Abstract: A combined seat heater and capacitive occupancy sensor comprises a heater network and a capacitive sensing network. The heater network includes a heating element (10) connected between a first node (21) and a second node (22) to dissipate heat. The capacitive sensing network is connected to the heating element to apply an oscillating current thereto and to derive a capacitive load of the heating element from the voltage resulting on the heating element. The heater network comprises a common mode choke (16) connecting the first and the second node to a third (23) and a fourth (24) node, respectively. The capacitive sensing network further comprises means to sustain the oscillating current in or to drive the oscillating current into the heating element as well as a high-impedance amplifier (32) having an input node operatively connected to the heating element to probe the resulting voltage, and an output node (44) to provide an output signal indicative of the voltage.

Abstract: An RFID transceiver unit (10) for detecting an RFID transponder said transceiver unit comprises a transmitter associated with a loop-shaped transmitting antenna (12) for transmitting an electromagnetic excitation field and a receiver associated with a loop-shaped receiving antenna (14). When the RFID transponder (18) is excited by the excitation field (24), the RFID transponder emits an electromagnetic response field, which induces a transponder signal in the receiving antenna. The received signal generated by the receiving antenna in response to an electromagnetic field thus contains the transponder signal. The received signal of the receiving antenna generally contains an interfering signal directly induced by the excitation field in the receiving antenna. The transceiver unit comprises means for attenuating the interfering signal in the received signal.

Abstract: In the case of known electromagnetic actuators each with at least one electromagnet acting on an armature, operational fluctuations of system parameters can lead to incorrect functioning, in particular to increased wear of the actuator, undesired noise generation, and excessive power consumption. In the new method, which is preferably used for operating gas change valves in internal combustion engines, the impact velocity of the armature on the electromagnet is automatically adjusted to a preset value. For this purpose, a controlled variable that depends on a change of inductance of the electromagnet is created as a measure of the impact velocity of the armature on The electromagnet and the controlled variable is adjusted by controlling the energy supply To the electromagnet to provide a setpoint value that the controlled variable adopts at a preset value of the impact velocity of the armature on the electromagnet. This permits reliable continuous duty with the new method.