A capacitive sensor, an electronic device, and an electronic device control method are disclosed and relate to the field of sensor technologies. The capacitive sensor includes at least one plate pair. Each plate pair includes a first plate and a second plate that are placed opposite to each other. A ratio of a plate length of each plate pair to a spacing in the plate pair is greater than 1 and less than or equal to 30. The capacitive sensor can detect an air gesture of a user based on fringe field effect and has advantages of a small size and low energy consumption.

A device for detecting an object with respect to a detection surface including: a measurement electrode; at least one guard electrode, at the same alternating potential as the measurement electrode; at least one module for measuring a first signal with respect to the capacitance (C.sub.eo), called electrode-object capacitance, formed between said measurement electrode and said object; and
at least one electrode, called polarization electrode, placed opposite the object, and polarized at the ground potential (G) so as to polarize the object by capacitive coupling.

A proximity sensor for a portable wireless connected device, the sensor being arranged to determine whether a part of a user's body is near the portable connected wireless device, The sensor generates a time-averaged proximity that is asserted when the device is brought near a part of a user's body for a given time and may be periodically reset momentarily during the periods of proximity. An integration time comparable with that used in SAR testing, such that the sensor may be used advantageously to reduce the radio power emitted by a portable device when it is near the body, can be obtained by a sigma/delta modulator configured as rate-compression unit.

A control device which allows an operator/user to follow the user's anatomical movement by following natural hand rotation, includes two independent detection sensors or sensor portions embedded in two different parts of the device, one in a fixed part and one in a mobile or rotative part, with resistance to mutual disturbance between the two. The device includes a knob portion rotatable about an axis of rotation, at least one sensor configured to sense a rotational position of the knob in relation to the axis of rotation, circuitry adapted to at least provide electrical power to the rotative knob portion, circuitry adapted to transmit the sensed rotational position of the knob, and a base portion rotatably coupled to the knob portion.

The invention relates to a sensor unit (10) for actuating an actuating element (102), in particular a hatch (101) or similar of a vehicle (100), without contact, comprising at least one capacitive sensor element (11, 12), wherein the sensor element (11, 12) has a wire (13), which is arranged on a support element (14). The support element (14) has at least one electrically conductive core (18). The invention also relates to a security system (100), in particular, for opening and/or closing a hatch (101) of a vehicle or similar without contact, comprising at least one such sensor unit (10). The invention also relates to a method for producing such a sensor unit (10).

Systems and methods for providing a replacement touchless button for initiating an action upon proximate detection of a solid object near the top of the touchless button. The action is triggered by determining that the solid object is within a predetermined distance from the top of the button. The action is accomplished by the closing of an electrical circuit within the touchless button, the button being configured to replace a push button without modification of a panel housing the push button. The button contains and supports, within its structure, all electrical and physical components needed to operate a device that can be triggered via a push button. The button serves as a direct replacement for a push button with no modifications to existing systems or controls regularly triggered by a push button.

A module having an input configured to connect a sensor and having an indicator configured to optically indicate a physical state of the sensor. The module is configured to transmit a logical signal associated with the physical state or an inverted logical signal of the sensor to a higher-level unit and to receive a control value from the higher-level unit. The module is configured to evaluate the control value and to determine, on the basis of the control value, whether the value of the logical sensor signal or the inverted logical sensor signal is to be used for the optical indication of the physical state of the sensor.

The disclosed apparatus may include a capacitive proximity sensor that increases capacitance in response to proximity of an object; a reference capacitor in parallel with the capacitive proximity sensor; a switch that connects and disconnects the capacitive proximity sensor and the reference capacitor; and a capacitance sensing block that generates a capacitance signal based on a capacitance of the reference capacitor when the switch is in a disconnecting state and based on the capacitance of the reference capacitor and a capacitance of the capacitive proximity sensor when the switch is in a connecting state. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

Devices, methods, and systems for detecting proximity. A first light emitter emits light for a first time period while a light detector is not sensing. A second light emitter emits light for a second time period while the light detector is sensing. In some implementations, the first light emitter directly illuminates the light detector during the first time period, whereas the second light emitter is obstructed from directly illuminating the light detector during the second time period. In some implementations, the first light emitter is obstructed from illuminating a display during the first time period, and the second light emitter is obstructed from directly illuminating the light detector during the second time period. In some implementations, the first light emitter emits the light during the first time period such that the light detector maintains a linear responsivity during the second time period.

Provided are an electronic device, a program, and a control method capable of improving detection accuracy. An electronic device includes a proximity sensor, a ranging sensor, and a controller configured to switch a sensor to be operated between the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor in accordance with the distance between an object to be detected and the electronic device.