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.

The door handle device includes: a contact sensing unit including a guide groove and a contact sensing electrode, the guide groove configured to guide a water droplet falling on a door, the contact sensing electrode disposed in the guide groove and configured to sense a contact with the door; a locking unit configured to execute unlocking and locking of a door; and a control unit configured to instruct to the locking unit to keep locking the door if determining that the water droplet is in contact with the door, on the basis of a sensing result by the contact sensing electrode. There are provided: a contact sensing device; a door handle device and a control method for such a door handle device; and an electronic key system, for preventing a misoperation due to a water droplet adhering to a door handle of vehicles, which has an electrostatic locking mechanism.

A capacitance detection device includes: a variable capacitance capacitor; an electrode constituting a detection target whose capacitance is to be detected; and a control circuit, in which the control circuit executes: manipulation processing of manipulating a capacitance of the variable capacitance capacitor to control an intermediate potential, which is a potential at a connection point between the variable capacitance capacitor and the electrode, to a reference potential, when a voltage of a voltage application device is applied to the electrode via the variable capacitance capacitor; and detection processing of detecting the capacitance of the detection target, based on the capacitance of the variable capacitance capacitor when being controlled to the reference potential.

A high-sensitivity capacitive sensor circuit having improved sensitivity by implementing a plurality of detection units using charging and discharging, has: an oscillation unit for generating a control clock; a first charge/discharge unit connected to a sensing unit electrode, which generates a sensing signal while being charged/discharged according to the control clock; a second charge/discharge unit connected in parallel to the first charge/discharge unit, which generates a reference signal while being charged/discharged according to the control clock; and a detection unit for detecting a change in the capacitance on the side of the sensing unit electrode by comparing the sensing signal from the first charge/discharge unit with the reference signal from the second charge/discharge unit. The first charge/discharge unit includes: a first capacitor connected at one end thereof to the sensing unit electrode, which is charged/discharged according to the control clock; a first constant-current source for supplying a predetermined amount of constant-current to the first capacitor, which charges the first capacitor; and a first switch for controlling the first capacitor such that, according to the control clock, the first capacitor is repetitively charged and discharged every half cycle of the clock. The second charge/discharge unit includes: a second capacitor which is charged/discharged according to the control clock; a second constant-current source for supplying a predetermined amount of constant-current to the second capacitor so as to charge the second capacitor; and a second switch for controlling the second capacitor such that, according to the control clock, the second capacitor is repetitively charged and discharged every half cycle of the clock.

An approaching detection apparatus and an electronic device are provided. The apparatus for use in the electronic device includes: a first electrode, a second electrode, and a detection module configured to detect a variation of a mutual capacitance value between the first electrode and the second electrode. The variation of the mutual capacitance value is used to determine an approaching state of the electronic device. When a human body approaches the electronic device, the variation of the mutual capacitance value is a first variation. When a non-human body approaches the electronic device, the variation of the mutual capacitance value is a second variation. One of the first variation and the second variation is a positive value and the other thereof is a negative value.

A charge compensation circuit is disclosed that provides amplified charge cancellation. A touch controller is disclosed that includes such a charge compensation circuit and may realize improved immunity to baseline capacitance signals that are much larger than a change in capacitance due to proximity of an object. Such a charge compensation circuit may include a capacitor, a driver circuit arranged to apply a pulsed voltage signal to the capacitor, and a current conveyor having a programmable gain and arranged to amplify an initial charge generated by the capacitor in response to the pulsed voltage signal and provide an amplified charge to an output of the charge cancellation circuit.

A device for capacitive detection of an object with respect to a detection surface, including: at least one capacitive detection electrode, and detection electronics including at least one item of measurement electronic equipment, for: polarizing the at least one detection electrode at an alternating excitation potential (VG), different from a ground potential; measuring a measurement signal relative to an electrode-object capacitance; and the detection electronics also includes, for the measurement electronics, at least two separate calculation modules, operating in parallel, and supplying two independent detection signals for one and the same measurement signal originating from the measurement electronics.

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method of detection of a touch contact by a sensor including a first step of comparison of a voltage with a first voltage threshold; and a second step of comparison of the voltage with a second voltage threshold, the second step being implemented if the first voltage threshold has been reached within a duration shorter than a first duration threshold, the second voltage threshold being higher than the first voltage threshold.

Disclosed herein are proximity detection sensor arrangements, as well as related methods and devices. In some embodiments, a sensor arrangement in an electronic device may include a first circuit layer including a proximity pad and a first reference pad, and a second circuit layer including a second reference pad and a temperature pad. The first circuit layer may be between the second circuit layer and a user-facing surface of the electronic device, the first reference pad may be electrically coupled to the second reference pad, and the first reference pad may be between the temperature pad and the user-facing surface.

The capacitive sensor apparatus includes: a sensor element disposed on the first surface of the mounting member; and a floating conductor that is disposed on the second surface of the mounting member and is electrically conductive, the floating conductor being electrically disconnected from the sensor element. The sensor element includes: a first electrode; and a second electrode in a shape of a ring surrounding an outer periphery of the first electrode and being electrically disconnected from the first electrode. The floating conductor overlaps at least the first electrode in a projection view seen from the first surface.