Abstract: An electromagnetic valve has a magnetic coil and a movable element coupled to a valve element. The magnetic coil, when excited, conveys the movable element in one direction to move the valve element from its initial position into its active position. A control circuit for the electromagnetic valve has a current source for optionally supplying current to the magnetic coil and a measuring device for measuring a voltage level of the magnetic coil and/or a current level through the magnetic coil. A monitoring unit which is connected to the measuring device establishes a switching state of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the position of its valve element based on the intended current supply state of the current source and the current and/or voltage characteristic measured by the measuring device and, if appropriate, determines a fault state of the current supply and/or the electromagnetic valve.

Abstract: A method for operating a capacitive touch-sensitive switch having a capacitive sensor element and a sensor circuit includes initially setting a scanning frequency of the capacitive touch-sensitive switch with a good signal-to-noise ratio and then operating the capacitive touch-sensitive switch at a scanning frequency which has been set to detect switch actuation. The process of setting the scanning frequency includes operating the touch-sensitive switch using a first measurement method and at a selected scanning frequency, detecting the measurement signals from the sensor circuit and checking whether the detected measurement signals contain or could contain a critical alias effect. If no critical alias effect and no possibility of a critical alias effect are detected during the check, the scanning frequency can be set as the selection frequency for detection operation of the touch-sensitive switch. A capacitive touch-sensitive switch is also provided.

Abstract: A non-contact gesture control module based on the principle of infrared reflection, contains a sensing area composed of a plurality of infrared transmitting tubes and a plurality of infrared receiving tubes, the infrared transmitting tubes and the infrared receiving tubes being alternately arranged in an extending direction. A control circuit controls the switching on and off of the individual infrared transmitting tubes and the individual infrared receiving tubes. A signal processor is provided for receiving and processing signals generated by the plurality of infrared receiving tubes and determining a coordinate position of an object in the extending direction above the sensing area. The gesture control module performs precise non-contact control and fine adjustment of gears and thus stepless speed regulation of a household appliance.

Abstract: A knock detection device includes a proximity sensor, at least one sound sensor, and a signal processing unit. The proximity sensor and the sound sensor are respectively electrically connected to the signal processing unit. The signal processing unit receives and/or processes the signal of the sound sensor according to the signal of the proximity sensor. A household appliance includes the knock detection device. The knock detection device is disposed inside the household appliance on the back side of a panel provided for knocking by a user.

Abstract: In a method for detecting a motor phase fault of a motor arrangement, the motor phases of which are connected to a drive circuit having a DC voltage intermediate circuit and an inverter. A motor phase voltage at at least one of the motor phases with respect to a reference potential is captured while the inverter is switched off; and a voltage profile of the captured motor phase voltage is used to determine whether there is a motor phase fault on one of the motor phases of the motor arrangement.

Abstract: A drive circuit for driving an electronically commutated motor contains a DC voltage intermediate circuit, and an inverter which is connected to the latter and has a bridge circuit containing a plurality of transistors, to which the motor phases of a motor configuration containing the motor can be connected. For detecting an insulation fault in the motor configuration, a positive or negative transistor of the inverter is switched on, while all other transistors of the inverter are switched off before all transistors of the inverter are switched off. A motor phase voltage of a selected motor phase of the motor phases with respect to a reference potential is then captured, while all transistors of the inverter remain switched off in order to determine whether there is an insulation fault on the motor phase on a basis of a voltage profile of the motor phase voltage.

Abstract: An electrical appliance device contains a knob which has a knob front assembly with a front cover assembly, a knob bracket, and a display module assembly disposed between the front cover assembly and the knob bracket, and a knob rear assembly including a circuit board and a hollow rotary encoder. The rotary encoder is mounted on the circuit board. The electrical appliance device further has a panel with an opening. The knob front assembly at least partially passes through the opening such as to be mounted to the knob rear assembly.

Abstract: An operating device contains a cover plate having an opening, a rotatable operating element having an operating head on the cover plate, and a shaft running through the opening. Behind the cover plate and at a distance therefrom, there is a circuit board having an opening through which the shaft extends. The operating device includes a tube element which has a hollow-cylindrical base body that runs, between the cover plate and the shaft of the operating element, at least partially through the opening of the cover plate, and a radial inner side that forms, between the tube element and the shaft of the operating element, an inner flow channel that runs through the opening of the cover plate and past the opening of the circuit board, to protect the circuit board against extraneous substances which may enter the operating device through the opening of the cover plate.

Abstract: A touch-sensitive and/or proximity-sensitive input device has an operator panel, a sensor film and a carrier plate, arranged on a side of the operator panel that is facing away from a user. The sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor area and also at least one antenna element. Provided on the carrier plate are a sensor circuit that is connected to the capacitive sensor areas and an antenna circuit that is connected to the antenna element. Such an input device can be used for example in electronic domestic appliances or commercial laundry treatment appliances.

Abstract: A domestic appliance for cleaning a load has a treatment space for accommodating a load to be cleaned, a load detecting device for detecting a load quantity in the treatment space, and a time detecting device for detecting a time value. A controller of the domestic appliance automatically starts a cleaning program when (i) the load quantity detected by the load detecting device exceeds a predetermined load limit value and (ii) the time value detected by the time detecting device exceeds a predetermined time limit value.

Abstract: An operator control device has a control panel with a user side facing a user and an inner side facing away from the user. The control panel has an operator control element region. A rotary knob is positioned on the user side of the control panel in the region of the operator control element region and can be rotated about a rotational axis. The rotary knob is detachably attached to the control panel and has an encoder block with a code section which is at a distance, changing along the circumferential direction, from a lower end side, facing the control panel, of the rotary knob. An optical sensor is arranged on the inner side of the control panel in the region of the operator control element region and is configured to sense a distance between the optical sensor and the code section of the encoder block by electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A virtual touch knob assembly is provided that translates sensed movement of a user's fingers around a knob into control signals for operation of an appliance. A knob is provided on a user control panel of an appliance. The knob is fixed, i.e., does not turn or rotate. A system is provided that can sense the user's fingers moving around the fixed knob and translate the sensed input to control signals for setting the operation of the appliance or device.

Abstract: An operating device, in particular for electronic household appliances, includes a cover plate with an operating portion, a transmitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a receiver for registering electromagnetic radiation, and control electronics for evaluating measurement signals produced by the receiver. The operating portion is at least partly elastically deformable and/or movable by an action of force from the direction of a user side of the cover plate and it at least partly reflects the radiation emitted by the transmitter. The receiver is disposed and/or configured in such a way that it facilitates a spatially resolved registration of the radiation reflected by the operating portion in such a way that the control electronics can detect an actuation of the operating portion in a manner dependent on a registration location of the reflected radiation. An electronic household appliance having at least one operating device is also provided.

Abstract: An actuating element for an electronic domestic appliance has an electrically non-conductive carrier which defines at least one preferably substantially cylindrical detection portion. A plurality of electrically conductive measuring electrodes is spaced apart from one another along the detection portion of the carrier. A preferably substantially annular operating element is disposed at a first predefined distance from the measuring electrodes and is movable relative thereto. The operating element additionally has at least one sensor portion which is at least partially electrically conductive and is disposed at a second predefined distance from the measuring electrodes. The second predefined distance is different from the first predefined distance, so that a movement of the sensor portion and therefore of the operating element relative to the configuration of measuring electrodes can be detected.

Abstract: A storage apparatus for a refrigerator and/or freezer contains a storage element for storing goods, a detection device for detecting whether the storage element is occupied by goods and an illumination device for illuminating the storage element and goods stored on the storage element and/or a storage region for the goods, which storage region is formed by the storage element. A control device is provided for actuating the illumination device depending on the result of the detection process in respect of whether the storage element is occupied by goods. The storage apparatus allows a user of the refrigerator and/or freezer to be made aware, in a simple manner, of goods possibly being stored for an excessively long time.

Abstract: An operating device for an electronic household appliance contains a rotary control knob being mounted on a control panel such that a carrier of the rotary control knob can rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the control panel, an angle of rotation detection device for detecting an angle position of the carrier, and a control device that is connected to the angle of rotation detection device and evaluates a measurement signal generated by the angle of rotation detection device. The rotary control knob further contains an operating element that is attached in a non-rotatable manner to the carrier and embodied in an elastically deformable manner and the rotary control knob contains a sensor that is attached in a non-rotatable manner to the carrier and detects any deformation of the operating element. The control device is connected to the sensor and evaluates a measurement signal generated by the sensor.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity and/or contact switch includes a cover plate having an upper side and an underside. The upper side provides a sensitive area of the switch and the cover plate, at least in the region of the sensitive area, is at least partially non-conductive. A conductive sensor face is disposed at a distance from the underside of the cover plate. The dielectric system of this capacitive proximity and/or contact switch is formed of the cover plate, at least one non-conductive element facing towards the sensor face and at least one conductive element between the cover plate and the non-conductive element.

Abstract: A contact and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a light-transmissive control section facing a user of the input device and forming a control field for the user. A light-transmissive sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field. A carrier plate carries at least one lighting device. The input device also has a light-transmissive decorative film with at least one decorative element. The film is a separate component from the sensor film so that the decorative film can be produced independently of the sensor film and can be adapted simply to desired variants of the input device. The carrier plate, decorative film, sensor film and cover plate are arranged successively in such a way that the light emitted by the lighting device passes through the decorative film, sensor film and control section of the cover plate.

Abstract: A touch- and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a control section. The side of the control section facing a user forms a control field for the user and a side facing away from the user forms a sensor plane. A sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field within the control section of the cover plate. A carrier plate has at least one electric contact field. The cover plate has a contacting section next to the control section and the side facing away from the user forms a contacting plane. The sensor film has an electric contact field next to the sensor field. At least one electric contact element connects the electric contact field of the sensor film electrically conductively to the at least one electric contact field of the carrier plate.

Abstract: A touch and/or proximity-sensitive actuation element has an electrically non-conductive housing, which has a fastening portion for the stationary and non-rotational mounting of the actuation element and a substantially cylindrical detection portion, which defines a touch and/or proximity-sensitive detection region of the actuation element, at which a rotary movement of a user around the actuation element can be detected. A plurality of electrically conductive sensor elements are arranged in the housing spaced apart from one another along a lateral surface of the detection portion. A printed circuit board is provided and has a plurality of contact faces, which are each electrically conductively in contact with one of the plurality of sensor elements.