A capacitive sensor includes a first electrode structure; a second electrode structure that is counter to the first electrode structure, wherein the second electrode structure is movable relative to the first electrode structure and is capacitively coupled to the first electrode structure to form a capacitor having a capacitance that changes with a change in a distance between the first electrode structure and second electrode structure; a signal generator configured to apply an electrical signal at an input or at an output of the capacitor to induce a voltage transient response at the output of capacitor; and a diagnostic circuit configured to detect a fault in the capacitive sensor by measuring a time constant of the first voltage transient response and detecting the fault based on the time constant and based on whether the first electrical signal is the pull-in signal or the non-pull-in signal.

At a rim portion of a steering wheel, a shielding layer is disposed between a sensor electrode and a rim metal core portion. The shielding layer extends with respect to the sensor electrode. Therefore, generation of capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the rim metal core portion can be suppressed properly by the shielding layer, and parasitic capacitance that is generated at the sensor electrode can be reduced.

A capacitive measurement device for indicating when two surfaces moving relative to each other are spaced less than a predetermined distance apart. The device comprises a probe having an elongated conductor, an insulating core, a conducting inner guard, an insulating interlayer, and a conducting sheath. A portion of the conductor, insulating core and conducting inner guard form a probe tip which extends beyond the insulating interlayer and conducting sheath by a predetermined offset. The probe is configured to extend from a first surface by a predetermined distance and to generate a signal when the tip is contacted by a second surface.

The present invention relates to a moving equipment, such as in a medical examination system. In order to provide a facilitated way of moving equipment with high accuracy, a driving device (10) for moving equipment is provided, comprising a motor-driven positioning unit (12), a central processing unit (14), and a user interface (16) with at least one sensor unit (18). The motor-driven positioning unit is configured to carry out a movement (M) of movable equipment. Further, the central processing unit is configured to control the movement of the equipment provided by the motor-driven positioning unit. The at least one sensor unit comprises at least one touch sensitive area (20), and the at least one sensor unit is configured to provide control signals (22) to the central processing unit in dependency from a force (F) applied by a user to the at least one touch sensitive area. Still further, the at least one sensor unit is configured to be fixedly attached to the movable equipment.

An apparatus with rotor input detection includes: a first reactance element disposed at a rotor configured such that at least a part of the rotor rotates around a rotation axis, and disposed at the rotor such that reactance of the first reactance element varies depending on relative rotation between a first portion of the rotor and a second portion of the rotor; and a second reactance element disposed at the rotor such that reactance of the second reactance element varies depending on a contact or a force applied to a side surface of the rotor. The first and second reactance elements are configured to detect inputs of different areas of the rotor.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for use in the implementation and/or operation of quantum information processing (QIP) systems, and more particularly, to the implementation and operation of a non-contact displacement measurement technique for cryogenic stabilization in QIP systems.

An input device includes a first component with an actuating layer and a first electrode arranged adjacent thereto, a second component with a carrier and a second electrode, and a device which electrically contacts the first and second electrodes. The first and second electrodes face each other with an air gap therebetween. The first electrode, under an influence of an actuating force acting on the actuating surface undergoes, upon an actuation, a displacement so as to move the first electrode closer to the second electrode against an elastic restoring force. A detection and evaluation device applies a measuring capacitance to the first and second electrodes and detects a change in the measuring capacitance dependent on the displacement moving the first and second electrodes closer to each other in order to associate the actuation with a switching or controlling function after detecting a predetermined change in the measuring capacitance.

A device for detecting steering wheel contact comprises at least a first electrode (12) which is provided in a steering wheel (10) and which forms, together with a human body acting as a second electrode and a dielectric situated therebetween, at least one sensor capacitor (26). The device also comprises an evaluation circuit (24) having a reference capacitor (30) of known capacitance which can be connected parallel to the sensor capacitor (26), a direct current voltage source (34) which can be connected to the reference capacitor (30), and a measuring device for measuring the voltage at the reference capacitor (30). A method for detecting steering wheel contact using such a device comprises the following successive steps: charging the reference capacitor (30) by applying a known reference voltage, or charging the reference capacitor (30) and subsequently measuring a first voltage at the reference capacitor (30); connecting, in parallel, the sensor capacitor (26) to the reference capacitor (30) so that a portion of the charge of the reference capacitor (30) is transmitted to the sensor capacitor (26); measuring a second voltage at the reference capacitor (26); end determining the capacitance of the sensor capacitor (26) from the known capacitance of the reference capacitor (30), the reference voltage or the first voltage and the second voltage.

Example systems and methods for a driver detection steering wheel are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes a steering wheel, a driver, a detector, and an enabling module. The example steering wheel includes a plurality of capacitive sensors. The example driver is to change voltage levels on the plurality of capacitive sensors. The example detector is to measure time delays corresponding to the plurality of capacitive sensors, and determine a number of hands on the steering wheel based on the time delays. The example enabling module is to, in response to the detector detecting two hands on the steering wheel, grant access to an infotainment system.

A sensing device comprising a first array of electrodes encapsulated in a first elastomeric layer; a second array of electrodes encapsulated in a second elastomeric layer; a third elastomeric layer intermediate the first and second elastomeric layer and comprising an array of micro-structures, wherein said electrodes and elastomeric layers are configured such that a displacement of said micro-structures, in response to one or more forces and/or pressures applied to said device, causes a capacitance of said device to vary as a function of said forces and/or pressure applied.