Methods and apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) structured to be mounted to a motor, the sensor PCB including a plurality of capacitive sensors, the plurality of capacitive sensors having respective ones of a plurality of capacitances that independently change as a conductor moves relative to the sensor PCB in conjunction with a rotatable shaft of the motor during an operation of the motor, and a controller electrically coupled to the sensor PCB, the controller configured to determine a position of the rotatable shaft based on the plurality of capacitances.

An electric field type time-grating linear displacement sensor based on a single row multilayer structure, including a moving ruler and a fixed ruler. The moving ruler having a row of induced electrodes and the fixed ruler having a row of excitation electrodes.

One or more of the following methods and approaches can be used in capacitive position sensing. For starters, a wireless segmented capacitive sensor that incorporates the capacitive fringing feature; capacitive measurements correlated to position through a map that accounts for fringing. Furthermore, the addition of choice to capacitive sensing, where a sensor can select between two or more groupings to optimize data collection, perform irregularity detection, identification, avoidance and or adaptation. As well, the method of specialized pads. Another method involves the creation and application of intentional irregularities embedded into the scale. Such irregularities serve to encode higher order information into the scale, such as but not limited to absolute position information. Finally, intentional changes to the slider and or scale pads, particularly to oversize and or shape pads for the purpose of tolerating misalignment.

A sensor for sensing angular movement of an object with a structure. Mounted on the structure are a stationary first portion and a second portion that is movable in rotation carrying respectively a first printed circuit and a second printed circuit centered on the axis of rotation and that face each other and that include conductive areas for forming capacitive sectors and, respectively, a primary excitation winding and a secondary excitation winding connected to the conductive areas of the second printed circuit; the first printed circuit being connected to an electronic control circuit arranged to create excitation signals that are transmitted by the first printed circuit to the second printed circuit by magnetic coupling, and to demodulate signals transmitted by the second printed circuit to the first printed circuit by capacitive coupling.

A rotation angle measuring apparatus and method are provided for measuring a rotation angle of a moving disk relative to a stationary disk, the moving disk being configured to rotate about an axis and the stationary disk being arranged opposite the moving disk. A magnet is arranged on the moving disk. A first magnetic sensor is arranged on the stationary disk, the first magnetic sensor generating an angle signal under the action of the magnet as the moving disk rotates. An incremental rotation angle of the moving disk is determined on the basis of an output of the receiving region, a period of the static electric field is determined on the basis of an angle signal generated by the first magnetic sensor, and an absolute rotation angle of the moving disk is determined on the basis of the period of the static electric field and the incremental rotation angle.

A displacement detection apparatus according to the present invention includes a first electrode unit including a plurality of detection electrode groups and a second electrode unit including a plurality of second electrodes that is movable relatively with respect to the first electrode unit. The plurality of detection electrode groups include a first detection electrode group including a plurality of first detection electrodes and a second detection electrode group including a plurality of second detection electrodes. In a maximum output state, at least one second detection electrode among the plurality of second detection electrodes is arranged in a manner that a position of a center of the at least one second detection electrode is different from a position of a center of a first counter electrode.

A measuring container for measurement of impurity ions in a liquid includes: a first electrode; a first insulation film formed on the first electrode; a second insulation film formed apart from the first insulation film to create a space into which the liquid is to be sealed; a second electrode on which the second insulation film is formed, the second electrode being arranged to face the first electrode; and a seal material having an inlet through which the liquid is injected into the space, the seal material being configured to seal the space.

Described example user interface control apparatus includes a first structure, with a first side, conductive capacitor plate structures spaced along a first direction on the first side, a movable second structure with an auxiliary conductive structure, and an interface circuit to provide excitation signals to, and receive sense signals from, the conductive capacitor plate structures to perform a mutual capacitance test and a self-capacitance test of individual ones of the conductive capacitor plate structures to determine a position of the second structure or a user's finger relative to the first structure along the first direction.

In a method for operating an operating device for a household appliance, an operating element of the operating device is actuated with a first actuation type from a first resting position to a first operating position to set a first function of the household appliance. A setting parameter of a second function of the household appliance is set by actuating the operating element with a second type of actuation different from the first type of actuation from a second resting position into at least one of a plurality of intermediate positions of the operating element. The first function of the household appliance is actuated in response to a sensing of a first capacitance value of the operating device, and a second capacitance value is sensed while taking into account a correction value in dependence on the sensed first capacitance value for determining the setting parameter of the second function.

Described example user interface control apparatus includes a first structure, with a first side, conductive capacitor plate structures spaced along a first direction on the first side, a movable second structure with an auxiliary conductive structure, and an interface circuit to provide excitation signals to, and receive sense signals from, the conductive capacitor plate structures to perform a mutual capacitance test and a self-capacitance test of individual ones of the conductive capacitor plate structures to determine a position of the second structure or a user's finger relative to the first structure along the first direction.