The inventive apparatus comprises a mat member. The mat includes a scale physically secured to the mat member. The scale has an electrical output strives an electronic circuit. A display displays a weight measured by the scale. A switch is distributed over an area roughly commensurate with the area needed to trot in place. The switch is secured to the mat and underlies a top surface of the mat. The switch is coupled to the electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is programmed to count the number of times that the switch is closed, whereby trotting in place results in closing the switch in response to trotting paces. The above transducers are used to monitor and crosscheck activity and dietary information input into the system by the user and make recommendations.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining the occupancy status of a seat of a motor vehicle, the method being implemented by a determination system comprising a seat, six interdigitated capacitive sensors, and a controller comprising a reference capacitance value and a threshold value for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the method comprising a step of measuring three capacitance values for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the following steps being implemented by the controller for the measured capacitance values: calculating a resulting capacitance value based on the measured capacitance values, calculating the difference between the resulting capacitance value and the reference capacitance value, comparing the calculated difference to the threshold value, determining the occupancy status of the seat, based on the result of the comparison.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant weight sensor and the occupant presence sensor. The logic device is configured to receive occupant weight sensor signals from the occupant weight sensor and occupant presence sensor signals from the occupant presence sensor, determine an estimated occupant weight and an occupant presence response based, at least in part, on the occupant weight sensor signals and the occupant presence sensor signals, and determine an occupant classification status corresponding to the passenger seat based, at least in part, on the estimated occupant weight and/or the occupant presence response.

A capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a ferroelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the ferroelectric film and the second electrode, impedance of the ferroelectric film and impedance of the dielectric film are determined such that a control voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is equal to a capacitance boosting operating voltage, and the capacitance boosting operating voltage is determined by the following equation: $V_{\mathrm{MAX}}=\left(1+\frac{.Math.Z_2.Math.}{.Math.Z_1.Math.}\right)t_F{E}_{\mathrm{FM}}$ where V.sub.MAX is a capacitance boosting operating voltage, Z.sub.1 is impedance of the ferroelectric film, Z.sub.2 is impedance of the dielectric film, t.sub.F is a thickness of the ferroelectric film, and E.sub.FM is an electric field applied to the ferroelectric film having a maximum polarization.

A capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a ferroelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the ferroelectric film and the second electrode, impedance of the ferroelectric film and impedance of the dielectric film are determined such that a control voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is equal to a capacitance boosting operating voltage, and the capacitance boosting operating voltage is determined by the following equation: $V_{\mathrm{MAX}}=\left(1+\frac{.Math.Z_2.Math.}{.Math.Z_1.Math.}\right)t_F{E}_{\mathrm{FM}}$ where V.sub.MAX is a capacitance boosting operating voltage, Z.sub.1 is impedance of the ferroelectric film, Z.sub.2 is impedance of the dielectric film, t.sub.F is a thickness of the ferroelectric film, and E.sub.FM is an electric field applied to the ferroelectric film having a maximum polarization.

A capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a ferroelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the ferroelectric film and the second electrode, impedance of the ferroelectric film and impedance of the dielectric film are determined such that a control voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is equal to a capacitance boosting operating voltage, and the capacitance boosting operating voltage is determined by the following equation:

[00001]$V_{\mathrm{MAX}}=\left(1+\frac{.Math.Z_2.Math.}{.Math.Z_1.Math.}\right)t_F{E}_{\mathrm{FM}}$

where V.sub.MAX is a capacitance boosting operating voltage, Z.sub.1 is impedance of the ferroelectric film, Z.sub.2 is impedance of the dielectric film, t.sub.F is a thickness of the ferroelectric film, and E.sub.FM is an electric field applied to the ferroelectric film having a maximum polarization.

A capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a ferroelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the ferroelectric film and the second electrode, impedance of the ferroelectric film and impedance of the dielectric film are determined such that a control voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is equal to a capacitance boosting operating voltage, and the capacitance boosting operating voltage is determined by the following equation:

[00001]$V_{\mathrm{MAX}}=\left(1+\frac{.Math.Z_2.Math.}{.Math.Z_1.Math.}\right)t_F{E}_{\mathrm{FM}}$

where V.sub.MAX is a capacitance boosting operating voltage, Z.sub.1 is impedance of the ferroelectric film, Z.sub.2 is impedance of the dielectric film, t.sub.F is a thickness of the ferroelectric film, and E.sub.FM is an electric field applied to the ferroelectric film having a maximum polarization.

A capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a ferroelectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the ferroelectric film and the second electrode, impedance of the ferroelectric film and impedance of the dielectric film are determined such that a control voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is equal to a capacitance boosting operating voltage, and the capacitance boosting operating voltage is determined by the following equation:

[00001]$V_{\mathrm{MAX}}=\left(1+\frac{.Math.Z_2.Math.}{.Math.Z_1.Math.}\right)t_F{E}_{\mathrm{FM}}$

where V.sub.MAX is a capacitance boosting operating voltage, Z.sub.1 is impedance of the ferroelectric film, Z.sub.2 is impedance of the dielectric film, t.sub.F is a thickness of the ferroelectric film, and E.sub.FM is an electric field applied to the ferroelectric film having a maximum polarization.

Systems and methods of detecting, identifying, and classifying objects positioned on a shelf are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a sensor pad comprises a plurality of electrical contacts disposed in the pad as a matrix of rows and columns of electrical contacts. Further, each contact corresponds to a different surface area of the pad and has a first electrical conductor positioned on a first layer and a second electrical conductor positioned opposite to the first conductor on a second layer. Also, at least one of the first and second conductors is operable to vary in resistance or capacitance based on an amount of pressure applied to that conductor. In addition, each contact is configured to enable an electrical connection between the first and second conductors with a resistance or capacitance that varies based on an amount of pressure applied to a corresponding area of the pad when an object is positioned on that pad.

A method for operating a balance includes: (a) introducing an ion cloud into a weighing chamber to bring an electrostatic charge state of a weighing sample towards an electrostatic neutral state, (b) detecting the neutral state, and (c) acquiring measured values of a weighing sensor, calculating therefrom a final weighing value representing the electrostatic neutral state, and outputting the final weighing value. When the ionizer is activated, the measured values of the weighing sensor are acquired, preliminary weighing values are calculated from the measured values and the final weighing value is calculated and output after a number of preliminary weighing values have been recognized as stable. During a recognition phase, positive and negative ion clouds are alternatingly generated, and during a neutralization phase, only ion clouds of that sign are generated that, in the recognition phase, had led to the larger changes within the preliminary weighing values.