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Operation switch, dressing table and mirror using capacitance sensor

Active Publication Date: 2017-10-19
PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a device that can detect if an object is a living body by measuring its capacitance. The device has a circuit that can determine if the object is a living body based on the detection signals it receives. This can be useful in controlling the operation of a device, for example. The "technical effect" of this patent is to provide a reliable and accurate way to detect living objects and operate devices accordingly.

Problems solved by technology

This causes malfunction.

Method used

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  • Operation switch, dressing table and mirror using capacitance sensor
  • Operation switch, dressing table and mirror using capacitance sensor
  • Operation switch, dressing table and mirror using capacitance sensor

Examples

Experimental program
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first embodiment

Modification of First Embodiment

[0061]Hereinafter, a modification of the first embodiment will be described.

[0062]In this modification, the determination circuit 20 determines whether or not the detection target is a living body based on other one or more detection signals excluding a signal having a maximum intensity and a signal having a minimum intensity, out of detection signals outputted from the three or more detection electrodes 12. That is, the modification differs from the first embodiment in that not only a signal having a maximum intensity but also a signal having a minimum intensity are excluded.

[0063]In the example illustrated in FIG. 6B, in order to facilitate description, all the intensities of the detection signals DS1 to DS5 and DS7 follow the same behavior. Practically, the rates of increase in the intensities of the detection signals DS1 to DS5 and DS7 are varied depending on the distance to the finger 3. For instance, in the example illustrated of FIG. 6A (b), th...

second embodiment

[0067]Next, the operation switch according to a second embodiment will be described using FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

[0068]FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an operation switch 201 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view of a dressing table 100 including the operation switch 201 according to this embodiment.

[0069]As illustrated in FIG. 7, the operation switch 201 according to this embodiment differs from the operation switch 1 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 in that instead of the determination circuit 20, a determination circuit 220 is provided and a reference electrode 212 is newly provided. Hereinafter, the difference from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same point is omitted or simplified.

[0070]The reference electrode 212 and the detection electrode 12 have the same configuration. That is, the reference electrode 212 outputs a detection signal for reference (in short, a reference signal) that ind...

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PUM

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Abstract

An operation switch includes: a capacitance sensor that generates three or more detection signals in response to approach or contact of an object to respective three or more electrodes; a determination circuit that determines whether or not the object is a living body based on one or more detection signals selected from the three or more detection signals, the one or more detection signals excluding a detection signal having a maximum intensity among the three or more detection signals; and a controller that, when the object is determined to be a living body, generates an operation signal for operating a predetermined device.

Description

BACKGROUND1. Technical Field[0001]The present disclosure relates to an operation switch, and a dressing table and a mirror including the operation switch.2. Description of the Related Art[0002]A switch using a capacitance sensor has a simple structure and can be increased in size. For this reason, the capacitance sensor finds application in various products such as a touch switch and a level switch. Even when water adheres to a capacitance sensor, the sensor responds in the same manner as in the case where a human touches the sensor. This causes malfunction.[0003]On the other hand, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-239649 discloses a touch switch sensing device that includes a touch switch unit having a plurality of touch sensing electrodes that detect contact with a user and a plurality of water sensing electrodes that detect contact with a water droplet. The touch switch sensing device determines whether an operation has been performed by a ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H03K17/96
CPCH03K17/962H03K2017/9615H03K2217/960705H03K2217/960755
Inventor HASEGAWA, YUKASAKAMOTO, GOSUKEKORESAWA, KOUHEINANAI, NORISHIGEUKEDA, TAKAAKI
Owner PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD