A converter and a method of manufacturing a converter. The converter includes electrical components and a cover enclosing a first group of the electrical components of the converter, wherein a second group of the electrical components are printed electrical components which are embedded in the cover of the converter. The cover of the converter includes a user interface, and the user interface includes printed electrical components from the second group of electrical components.

A rotary knob having (inter alia, adjustable) a coupling electrode and capacitive coupling devices for placing on a touch screen is provided. Depending on the position of the rotary knob or of the coupling electrode, contact of a corresponding partial region of the touchscreen is detected. The rotary knob is designed detect and ignore disturbing influences such as drops of water.

The invention relates to an input device including: a capacitive detector with a detection surface forming an array of electrodes; an electronic evaluation unit electrically connected to the electrodes and forming an associated array of electrical measuring fields for the spatially resolving detection of a capacitive influence on the detection surface; a handling means disposed on the detection surface in a manner movable along an adjustment path to perform an operating input by means of a movement by an operator; a coupling electrode assembly which is partially moved along with the handling means and disposed in an electrically insulated manner with respect to the operator while they touch the handling means, and where at least one position of the handling means is provided where two measuring fields are capacitively influenced by a means of the coupling electrode assembly, where these influences are detected to obtain position information.

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor including logic to determine from data received from one or more sensors, whether the apparatus is in physical contact with a user. The logic is further to set a power management policy of the apparatus based on a processor context, where the processor context is determined based at least in part on whether the apparatus is in physical contact with the user, and where the power management policy is used by the logic to determine a level of power consumption at which to operate the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

The invention relates to an input device including: a capacitive detector with a detection surface forming an array of electrodes; an electronic evaluation unit electrically connected to the electrodes and forming an associated array of electrical measuring fields for the spatially resolving detection of a capacitive influence on the detection surface; a handling means disposed on the detection surface in a manner movable along an adjustment path to perform an operating input by means of a movement by an operator; a coupling electrode assembly which is partially moved along with the handling means and disposed in an electrically insulated manner with respect to the operator while they touch the handling means, and where at least one position of the handling means is provided where two measuring fields are capacitively influenced by a means of the coupling electrode assembly, where these influences are detected to obtain position information.

Disclosed herein is a control apparatus using a dial. The control apparatus includes a sensor panel installed to be rotatable and movable up and down. A plurality of first electrodes is disposed in a surface of the sensor panel. The plurality of first electrodes is spaced apart at a predetermined distance in a circumferential direction. A first sensing electrode faces the sensor panel. The first sensing electrode is configured to be capacitively coupled with the plurality of first electrodes to sense a change in capacitance.

A switch system includes: a projection; a plurality of switches that are arranged on a side surface of the projection along a circumferential direction, each switch detecting touch to the side surface of the projection by an operator as on or off; and a determiner that acquires on/off states of the switches, and determines a rotational direction of an operator's finger along the circumferential direction of the projection based on a current on/off state currently acquired from each switch and a previous on/off state previously acquired from each switch.

In a method for operating an operating device for a household appliance, an operating element of the operating device is actuated with a first actuation type from a first resting position to a first operating position to set a first function of the household appliance. A setting parameter of a second function of the household appliance is set by actuating the operating element with a second type of actuation different from the first type of actuation from a second resting position into at least one of a plurality of intermediate positions of the operating element. The first function of the household appliance is actuated in response to a sensing of a first capacitance value of the operating device, and a second capacitance value is sensed while taking into account a correction value in dependence on the sensed first capacitance value for determining the setting parameter of the second function.

An actuating element for an electronic domestic appliance has an electrically non-conductive carrier which defines at least one preferably substantially cylindrical detection portion. A plurality of electrically conductive measuring electrodes is spaced apart from one another along the detection portion of the carrier. A preferably substantially annular operating element is disposed at a first predefined distance from the measuring electrodes and is movable relative thereto. The operating element additionally has at least one sensor portion which is at least partially electrically conductive and is disposed at a second predefined distance from the measuring electrodes. The second predefined distance is different from the first predefined distance, so that a movement of the sensor portion and therefore of the operating element relative to the configuration of measuring electrodes can be detected.

Systems and methods associated for providing haptic feedback are provided. For instance, data indicative of a feedback scheme associated with an input mechanism can be accessed. The feedback scheme includes one or more feedback points associated with a position of a moveable portion of the input mechanism. The input mechanism is configured to change positions responsive to an actuation of the input mechanism by a user. One or more positions of the moveable portion of the input mechanism can be determined as the input mechanism is actuated by the user. Operation of one or more feedback motors can be controlled to provide feedback to the user in accordance with the feedback scheme based at least in part on the determined one or more positions of the input mechanism.