A user interface system for controlling a vehicle operation including a printed circuit board (PCB) that has a front side and a back side. A top layer that is electrically conductive defines the front side of the PCB. A plurality of indicia are etched into the top layer. An applique overlies the front side of the PCB. At least one proximity sensor is integrated into the front side of the PCB for detecting user object adjacent to the associated indicia and outputting a corresponding detection signal. The PCB further includes a base layer under the top layer. The base layer is at least partially formed of an optically transparent material. At least one light emitting device is positioned on the back side of the PCB for illuminating the indicia. A controller unit is coupled to the at least one proximity sensor and the at least one light emitting device.

A switch device includes a main module, which includes at least one main electronic control circuit, connections to the electrical system of a building and/or to equipment or devices to be controlled, one or more touch sensors or contacts connected to the at least one main electronic control circuit, a main box-shaped housing element for the preceding components, and one or more systems that provide a reversible electric or electronic and mechanical connection of the main module to an accessory module.

Proposed is a haptic reactive electrical switch including: a movable part including a floating panel having a touch area to which a user's touch is input and a holder coupled to the floating panel; a fixed part including a substrate and a casing configured to accommodate the substrate and be provided with at least two damping members; a vibration transmission plate configured to be interposed between the holder and the casing, thereby interconnecting the movable part and the fixed part; and an actuator configured to be operated to vibrate the holder and the vibration transmission plate coupled to the holder in a horizontal direction according to a user's touch input, wherein each of the damping members is configured in a form of a single object integrated into the casing, and an end part of one side thereof protrudes to a portion above the casing.

Example low latency tactile capacitive keyboards are disclosed. An example compute system includes a keyboard including a housing, a plurality of keys, and a touch sensor positioned between the housing and at least one of the plurality of keys, keyboard circuitry to detect a signal output by the touch sensor, the signal corresponding to a keystroke, and generate a code corresponding to the detected signal and processor circuitry to process the code to effect the keystroke.

A mutually capacitive touch sensor includes a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode. The second capacitor electrode is adjacent and spatially separated from the first capacitor electrode. An inner region is disposed between the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are arranged to surround the inner region. The inner region may include a hole for a backlight.

A voice-controlled electronic device that includes an axisymmetric device housing having a longitudinal axis bisecting opposing top and bottom surfaces and a side surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The device can further include a plurality of microphones disposed within the device housing and distributed radially around the longitudinal axis; a processor configured to execute computer instructions stored in a computer-readable memory for interacting with a user and processing voice commands received by the plurality of microphones and first and second transducers configured to generate sound waves within different frequency ranges.

An operator control device for a vehicle, and a method for operating such an operator control device is disclosed. The operator control device is for controlling safety-relevant functions. To this end, the operator control device has at least one user interface having at least one user input panel for user input and a sensor system for identifying a user input in the area of the user input panel, wherein the sensor system has at least one capacitive sensor device having a first, electrically conductive sensor structure and a second, capacitive sensor device having a second, electrically conductive sensor structure, the sensor structures being arranged beneath the user interface in the area of the user input panel. The first sensor structure and the second sensor structure are each configured in comb-like and/or meanderous fashion and arranged in intermeshing fashion at least in a subarea of the user input panel.

A vehicle interior component configured to provide a user interface for vehicle systems is disclosed. The component may provide a user interface for a vehicle occupant. The component may comprise a composite structure to provide the user interface comprising a cover providing an exterior surface, a sensor, light panel, absorber panel and/or decorative material. The light panel may provide output visible at the exterior surface; the decorative layer and/or absorber panel may provide a visual effect. The cover may comprise a light-transmissive cover; illumination from a display may comprise visible light transmitted through a functional layer and through an at least partially translucent cover. The component may comprise a light panel to provide output visible at the cover exterior surface. A method of operating the user interface provided by the composite structure is also disclosed. The user interface may be coupled to a control system.

A mutually capacitive touch sensor includes a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode. The second capacitor electrode is adjacent and spatially separated from the first capacitor electrode. An inner region is disposed between the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are arranged to surround the inner region. The inner region may include a hole for a backlight.

An electronic device such as a voice-controlled speaker device may have a housing. A speaker and other input-output components and control circuitry may be mounted within the housing. Light-emitting components may emit light that passes through a curved upper top cap portion or other housing structure. The light-emitting components may be interconnected using a flex circuit on a curved substrate or may be mounted on a planar circuit board. A subset of the light-emitting components may be rotated to improve color balance. Optical structures such as light guides, lens, microlenses, and/or a diffuser layer may be disposed over the light-emitting components to promote light mixing, to reduce hotspots, and to improve contrast on the top cap. The diffuser layer may be suspended using a support structure having baffle members to constraint the angular spread of the emitted light. Illuminated or persistently visible glyphs may be displayed in or near the top cap portion.