Abstract: Proximity detection is accomplished by determining with a moving average calculation a moving average level of input data; setting a threshold level in response to the average level and a sensitivity factor; producing a proximity detection output when the input data meets the threshold level; and changing the weighting used by the average level calculation in response to a proximity detection output.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch has an electrically conductive sensor surface, which is covered by an electrically non-conductive covering plate and which serves as a part of a capacitor with a capacitance that varies with proximity. The proximity switch includes a reference sensor surface for generating a reference signal for determining an actuation state of the proximity switch. Signal portions of the reference signal are proportional to the capacitance of a reference capacitor formed with the reference sensor surface, and the capacitance of the reference capacitor is determined by surrounding conditions of the sensor surface.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch includes an electrically conductive sensor area, which is covered by an electrically-insulating cover plate, as part of a capacitor having a capacitance which varies as a result of proximity. An associated evaluation circuit is provided, and an electrically-conducting body, via which the sensor area is connected to the evaluation circuit and which is arranged between the electrically-insulating cover plate and a mount disposed at a distance therefrom. A domestic appliance includes such a proximity switch. At least one electronic component of the evaluation circuit is arranged on the mount such that it protrudes into a cavity, which is surrounded by the electrically conductive body.

Abstract: A flat-type input unit capable of outputting information regarding a position where a finger touches as coordinate data is provided in a casing of an input device. A main-switch unit and sub-switch units operated by the flat-type input unit are also provided in the casing. When ON output signals are simultaneously supplied from the main-switch unit and one of the sub-switch units, the flat-type input unit determines a position where the finger touches by performing a detection operation. It can be determined on the basis of the position whether the main-switch unit or the sub-switch unit is controlled. Moreover, since pressing any position of the flat-type input unit can cause the main-switch unit to supply an ON output signal, a confirmation input can be performed easily with the ON output signal supplied from the main-switch unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical circuit arrangement for generating signal events for initiating or carrying out switching, adjusting or releasing processes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a preferably ferriteless inductive proximity switch having at least one transmitting coil, one oscillator circuit and at least two receiving coils arranged in the alternating magnetic field of the transmitting coil, whereby the transmitting coil and the receiving coil are arranged adjacent to each other on a printed circuit board, and also having an evaluation circuit connected to the receiving coil for evaluating the received signal of the receiving coils when a target approaches the proximity switch.

Abstract: There is described a sensor for sensing the parameter, the sensor comprising a transmit aerial, an intermediate coupling element, a receive aerial electromagnetically coupled to the transmit aerial via the intermediate coupling element, a signal generator operable to generate a periodic excitation signal at a first frequency, and arranged to apply the generated excitation signal to the transmit aerial in order to generate a sense signal in the receive aerial indicative of the value of the parameter to be measured and a signal processor operable to process the signal induced in the receive aerial to determine a value representative of the parameter being measured.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch has an electrically conductive sensor surface, which is covered by an electrically non-conductive covering plate and which serves as a part of a capacitor with a capacitance that varies with proximity. A household appliance is equipped with a proximity switch of this type. The sensor surface has an active shielding, which is formed by a shielding surface to which a clock signal is applied at the same time as it is applied to the sensor surface.

Abstract: A touch switch for controlling accessory equipment of a vehicle avoids a malfunction which is caused due to an environmental change such as a change in a state of air, arrival of unnecessary electromagnetic waves, or the like. Conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are disposed in an arrangement isolated from one another on a surface opposite to a sensor surface 16T of a touch plate 16 which is touched by a person's hand. The conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are each connected to a capacity measurement/control unit 34. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 determines as a judgment value D the absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting a minimum absolute value among changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity from a maximum absolute value among the changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 controls a switch 28 according to the judgment value D.

Abstract: The circuit has an output stage comprising a current source and a current sink. The circuit also has a comparison stage operable to compare a current mirrored from the current source with a current mirrored from the current sink to determine a difference therebetween. The mirrored currents may be a fraction of their corresponding output currents. Moreover, the fractions may be different from each other. A first current boost stage in the circuit is operable to provide a controlled current boost to the output stage if the difference between the compared currents crosses a threshold. The current boost may be a current sink boost or a current source boost.

Abstract: An electric switch (1) comprising a capacity sensor circuit (2) provided with a signal input (3) arranged to be connected to an actuating line, and which is provided with a relay device (4) arranged to feed a current to a load line (7) from a power source (6) in response to a capacitive influence along said actuating line. According to the invention the signal input (3) of the sensor circuit (2) is arranged to be connected to the load line (7) in such a manner that the load line will constitute said actuating line.

Abstract: A human body detecting device includes a door handle provided on an outer panel, a first sensor electrode provided on the obverse side of the door handle, and a second sensor electrode provided on the reverse side of the door handle. The human body is detected in response to variation of capacitance between the outer panel and two sensor electrodes.

Abstract: A control circuit receives inputs from first and second field effect sensors. The control circuit produces a control output only if the second field effect sensor senses proximity or touch more than a predetermined time after the first field effect sensor senses proximity or touch.

Abstract: A proximity sensor with a sensor head for generating sensor signals is described. The proximity sensor is divided into a fastening portion containing a sensor head, and an electronics portion that can be connected to the fastening portion and has at least a sensor-signal evaluation unit and a power supply. The sensor signals pass from the fastening portion to the electronics portion via electrical contacts or contactlessly. Furthermore, a modular system for forming proximity sensors is proposed, and contains a multiplicity of fastening portions, respectively containing a sensor head, with different dimensioning and, connectable herewith, in each case identical electronics portions.

Abstract: A data token with extended operational lifetime incorporates operational circuitry requiring D.C. power, a battery for supplying D.C. power to the circuitry, a power switch coupled between the battery and the circuitry, and a frequency selector for sensing remotely generated signals and for operating the switch when such signals are received so that D.C. power is applied to operate the circuitry only when the remotely generated signals are sensed in order to confine energy drain from the battery to only those periods when circuit operation is needed and extend the useful lifetime and range of the data token. The frequency selector is a crystal having a specific resonant frequency which only responds to remotely generated signals of the matching frequency. The switch is an FET switch. An integrator circuit is coupled between the frequency selector and the FET switch to smooth the D.C. voltage developed by the crystal.

Abstract: A compact non-contact electrical switch for use in an electrical box mounted on a wall has a capacitance sensor for detecting a presence of a hand placed adjacent to the switch and for generating a first data bit, and a CPU for receiving the data bit and for calculating a power output in response to the first data bit The CPU generates a control signal for controlling a triac or relay and thus the power supplied to an electrical circuit passing through the box, for on/off and optionally dimmer control responsive to the proximity of the hand.

Abstract: Disclosed is an impedance comparison integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a current mirror part, a discharging part, a differential amplification part and a first output part. The current mirror part provides current to a first and second input terminal, respectively, during a first interval of every period. The discharging part provides a discharging path to the first and second input terminals, respectively, during a second interval of every period. The differential amplification part performs a differential amplification on signals input from the first and second input terminals, respectively, during the first interval of every period. The first output part outputs a first output signal to the first output terminal in response to the differential amplification part. Accordingly, parasitic impedance difference between each parasitic impedance of the first and second input terminals is minimized, and input offset error is reduced, so that impedance sensing with high precision is possible.

Abstract: An electronic device, e.g. a mobile telephone, includes speech recognition means for controlling the operation of the device in response to a voice command. The device includes a proximity sensor e.g. a capacitive, inductive, or IR-red proximity sensor, for providing a control signal indicative of whether an object is in proximity of the device, and control means for controlling the voice controlled operation of the device in response to the control signal.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus and a safety apparatus which can ensure significantly enhanced safety by monitoring constantly whether the sensor apparatus is operating normally. An auxiliary electrode plate of a small area is disposed in parallel and in opposition to an electrode plate with a short distance therefrom. A switching element is turned on every second for a period of milliseconds repetitively. When the switching element is turned on under the control of a central processing unit, the auxiliary electrode plate is connected to the ground potential, as a result of which a capacitance &Dgr;C effective between the auxiliary electrode plate and the electrode plate is electrically connected in parallel with a capacitor C0 effective between the electrode plate and a machine component, resulting in that the capacitance C0 is increased by a proportion corresponding to the capacitance &Dgr;C.

Abstract: A balanced charge pump sensor circuit (switched capacitor) for measuring the capacitance of a sensor element includes a switching circuit having a charging state during which the sensing element is connected to a relatively fixed upper reference voltage source. The switching circuit has a discharging state during which the sensing element is connected to a summing node, typically at some different voltage between the upper and lower reference voltages. As a result of this switching action, a packet of charge is transferred from the higher voltage connection to the lower voltage connection, the quantity of charge depending on the voltage difference between these two connections and the capacitance of the sensing element at the time the connections are changed. The circuit includes a current source, a differential amplifier having a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting input terminal, a voltage divider, and a charge integrating capacitor.

Abstract: An electronic proximity switching device with a proximity indicator and with an electronic switch which can be controlled by the proximity indicator. A plurality of these switching devices can be series connected without an unacceptable voltage drop occurring on the series connection when the switching devices are conductive, by the electronic switch of each switching device being connected to one input (2) of an AND element (3), another input (4) of the AND element (3) representing a control input (5) of the switching device, the output (6) of the AND element (3) representing the output (7) of the switching device, and load current flowing via the AND element (3) in the conductive state of the switching device. In other words there is AND element (3) in addition to an inductive proximity switch (1).

Abstract: The DC sensor signal S, on which a low frequency waviness component S1 and a high frequency noise component S2, is obtained by amplitude detecting for a sinusoidal output signal from a touch signal probe. For generating a touch trigger signal TG at an sbrupt DC level transition of the DC sensor signal S, the signal S is input to a LPF 21 to output a signal (S0+S1), where S0 is a DC offset component, and S1 is a low frequency waviness component. The amplitude transforming circuit 22 multiplies the signal (S0+S1) by a coefficient k to generate a reference signal k(S0+S1). The comparator 23 compares the DC sensor signal S with the reference signal to output the touch trigger signal TG at the abrupt DC transition point of the DC sensor signal S.

Abstract: Integrated circuit designs are continually shrinking in size. Lithographic processes are used to transfer these designs to a semiconductor substrate. These processes typically require that the exposure wavelength of light be shorter than the smallest dimension of the elements within the circuit design. When this is not the case, exposure energy such as light behaves more like a wave than a particle. Additionally, mask manufacturing, photoresist chemical diffusion, and etch effects cause pattern transfer distortions. The result is that circuit elements do not print as designed. To counter this effect the circuit designs themselves can be altered so that the final printed results better matches the initial desired design. The process of altering designs in this way is called Lithographic Proximity Correction (LPC). Square (142), cross (162), octagon (172), and hammerhead (202) serifs are added to integrated circuit designs by shape manipulation functions to perform two dimensional (2-D) LPC.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch which may be used as an actuating device for a variety of control applications, such as windshield wipers and door locks. According to the invention, the actuating element a contact or proximity switch to be actuated in a nonmechanical manner, and a sensor provided on an object being made as part of a capacitive proximity switch, specifically as an operating electrode of the capacitive proximity switch.

Abstract: A touch sensor circuit is disclosed for sensing a person's touch and for switching power to an AC load. The touch sensor circuit includes a sense input circuit, logic circuit, power switching circuit and power supply/reference circuit. The power supply and reference circuit tracks the AC line-hot input, and supplies DC power to the circuit. The sense input circuit is configured such that when a person touches the touch input pad, a circuit is created between the positive voltage reference and earth ground, thereby generating an easily detectable voltage swing on an internal sensing node. The logic circuit senses the voltage variation on the sensing node and generates a pulse which toggles power to the power switching circuit and connected load.

Abstract: A system for supplying at least one electrical apparatus with a touch control. The system may be utilized in a home automation system for supplying electrical equipment, e.g., light bulbs, motors, strip lights, electrical power points, etc., or may be utilized to form part of equipment, e.g., a lamp, lamp stand, etc. The system may include treated zones formed by chemical treatment of an electrically insulating support material to provide the zones with a reduced electrical impedance to allow leakage current flow. The treated zones may be electrically coupled to a detection input of an electrical control circuit to allow the leakage current to be detected by the detection input and enable the electrical control circuit to control a switch in accordance with the leakage currents, which are generated in the treated zone when a user touches the treated zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrator 5 with switched hysteresis for inductive proximity switches comprising a reference current source IREF connected between a reference voltage supply rail and a first side of a current mirror, a second side of the current mirror being connected to a proximity switch rectifier, the first side of the current mirror being connected to a capacitor CINT and to one input of a two input comparator, the other input of the comparator being held at a threshold level, wherein a fixed hysteresis current source IHYST is provided in parallel with the current reference source IREF, the fixed hysteresis current source IHYST producing a switchable current which is a fixed proportion of the current of the current reference source IREF, the fixed hysteresis current source IHYST being switched on (off) when a target is detected and off (on) when no target is detected. This invention provides for reduction of effects detrimental to the speed of operation of the switch.

Abstract: A personal-care apparatus comprises a load (LD) and a switch (SW), which load (LD) and which switch (SW) are coupled in series between a first (1) and a second (2) supply terminal for receiving an alternating voltage, the personal-care apparatus further comprising a rectifying circuit (RC) for converting the alternating voltage into a direct voltage, and a safety circuit (SC), which is coupled between a third (3) and a fourth (4) supply terminal for receiving the direct voltage and which comprises a capacitive sensor (CS) for the detection of the presence of a part of a human body in the proximity of the personal-care apparatus, the safety circuit being adapted to control the switch (SW) in response to said detection.