A sensor arrangement for capacitive detection of an object, including: an electrode arrangement having a heating element as an electrode; a detection device providing a detection signal to a sensor electrode and capacitively detecting the presence of an object near the sensor electrode; a high-side switch connected between a heating power source having a first potential and the heating element; a low-side switch connected between the heating element and a second potential; and a gate controller closing the high-side switch and low-side switch in a heating mode and opening the high-side switch and low-side switch in a detection mode. A decoupling MOSFET is connected between the high-side switch and heating element. The gate controller closes the MOSFET in the heating mode and opens the MOSFET in the detection mode. During the detection mode, the decoupling circuit provides a third potential at a first node between the high-side switch and MOSFET.

An apparatus such as a set-top box, includes at least one capacitive touch button with a guard feature that provides, the ability to detect and reject false touches. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a first conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground, and a second conductive element that is capacitively isolated from ground and located adjacent to the first conductive element. A first sensor is coupled to the first conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the first conductive element and ground due to a change in physical environment. A second sensor is coupled to the second conductive element and measures a change in capacitance between the second conductive element and ground due to the change in physical environment. A controller is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and determines a difference between the measured changes in capacitance.

A hand-held machine tool (1) is provided including a housing (2), with a drive device for actuating a tool that can be brought into operative connection with the machine tool (1) and a control device (8) for actuating the drive device (4) being provided, and the control device (4) being designed with a control element (10), and at least one capacitive sensor element (32, 33) operatively connected to the control device (10) being provided. The at least one sensor element (32, 33) and/or the control element (10) is at least partially, in particular almost completely separated from a main channel (50) of the machine tool (1) in which the drive device (4) is arranged.

A charge sensitive amplifier circuit for sensor frontend comprises an input node to be connected to a sensor to receive an input charge, and an output node to be connected to a charge conversion circuit. The charge sensitive amplifier circuit comprises a first transfer switch located between the input node and the output node to transfer the input charge to the output node. The charge sensitive amplifier circuit further comprises a second transfer switch located in parallel to the first transfer switch between the input node and the output node to transfer the input charge to the output node.

This application provides a capacitance detection circuit for detecting capacitance of a capacitor element within a capacitor array. The circuit includes a capacitance detection module for detecting a first capacitance of a first capacitor set, a second capacitance of a second capacitor set, and a third capacitance of the third capacitor set, the first capacitor set comprising the capacitor element and a row capacitor element in the same row of the capacitor array as the capacitor element, the second capacitor set comprising the capacitor element and a column capacitor element in the same column of the capacitor array as the capacitor element, the third capacitor set comprising the row capacitor element and the column capacitor element; and a processing module, configured to obtain the capacitance of the capacitor element according to the first capacitance, the second capacitance and the third capacitance.

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.

The present invention is related to a method for proximity sensing and an applied electronic device thereof. The present invention provides that a movement signal is generated according to a detection data, a move baseline data and a move threshold and cooperated with a proximity signal for generating a judgement signal to judge if the human body or the object body is close to the electronic device.

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.

Technologies and techniques for operating an appliance. A command button of an operating part is actuated, the actuation of the command button being detected by a microcontroller using measuring instruments. The read-in measured values are evaluated such that it is determined whether the measuring signal has a regular form for actuating the command button, or an irregular form. A function associated with the actuated command button is implemented if it is established that the measuring signal has a regular form. When a regular form is identified, optionally an acoustic, haptic or optical acknowledgement signal is emitted, and when an irregular form is identified, an acoustic, haptic or optical fault signal is emitted.

A correction unit for use in a sensor system, the sensor system comprising a force sensor configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a temporary mechanical distortion of a material under an applied force, the correction unit configured, based on the sensor signal, to: estimate an effect of the applied force on how the material will return towards an undistorted form upon a substantial reduction or removal of the applied force; and generate a corrected signal based on the estimation.