A touch panel device includes a first conductive film having first and second regions, at least a part of the first conductive film between the first and the second regions being removed, a second conductive film laminated on the first conductive film across a gap, first and second terminals that output signals, a first electrode electrically connected to the first terminal, a second electrode facing the first electrode across the first region, a first resistor provided on the first conductive film in the second region and having a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes facing each other across a first resistance region in the first conductive film, one of the electrodes being electrically connected to the second electrode, the other of the electrodes being electrically connected to the second terminal, and a first switch electrically connecting the first conductive film to the second conductive film, in the second region.

To achieve simplification of the circuit configuration and prevention of damage to the control part in an input device provided with a plurality of switches. An input device for inputting operation instructions including: two switches each having one end and the other end; and a control part having at least an input part and two input/output parts; where the input part is connected to the one end of each of the two switches; where the first input/output part is connected to the other end of the first switch; where the second input/output part is connected to the other end of the second switch; and where the control part switches the second input/output part to an input acceptance state when the control part outputs a scan signal from the first input/output part, and obtains a conductive state of the first switch by detecting the voltage generated at the input part.

A method of detecting possible living body contact at an electrical contact surface, wherein the living body has a detectable characteristic initial impedance and a corresponding characteristic time constant defined by the initial impedance upon touching the electrical contact surface when the electrical contact surface is at a touching voltage, wherein the method comprises sending a non-hazardous probing signal to the contact surface, wherein the probing signal comprises one probing pulse or a plurality of probing pulses forming a probing pulse train, and the probing pulse has a base voltage level and a probing voltage level which is above the base voltage level and equal to the touching voltage or a probing voltage level which is below the base voltage level and equal to the touching voltage; detecting an electrical response from the contact surface in response to the electrical probing signal, wherein the electrical response comprises electrical response signals; and determining from the electrical response signals whether there is possible living body contact at the electrical contact surface.

A touch button with better feel in pressing is disposed on a casing, including a touch board having a touch area and a press area, a fixing element disposed on a side of the touch board to form a difference in height from the touch board, an elastic connector for connecting the touch board with the fixing element and forming a state of elastic vertical displacement between the press area and the casing, and plural elastic supporters forming an elastic supporting force to the press area, thereby enabling the press area to manifest the state of elastic vertical displacement on the casing by the elastic supporting force.

Disclosed wherein is an electrical faceplate, such as a cover for a wall outlet or light switch, that uniformly illuminates by receiving light into a transparent lightguide, homogenizing the light within the lightguide and scattering the homogenized light preferentially through a front surface. In one embodiment a faceplate comprises a substrate operable to cover an interface between an electrical junction box and a wall. The faceplate further comprises a light receiving surface operable to receive light from a light generation component (e.g. an LED) and transmit the light substantially parallel to a front surface, thereby promoting reflection at the front surface that homogenizes the light intensity within the faceplate and a portion operable to scatter light through the front surface. Several embodiments provide a faceplate with a lightguide to homogenize light through a process of total internal reflection to provide uniform illumination of the faceplate.

A fabric-based item may include fabric formed from intertwined strands of material. The strands of material may include extruded strands. Strand extrusion equipment may have electrically adjustable sources such as one or more sources of different polymers, dyes, particles, wire, and other elements to be incorporated into an extruded strand. The properties of the strands such as strand stiffness, strand diameter, conductivity, magnetic permeability, opacity, color, thermal conductivity, sand strength, may be varied along their lengths. Fabric formed from the strands may have different areas with different properties. Markers may be formed from particles at particular locations along the lengths of the strands, may be optical marker structures formed from circumferential rings of ink or other visible material on the strands, or may be other markers that can be sensed using electrical sensing, magnetic sensing, optical sensing, or other types of sensing when forming fabric from the strands.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.

A touch panel device includes a first conductive film having first and second regions, at least a part of the first conductive film between the first and the second regions being removed, a second conductive film laminated on the first conductive film across a gap, first and second terminals that output signals, a first electrode electrically connected to the first terminal, and a second electrode facing the first electrode across the first region. A switch may electrically connect the first conductive film to the second conductive film, in the second region.

The invention relates to a mobile terminal comprising a lid unit arranged to substantially block an opening in a mobile terminal housing in an assembled state of the mobile terminal and arranged to allow access through the opening into the interior of the mobile terminal when removed from the opening, wherein the mobile terminal lid unit comprises at least one key device for controlling at least one function on the mobile terminal.

An input device includes a sensor apparatus coupled to a sensing region. The sensor apparatus is operable in at least a first mode or a second mode. When operating in the first mode, the input device is configured to detect a capacitance of the sensor apparatus. When operating in a second mode, the input device is configured to detect a resistance of the sensor apparatus. The input device is further configured to process user inputs in the sensing region based at least in part on the detected capacitance or resistance of the sensor apparatus. In some implementations, the input device may be configured to switch between the first mode and the second mode based at least in part on the detected capacitance or resistance of the sensor apparatus.