unit uses a sensor unit electrically isolated from the signal-inducing unit. The signal-inducing unit has a center electrode disposed in a signal-inducing unit plane and a rotary electrode disposed in the signal-inducing unit plane, the rotary electrode being conductively connected to the center electrode and laterally offset therefrom. The sensor unit has a first sensor electrode disposed in a sensor plane and at least one second sensor electrode disposed in the sensor plane, the sensor electrodes being arranged in a circle around a ground electrode disposed in the sensor plane, the signal-inducing unit plane and the sensor plane being oriented substantially parallel to one another. The signal-inducing unit is supported so as to be rotatable about the center electrode and the rotary electrode is movable along a circular path in the region of the sensor electrodes.

A measuring system according to an exemplary embodiment acquires a measurement value indicating electrostatic capacitance between a measuring device and a transport fork for transporting the measuring device. The transport fork includes a target electrode. The measuring device includes a first sensor provided on a base board. The first sensor includes a central electrode and peripheral electrodes. The central electrode acquires electrostatic capacitance for reflecting a distance with the target electrode. The peripheral electrodes are disposed around the central electrode to acquire electrostatic capacitance for reflecting an amount of deviation in a horizontal direction with respect to the target electrode of the transport fork.