A capacitive sensor including a substrate, detection and drive electrodes, and a controller. The substrate includes one or a plurality of insulating layers including first and second faces. The detection electrode includes mutually electrically connected detection lines arrayed at spaced intervals on the first face. The drive electrode includes mutually electrically connected drive lines each arranged on the first or second face and located between adjacent two of the detection lines. When a target approaches the detection electrode being charged and discharged by the controller, the approach causes a change in a first capacitance between the detection electrode and the target. When a target approaches the detection and drive electrodes while the controller is supplying drive pulses to the drive electrode, the approach causes a change in a second capacitance between the detection electrode and the drive electrode. The controller detects the target referring to changes in the first and second capacitances.

Systems and methods of printing sensor loops on a sensor mat for use in a steering wheel are disclosed herein. For example, the sensor mat may include a base substrate, one or more printed sensing loops, and an insulating material. The printed sensing loops are made with conductive ink that is disposed upon the base substrate or the insulating layer from a print head and adheres thereto. These sensor mats are versatile with respect to the type of base substrate and insulating materials that may be used, the shape of the sensing loops, and the area each loop may occupy. Shielding loop(s) may also be printed adjacent the sensing loop(s). This configuration allows shielding for the sensing loops as part of the sensing mat, which may reduce the thickness of the steering wheel rim and manufacturing and installation times.

This detection device includes a sensor electrode, a shield electrode, which has a parasitic capacitance between the sensor electrode and the shield electrode and is driven by an AC voltage, a detection circuit, which is electrically connected to the sensor electrode and the shield electrode and detects the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode, a capacitor, which is connected in series between the sensor electrode and the detection circuit, and a bias unit, which biases the potential of the sensor electrode via a resistor.

A capacitive sensor with a plurality of sense inputs connectable to capacitive sense electrodes and a common reference input, each sense input and the reference input can be put in a measure state, in a ground state, or in a shield state. The sensor can be equipped with external reference capacitors between each of the sense input and the common reference terminal. The reference capacitor can be read individually by selectively pulling one of the input terminals to ground and driving the other to be equipotential with the reference input.

Example proximity sensors are described. The proximity sensor can include a transceiver unit, and a leaky coaxial cable operably coupled to the transceiver unit. The proximity sensor described herein can be used with a steering wheel. For example, the leaky coaxial cable can be embedded in the steering wheel.

The present invention discloses a 3D touch control-based automobile seat adjustment switch, including an insulating cover plate, a touch sensor, a base, a feedback module, a circuit board, and a module assembly cover plate. A plurality of protruding or recessed touch control regions are arranged on the insulating cover plate. A plurality of independent touch sensors are attached to the plurality of touch control regions on the insulating cover plate, to form a 3D touch assembly, and the plurality of touch sensors are all connected to the circuit board. The circuit board is assembled on the module assembly cover plate, the module assembly cover plate and the feedback module are assembled on one surface of the base, the feedback module is connected to the circuit board, and an other surface of the base is assembled on the insulating cover plate. The present invention can control adjustment of an automobile seat by using a 3D touch assembly, thereby satisfying requirements for a reasonable vehicle space arrangement and lightweight accessories.

A pair of first electrodes 111, 112 is arranged in a state being separated in a direction parallel to a contact surface 102 of a base material 10 made of a dielectric and being at least partially in contact with the base material 10. A pair of second electrodes 121, 122 is arranged in a state of overlapping at least one of the pair of first electrodes and sandwiching the base material 10 at a position farther from the contact surface 102 of the base material 10 than the pair of first electrodes 111 and 112 in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 102 of the base material 10. The proximity state of an object Q with respect to the contact surface 102 of the base material 10 is detected according to the measurement result of the capacitance C1 between the pair of first electrodes 111 and 112.

A proximity sensor unit includes a proximity sensor section including a sensor electrode capable of detecting a capacitance value according to a distance to an object to be detected in a detection direction and a moving device capable of moving the sensor electrode of the proximity sensor section or the object to be detected in the detection direction.

A hand-held machine tool (1) including a drive device (4) by which a tool that can be brought into operative connection with the machine tool (1) can be actuated, with a control device (8) for actuating the drive device (4) and at least one capacitive sensor element (30, 35) operatively connected to the control device (8) being provided. The at least one element (2, 75) of the machine tool that is arranged in the region of the capacitive sensor element (30, 35) is grounded.

A hover button sensor unit, comprising: a power supply circuit (5-1), a capacitive sensor, a capacitance-to-digital conversion circuit (3), a control module, an acousto-optic feedback control circuit (5-3), and a communication circuit (5-2); The capacitive sensor is a convex structural arrangement of a central electrode (1-1) and a peripheral electrode (1-2). The capacitance-to-digital conversion circuit (3) measures self-capacitance and mutual capacitance of the central electrode (1-1) and the peripheral electrode (1-2) after human finger approaching, to calculate and determine whether a finger enters the area range and its dwell time, so that the control module outputs a control logic signal of the button; detecting the proximity of the human finger to the effective hover trigger area range above a certain central electrode (1-1) by means of the button formed by the sensor unit, providing three-state response to the human finger entering the effective hover trigger area range above a certain central electrode (1-1) by the acousto-optic feedback control circuit (5-3); The above mentioned technical scheme is reasonable in structural design, which can effectively resist various interference, fully utilize a low-cost of capacitance detection and mature CDC chip technology and provide a commercialized technical solution which can be popularized for hygienic sensitivity.