A touch sensing device, applicable to an electric device including a touch member integrated with a housing, includes an inductor element spaced apart from an internal side surface of the touch member, a support member attached to an internal side surface of the housing or the touch member to support the inductor element disposed thereon, a substrate on which the inductor element is mounted, the substrate being disposed on the support member, and a circuit part connected to the inductor element and configured to detect a touch input and a touch-force input in response to different frequency change characteristics depending on the touch input and the touch-force input through the touch member.

An input device includes a pressure-sensitive sensor including a first sensing unit and a second sensing unit, and a pressing unit that is disposed on the pressure-sensitive sensor and undergoes buckling deformation. A bottom of the pressing unit is disposed on the first sensing unit, and a top of the pressing unit is disposed on the second sensing unit.

Disclosed are an inductive force sensor and a method of operating the same. An inductive force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reference resonance circuit, a first resonance circuit, and a determination circuit configured to obtain information about a first resonant frequency, attributable to first inductance due to an inductive coil based on the displacement between a target and the inductive coil formed by an external force input in a Z-axis direction, and a reference resonant frequency. The determination circuit determines the displacement of the target and the external force in the Z-axis direction based on the first resonant frequency and the reference resonant frequency.

A detection device includes an upper detection electrode, a lower detection electrode disposed under the upper detection electrode in an overlapping manner, a proximity state detection unit configured to detect a proximity state of a detection target relative to a detection surface based on a change in at least one of electrostatic capacitances of the upper detection electrode and the lower detection electrode, and a switching unit configured to perform switching between a first state in which the upper detection electrode and the lower detection electrode are insulated from each other and a second state in which the upper detection electrode and the lower detection electrode are short-circuited to each other.

To provide an input operation device capable of detecting, using a simple configuration, a first operation of touching an operation surface with an operation body and a second operation of pressing the operation surface with the operation body.

An input operation device 11 includes a detection value changing part 31, which changes a detection value of a capacitive sensor 12, and a supporting part 41, which supports a touch sensor part 21 in a state in which the detection value changing part 31 and the touch sensor part 21 are separated from each other. The detection value changing part 31 is arranged on a back surface 24 side opposite to the operation surface 22 of the touch sensor part 21, and changes the detection value depending on contact with the detection part 23. The supporting part 41 includes an elastically shape-changeable part 42, which elastically changes shape so as to bring the detection part 23 into contact with the detection value changing part 31 in response to pressing of the operation surface 22. The capacitive sensor 12 of the input operation device 11 generates a first detection value indicating a first operation of touching the operation surface 22 and a second detection value indicating a second operation of pressing the operation surface 22 toward the detection value changing part 31.

A touch-sensitive keypad control device for use with a controlled device is provided. The touch-sensitive keypad control device includes: a housing, a touch control device disposed in the housing, and a keypad device uncovered from the housing and disposed above the touch control device. The touch control device generates a first command for controlling the controlled device in response to a gesture of a user relative to the keypad device, and the keypad device generates a second command for controlling the controlled device in response to a level change of the keypad device relative to the housing in response to a pressing operation of a user.

An electromagnetic-based sensor system includes a sensor assembly with a biometric identification sensor to determine a unique biometric characteristic of a user using a first non-visible electromagnetic radiation. Specifically, a palm vein sensor may measure a unique pattern of veins in a user's palm using near-field infrared light. A gesture sensor uses a second non-visible electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared or radio frequency to detect movement in a specific gesture pattern. An object detection sensor uses a third non-visible electromagnetic radiation to detect the presence of an object. A mirror overlies the sensor assembly and is reflective to visible light and transmissive to the non-visible electromagnetic radiation. The sensor assembly may be used within a vehicle to authenticate an individual user as an authorized user to unlock the vehicle. One or more settings of the vehicle may be set to predetermined values depending on the identity of the user.

An input device includes a pressure-sensitive sensor including a first sensing unit and a second sensing unit, and a pressing unit that is disposed on the pressure-sensitive sensor and undergoes buckling deformation. A bottom of the pressing unit is disposed on the first sensing unit, and a top of the pressing unit is disposed on the second sensing unit.

An operating device for a motor vehicle, having a touch-sensitive operating element with a frame element and a central region. The touch-sensitive operating interface has a predetermined operating region at each of at least two predetermined touch positions for activating an operating function assigned to the respective operating region. The operating element is arranged to be displaceable at least partially along a translation axis that intersects the operating interface. The operating device has only one detection element, which is arranged facing an inner side of the touch-sensitive operating element that faces away from the touch-sensitive operating interface, and which is arranged to detect a displacement of each operating region along the translation axis.

Touch sensitive mechanical keyboards and processes for detecting touch events and key depressions on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard are provided. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive surface. A touch sensor layer can be disposed on top of a key mechanism and flexible interconnections provided between key segments of the touch sensor layer can allow for depression of the key mechanism of individual keys. In some examples, the flexible interconnections can be formed by patterning a spring-like structure into the touch sensor layer. In some examples, the touch sensor layer can be transparent or include openings to allow a backlight to shine through. In some examples, addressable LED backlighting with buckling interconnects can also be provided to illuminate keycaps of the mechanical keyboard.