Operation switch using electrostatic capacitance sensor
First Claim
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1. An operation switch comprising:
- an electrostatic capacitance sensor that generates a sensing signal in response to approach or contact of an object; and
a controller thatcalculates, when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold at a first time point, a rate of change in a magnitude of the sensing signal in a first period including the first time point,determines, when the rate of change is not larger than a first rate, the object is a human body,determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal falls below a second threshold in a second period subsequent to the first period, the object is a human body, anddetermines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal does not fall below the second threshold in the second period, the object is not a human body.
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Abstract
An operation switch includes: an electrostatic capacitance sensor that generates a sensing signal in response to approach or contact of an object; and a controller that determines whether or not the object is a human body in accordance with the sensing signal. The controller determines that the object is not a human body, when (A) a magnitude of the sensing signal is larger than a first threshold at a first time point, (B) a rate of change in the magnitude of the sensing signal in a first period is larger than a first rate, and (C) the magnitude of the sensing signal does not fall below a second threshold in a second period subsequent to the first period.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An operation switch comprising:
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an electrostatic capacitance sensor that generates a sensing signal in response to approach or contact of an object; and a controller that calculates, when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold at a first time point, a rate of change in a magnitude of the sensing signal in a first period including the first time point, determines, when the rate of change is not larger than a first rate, the object is a human body, determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal falls below a second threshold in a second period subsequent to the first period, the object is a human body, and determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal does not fall below the second threshold in the second period, the object is not a human body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An operation switch comprising:
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an electrostatic capacitance sensor that generates a sensing signal in response to approach or contact of an object; and a controller that calculates, when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold at a first time point, a rate of change in a magnitude of the sensing signal in a first period including the first time point, determines, when the rate of change is not larger than a first rate, the object is a human body, determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal remains below a second threshold over a predetermined period after the sensing signal falls below the second threshold once, the object is a human body, and determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal exceeds the second threshold in the predetermined period after the sensing signal falls below the second threshold once, the object is not a human body. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An operation switch comprising:
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an electrostatic capacitance sensor that generates a sensing signal in response to approach or contact of an object; and a controller that calculates, when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold at a first time point, a rate of change in a magnitude of the sensing signal in a first period including the first time point, determines, when the rate of change is within a range from a second rate to a first rate, the object is a human body, determines, when the rate of change is larger than the first rate and further when the sensing signal does not fall below a second threshold in a second period subsequent to the first period, the object is not a human body, and determines, when the rate of change is smaller than the second rate and further when the sensing signal does not fall below the second threshold in the second period, the object is not a human body. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification