A vehicle rear door control system and method of controlling a vehicle rear door, such as a hatch or trunk is provided. The method detects the opening of a side door of a vehicle and senses with a plurality of proximity sensors movement of an object such as a driver or passenger of the vehicle exiting the vehicle and moving from a side to a rear of the vehicle. The method controls an actuator to open the rear door of the vehicle in response to the detected opening of the side door followed by the sensed movement of the driver or passenger from the side to the rear of the vehicle.

Method and system for controlling vehicle rear door

A capacity measuring circuit includes a measuring voltage source configured to feed a sinusoidal voltage signal to a first terminal of a capacity to be measured so as to cause a temporal change in a charge stored on the capacity to be measured. The capacity measuring circuit additionally includes a delta-sigma modulator. The delta-sigma modulator is configured to receive a charge from a second terminal of the capacity to be measured and to provide a digital output signal which is dependent on a quantity of the charge received from the capacity to be measured. The capacity measuring circuit may be employed in a sensor system.

Capacitance measurement circuit, sensor system and method for measuring a capacitance using a sinusoidal voltage signal

One variation of a method for controlling a robotic arm includes: moving the robotic arm through a trajectory; at a first time in which the robotic arm occupies a first position along the trajectory, measuring a first capacitance of a first sense circuit comprising a first electrode extending over a first arm segment of the robotic arm; at a second time in which the robotic arm occupies a second position along the trajectory, measuring a second capacitance of the first sense circuit; calculating a first rate of change in capacitance of the first sense circuit based on a difference between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; in response to the first rate of change in capacitance of the first sense circuit exceeding a threshold rate of change, issuing a proximity alarm; and reducing a speed of the robotic arm moving through the trajectory in response to the proximity alarm.

Robotic arm system and object avoidance methods

The invention discloses a multi-point touch control positioning method. The multi-point touch control positioning method is used for a touch control device, and comprises that a first touch control sensing value of a first sensing electrode of each sensing information channel and a second touch control sensing value of a second sensing electrode of the each sensing information channel are respectively captured; as for each sensing information channel, the corresponding first touch control sensing value and the second touch control sensing value are added to generate a sensing summation value corresponding to the each sensing information channel; a touch control sensing information channel with the maximum area value is adjusted according to a plurality of sensing summations of a plurality of sensing information channels, and the touch control sensing information channel is defined to be provided with a touch control point; and the position of the touch control point is worked out according to a first touch control sensing value, a second touch control sensing value, a sensing summation value and coordinate values of the touch control sensing information channel, and first touch control sensing values, second touch control sensing values, sensing summation values and coordinate values of neighboring sensing information channels of the touch control sensing information channel.

Multi-point touch control positioning method

An electrostatic detection device includes a detection panel 1 having one or a plurality of detection electrodes, charge/discharge means 2 for repeatedly performing charge/discharge, characteristic extraction means 3 for repeatedly extracting characteristics, accumulation analog/digital conversion means 4 for accumulating the characteristics and performing analog/digital conversion, post-processing means 5 for calculating approach or a position of the object, control means 7 for managing an overall state and sequence, gain changing means 52 for changing a gain of the first and last characteristic extraction of the charge/discharge, and abnormality detection means 10 for detection whether or not there is abnormality. Accordingly, it is possible to attenuate or remove an influence of noises with a simple configuration.

Electrostatic detection device, information apparatus, and electrostatic detection method

A capacitive sensor may be used as a proximity detector in an obstruction warning system for road vehicles, e.g. for use when the vehicle is reversing. A digital signal processor 11 sends a sine wave through a sensor RC circuit 1, 7. A sensor plate 3 acts as one plate of a sensor capacitor 1 and the obstruction 45 acts as the other plate 5. Changes in the distance between the car 43 and the obstruction 45 result in changes in the capacitance of the sensor capacitor 1, changing the amplitude and phase of the sine wave output by the sensor RC circuit 1, 7. A reference sine wave, generated by a reference signal circuit 17, 19, 21 is subtracted from the sensor output signal in a subtractor 15. The reference signal has a phase offset from the sensor signal so that the amplitude of the difference signal is highly sensitive to changes in phase of the sensor signal. An additional signal, substantially identical to the sensor signal, is coupled to the output of the sensor RC circuit by a coupling capacitor 41. This provides a path to ground for high frequency noise without disrupting the sensor signal.

Anthony Moon

Papers

Capacitive sensor and proximity detector using it