Abstract: A capacitive measuring system includes capacitive sensors and an evaluation circuit having a multiplexer, a synchronous rectifier, a sinusoidal signal generator, and a reference voltage divider. The capacitive sensors are acted on by a mono-frequency voltage signal generated by the sinusoidal signal generator, output signals of the capacitive sensors are transmitted in alternation to the synchronous rectifier via the multiplexer, and signal amplification of output signals of the synchronous rectifier are calibrated as a function of an activatable reference impedance. The synchronous rectifier is formed by a MOS semiconductor switch. A source-drain section of the MOS semiconductor switch forms a shunt that is controlled by the mono-frequency voltage signal. A channel of the multiplexer is provided for transmitting a calibration signal, generated by the reference voltage divider, to the synchronous rectifier alternately with the output signals of the capacitive sensors.

Abstract: A control element for roof or window adjustment in a motor vehicle includes a surface and a sensor. The surface has an introduced recess and a surface portion. The surface portion is connected to the surface in a gap-free manner above the recess. The surface portion only partially covers the recess. The sensor is formed within the surface portion or is arranged onto the bottom side thereof to detect deformations of the surface portion.

Abstract: A switching device for actuating drive elements includes first switching elements situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by fingers of a person and a second switching element situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by a palm, a palm heel, or a thumb of the person. The first and second switching elements are formed by touch surface sensors without switching contacts. In one variation, actuation of one of the first switching elements causes actuation of a corresponding one of the drive elements only when the second switching element is actuated during the actuation of the one of the first switching elements. In another variation, simultaneous actuation of one of the first switching elements and the second switching element causes a drive element corresponding to the one of the first switching elements to be actuated according to a function corresponding to the second switching element.

Abstract: A capacitive measuring system includes capacitive sensors and an evaluation circuit having a multiplexer, a synchronous rectifier, a sinusoidal signal generator, and a reference voltage divider. The capacitive sensors are acted on by a mono-frequency voltage signal generated by the sinusoidal signal generator, output signals of the capacitive sensors are transmitted in alternation to the synchronous rectifier via the multiplexer, and signal amplification of output signals of the synchronous rectifier are calibrated as a function of an activatable reference impedance. The synchronous rectifier is formed by a MOS semiconductor switch. A source-drain section of the MOS semiconductor switch forms a shunt that is controlled by the mono-frequency voltage signal. A channel of the multiplexer is provided for transmitting a calibration signal, generated by the reference voltage divider, to the synchronous rectifier alternately with the output signals of the capacitive sensors.

Abstract: A method for detecting contact of a capacitive sensor includes transferring charge quantities in multiple successive cycles from the capacitive sensor to an integration capacitor having a known capacitance value. A voltage of the integration capacitor is measured. The measured voltage is processed to generate a sensor amplitude that is indicative of a capacitance value of the capacitive sensor. Contact of the capacitive sensor is detected based on a temporal behavior of the sensor amplitude. For instance, contact of the capacitive sensor is detected based on the rate of change of the sensor amplitude.

Abstract: A switching device for actuating drive elements includes first switching elements situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by fingers of a person and a second switching element situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by a palm, a palm heel, or a thumb of the person. The first and second switching elements are formed by touch surface sensors without switching contacts. In one variation, actuation of one of the first switching elements causes actuation of a corresponding one of the drive elements only when the second switching element is actuated during the actuation of the one of the first switching elements. In another variation, simultaneous actuation of one of the first switching elements and the second switching element causes a drive element corresponding to the one of the first switching elements to be actuated according to a function corresponding to the second switching element.

Abstract: A control element for roof or window adjustment in a motor vehicle includes a surface and a sensor. The surface has an introduced recess and a surface portion. The surface portion is connected to the surface in a gap-free manner above the recess. The surface portion only partially covers the recess. The sensor is formed within the surface portion or is arranged onto the bottom side thereof to detect deformations of the surface portion.

Abstract: A method for detecting contact of a capacitive sensor includes transferring charge quantities in multiple successive cycles from the capacitive sensor to an integration capacitor having a known capacitance value. A voltage of the integration capacitor is measured. The measured voltage is processed to generate a sensor amplitude that is indicative of a capacitance value of the capacitive sensor. Contact of the capacitive sensor is detected based on a temporal behavior of the sensor amplitude. For instance, contact of the capacitive sensor is detected based on the rate of change of the sensor amplitude.

Abstract: A device for controlling multiple functions includes a switch panel. The switch panel includes control panels extending along a longitudinal extension of the switch panel. The switch panel is pivotably mounted about an axis of rotation parallel with the longitudinal extension to pivot about the axis of rotation in response to manual actuation of the switch panel by manual actuation of the control panels. The switch panel is movable with respect to the longitudinal extension of the switch panel and is fixed with respect to a transverse extension of the switch panel perpendicular to the longitudinal extension. Force sensors respectively associated with the control panels are distributed along the longitudinal extension of the switch panel. Actuation of the switch panel by actuating one of the control panels triggers a function depending on which one control panel is actuated and the force sensors detect which control panel is actuated.

Abstract: A method for measuring a capacitance value of a capacitive sensor uses an integration process. For the integration process, the sensor is connected to an integration capacitor having a known capacitance value greater than the capacitance value of the sensor and a voltage UCI of the integration capacitor is measured by an A/D converter after a number IZ of executed integration cycles of the integration process. The method includes carrying out the integration process until the number IZ of executed integration cycles has reached the number N of integration cycles to be executed, adding a voltage value UCI (N) of the integration capacitor, which is determined by the A/D converter, to the total voltage value Utotal, increasing the number N, and repeating until the number N exceeds a predetermined value. The final total voltage value Utotal is indicative of the capacitance value of the capacitive sensor.

Abstract: A device for controlling multiple functions includes a switch panel. The switch panel includes control panels extending along a longitudinal extension of the switch panel. The switch panel is pivotably mounted about an axis of rotation parallel with the longitudinal extension to pivot about the axis of rotation in response to manual actuation of the switch panel by manual actuation of the control panels. The switch panel is movable with respect to the longitudinal extension of the switch panel and is fixed with respect to a transverse extension of the switch panel perpendicular to the longitudinal extension. Force sensors respectively associated with the control panels are distributed along the longitudinal extension of the switch panel. Actuation of the switch panel by actuating one of the control panels triggers a function depending on which one control panel is actuated and the force sensors detect which control panel is actuated.

Abstract: A method for measuring a capacitance value of a capacitive sensor uses an integration process. For the integration process, the sensor is connected to an integration capacitor having a known capacitance value greater than the capacitance value of the sensor and a voltage UCI of the integration capacitor is measured by an A/D converter after a number IZ of executed integration cycles of the integration process. The method includes carrying out the integration process until the number IZ of executed integration cycles has reached the number N of integration cycles to be executed, adding a voltage value UCI (N) of the integration capacitor, which is determined by the A/D converter, to the total voltage value Utotal, increasing the number N, and repeating until the number N exceeds a predetermined value. The final total voltage value Utotal is indicative of the capacitance value of the capacitive sensor.

Abstract: A rotary actuator includes a stator on which a sensor surface is arranged and a rotor configured to rotate about the stator. The rotor forms an actuating surface for the sensor surface. An interval fixing device such as a rotationally fixed sliding disk is arranged between the actuating surface and the sensor surface. A spring is configured to press the sensor surface towards the actuating surface.

Abstract: A rotary actuator includes a stator on which a sensor surface is arranged and a rotor configured to rotate about the stator. The rotor forms an actuating surface for the sensor surface. An interval fixing device such as a rotationally fixed sliding disk is arranged between the actuating surface and the sensor surface. A spring is configured to press the sensor surface towards the actuating surface.

Abstract: A method for determining the absolute value of a rotational angle includes imaging a continuous segment of a code track of a code carrier on a sensor array such that the sensor array generates a corresponding output signal. The code track includes a code provided over an angular range of 360°. The code contains a plurality of code words with each code word respectively corresponding to an angular value in the angular range. The output signal is correlated with a reference signal in a correlation filter to produce a correlation function signal. The reference signal is indicative of the code and the angular values corresponding to the code words. The correlation function signal is processed to determine the code word of the imaged segment of the code track as a function of the angular value where the output signal best coincides with the reference signal.

Abstract: A method for determining the absolute value of a rotational angle includes imaging a continuous segment of a code track of a code carrier on a sensor array such that the sensor array generates a corresponding output signal. The code track includes a code provided over an angular range of 360°. The code contains a plurality of code words with each code word respectively corresponding to an angular value in the angular range. The output signal is correlated with a reference signal in a correlation filter to produce a correlation function signal. The reference signal is indicative of the code and the angular values corresponding to the code words. The correlation function signal is processed to determine the code word of the imaged segment of the code track as a function of the angular value where the output signal best coincides with the reference signal.

Abstract: An angle sensor with a fixed stator and a rotor rotating about an axis of rotation in which the stator has optical sensor elements being aligned in a plane vertical to the axis of rotation on a circular line in the perimeter direction concentric to the axis of rotation and being distributed across a range of perimeter angle. The sensor sensor elements cooperate with the rotor coding. The angle sensor solves the technical problem of ensuring that mechanical tolerances will not adversely impact operation of the sensor. This problem is solved in that the longitudinal axes of the sensor elements are not aligned radial to the circle line on which these units are positioned in the perimeter direction, but rather are aligned parallel to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for detecting the angle position of the steering wheel of a motor vehicle. The aim of the invention is to provide a device of this kind in which the technical problem of determining the absolute angle position of the steering wheel in a measuring range greater than 360° is solved without the need for mechanical reduction gears and such like. This is achieved by means of a measurement system comprising at least one coil system which cooperates with an electrically conductive structure configured on/in a flexible flat cable (6). The flexible flat cable (6) is wound in a winding gap situated between the outer lateral surface (3) of an inner cylindrical rotor (1) joined to the steering gear shaft and the inner lateral surface (4) of an outer cylindrical stator (2) joined to the steering column, in such a way that its one end is fixed to the rotor (1) and its other to the stator (2).

Abstract: The invention pertains to an angle sensor with a fixed stator and a rotor rotating about an axis of rotation, where the stator has several optical-electronic sensor elements, each having the same design, being aligned in a plane vertical to the axis of rotation on a circular line in the perimeter direction concentric to the axis of rotation and being distributed across a range of perimeter angle, where said sensor elements cooperate with the coding provided on the rotor.

Abstract: A motor vehicle electrical control circuit for controlling energy consumption units includes a microcomputer, semiconductor output amplifiers, and control circuits. Each of the output amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the consumption units for providing electrical energy to the units. The control circuits are connected to the microcomputer and to a respective one of the output amplifiers for controlling the electrical energy provided to the consumption units. The control circuits generate a measurement signal indicative of a variable of the respective one of the output amplifiers. The computer systems process the measurement signals to determine if either a critical change or a sub-critical change of the variable has occurred.