A gear position detection device for detecting a gear having multiple fingers is provided. The detection device includes a substrate, a control chip, and a drive line, a sense line, a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode formed on the substrate. The first and second drive electrodes are connected to the drive line to receive a drive signal. The first and second sense electrodes form induced electric field respectively with the first and second drive electrodes, and respectively output a first detected signal and a second detected signal via the sense line. The control chip outputs the drive signal via the drive line, receives the first and second detected signals via the sense line, calculate a differential signal between the first and second detected signals, and count a number of high levels of the differential signal to count a finger number.

A human machine interface includes a capacitive sensor disposed on an interior side of a face plate. A control device is rotatably coupled to the face plate and is disposed on an exterior side of the face plate. The control device includes at least one electrically conductive element. The control device rotates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the face plate such that the at least one electrically conductive element follows the rotation of the control device. The capacitive sensor senses a rotational position of the at least one electrically conductive element.

Systems and methods are described herein for extracting inertial information from nonlinear periodic signals. A system for determining an inertial parameter can include circuitry configured for receiving a first periodic analog signal from a first sensor that is responsive to motion of a proof mass, converting the first periodic analog signal to a first periodic digital signal, determining a result of trigonometrically inverting a quantity, the quantity based on the first periodic digital signal, and determining the inertial parameter based on the result.

A position detection device includes a fixed element, a movable element, a plurality of first electrodes, a second electrode, a third electrode and a first detection circuit. The movable element is movable relative to the fixed element. The first electrodes are arranged on either the fixed element or the movable element, and the second electrode is on the other of the movable element or the fixed element. The first electrodes include two or more phases with electrical signals having mutually different phases. The third electrode is provided on the fixed element and opposing the electrode that is on the movable element while the movable element is in a prescribed position. The first detection circuit detects when the movable element is in the prescribed position based on electrical signals generated in the second and third electrodes in accordance with the electrical signals supplied to the first electrodes.

A fixed element is provided to be used in a position detection device for detecting a position of a movable element that moves on the fixed element. The fixed element includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes and a second electrode. The substrate has as first surface, a second surface and a low-dielectric constant area. The second surface faces in an opposite direction to the first surface. The to low-dielectric constant area has a lower-dielectric constant than other portions of the substrate. The first electrodes are disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The first electrodes include three or more phases arranged one-dimensionally in a repeating pattern in a movement direction of the movable element. The second electrode is disposed on the first surface of the substrate and is arranged in the movement direction of the movable element adjacent the first electrodes. The low-dielectric constant area of the substrate is provided in a position between the first electrodes and the second electrode.

An optical scanning apparatus includes a mirror, a detection section, and a dummy capacitance section. The detection section generates capacitance between movable and fixed electrodes. The dummy capacitance section generates dummy capacitance between first and second electrodes. The four electrodes are provided on the same active layer and are separated. The active layer is arranged to face a support layer with an insulating layer in between. A first parasitic capacitance generated between the active layer including the fixed electrode and the support layer is equivalent to a second parasitic capacitance generated between the active layer including the first electrode and the support layer. The capacitance of the detection section and the first parasitic capacitance are connected in series, and the dummy capacitance and the second parasitic capacitance are connected in series.

Some embodiments of the invention include a capacitive linear encoder for determining positions comprising a scale and a read head for capacitively scanning the scale, wherein scale and read head are movable relative to one another. The scale has at least one, preferably capacitive, position reference marker. On the basis of the position references provided by the capacitive position reference marker, the positions are locatable in absolute terms and verifiable.

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.

Example capacitive-sensing rotary encoders and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotary encoder structured to be mounted to a motor, the rotary encoder including a plurality of circumferential capacitive sensor arrays, each of the plurality of capacitive sensor arrays having an output representing a binary bit of a rotary encoder output, the rotary encoder output changing as a conductor rotates responsive to a rotatable shaft of the motor relative to the rotary encoder.

A displacement detecting apparatus includes a first electrode including a base electrode segment and a plurality of detecting electrode segments, a second electrode having a predetermined periodic pattern and movable relative to the first electrode, a detector configured to detect a displacement based on a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a wiring configured to connect the plurality of detecting electrode segments and the detector with each other. A portion of the wiring facing the second electrode is located opposite to the second electrode with respect to the base electrode segment.