A capacitive keyboard that can detect a key that has been depressed and the depressed amount thereof with high accuracy is provided. The capacitive keyboard includes a drive circuit 11 that alternatively switches the voltage of each of drive lines M from an L-level to an H-level, a sensing circuit 12 that detects the voltage generated in each of sensing lines N, and a control circuit 15 that detects, on the basis of the voltage value detected by the sensing circuit 12, the key that has been operated and the operation amount of the operated key. The sensing circuit 12 includes a peak hold circuit 32 that holds the peak value of the voltage that is input from a sensing line N over a predetermined period and an A/D conversion circuit 33 that converts the voltage held by the peak hold circuit 32 into a multi-stage digital voltage value.

A proximity sensor for detecting proximity of a body portion in a first region while avoiding unwanted detection of a body portion in a second region, based on the capacities seen by a plurality of electrodes. An application of the inventive detector to a mobile phone, whereby the display is switched off, or various energy saving measure are taken, when the proximity sensor determines directional proximity with a body part, indicating that the user has brought the phone to the ear for placing a call.

A light-emitting touch button can include a first printed circuit board (PCB), a second PCB, and a pin coupling the first PCB to the second PCB. The first PCB can include first electronics to detect a touch event on a touch surface. The second PCB can include second electronics to control light emission. The pin can communicate the detected touch event from the first electronics to the second electronics. The touch button can also include a housing including one or more walls defining one or more light-emitting regions. One or more light sources can be disposed within the one or more light-emitting regions. The second electronics can control light emitted from the one or more light sources based at least in part on the detected touch event. The one or more walls can collimate the light emitted from the one or more light sources to the touch surface.

A surgical device including a surgical generator configured to provide energy for an energy based surgical instrument; a functional device configured to provide a function in its activated state; a switch for activating and deactivating the surgical generator a capacitive sensor including at least one measuring electrode that is arranged at the switch, wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to measure a capacity change or a capacity at the measuring electrode and activate or deactivate the functional device as a function of a measured capacity change or capacity.

A touch-sensitive input device (2) is described. The device comprises an opaque substrate (11) having first and second opposite faces (12, 13), a first set of electrodes (14) disposed on the first face of the substrate, the electrodes generally extending in a first direction and spaced apart along a second, transverse direction, and a second set of electrodes (17) disposed on the first or second face of the substrate, the electrodes generally extending in the second direction and spaced apart along the first direction, wherein the first and second sets of electrodes overlap.

Disclosed herein are optical stacks that are stable to light exposure by incorporating one or more UV-blocking layers.

Systems and methods for determining a touch input are provided. The systems and methods generally include measuring the peak voltage at an electrode over a measurement period and determining a touch input based on the peak voltage. The systems and methods can conserve computing resources by deferring digital signal processing until after a peak electrode capacitance has been sampled. The systems and methods are suitable for capacitive sensors using self-capacitance and capacitive sensors using mutual capacitance. The systems and methods are also suitable for capacitive buttons, track pads, and touch screens, among other implementations.

Systems and methods for determining a touch input are provided. The systems and methods generally include measuring the peak voltage at an electrode over a measurement period and determining a touch input based on the peak voltage. The systems and methods can conserve computing resources by deferring digital signal processing until after a peak electrode capacitance has been sampled. The systems and methods are suitable for capacitive sensors using self-capacitance and capacitive sensors using mutual capacitance. The systems and methods are also suitable for capacitive buttons, track pads, and touch screens, among other implementations.

A touch sensing system is configured to determine a state of a paper material indicative of a touch input on the paper material. The actions include receiving one or more values of features representing physical properties of a paper material. The system generates, by a pair of electrodes in a conductive material that is electrically connected with the paper material, an electric field in the conductive material. The paper material is configured to shunt current from the conductive material when the paper material is touched. The system measures the electric field in the conductive material in the conductive material. The system generates an approximation of the electric field in the conductive material. The system determines with a classifier a state of the paper material indicative of a touch input on the paper material.

The application discloses a touch controller to determine a position where a user touches a touchscreen. The touchscreen includes a first transmitting electrode, a second transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode. The touch controller includes a signal generation module and a demodulation module. The signal generation module is configured to perform an in-phase code transmission at a first time so that the receiving electrode receives an in-phase code receiving signal correspondingly, and perform an inverting-phase code transmission at a second time so that the receiving electrode receives an inverting-phase code receiving signal correspondingly. The demodulation module is configured to determine the position where the user touches the touchscreen according to the in-phase code receiving signal corresponding to the first time and the inverting-phase code receiving signal corresponding to the second time.