H03K17/962

DIFFERENTIAL CAPACITIVE SENSING BASED WEAR DETECTION
20230118148 · 2023-04-20 ·

A wearable electronic device with one or more receiver electrodes and a plurality of transmitter electrodes, with differential mutual-capacitance measurements used to determine wear status of the device, is described. Mutual-capacitance between receiver and transmitter electrodes is increased to compensate for weak coupling between grounded structures of the device and a surrounding electrical earth. Due to the nature of differential measurements used, the device may maintain mutual-capacitance sensing sensitivity despite said increase. Differential output channels may be dynamically identified and selected to ensure accurate wear detection.

ELECTROSTATIC INPUT DEVICE AND DOOR HANDLE SENSOR SYSTEM

In a door handle sensor system, a door handle device includes an electrostatic sensor to detect the user with respect to a door handle, and a pressure sensor to detect the operating force applied to the door handle. A control device determines whether the position of an operation is in a first end section, a second end section, or a center section of the door handle, and controls an unlatched state based on the determination result and the value detected by the pressure sensor. The electrostatic sensor includes a first electrode including multiple first electrode parts and a second electrode including multiple second electrode parts arranged alternately with the first electrode parts. The first electrode part other than the endmost first electrode part in the first direction and the second electrode part other than the endmost second electrode part in the first direction are arranged in the center section.

NANO-POWER ARCHITECTURE ENHANCEMENTS
20230122233 · 2023-04-20 · ·

Apparatuses and methods of capacitance-to-digital code conversion are described. One capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) includes front-end circuitry, including a comparator. The CDC further includes a first capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) coupled to a first input of the comparator and, in a first phase, to a sensor cell. The CDC further includes a second CDAC coupled to a second input of the comparator and, in a second phase, to the sensor cell. The front-end circuitry provides a digital output. The digital output is proportional to a sensor capacitance of the sensor cell.

VEHICLE CONTROL PANEL AND PRODUCTION METHOD
20220326792 · 2022-10-13 ·

A method of producing a control panel for a vehicle. The method includes the following operations: a) producing a touch-sensitive film, the touch-sensitive film including a film, a conductive layer, a main decorative layer, and a secondary decorative layer, the conductive layer being arranged on an inner face of the film, the main decorative layer being arranged on an outer face of the film, and the secondary decorative layer having at least one critical deformation portion arranged on the inner face of the film in at least one corresponding critical deformation zone; b) shaping said touch-sensitive film, the touch-sensitive film being shaped in a non-developable three-dimensional manner in each critical deformation zone; and c) molding a layer of plastic material onto the main decorative layer.

Solid-state touch-enabled switch and related method

A solid-state switch for an external system includes a cover member, a first solid-state transducer, a second transducer, a microcontroller, a user feedback device, and a switching circuit. The first transducer is mechanically coupled to the cover member and configured to generate first signals in response to a perturbation at the cover member. The second transducer is configured to generate second signals in response to the perturbation. The microcontroller is configured to obtain first data from the first signals, second data from the second signals, and determine user inputs in accordance with at least the first data, the second data, and an operational state of the solid-state switch. The user feedback device is configured to provide feedback to a user of the switch in accordance with a switching behavior of the switching circuit. The second transducer is configured as a proximity sensor for detecting proximity of an object to the cover member.

INPUT DEVICE
20230161440 · 2023-05-25 ·

An input device is an input device provided for a table including a placement surface on which an object can be placed, and includes: a sensor that includes a touch sensor of a capacitive type for receiving a touch input on the placement surface; and a controller that determines, based on a detection result from the sensor, whether to enable or disable the touch input received by the touch sensor.

COMPACT HOME ASSISTANT DEVICE

Various arrangements of electronic devices, such as assistant devices, are detailed herein. Such a device can include a housing and a microphone. A microphone aperture can be defined by the housing that directs sound from outside the housing to the microphone. A cover, which can be fabric, can be attached with the outside of the housing. An adhesive ring on the housing around the microphone aperture can be used to attach the cover to the housing.

ON-VEHICLE HUMAN SENSING SWITCH
20230114945 · 2023-04-13 ·

An on-vehicle human sensing switch includes: a display having a display area for luminously displaying a switch image of a vehicle-mounted electronic device ; a light transmission type touch panel substrate body disposed on the display; and a light transmission type decorative body disposed on the touch panel substrate body . The touch panel substrate body includes, on a substrate, an electrostatic capacitance type sensor electrode configured to detect approach of a detection target, and an electrostatic capacitance type switch electrode which is disposed at a position opposing the display area and is configured to detect an action of the detection target. When approach of the detection target is detected by the sensor electrode, the switch image is displayed on the display.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR AN APPLIANCE, HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE APPLIANCE
20230115647 · 2023-04-13 ·

An operating device contains a sensor surface, a signal generator for providing a control signal with a predetermined frequency for the sensor surface, an evaluation device which is configured to provide a sensor signal which is dependent on the capacitance of the sensor surface, and a control facility. In this process, the control facility is configured to determine measuring noise on the evaluation device at different frequencies and to select the frequency of the control signal in order to determine the sensor signal as a function of the determined measuring noise.

ELECTRONIC DEVICE
20230111498 · 2023-04-13 ·

An electronic device is provided, including a functional layer, a touch layer, and a protective layer. The touch layer includes at least one touch electrode, and is disposed between the functional layer and the protective layer. The protective layer includes a bottom surface and a top surface. The bottom surface faces the touch layer, and the top surface is opposite to the bottom surface. The top surface includes an inner region, an outer region, and a virtual knob portion. The virtual knob portion is disposed between the inner region and the outer region and corresponds to the touch electrode, and at least a portion of the virtual knob portion protrudes from the outer region or is depressed relative to the outer region.