Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining an acoustic response attributed to a location of an impact, in particular a touch event, on a surface of an object including at least one transducer comprising the steps of: a) receiving an acoustic signal from at least one transducer, wherein the signal corresponds to a predetermined excitation (E) at at least one location on the surface; b) determining an acoustic response based on the acoustic signal received in step a); and c) determining the acoustic response attributed to at least one location on the surface different to the location of the predetermined excitation based on at least two different acoustic responses determined in step b).

Abstract: An access control installation adapted for controlling access from a first zone to a second zone, said installation comprising: at least one separating panel separating the first and second zones, said separating panel having at least one moving closure element (1) adapted for selectively opening or closing an opening; at least one opening actuator (3a, 3b) adapted for causing the closure element (1) selectively to prevent or to allow access via the opening; and a control circuit (5) for controlling the opening actuator. Said installation further comprises at least one sound sensor (6) fastened to the separating panel on the same side as the second zone and adapted for detecting knocks on the first surface of said separating panel, and the control circuit (5) is adapted for: recognizing a predetermined code represented by a particular sequence of knocks on the first surface; and controlling the opening actuator as a function of the recognized code.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of impacts on an object comprising two acoustic sensors, and N active areas of said object, comprises the steps of: (a) receiving two acoustic signals S1(t) and S2(t); (b) calculating a sample signature function SIGS(?)=S1(?)?S2(?)*, where S1(?) and S2(?) are the respective Fourier transforms of S1(t) and S2(t), (c) comparing SIGS(?) with N predetermined reference signature functions SIGR,(?) corresponding to the predetermined area j for j from 1 to N; (d) determining the active area in which the impact occurred, on the basis of the comparison of step (c).

Abstract: A touch control system and method having an interaction means between a user and a system, at least two transforming means for transforming an excitation of the interaction means into respective signals and a signal processing means configured to determine the position on the interaction means where the excitation occurred. To simplify such a system, the invention uses a signal processing means, which is configured such that signatures are determined based on a comparison of at least one parameter of the respective signals. Also, a touch control system, wherein the transformation means are positioned within a housing with limber sidewalls.

Abstract: An automatic gain control circuit including a variable gain amplifier (11) adapted to receive a received signal (R) and to output an amplified signal (A) to an analog to digital converter (20), and a gain controller (12) which is connected to said variable gain amplifier (11) for receiving said amplified signal (A) and for controlling a gain of said variable gain amplifier (11). The gain controller (12) is adapted to determine an occurrence of a threshold event each time the amplified signal (A) has reached a predetermined threshold, decrease the gain of the variable gain amplifier (11) at each occurrence of a threshold event, measure a delay since the last threshold event, increase the gain of the variable gain amplifier (11) if the delay is greater than a delay specified value and if the gain of the variable gain amplifier (11) is not maximum.

Abstract: Method for locating an impact on a surface (9), in which acoustic sensors (6) pick up acoustic signals ski (t) generated by the impact and the impact is located by calculating, for a number of reference points of index j, a validation parameter representative of a function: PRODkji1i2. . . i2P(?)=?Ski1(?) ?Rji1(?)*?Ski2(?)*?Rji2(?) . . . ?Ski2p(?)*?Rji2p(?) where: ?Ski(?) and ?Rji(?)* are complex phases of Ski(?) and of Rji(?), for i=i1, i2, . . . , i2p, indices denoting sensors, Ski(?) and Rji(?) being the Fourier transform of ski(t) and rji(t), rji(t) being a reference signal corresponding to the sensor i for an impact at the reference point j, p being a non-zero integer no greater than NSENS/2.

Abstract: An access control installation adapted for controlling access from a first zone to a second zone, said installation comprising: at least one separating panel separating the first and second zones, said separating panel having at least one moving closure element (1) adapted for selectively opening or closing an opening; at least one opening actuator (3a, 3b) adapted for causing the closure element (1) selectively to prevent or to allow access via the opening; and a control circuit (5) for controlling the opening actuator. Said installation further comprises at least one sound sensor (6) fastened to the separating panel on the same side as the second zone and adapted for detecting knocks on the first surface of said separating panel, and the control circuit (5) is adapted for: recognizing a predetermined code represented by a particular sequence of knocks on the first surface; and controlling the opening actuator as a function of the recognized code.

Abstract: A man-machine interface method comprising generating physical interactions with active zones (10) belonging to an interface object (5), the active zones being associated with predetermined items of information, detecting the active zones where interactions occur by measuring at least one physical magnitude, and associating each detected interaction with the corresponding predetermined item of information. The active zones are defined for a predetermined finite length of time and they are then deactivated at the end of said predetermined length of time, and when interactions with the interface object are detected while the active zones are deactivated, the active zones are automatically redefined as a function of the first detected interactions.

Abstract: A method for determining the locations of at least two impacts F1 and F2 on a surface using one or more sensors Si, i=1 to n, with n being the number of sensors, and the impacts F1 and F2 generating a signal being sensed by the one or more sensors, wherein each sensor provides a sensed signal si(t), i=1 to n, with n being the number of sensors. To be able to determine simultaneous impacts of different amplitudes the method includes identifying the location x of one impact, and determining a modified sensed signal si?(t) for each sensor in which the contribution due to the identified impact is reduced and which is based on a comparison, in particular a correlation, of each of the sensed signals si(t) and a predetermined reference signal rij(t) corresponding to a reference impact Rj at location j. The method can also be based on couples of sensed signals.

Abstract: A method for determining the location of an impact on a surface (1) comprising N acoustic sensors (2a, 2b, 2c), transmitting a sensed signal si(t) to a processing unit (4) comprises the following steps (a) computing P intercorrelation products (b) calculating P inverse Fourier transforms p?ij (u) (c) computing for each area k, Pk(u)=?P?ij (u??ijk); d) finding k0, where a characterizing value of Pk0 (u) is greater than a given threshold value.

Abstract: Method for locating an impact on a surface (9), in which acoustic sensors (6) pick up acoustic signals ski (t) generated by the impact and the impact is located by calculating, for a number of reference points of index j, a validation parameter representative of a function: PRODkji1i2. . . i2p (?)=øSki1 (?) ØRji1(?)*øSki2 (?)*øRji2 (?) . . . ØSki2p (?)*ØRji2p (?) where: ØSki (?) and ØRji (?)* are complex phases of Ski (?) and of Rji (?), for i=i1, i2, . . . , i2p, indices denoting sensors, Ski(?) and Rji(?) being the Fourier transform of ski (t) and rji (t), rji (t) being a reference signal corresponding to the sensor i for an impact at the reference point j, p being a non-zero integer no greater than NSENS/2.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for locating an impact point on a surface of an object. The object is provided with an acoustic sensor that senses the impact from the acoustic waves that are generated when the object is subjected to the impact. The location of the impact on the surface of the object is determined by a recognition step that includes a comparison of the sensed signal to one or more predetermined signals. Each predetermined signal represents an active zone on the surface of the object. A predetermined signal corresponds to the sensed signal when the impact causing the sensed signal is generated in the active zone represented by the predetermined signal. The impact is associated with the active zone represented by a predetermined signal when the sensed signal and the predetermined signal sufficiently correspond to each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for locating an impact point on a surface of an object. The object is provided with an acoustic sensor that senses the impact from the acoustic waves that are generated when the object is subjected to the impact. The location of the impact on the surface of the object is determined by a recognition step that includes a comparison of the sensed signal to one or more predetermined signals. Each predetermined signal represents an active zone on the surface of the object. A predetermined signal corresponds to the sensed signal when the impact causing the sensed signal is generated in the active zone represented by the predetermined signal. The impact is associated with the active zone represented by a predetermined signal when the sensed signal and the predetermined signal sufficiently correspond to each other.