A method for capacitive touch sensing with high safety integrity includes measuring at least one of a first mutual-capacitance of an electrode pair comprising two of a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode, and a self-capacitance between the third electrode and a body biased to a fixed voltage. A contact of the body to a dielectric overlaying each of the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode is detected by comparing at least one of the first mutual-capacitance of the electrode pair to a first reference range, and the self-capacitance to a second reference range.

A capacitance sensing circuit includes: a front-end circuit, a first subtracting and summing circuit and a capacitance judging circuit; wherein the front-end circuit is coupled to the detection circuit; the first subtracting and summing circuit is coupled between the front-end circuit and the capacitance judging circuit, and includes: a subtracting unit; a summing unit, coupled to the subtracting unit; a first converter, coupled between the summing unit and the capacitance judging unit; and a second converter, coupled between the first converter and the subtracting unit; and the capacitance judging circuit is configured to judge a capacitance change of the detection capacitor. According to the present application, resistance against noise may be improved.

An apparatus, such as a set-top box, includes at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature that provides, among other things, the ability to detect and reject false touches. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a first conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground, and a second conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground and located adjacent to the first conductive element. A first sensor is coupled to the first conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment. A second sensor is coupled to the second conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment. A controller is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance of the first sensor and the second sensor.

The present invention is related to a method for proximity sensing and an applied electronic device thereof. The present invention provides that a movement signal is generated according to a detection data, a move baseline data and a move threshold and cooperated with a proximity signal for generating a judgement signal to judge if the human body or the object body is close to the electronic device.

A capacitive occupancy or proximity detector includes a heating circuit, an impedance measurement circuit connected to the heating element and a diagnostic circuit configured for determining integrity of the heater element. The heating circuit includes a heating element, a heating current source and a common mode choke having a first and a second winding, the heating element being connectable to the heating current source via the first and second windings. The diagnostic circuit includes at least one controllable switching element coupled across the second winding circuitry for injecting a DC current into a series connection formed by the first winding, the heating element and a parallel connection of the second winding and said at least one controllable switching element; and at least one detection circuit for detecting a voltage variation across the second winding.

A program and a control device capable of calibrating a detection value of a sensor that detects contact with a steering wheel are provided. The program in accordance with the present invention is characterized by causing a computer to execute processing of distinguishing whether or not a user is on a driver's seat of a vehicle; acquiring, from a sensor (21) that converts contact with a steering wheel (2) into an electric signal for detection, a detection value of the detected electric signal; determining whether or not a difference between the detection value acquired when it has been distinguished that the user is not on the driver's seat, and a reference value is equal to or larger than a threshold value; and setting the detection value as the reference value when it has been determined that the difference is not equal to or larger than the threshold value.

An operation switch includes: a capacitance sensor that generates three or more detection signals in response to approach or contact of an object to respective three or more electrodes; a determination circuit that determines whether or not the object is a living body based on one or more detection signals selected from the three or more detection signals, the one or more detection signals excluding a detection signal having a maximum intensity among the three or more detection signals; and a controller that, when the object is determined to be a living body, generates an operation signal for operating a predetermined device.

A capacitive sensor system includes a capacitive sensor device having a sense electrode that includes a first capacitor, a first supply voltage in , a first switch operable to couple the sense electrode to the first supply voltage during a first mode and an analog to digital converter during a second mode, a second switch operable to couple a second capacitor to a second supply voltage during the first mode and to an open circuit during the second mode, and a resistive element that includes a first terminal coupled between the first capacitor and the first switch, and a second terminal coupled between the second capacitor and the second switch.

The present disclosure describes a differential shield capacitive sensor design. The sensor design uses a differential measurement to measure capacitance and a pair of traces are used to differentially reject the response of the sensor traces and balance any parasitic capacitances. In some embodiments, the sensor design includes a differential sensor design on a bottom side of a flex circuit to differentially balance the environment and reject noise coupling to the sensor. The top side of the flex circuit can include a single ended design for proper environment sensing. The spatial arrangement and size of the sensors may vary depending on the application.

A capacitive touch sensitive device includes a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate. Horizontally adjacent pads within each even row of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes. Insulators are positioned over respective channels. Conductive links are formed over respective insulators and are configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes. The dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are configured such that an RC time-constant (RCtc) of each of the vertically arranged electrodes substantially matches an RCtc of each of the horizontally arranged electrodes.