A switch actuating device for actuating a switch by eight types of non-tactile gestures performed with an object emitting heat includes a gesture sensor with four pixels configured to detect heat emitted by the object. The pixels include thin films made of pyroelectric sensitive material which generate a signal that has signal deflections corresponding to a temporal intensity curve of the heat detected by the thin film of the corresponding pixel. The types of the gestures are determined with a signal processing unit which controls an actuator to actuate the switch when a performance of one of the types of the gestures is determined. The gesture types are determined during an approach phase when the object approaches the gesture sensor, a waiting phase during when the object remains close to the gesture sensor, and a subsequent translational phase when the object moves in one of eight directions.

A switch actuating device for actuating a switch by eight types of non-tactile gestures performed with an object emitting heat includes a gesture sensor with four pixels configured to detect heat emitted by the object. The pixels include thin films made of pyroelectric sensitive material which generate a signal that has signal deflections corresponding to a temporal intensity curve of the heat detected by the thin film of the corresponding pixel. The types of the gestures are determined with a signal processing unit which controls an actuator to actuate the switch when a performance of one of the types of the gestures is determined. The gesture types are determined during an approach phase when the object approaches the gesture sensor, a waiting phase during when the object remains close to the gesture sensor, and a subsequent translational phase when the object moves in one of eight directions.

Flight guidance panels and vehicle guidance panels are provided. A flight guidance panel for an aircraft includes a hardware knob, a display proximate the hardware knob, and a controller. The controller is configured for: altering an automation state of the aircraft; receiving a target of a flight parameter for the aircraft to achieve when the automation state is active; and generating a functional panel associated with the flight parameter and the hardware knob based on a configuration of the flight guidance panel.

Systems and methods for providing a replacement touchless button for initiating an action upon proximate detection of a solid object near the top of the touchless button. The action is triggered by determining that the solid object is within a predetermined distance from the top of the button. The action is accomplished by the closing of an electrical circuit within the touchless button, the button being configured to replace a push button without modification of a panel housing the push button. The button contains and supports, within its structure, all electrical and physical components needed to operate a device that can be triggered via a push button. The button serves as a direct replacement for a push button with no modifications to existing systems or controls regularly triggered by a push button.

Systems and methods for providing a replacement touchless button for initiating an action upon proximate detection of a solid object near the top of the touchless button. The action is triggered by determining that the solid object is within a predetermined distance from the top of the button. The action is accomplished by the closing of an electrical circuit within the touchless button, the button being configured to replace a push button without modification of a panel housing the push button. The button contains and supports, within its structure, all electrical and physical components needed to operate a device that can be triggered via a push button. The button serves as a direct replacement for a push button with no modifications to existing systems or controls regularly triggered by a push button.

A module having an input configured to connect a sensor and having an indicator configured to optically indicate a physical state of the sensor. The module is configured to transmit a logical signal associated with the physical state or an inverted logical signal of the sensor to a higher-level unit and to receive a control value from the higher-level unit. The module is configured to evaluate the control value and to determine, on the basis of the control value, whether the value of the logical sensor signal or the inverted logical sensor signal is to be used for the optical indication of the physical state of the sensor.

A module having an input configured to connect a sensor and having an indicator configured to optically indicate a physical state of the sensor. The module is configured to transmit a logical signal associated with the physical state or an inverted logical signal of the sensor to a higher-level unit and to receive a control value from the higher-level unit. The module is configured to evaluate the control value and to determine, on the basis of the control value, whether the value of the logical sensor signal or the inverted logical sensor signal is to be used for the optical indication of the physical state of the sensor.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media described herein can be operable to facilitate transitioning a device from a first state to a second state. A switch described herein allows for the use of an electronic circuit to perform the toggle and persistence functions while simultaneously giving more flexibility to the industrial design and physical switch implementation. The switch allows this preserving of the state using only a toggle on a voltage and thus allowing for a hardware only solution. The switch described herein allows for the use of smaller and less complicated mechanical switches allowing for more compact industrial designs. The switch uses a programmable voltage reference as a 1 bit non-volatile memory cell that is programmed by means of a logic pulse to the device. This allows a software independent setting of the state of the privacy switch. This state will remain through power cycles.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media described herein can be operable to facilitate transitioning a device from a first state to a second state. A switch described herein allows for the use of an electronic circuit to perform the toggle and persistence functions while simultaneously giving more flexibility to the industrial design and physical switch implementation. The switch allows this preserving of the state using only a toggle on a voltage and thus allowing for a hardware only solution. The switch described herein allows for the use of smaller and less complicated mechanical switches allowing for more compact industrial designs. The switch uses a programmable voltage reference as a 1 bit non-volatile memory cell that is programmed by means of a logic pulse to the device. This allows a software independent setting of the state of the privacy switch. This state will remain through power cycles.

A power door system for a vehicle including a plurality of power-operated doors is provided. The system includes a passive remote entry device configured to emit a signal to one or more cooperating vehicle receivers and a controller configured to cause the power door system to open the at least one power-operated door when the passive remote entry device signal is received and an individual is detected in a predefined activation zone for a predetermined period of time. The system further includes a vehicle-mounted user detection device. The passive remote entry device may be selected from the group consisting of a key fob, a smart key, a key card, a cellular telephone or smartphone configured with a phone-as-a-key function, a Bluetooth®-activated and vehicle-recognized cellular telephone, a Bluetooth®-activated and vehicle-recognized smartphone, and a Bluetooth®-activated and vehicle-recognized smartwatch. Methods for controlling a power door system for a vehicle are described.