Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for controlling an operation of a vibrational output system and/or an operation of an input sensor system, wherein the controller is for use in a device comprising the vibrational output system and the input sensor system. A controller comprises an input configured to receive an indication of activation or de-activation of an output of the vibrational output system; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibrational output system and/or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce an interference expected to be caused by the output of the vibrational output system on the input sensory system.

Embodiments may take the form of a system having a user input device and a first sensor coupled to the user input device. The first sensor is configured to sense touch on a surface of the user input device. The system may also include a second sensor in communication with the surface of the user device configured to sense wetting of a user's fingerprint on the surface. The system has a processor coupled to the first and second sensors and configured to estimate an amount of force applied by the user's fingerprint based at least in part upon the sensed wetting of the user's fingerprint.

A displacement sensor comprising: a first electrode and a second electrode displaceably mounted relative to the first electrode; capacitance measurement circuitry configured to make measurements of a capacitance associated with the first and second electrodes and to generate analogue capacitance measurement signals in response thereto; compensation circuitry configured to generate a compensated analogue capacitance measurement signal by reducing a magnitude of a current analogue capacitance measurement signal by an amount indicated by a compensation signal derived from at least one previous analogue capacitance measurement signal; and processing circuitry configured to digitise the compensated analogue capacitance measurement signal and to determine if there is a displacement of the second electrode relative to the first electrode based on the compensated analogue capacitance measurement signal.

An input device is disclosed, including a capacitive force sensor, a capacitive touch sensor, and an evaluation unit, where the capacitive force sensor includes an operating surface and a first conductive electrode, and a second conductive electrode; wherein the evaluation unit is configured to detect an associated characteristic value of a touch on the operating surface during the operation, such as a location surface of action of the touch, by means of the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to detect a measured quantity changing with the operating force by generating a first measuring capacitance between the first and second electrodes and to assign a switching or controlling function to the operation in accordance with the characteristic value detected by the capacitive touch sensor and with the measured quantity detected in the operation-detection step.

In keystroke recognition technologies, a method and a module for updating a keystroke reference, and a terminal device are provided. The method for updating a keystroke reference includes: receiving a pressing interrupt sent by a keystroke chip; obtaining a plurality of pressing capacitance values from the keystroke chip, where the plurality of pressing capacitance values include a capacitance value of the keystroke chip at a generation moment of the pressing interrupt and a capacitance value of the keystroke chip at a scanning moment next to the generation moment of the pressing interrupt; and setting a release reference of the keystroke chip according to the plurality of pressing capacitance values, to improve interchangeability and anti-interference of the keystroke chip with no extra burden on a main control chip.

Various exemplary embodiments are directed to methods including obtaining an input sample magnitude, filtering the obtained input sample magnitude, generating a sample-to-sample difference based on the filtered input sample magnitude, and engaging an actuator in accordance with a determination that the sample-to-sample difference satisfies a rate threshold. In addition, various exemplary embodiments are directed to devices including a processor, a control sensor operatively coupled to the processor and operable to obtain an input sample magnitude, an input filter operatively coupled to the processor and operable to filter the at least one obtained input magnitude sample, a non-transitory computer-readable medium operatively coupled to the processor and including a rate engine operable to generate a sample-to-sample difference based on the filtered input sample magnitude, and to generate a determination that the sample-to-sample difference satisfies a rate threshold, and a control actuator operatively coupled to the processor and operable to engage an operation mechanism in accordance with the determination that the sample-to-sample difference satisfies a rate threshold.

A method for detecting the approach and/or contact of a user's hand close to a motor vehicle door handle. The handle including: an electrode having a capacitance, and a device for measuring the variation in capacitance, a low-frequency antenna situated close to the electrode, the emissions of the low-frequency antenna bringing about disturbances in the operation of the device for measuring the variation in the capacitance. The method proposes that a new adaptive approach detection threshold be calculated, depending on an average of the previous measured variations in the capacitance, calculated over a predetermined time interval, the measured variations being weighted by a factor depending on a difference between each measured variation and the average of the variations calculated previously over a previous predetermined time interval, the approach detection being confirmed if the measured variation is higher than the new adaptive threshold.

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for controlling an operation of a vibrational output system and/or an operation of an input sensor system, wherein the controller is for use in a device comprising the vibrational output system and the input sensor system. A controller comprises an input configured to receive an indication of activation or de-activation of an output of the vibrational output system; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibrational output system and/or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce an interference expected to be caused by the output of the vibrational output system on the input sensory system.

A capacitive measuring system includes capacitive sensors and an evaluation circuit having a multiplexer, a synchronous rectifier, a sinusoidal signal generator, and a reference voltage divider. The capacitive sensors are acted on by a mono-frequency voltage signal generated by the sinusoidal signal generator, output signals of the capacitive sensors are transmitted in alternation to the synchronous rectifier via the multiplexer, and signal amplification of output signals of the synchronous rectifier are calibrated as a function of an activatable reference impedance. The synchronous rectifier is formed by a MOS semiconductor switch. A source-drain section of the MOS semiconductor switch forms a shunt that is controlled by the mono-frequency voltage signal. A channel of the multiplexer is provided for transmitting a calibration signal, generated by the reference voltage divider, to the synchronous rectifier alternately with the output signals of the capacitive sensors.

A determination is made as to whether touch pressure data acquired from each of a plurality of touch pressure sensors is indicative of abnormal operation. If abnormal operation is indicated, the touch pressure data from each of the plurality of touch pressure sensors, except those touch pressure sensors having touch pressure data indicative of abnormal operation, is summed. Then, the sum is multiplied by a correction factor to produce a touch pressure output indicative of physical force applied to the plurality of touch pressure sensors.