Vehicle operation detection device and vehicle operation detection method

Abstract

A vehicle operation detection device is configured to output an instruction to open and close a body of a vehicle based on electrostatic capacitance of a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a row. The vehicle operation detection device is configured to determine that a first operation is performed when the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrodes increases in order from an operation start electrode to a first direction, and determine that a second operation is performed when the switching is performed in a second direction. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes a neighboring electrode adjacent to the operation start electrode. The vehicle operation detection device is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of the neighboring electrode increases when the electrostatic capacitance of the neighboring electrode is equal to or greater than a second determination value that is greater than a first determination value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle operation detection device and a vehicle operation detection method. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, vehicle operation detection devices were known to detect user hand movements to open and close sliding doors. For example, the vehicle operation detection device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-71246 includes: a plurality of sensor electrodes whose electrostatic capacitance changes according to the distance from the object being detected; and a control circuit that drives an actuator based on the electrostatic capacitance to open and close the sliding door.

[0003] When the vehicle operation detection device sequentially switches between multiple sensor electrodes displaying changes in electrostatic capacitance in the sliding door opening direction, it outputs a signal to open the sliding door. Conversely, when the same sensor electrodes sequentially switch between multiple sensor electrodes displaying changes in electrostatic capacitance in the sliding door closing direction, it outputs a signal to close the sliding door.

[0004] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0005] The aforementioned vehicle operation detection device leaves room for improvement in terms of enhancing the accuracy of detecting user operations. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vehicle operation detection device and a vehicle operation detection method that can improve the detection accuracy of user operations.

[0007] Technical means for solving technical problems

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle operation detection device is provided. The vehicle operation detection device includes: a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a row, configured such that their electrostatic capacitance increases as a detected object approaches; and a control unit configured to output a command to open or close a vehicle's opening or closing mechanism based on the electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of sensor electrodes. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a first direction corresponds to the opening direction of the opening or closing mechanism, and a second direction corresponds to the closing direction of the opening or closing mechanism. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes two leading sensor electrodes located in the first direction and the second direction. The control unit includes: a start electrode determination unit configured to determine a sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is greater than or equal to a first determination value as an operation start electrode; an operation determination unit configured to determine whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode has increased, and configured to determine that a first operation has been performed when a sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance among a plurality of sensor electrodes sequentially switches from the operation start electrode to the first direction, and to determine that a second operation has been performed when a sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance sequentially switches from the operation start electrode to the second direction; and an instruction unit configured to output an instruction to open the opening / closing body when the first operation has been determined to have been performed, and to output an instruction to close the opening / closing body when the second operation has been determined to have been performed. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of an adjacent electrode has increased when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to a second determination value that is greater than the first determination value.

[0009] Since multiple sensor electrodes are adjacent, when a user brings their hand or other object close to the sensor electrode that becomes the operation start electrode in order to perform a first operation or a second operation, the following situation may occur: not only does the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that becomes the operation start electrode increase, but the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent sensor electrodes also increases.

[0010] Here, we consider a comparative example where the determination value for determining an increase in the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes is relatively small. In this comparative example, there may be a situation where, before the determination time of the operation start electrode, the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes is greater than or equal to the determination value. In this case, after the determination time of the operation start electrode, the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes will not reach or exceed the aforementioned determination value, and therefore the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance will no longer sequentially switch from the operation start electrode to the first direction or the second direction. Therefore, the operation detection device of the comparative example may not be able to correctly detect the occurrence of the first operation or the second operation.

[0011] Regarding this, the operation detection device described above determines that the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes has increased when the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes reaches a second determination value that is greater than the first determination value. In other words, sensor electrodes with increased electrostatic capacitance are more likely to switch sequentially from the operation initiation electrode to the first or second direction. Therefore, the operation detection device can improve the accuracy of detecting user operations.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle operation detection device is provided. The vehicle operation detection device includes: a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a row, configured such that their electrostatic capacitance increases as a detected object approaches; and a control unit configured to output a command to open or close a vehicle's opening or closing mechanism based on the electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of sensor electrodes. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a first direction corresponds to the opening direction of the opening or closing mechanism, and a second direction corresponds to the closing direction of the opening or closing mechanism. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes two leading sensor electrodes located in the first and second directions. The control unit includes: a start electrode determination unit configured to determine a sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is above a first determination value as an operation start electrode; an operation determination unit configured to determine whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode has increased, and configured to determine that a first operation has been performed when a sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance among a plurality of sensor electrodes sequentially switches from the operation start electrode to the first direction, and to determine that a second operation has been performed when a sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance sequentially switches from the operation start electrode to the second direction; and an instruction unit configured to output an instruction to open the opening / closing body when the first operation has been determined to have been performed, and to output an instruction to close the opening / closing body when the second operation has been determined to have been performed. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of an adjacent electrode has increased when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is above a second determination value. The start electrode determination unit is configured to determine the sensor electrode among the two sensor electrodes whose electrostatic capacitance is greater than or equal to the first determination value for a determination time as the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to, at the determination time of the operation start electrode, set a second determination value greater than the first determination value if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to the first determination value, and to set the second determination value equal to the first determination value if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is less than the first determination value at the determination time of the operation start electrode.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle operation detection method is provided. The vehicle operation detection method uses a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a row to detect operations for opening and closing a vehicle's opening and closing mechanism. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the direction corresponding to the opening direction of the opening and closing mechanism is a first direction, and the direction corresponding to the closing direction of the opening and closing mechanism is a second direction. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes two sensor electrodes located at the foremost points in the first and second directions. The vehicle operation detection method includes: determining a sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is above a first determination value as an operation start electrode; determining whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode increases, and determining that a first operation has been performed when the sensor electrodes with increased electrostatic capacitance sequentially switch from the operation start electrode to the first direction, and determining that a second operation has been performed when the sensor electrodes with increased electrostatic capacitance sequentially switch from the operation start electrode to the second direction; and outputting a command to open the opening and closing mechanism when the first operation is determined to have been performed, and outputting a command to close the opening and closing mechanism when the second operation is determined to have been performed. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The determination of whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode has increased includes the following: if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode becomes a second determination value greater than a first determination value, it is determined that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle operation detection device according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the general structure of the vehicle operation detection device.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a timing diagram showing the change in electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrodes of the vehicle operation detection device involved in the comparative example when the user performs the first operation.

[0017] Figure 4 This is an explanation Figure 2 A flowchart of the processing flow performed by the control unit of the vehicle operation detection device.

[0018] Figure 5 This indicates the situation when the user performs the first action. Figure 2 A timing diagram showing the change in electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrodes of a vehicle operation detection device.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the general structure of the vehicle operation detection device according to the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 This indicates the situation under which sensor electrode calibration is performed. Figure 6 A timing diagram showing the change in electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrodes of a vehicle operation detection device. Detailed Implementation

[0021] (First Implementation)

[0022] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the vehicle operation detection device 80 (hereinafter also referred to as "operation detection device 80") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes: a body 20 having a door opening 21 on its side; a sliding vehicle door 30 that opens and closes through the door opening 21; and a door lock 40 that secures the vehicle door 30 to the body 20. Additionally, the vehicle 10 includes: a door drive unit 60 that drives the vehicle door 30; a door lock drive unit 70 that drives the door lock 40; an operation detection device 80 that detects user operations to open and close the vehicle door 30; and a door control device 100 that controls the door drive unit 60 and the door lock drive unit 70 based on signals output from the operation detection device 80.

[0024] The vehicle door 30 operates between a fully closed position where the door opening 21 is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening 21 is fully open. In the first embodiment, the direction of the vehicle door 30 from the fully closed position to the fully open position is the rear of the vehicle, and the direction of the vehicle door 30 from the fully open position to the fully closed position is the front of the vehicle.

[0025] The door actuator 60 either closes the vehicle door 30 to the fully closed position or opens it to the fully open position. In the fully closed position, the door lock 40 either restrains the vehicle door 30 to the vehicle body 20 or releases the restraint on the vehicle door 30. The door lock actuator 70 switches the state of the door lock 40 between restraining the vehicle door 30 and releasing the restraint on the vehicle door 30.

[0026] The operation detection device 80 will be described below.

[0027] The operation detection device 80 is positioned where a user can operate it from the outside of the vehicle door 30. In a first embodiment, the operation detection device 80 is positioned inside the door trim panel that constitutes the interior of the vehicle door 30. Alternatively, the operation detection device 80 is positioned where a user can view it from the outside of the vehicle through the window glass 31 of the vehicle door 30. In another embodiment, the operation detection device 80 may also be embedded in the outer panel that constitutes the outer side of the vehicle door 30.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, the operation detection device 80 includes a first sensor electrode 81, a second sensor electrode 82, and a third sensor electrode 83 arranged at intervals in the opening and closing direction of the vehicle door 30. Furthermore, the operation detection device 80 includes a control unit 85, which outputs a signal to the door control device 100 based on the detection results of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83.

[0029] The first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 are in the shape of a rectangular plate. The areas of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 that are orthogonal to the thickness direction are equal. The length of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 in the longitudinal direction is the length corresponding to the user's hand. As an example, the length of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 in the longitudinal direction is preferably about 10cm to 20cm.

[0030] The first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 are arranged in a row. In the first embodiment, the arrangement direction of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 is consistent with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Specifically, the first sensor electrode 81 is located at the front of the vehicle, the third sensor electrode 83 is located at the rear of the vehicle, and the second sensor electrode 82 is located between the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83.

[0031] In the following description, the direction from the first sensor electrode 81 towards the third sensor electrode 83 in the arrangement of the multiple sensor electrodes is designated as the first direction D1, and the direction from the third sensor electrode 83 towards the first sensor electrode 81 is designated as the second direction D2. The first direction D1 corresponds to the opening direction of the vehicle door 30, and the second direction D2 corresponds to the closing direction of the vehicle door 30. The first sensor electrode 81 is located at the foremost point in the second direction D2, and the third sensor electrode 83 is located at the foremost point in the first direction D1. That is, the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 are located at the ends of the arrangement direction.

[0032] The first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83, together with the object being detected near the sensor electrode, constitute an analog capacitor. Therefore, the closer the object is to the sensor electrode, the larger the electrostatic capacitance determined by the positional relationship between the sensor electrode and the object. The detection range of the sensor electrode extends outward from the vehicle so that the electrostatic capacitance increases as the object approaches from the outside of the vehicle. In the following description, the electrostatic capacitance determined by the positional relationship between the sensor electrode and the object will also be simply referred to as the "electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode."

[0033] Imagine a user placing their hand on the first sensor electrode 81 and then moving their hand in the first direction D1 as an operation to open the vehicle door 30. In the following description, the operation of switching the sensor electrode that the user brings their hand to in the first direction D1 among the multiple sensor electrodes will be referred to as the "first operation." When the user performs the first operation, the first sensor electrode 81 becomes the "operation start electrode," the second sensor electrode 82 becomes the "adjacent electrode" adjacent to the operation start electrode, and the third sensor electrode 83 becomes the "operation end electrode."

[0034] Imagine a user placing their hand on the third sensor electrode 83 and then moving their hand in the second direction D2 as an operation to close the vehicle door 30. In the following description, the operation of switching the sensor electrode that the user brings their hand to in the second direction D2 among the multiple sensor electrodes will be referred to as the "second operation." When the user performs the second operation, the third sensor electrode 83 becomes the "operation start electrode," the second sensor electrode 82 becomes the "adjacent electrode" adjacent to the operation start electrode, and the first sensor electrode 81 becomes the "operation end electrode." Furthermore, when performing the first or second operation, the user may also bring a part of their body other than their hand close to the sensor electrode, or bring an object they are carrying close to the sensor electrode.

[0035] Next, the control unit 85 will be explained.

[0036] The control unit 85 includes: a start electrode determination unit 91 that determines the start electrode operation; an operation determination unit 92 that determines whether a first operation or a second operation has been performed by the user; and an instruction unit 93 that outputs an open operation instruction signal or an closed operation instruction signal based on the user's operation.

[0037] The plurality of sensor electrodes 81-83 includes the two foremost sensor electrodes located in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The sensor electrode among these two that maintains a state where its electrostatic capacitance is a first determination value C1Th or higher for a first determination time Tx is determined as the operation start electrode. In other words, the start electrode determination unit 91 determines which of the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 is the operation start electrode. Preferably, the first determination value C1Th and the first determination time Tx are preset. For example, the first determination time Tx can be set to approximately 0.5 to 1.0 seconds. In the following description, the determination used to determine the start electrode will also be referred to as "start electrode determination," and the situation where the start electrode is determined in the start electrode determination will be referred to as "start electrode determination successful."

[0038] When the operation start electrode is the first sensor electrode 81, and the sensor electrodes with increasing electrostatic capacitance sequentially switch from the first sensor electrode 81 to the first direction D1, the operation determination unit 92 determines that a first operation has been performed. Specifically, when the operation start electrode is the first sensor electrode 81, and after the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the adjacent second sensor electrode 82 reaches a second determination value C2Th or higher, and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83, which is the operation end electrode, reaches a third determination value C3Th or higher, the first operation is determined to have been performed.

[0039] On the other hand, when the operation start electrode is the third sensor electrode 83, if the sensor electrodes with increasing electrostatic capacitance sequentially switch from the third sensor electrode 83 to the second direction D2, the operation determination unit 92 determines that a second operation has been performed. Specifically, when the operation start electrode is the third sensor electrode 83, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the adjacent second sensor electrode 82 reaches a second determination value C2Th or higher, and the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81, which is the operation end electrode, reaches a third determination value C3Th or higher, then a second operation is determined to have been performed. In the following explanation, the determination of whether a first or second operation has been performed will also be referred to as a "slide determination," and the case where a first or second operation is determined to have been performed in the slide determination will be referred to as a "slide determination established."

[0040] Here, the first determination value C1Th is the determination value used by the operation start electrode, and the third determination value C3Th is the determination value used by the operation end electrode. In other words, the first determination value C1Th is not necessarily the determination value used by the first sensor electrode 81, and the third determination value C3Th is not necessarily the determination value used by the third sensor electrode 83.

[0041] Here, refer to Figure 3The detection method of the first operation of the control unit in the comparative example will be explained. The control unit of the comparative example sets the second determination value C2Th and the third determination value C3Th to be equal to the first determination value C1Th.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown by the solid line, when the user performs the first operation, as the user's hand approaches the first sensor electrode 81, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 increases from the first time t11. Then, at the second time t12, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 reaches or exceeds the first determination value C1Th. At the fourth time t14, after a time elapsed from the second time t12 for the first determination time Tx, the first sensor electrode 81 is determined to be the operation start electrode. Then, since the user moves the hand that has approached the first sensor electrode 81 in the first direction D1, at the fifth time t15, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 reaches or exceeds the second determination value C2Th, and at the sixth time t16, the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 reaches or exceeds the third determination value C3Th. Thus, the control unit of the comparative example determines that the first operation has been performed at the sixth time t16.

[0043] Here, depending on the user's operation of the operation detection device 80, for example, in the case of the user performing the first operation, such as... Figure 3 As shown by the dashed line, sometimes the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 increases together with the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81. Specifically, when a user approaches the first sensor electrode 81 with a wide-open hand, or when the user approaches a position of the first sensor electrode 81 closer to the second sensor electrode 82, both the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 may increase.

[0044] In this case, such as Figure 3 As shown, at the third time t13, before the fourth time t14, which is the determination time of the operation start electrode, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 becomes greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th. In other words, after the first sensor electrode 81 is determined as the operation start electrode, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 no longer changes from less than the second determination value C2Th to greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th. Therefore, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is as follows: Figure 3 In cases where the change is as shown by the single-dot-dash line, the control unit of the comparative example cannot determine that the first operation has been performed.

[0045] Therefore, the operation determination unit 92 first determines whether the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the time the operation start electrode is determined is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th. If the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the time the operation start electrode is determined is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th, the operation determination unit 92 sets the second determination value C2Th to a value greater than the first determination value C1Th. The operation determination unit 92 determines that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th, and determines that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has not increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is less than the second determination value C2Th.

[0046] The operation determination unit 92 calculates a second determination value C2Th based on the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined time of the operation start electrode. Specifically, the operation determination unit 92 uses the value obtained by adding an offset value COff to the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined time of the operation start electrode as the second determination value C2Th. In the first embodiment, the offset value COff is a pre-set fixed value.

[0047] On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined moment of operation start electrode is less than the first determination value C1Th, the operation determination unit 92 sets the second determination value C2Th to the same value as the first determination value C1Th. Then, the operation determination unit 92 determines that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th, and determines that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has not increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is less than the second determination value C2Th.

[0048] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the third determination value C3Th, which determines the increase in the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode at the end of the operation, only needs to be set to the same value as the first determination value C1Th. In other embodiments, the third determination value C3Th can be either less than or greater than the first determination value C1Th.

[0049] If, during the determination of the start electrode, the electrostatic capacitance of other sensor electrodes reaches or exceeds a pre-set upper limit determination value CLTh, the start electrode determination unit 91 stops the determination of the start electrode. Furthermore, if, during the determination of whether the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes and the end electrode has increased, the electrostatic capacitance of other sensor electrodes not subject to determination reaches or exceeds the upper limit determination value CLTh, the operation determination unit 92 stops the determination of whether the first operation or the second operation has been performed.

[0050] The upper limit judgment value CLTh is used to determine if the detected object is too close to the sensor electrode. It is a value that will not be reached if the user brings their hand close to the sensor electrode. In other words, the upper limit judgment value CLTh is set to a value that is greater than the first judgment value C1Th, the second judgment value C2Th, and the third judgment value C3Th.

[0051] Furthermore, if the time required to switch the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance to an adjacent sensor electrode in the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 becomes longer, the operation determination unit 92 determines that the user's first or second operation has been aborted, thereby ceasing the determination of whether the first or second operation was performed. Specifically, if the period from when the operation start electrode is determined until the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode increases, and the period from when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode increases until the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode increases, is longer than a predetermined second determination time Ty, the operation determination unit 92 suspends the determination of whether the first or second operation was performed. The length of the second determination time Ty can be set appropriately.

[0052] If the first operation is determined to have been performed, the command unit 93 outputs an opening operation command signal to the door control device 100 to cause the vehicle door 30 to open. On the other hand, if the second operation is determined to have been performed, the command unit 93 outputs a closing operation command signal to the door control device 100 to cause the vehicle door 30 to close.

[0053] When an opening command signal is input, the door control device 100 opens the vehicle door 30 via the door drive unit 60 and the door lock drive unit 70. Conversely, when a closing command signal is input, the door control device 100 closes the vehicle door 30 via the door drive unit 60 and the door lock drive unit 70.

[0054] Next, refer to Figure 4 The flowchart shown illustrates the processing flow performed by the control unit 85 for detecting the first operation. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C3 of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 are the electrostatic capacitances obtained during the execution of the steps.

[0055] like Figure 4As shown, the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th (S11). If the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 is less than the first determination value C1Th (S11: No), the control unit 85 terminates the process. On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th (S11: Yes), that is, when the detection object is close to the first sensor electrode 81, the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitances C2 and C3 of the second sensor electrode 82 and the third sensor electrode 83 are greater than or equal to the upper limit determination value CLTh (S12).

[0056] If the electrostatic capacitance C2 and C3 of at least one of the second sensor electrode 82 and the third sensor electrode 83 is above the upper limit determination value CLTh (S12: Yes), the control unit 85 ends the process. On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 and C3 of both the second sensor electrode 82 and the third sensor electrode 83 are less than the upper limit determination value CLTh (S12: No), the control unit 85 determines whether a first determination time Tx has elapsed since the initial affirmative determination in step S11 (S13).

[0057] If the first determination time Tx has not elapsed (S13: No), the control unit 85 transfers the processing to step S11. On the other hand, if the first determination time Tx has elapsed (S13: Yes), in other words, if the first sensor electrode 81 is determined to be the operation start electrode, the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitance C2* of the second sensor electrode 82 is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th (S14). Here, the electrostatic capacitance C2* of the second sensor electrode 82 refers to the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 at the time the operation start electrode is determined.

[0058] If the electrostatic capacitance C2* of the second sensor electrode 82 is less than the first determination value C1Th (S14: No), the control unit 85 sets the second determination value C2Th to a value equal to the first determination value C1Th (S15). On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance C2* of the second sensor electrode 82 is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th (S14: Yes), the control unit 85 sets the second determination value C2Th to a value obtained by adding an offset value COff to the electrostatic capacitance C2* of the second sensor electrode 82 (S16).

[0059] Next, the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C3 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 are above the upper limit determination value CLTh (S17). If the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C3 of at least one of the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 are above the upper limit determination value CLTh (S17: Yes), the control unit 85 ends the process.

[0060] On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C3 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 are both less than the upper limit determination value CLTh (S17: No), the control unit 85 determines whether a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the affirmative determination was made in step S13 (S18). In other words, the control unit 85 determines whether a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the determination time of the operation start electrode.

[0061] If a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the moment the operation start electrode was determined (S18: Yes), for example, if the user terminates the first operation, the control unit 85 ends the process. If the second determination time Ty has not elapsed since the moment the operation start electrode was determined (S18: No), the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82, which is an adjacent electrode, is greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th (S19).

[0062] If the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is less than the second determination value C2Th (S19: No), the control unit 85 transfers the processing to step S17. On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is greater than or equal to the second determination value C2Th (S19: Yes), in other words, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 increases, the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the second sensor electrode 82 are greater than or equal to the upper limit determination value CLTh (S20). If the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 of at least one of the first sensor electrode 81 and the second sensor electrode 82 are greater than or equal to the upper limit determination value CLTh (S20: Yes), the control unit 85 ends the processing.

[0063] On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the second sensor electrode 82 are both less than the upper limit determination value CLTh (S20: No), the control unit 85 determines whether a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the affirmative determination was made in step S19 (S21). In other words, the control unit 85 determines whether a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the electrostatic capacitance of the electrodes that were determined to be adjacent increased.

[0064] If a second determination time Ty has elapsed since the affirmative determination was made in step S19 (S21: Yes), for example, if the user terminates the first operation, the control unit 85 ends the process. If no second determination time Ty has elapsed since the affirmative determination was made in step S19 (S21: No), the control unit 85 determines whether the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is greater than or equal to the third determination value C3Th (S22).

[0065] If the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is less than the third determination value C3Th (S22: No), the control unit 85 transfers the processing to step S20. On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is greater than or equal to the third determination value C3Th (S22: Yes), in other words, if the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 increases, the control unit 85 outputs an opening operation command signal (S23). After that, the control unit 85 ends the processing.

[0066] Furthermore, the flowchart and explanation of the processing performed by the control unit 85 to detect the second operation are omitted. This is because the processing flow of the control unit 85 to detect the second operation is different from that in... Figure 4 The process is the same as that in steps S11, S12, S20, and S22, "C1" and "C3" are interchanged and step S23 is replaced with "outputting a shutdown action command signal".

[0067] The function of the first embodiment will be explained.

[0068] In detail, refer to Figure 5 The function of the operation detection device 80 when it detects the first operation is explained. Furthermore, Figure 5 This indicates the change in electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode when the user brings their open hand close to the first sensor electrode 81, or when the user brings their hand close to a position of the first sensor electrode 81 that is biased towards the second sensor electrode 82.

[0069] like Figure 5 As shown, as the user's hand approaches, at the first time t21, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 begin to increase. As the user's hand further approaches the first sensor electrode 81, at the second time t22, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 reaches or exceeds the first determination value C1Th. At the third time t23, the state where the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 is above the first determination value C1Th continues for the first determination time Tx. That is, at the third time t23, the first sensor electrode 81 is determined to be the operation start electrode.

[0070] At the third time t23, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82, which is an adjacent electrode, becomes greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th. Therefore, the second determination value C2Th, which determines that the detection object is close to the second sensor electrode 82, is the value obtained by adding the offset value Coff to the electrostatic capacitance C2 (C2*) of the second sensor electrode 82 at the determination time of the operation start electrode.

[0071] Then, as the hand that has approached the first sensor electrode 81 moves in the first direction D1, at the fourth time t24, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 becomes a second determination value C2Th or higher, and at the fifth time t25, the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 becomes a third determination value C3Th or higher. In other words, the sensor electrodes with increasing electrostatic capacitance switch sequentially from the first sensor electrode 81, which serves as the operation start electrode, to the first direction D1.

[0072] Thus, at the fifth moment t25, it is determined that the user has performed the first operation, and an opening action command signal is output to the door control device 100. As a result, the vehicle door 30 opens.

[0073] The effects of the first embodiment will be explained.

[0074] (1) When the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to a second determination value C2Th that is larger than the first determination value C1Th used to determine the start of operation, the operation detection device 80 determines that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased. Therefore, when the user starts the first operation or the second operation, even if the hand approaches the sensor electrode that becomes the adjacent electrode, the operation detection device 80 can easily and correctly determine the first operation or the second operation. In other words, the operation detection device 80 can improve the detection accuracy of the user's operation.

[0075] (2) The electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined moment of operation start electrode changes according to the manner in which the user's hand approaches the operation start electrode. In this regard, the operation detection device 80 calculates a second determination value C2Th based on the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined moment of operation start electrode. Therefore, the operation detection device 80 is able to calculate the second determination value C2Th to an appropriate value.

[0076] (3) The operation detection device 80 uses the value obtained by adding the offset value COff to the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined time of operation start electrode as the second determination value C2Th. Therefore, the operation detection device 80 can easily calculate the second determination value C2Th based on the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined time of operation start electrode.

[0077] (4) If it is possible to correctly determine whether the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased even without setting the second determination value C2Th to a value greater than the first determination value C1Th, the operation detection device 80 sets the second determination value C2Th to a value equal to the first determination value C1Th. Specifically, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 at the moment the operation start electrode is determined is less than the first determination value C1Th, the second determination value C2Th is set to a value equal to the first determination value C1Th. Therefore, the operation detection device 80 can set the second determination value C2Th to an appropriate value.

[0078] (5) For example, when the user performs the first operation or the second operation, the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that is relatively far from the user's hand when the user moves their hand closer to it will not increase. Similarly, when the user performs the first operation or the second operation, the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that is previously located away from the user's hand will not increase. Regarding this, if the electrostatic capacitance of a sensor electrode that is not the target of the operation increases to the upper limit judgment value CLTh or higher due to the effects of water immersion such as rain, the operation detection device 80 will stop determining whether the first or second operation has been performed. Therefore, the operation detection device 80 can reduce the possibility of misjudging the first or second operation.

[0079] (Second Implementation)

[0080] The second embodiment of the operation detection device will be described below. In the description of the second embodiment, components that are common to or similar to those in the first embodiment will be marked with the same symbols and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, in the second embodiment, the vehicle 10 is equipped with an operation detection device 80A, which detects the user's operation of opening and closing the vehicle door 30.

[0082] The operation detection device 80A is positioned where a user can operate it from the outside of the vehicle door 30. Specifically, the operation detection device 80A is positioned on the inside of the door trim panel that constitutes the interior of the vehicle door 30. Additionally, the operation detection device 80A is positioned where a user can visually view it from the outside of the vehicle through the window glass 31 of the vehicle door 30.

[0083] like Figure 6 As shown, the operation detection device 80A includes a first sensor electrode 81, a second sensor electrode 82, a third sensor electrode 83, a fourth sensor electrode 84, and a control unit 85A. The control unit 85A outputs signals to the door control device 100 based on the detection results of the sensor electrodes 81 to 84.

[0084] The fourth sensor electrode 84, like the other sensor electrodes 81-83, is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The length of the fourth sensor electrode 84 in the longitudinal direction is the sum of the lengths of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 in their arrangement directions. The fourth sensor electrode 84 is positioned above the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83. The thickness direction of the fourth sensor electrode 84 faces the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0085] Sensor electrodes 81-84, in conjunction with the object being detected near them, form an analog capacitor. Therefore, the closer the object is to sensor electrodes 81-84, the larger the electrostatic capacitance, determined by the positional relationship between the sensor electrodes 81-84 and the object. The detection ranges of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 extend outwards from the vehicle, increasing the electrostatic capacitance as the object approaches from the outside. Conversely, the detection range of the fourth sensor electrode 84 extends upwards from the door panel onto the vehicle, increasing the electrostatic capacitance as the object approaches from above. However, the detection ranges of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 also extend slightly upwards from the door panel onto the vehicle, and the detection range of the fourth sensor electrode 84 also extends slightly outwards from the vehicle.

[0086] Imagine the first operation as an operation to open the vehicle door 30, and the second operation as an operation to close the vehicle door 30. Furthermore, imagine the operation of a user temporarily placing their hand on the second sensor electrode 82 for a period of time as an operation to open the vehicle door 30. In the following description, the operation of a user temporarily placing their hand on the second sensor electrode 82 for a period of time will be referred to as a "long-placement operation".

[0087] Next, the control unit 85A will be explained.

[0088] The control unit 85A includes a start electrode determination unit 91, an operation determination unit 92, an instruction unit 93, and a calibration unit 94.

[0089] The calibration unit 94 calibrates the sensor electrodes 81-84 to cope with changes in the external environment. Specifically, when the calibration condition is met, the calibration unit 94 treats the electrostatic capacitance C1-C4 of the sensor electrodes 81-84 as "0". The calibration condition is met when the electrostatic capacitance of any sensor electrode remains above or below the calibration determination value CCTh throughout the entire calibration determination time TCTh. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 7 The calibration of sensor electrodes 81 to 84 is explained.

[0090] like Figure 7 As shown, due to changes in the external environment that affect the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 of sensor electrodes 81 to 84, at the first time t31, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 of sensor electrodes 81 to 84 increase from "0". An example of such an environmental change is when vehicle 10 moves from a dry environment to a rainy environment. Furthermore, at the second time t32, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 reaches the correction threshold CTh or higher than the electrostatic capacitances C1, C3, and C4 of the other sensor electrodes 81, 83, and 84 before them. Then, after the second time t32, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 of sensor electrodes 81 to 84 increase briefly before becoming approximately constant.

[0091] Then, when the time elapsed since the second time t32 is greater than or equal to the correction determination time TCTh, correction is performed on all sensor electrodes 81 to 84. That is, the reference value treated as "0" changes in sensor electrodes 81 to 84. Therefore, at the third time t33, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 is "0", the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is "0", the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is "0", and the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is "0".

[0092] In this way, by calibrating the sensor electrodes 81-84 through the calibration unit 94, the operation detection device 80A can accurately detect user operations even when the electrostatic capacitance C1-C4 of the sensor electrodes 81-84 increases or decreases due to external environmental factors such as rain. Furthermore, the calibration determination time TCTh is preferably, for example, a few seconds to about 10 seconds. Additionally, the calibration determination value CCTh can be set to a variable value corresponding to the environment of the vehicle 10, or it can be set to a preset fixed value.

[0093] When the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is greater than or equal to the long placement determination value CPTh throughout the entire long placement determination time TPTh, the operation determination unit 92 determines that a long placement operation has been performed. The long placement determination time TPTh only needs to be shorter than the calibration determination time TCTh, for example, about 1 to a few seconds. The long placement determination value CPTh can be set to be the same as the second determination value C2Th, or it can be set to be a different value from the second determination value C2Th. In the following description, this determination will be referred to as "long placement determination".

[0094] If it can be determined that a first operation or a long-term placement operation has been performed, the command unit 93 outputs an opening operation command signal to the door control device 100 to cause the vehicle door 30 to open. On the other hand, if it can be determined that a second operation has been performed, the command unit 93 outputs a closing operation command signal to the door control device 100 to cause the vehicle door 30 to close.

[0095] The first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 of the operation detection device 80A face outwards from the vehicle via the window glass 31. Therefore, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C3 of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 also change due to various external disturbances, such as water droplets adhering to or flowing along the window glass 31, the window glass 31 being raised or lowered, and the user leaning against the vehicle door 30.

[0096] Therefore, the start electrode determination unit 91 preferably does not determine the start electrode in the event of external interference, and the operation determination unit 92 preferably does not determine that a sliding operation or a long placement operation has been performed in the event of external interference. Therefore, in order to distinguish between user operation and external interference, the start electrode determination unit 91 and the operation determination unit 92 perform the following multiple auxiliary determinations.

[0097] In other words, if the start electrode determination is successful but any of the following auxiliary determinations are unsuccessful, i.e., if the operation is determined not to be a user's operation, the start electrode determination unit 91 will not determine the start electrode. Furthermore, if the slide determination and long placement determination are successful but any of the following auxiliary determinations are unsuccessful, i.e., if the operation is determined not to be a user's operation, the operation determination unit 92 will not determine that a slide operation or a long placement operation has been performed. Moreover, the start electrode determination unit 91 and the operation determination unit 92 may also perform only a portion of the following auxiliary determinations.

[0098] The auxiliary determination for the long placement determination performed by the operation determination unit 92 will be explained below.

[0099] (The first auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0100] When the user places the device in the environment for an extended period, the distance between the user's hand and the second sensor electrode 82 tends to remain approximately constant. However, during rainfall, raindrops frequently enter and exit the detection range of the second sensor electrode 82. Therefore, during prolonged placement, the variation in the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 during the long placement determination time TPTh tends to be smaller, while during rainfall, the variation in the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 during the long placement determination time TPTh tends to be larger.

[0101] Therefore, in the long-term placement determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is within a predetermined range of variation throughout the entire predetermined determination time, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is not within the predetermined range of variation throughout the entire predetermined determination time, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. This determination is performed, for example, from the moment when the user's hand stops approaching the second sensor electrode 82, in other words, at the moment when the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 slows down. The predetermined determination time is preferably shorter than the long-term placement determination time TPTh.

[0102] (Second auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0103] When a user places their hand on the vehicle for an extended period, a relatively large area of ​​the user's hand is present within the detection range extending outwards from the fourth sensor electrode 84, thus the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is prone to increase. On the other hand, during rainfall, only small raindrops are present within the detection range extending outwards from the fourth sensor electrode 84, thus the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is less likely to increase.

[0104] Therefore, in the long-term placement determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is above a predetermined determination value throughout the entire predetermined determination time, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is less than a predetermined determination value throughout the entire predetermined determination time, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. This determination is also performed from, for example, the moment when the user's hand stops approaching the second sensor electrode 82, in other words, the moment when the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 slows down. The predetermined determination time is preferably shorter than the long-term placement determination time TPTh, and the predetermined determination value is preferably set to a value smaller than the long-term placement determination value CPTh.

[0105] (Third auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0106] When a user performs a prolonged operation, their hand approaches the second sensor electrode 82, causing the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 to easily increase. On the other hand, when the window 31 is raised or lowered, or when the user leans against the vehicle door 30, the window 31 and the user's body approach not only the second sensor electrode 82, but also the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83. Therefore, not only does the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 easily increase, but the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 also easily increase. Furthermore, during rainfall, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C3 of sensor electrodes 81 to 83 sometimes change similarly.

[0107] Therefore, the operation determination unit 92 calculates a first difference and a second difference during the long placement determination. The first difference is the difference between the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 and the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81, and the second difference is the difference between the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83. Next, the operation determination unit 92 determines that the operation is a user operation if both the first difference and the second difference are above a predetermined difference determination value, and determines that the operation is not a user operation if at least one of the first difference and the second difference is below the predetermined difference determination value. This determination is preferably performed at any time during the long placement determination time TPTh.

[0108] (The fourth auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0109] As explained above, the first and second auxiliary determinations have a determination time, while the third auxiliary determination does not. Therefore, in the case of a prolonged user operation, the first and second auxiliary determinations are established after the third auxiliary determination is established. In contrast, during rainfall, due to the irregular increase and decrease of the electrostatic capacitance C1 to C4 of the sensor electrodes 81-84, even if all three auxiliary determinations are established, the order in which they are established can easily become irregular.

[0110] Therefore, in the long-term placement determination, if the third auxiliary determination among the first, second, and third auxiliary determinations is true, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if the third auxiliary determination among the first, second, and third auxiliary determinations is true, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation.

[0111] Alternatively, in the long placement determination, even if the second of the third auxiliary determinations in the first auxiliary determination, the second auxiliary determination, and the third auxiliary determination are both true and the third of the first auxiliary determination or the second auxiliary determination is true, the operation determination unit 92 will still determine that it is a user operation.

[0112] (The fifth auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0113] When a user is bringing their hand close to the second sensor electrode 82 for extended placement, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are unlikely to take negative values. In this case, the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are unlikely to take negative values. On the other hand, during rainfall, there is a situation where water droplets adhere to the surface of the window glass 31 within the detection range of the first sensor electrode 81, and calibration of sensor electrodes 81-84 is performed. In this case, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 with water droplets adhering to the window glass 31 becomes the reference value; therefore, when water droplets flow out of the detection range of the first sensor electrode 81, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 sometimes takes a negative value. In this case, the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 sometimes also takes a negative value. The same applies to the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 and the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83.

[0114] Therefore, in the long-term placement determination, if both the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are above a predetermined determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if at least one of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is less than a predetermined determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. The predetermined determination value can be set to "0", or it can be set to a value less than "0" based on the influence of noise, etc.

[0115] Furthermore, in the long-term placement determination, if both the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are above a predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if at least one of the rates of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is less than a predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. The predetermined speed determination value can be set to "0", or it can be set to a value less than "0" based on the influence of noise, etc.

[0116] (The sixth auxiliary judgment for long placement judgment)

[0117] However, even when external disturbances such as rain affect the vehicle 10, if the degree of external disturbance is small or the aforementioned determination value is set to a value less than "0", the following situation may occur: the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are both maintained at a state above the aforementioned determination value. Similarly, if the degree of external disturbance is small or the aforementioned speed determination value is set to a value less than "0", the following situation may occur: the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 are both maintained at a state above the aforementioned speed determination value. However, in these cases, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 tend to continuously take negative values.

[0118] Therefore, during the long-term placement determination, if both the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 remain negative, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. For example, during the long-term placement determination, the operation determination unit 92 monitors the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 and the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 at constant intervals. Moreover, if neither the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 nor the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 is positive in any of the intervals during the long-term placement determination, then even if the fifth auxiliary determination of the long-term placement determination is successful, the operation determination unit 92 still determines that it is not a user operation. Here, the constant interval can be set to, for example, a few milliseconds to tens of milliseconds.

[0119] (The seventh auxiliary judgment for long placement)

[0120] Since the operation detection device 80A is located inside the door trim panel that constitutes the interior of the vehicle door 30, a long-placement determination may still be made even if a user sitting in a seat adjacent to the vehicle door 30 places their elbow or other hand on the door trim panel. However, when such a user places their elbow or other hand on the door trim panel, the user's elbow or other hand approaches the fourth sensor electrode 84 from the front, so the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is likely to be high. On the other hand, when a user performs a long-placement operation, the user's hand does not approach the fourth sensor electrode 84 from the front, so the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is likely to be low.

[0121] Therefore, in the long-term placement determination, if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is less than a predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that the operation was performed by the user from outside the vehicle. On the other hand, in the long-term placement determination, if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is higher than or equal to the predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that the operation was not performed by the user from outside the vehicle. This determination is preferably performed at a time when the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 is likely to increase significantly, for example, when the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is higher than or equal to the long-term placement determination value CPTh. In addition, as another auxiliary determination, the operation determination unit 92 can also determine whether the operation was performed by the user from outside the vehicle by comparing the electrostatic capacitance C4 of the fourth sensor electrode 84 with a predetermined determination value.

[0122] (The eighth auxiliary judgment for long placement judgment)

[0123] During the car wash of vehicle 10, the window glass 31 may be covered with foam or water may be poured towards the window glass 31. Therefore, when the sensor electrodes 81 to 84 are calibrated during the car wash of vehicle 10, the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 increases sharply, and sometimes the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 exceeds the long-term placement judgment value CPTh. In other words, sometimes the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 increases to a speed that cannot be reached at the approach speed of the user's hand during a long-term placement operation, exceeding the long-term placement judgment value CPTh.

[0124] Therefore, at the start of the long-term placement determination—in other words, at the moment when the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 exceeds the long-term placement determination value CPTh—if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is less than a predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, at the start of the long-term placement determination, if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C2 of the second sensor electrode 82 is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation.

[0125] The following will explain the auxiliary determination of the start electrode determination performed by the start electrode determination unit 91 and the auxiliary determination of the sliding determination performed by the operation determination unit 92.

[0126] (First auxiliary determination for starting electrode determination)

[0127] When a user brings their hand close to the first sensor electrode 81 or the third sensor electrode 83 to determine the start of operation, the electrostatic capacitance of the start of operation electrode increases, but the electrostatic capacitance of the end of operation electrode is unlikely to increase. On the other hand, during rainfall, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C3 of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 increase and decrease irregularly. In other words, during rainfall, while the electrostatic capacitance of the start of operation electrode increases, the electrostatic capacitance of the end of operation electrode sometimes also increases.

[0128] Therefore, during the start electrode determination, if the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that becomes the operation end electrode is less than a predetermined determination value, the start electrode determination unit 91 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, during the start electrode determination, if the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that becomes the operation end electrode is greater than or equal to the predetermined determination value, the start electrode determination unit 91 determines that it is not a user operation. This determination can be performed throughout the start electrode determination period or at any time during the start electrode determination.

[0129] (Second auxiliary determination for initial electrode determination)

[0130] To determine the operation start electrode, the user needs to maintain the position of their hand near the first sensor electrode 81 or the third sensor electrode 83 after bringing their hand close to it. That is, when the operation start electrode is determined, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 or the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 increases and then remains constant, thus not decreasing. On the other hand, during rainfall, the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 or the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 may sometimes decrease, in addition to increasing or remaining constant. In other words, during rainfall, the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C1 of the first sensor electrode 81 or the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance C3 of the third sensor electrode 83 may sometimes be negative.

[0131] Therefore, if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that is the object of the start electrode determination is higher than or equal to a predetermined speed determination value, the start electrode determination unit 91 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, if the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that is the object of the start electrode determination is lower than the predetermined speed determination value, the start electrode determination unit 91 determines that it is not a user operation. Here, the speed determination value can be set to "0", or it can be set to a value less than "0" based on the influence of noise, etc.

[0132] (First auxiliary decision in sliding judgment)

[0133] When a user performs a sliding operation, the speed at which the user moves their hand tends to fall within a certain range. In other words, during the sliding decision, the time from when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode reaches or exceeds the second decision value C2Th to when the electrostatic capacitance of the operation termination electrode reaches or exceeds the third decision value C3Th tends to fall within a certain time range. On the other hand, during rainfall, during the sliding decision, the time from when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode reaches or exceeds the second decision value C2Th to when the electrostatic capacitance of the operation termination electrode reaches or exceeds the third decision value C3Th can be extremely fast or extremely slow.

[0134] Therefore, in the sliding determination, if the time from when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode reaches the second determination value C2Th or higher to when the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode reaches the third determination value C3Th or higher is within a predetermined time range, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the sliding determination, if the time from when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode reaches the second determination value C2Th or higher to when the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode reaches the third determination value C3Th or higher is not within the predetermined time range, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation.

[0135] (Second auxiliary decision in sliding judgment)

[0136] When a user performs a sliding operation, at the moment the sliding operation ends, the user's hand is closest to the operation end electrode, while at the moment the user's hand separates from the operation start electrode and adjacent electrodes. Therefore, the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode at a specific moment of the sliding operation, for example, if... Figure 4 The moment when a positive determination is made in step S22 is greater than both the electrostatic capacitance of the operation start electrode and the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode. On the other hand, during rainfall, the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode at the moment of determining the sliding operation is not necessarily greater than both the electrostatic capacitance of the operation start electrode and the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode.

[0137] Therefore, if the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode is greater than both the electrostatic capacitance of the operation start electrode and the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the moment of determining the sliding operation in the sliding determination, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, if the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode is smaller than at least one of the electrostatic capacitance of the operation start electrode and the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the moment of determining the sliding operation in the sliding determination, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation.

[0138] (Third auxiliary decision in sliding judgment)

[0139] When the user performs a sliding operation, the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 of the sensor electrodes 81 to 84 are unlikely to take negative values. On the other hand, as described in the fifth auxiliary determination of the long placement determination, during rainfall, there is a situation where the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 of the sensor electrodes 81 to 84 take negative values ​​as calibration of the sensor electrodes 81 to 84 is performed.

[0140] Therefore, in the sliding determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C1 to C3 of the sensor electrodes 81 to 83 is above a predetermined determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is a user operation. On the other hand, in the sliding determination, if the electrostatic capacitance C1 to C3 of the sensor electrodes 81 to 83 is less than the predetermined determination value, the operation determination unit 92 determines that it is not a user operation. The predetermined determination value can be set to "0", or it can be set to a value less than "0" based on the influence of noise, etc. Furthermore, this determination can also be performed in the start electrode determination.

[0141] In the various auxiliary determinations described above, the determination value, which is the object of comparison with various parameters, is preferably determined in advance based on experiments and simulations.

[0142] In the second embodiment, the control unit 85A performs multiple auxiliary determinations when performing long placement determination, start electrode determination, and sliding determination. Therefore, the control unit 85A can improve the accuracy of various determinations by additionally performing auxiliary determinations.

[0143] The above embodiments can be implemented by modifications as follows. The above embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other to implement them without technical inconsistencies.

[0144] In the operation detection devices 80 and 80A, the sizes of the first sensor electrode 81, the second sensor electrode 82, and the third sensor electrode 83 may be different. In this case, the determination value for determining the proximity of the detection object to the sensor electrode is preferably set appropriately according to the size of the sensor electrode.

[0145] In the operation detection devices 80 and 80A, only two sensor electrodes may be provided. In this case, when one sensor electrode becomes the operation start electrode, the other sensor electrode becomes the adjacent electrode and the operation end electrode.

[0146] In the operation detection devices 80 and 80A, four or more sensor electrodes may be arranged in a row. In this case, it is preferable to appropriately set a determination value for determining whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrodes other than the operation start electrode, adjacent electrode, and operation end electrode has increased. As an example, this determination value may be set to the same value as the first determination value C1Th.

[0147] The start electrode determination unit 91 can also use the sensor electrode with an electrostatic capacitance of the first determination value C1Th or higher as the operation start electrode if the electrostatic capacitance of one of the first sensor electrode 81 and the third sensor electrode 83 is greater than or equal to the first determination value C1Th. In other words, the first determination time Tx can also be set to "0 seconds".

[0148] The operation detection devices 80 and 80A can pre-store a mapping representing the relationship between the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes at a predetermined time when the operation starts and the second determination value C2Th. In this case, the second determination value C2Th can change linearly or in stages based on the electrostatic capacitance of adjacent electrodes at the predetermined time when the operation starts.

[0149] The second determination value C2Th can also be calculated by adding an offset value COff, which is a variable value, to the first determination value C1Th. In this case, the offset value COff is preferably set as a variable value corresponding to the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined moment of operation start electrode.

[0150] The second decision value C2Th can also be set to a fixed value. In this case, the second decision value C2Th is set to a value that is larger than the first decision value C1Th.

[0151] Depending on the size of the sensor electrode, it is possible that when a user brings their hand or other object close to the sensor electrode that serves as the operation start electrode in order to perform a first or second operation, not only does the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent sensor electrode increase, but the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode that serves as the operation end electrode also increases. Therefore, the operation determination unit 92 can also determine that the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode has increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode is greater than or equal to a third determination value C3Th, which is greater than the first determination value C1Th. Thus, the operation detection devices 80 and 80A can further improve the detection accuracy of the user's operation. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 85 performs an equivalent adjustment on the electrostatic capacitance of the third sensor electrode 83 and the third determination value C3Th. Figure 4 The processing steps S14 to S16.

[0152] Control units 85 and 85A can also determine that the sliding operation and long-placement operation have been stopped when the user's hand leaves the sensor electrode. For example, control units 85 and 85A can determine that the user's hand has left the sensor electrode when the rate of change of the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode is negative. In this case, it is also possible to... Figure 4 Steps S18 and S21 are omitted in the flowchart shown.

[0153] Vehicle door 30 does not necessarily have to be a sliding door. Vehicle door 30 can be a swing door or a rear door. In these cases, the opening and closing directions of vehicle door 30 only need to correspond to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. That is to say, the opening direction of vehicle door 30 may not necessarily be the same as the first direction D1.

[0154] The opening and closing element does not have to be a vehicle door 30. Any opening and closing element that can perform opening and closing actions is acceptable, such as a sunroof panel, a window glass, or an engine hood panel.

[0155] The control units 85 and 85A can be configured as one or more processors that operate according to computer programs (software), one or more dedicated hardware circuits (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits: ASICs) that perform at least a portion of various processes, or a processing circuitry including combinations thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM, which store program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform processes. Memory, or computer-readable medium, includes all usable media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation detection device, characterized in that, The vehicle operation detection device includes: Multiple sensor electrodes are arranged in a row and configured such that their electrostatic capacitance increases as the object being detected approaches; and The control unit is configured to output commands based on the electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of sensor electrodes to cause the vehicle's opening and closing body to perform opening and closing operations. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the direction corresponding to the opening direction of the opening / closing body is the first direction, and the direction corresponding to the closing direction of the opening / closing body is the second direction. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes the two foremost sensor electrodes located in the first direction and the second direction. The control unit includes: A start electrode determination unit is configured to determine the sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is a first determination value or higher among the two sensor electrodes as the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode increases, and is configured to determine that a first operation has been performed when the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance among the plurality of sensor electrodes is sequentially switched from the operation start electrode to the first direction, and to determine that a second operation has been performed when the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance is sequentially switched from the operation start electrode to the second direction. as well as The instruction unit is configured to output an instruction to open the opening / closing body when the first operation is determined to have been performed, and to output an instruction to close the opening / closing body when the second operation is determined to have been performed. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are the sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode is greater than or equal to a second determination value that is greater than the first determination value.

2. The vehicle operation detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration is such that the sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is above the first determination value for a determination time is identified as the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to calculate the second determination value based on the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrodes at the determined time of the operation start electrode.

3. The vehicle operation detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The operation determination unit is configured to set the value obtained by adding an offset value to the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined time of the operation start electrode as the second determination value.

4. A vehicle operation detection device, characterized in that, The vehicle operation detection device includes: Multiple sensor electrodes are arranged in a row and configured such that their electrostatic capacitance increases as the object being detected approaches; and The control unit is configured to output commands based on the electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of sensor electrodes to cause the vehicle's opening and closing body to perform opening and closing operations. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the direction corresponding to the opening direction of the opening / closing body is the first direction, and the direction corresponding to the closing direction of the opening / closing body is the second direction. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes the two foremost sensor electrodes located in the first direction and the second direction. The control unit includes: A start electrode determination unit is configured to determine the sensor electrode among the two sensor electrodes whose electrostatic capacitance is above a first determination value for a determination time as the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode increases, and is configured to determine that a first operation has been performed when the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance among the plurality of sensor electrodes is sequentially switched from the operation start electrode to the first direction, and to determine that a second operation has been performed when the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance is sequentially switched from the operation start electrode to the second direction. as well as The instruction unit is configured to output an instruction to open the opening / closing body when the first operation is determined to have been performed, and to output an instruction to close the opening / closing body when the second operation is determined to have been performed. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are the sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode reaches or exceeds a second determination value. The operation determination unit is configured such that, if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined time of the operation start electrode is greater than or equal to the first determination value, the second determination value is set to a value greater than the first determination value; and if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined time of the operation start electrode is less than the first determination value, the second determination value is set to a value equal to the first determination value.

5. The vehicle operation detection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The operation determination unit is configured to calculate a second determination value based on the magnitude of the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determination time of the operation start electrode when the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determination time of the operation start electrode is greater than or equal to the first determination value.

6. The vehicle operation detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The operation determination unit is configured such that, if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined time of the operation start electrode is greater than or equal to the first determination value, it sets the value obtained by adding an offset value to the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the determined time of the operation start electrode as the second determination value.

7. The vehicle operation detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The plurality of sensor electrodes comprises three, including: the operation start electrode, the adjacent electrode, and the operation end electrode, wherein the operation end electrode is located on the opposite side from the operation start electrode relative to the adjacent electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to determine that the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode has increased when the electrostatic capacitance of the operation end electrode becomes a third determination value that is greater than the first determination value.

8. The vehicle operation detection device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The upper limit value is used to determine if the detected object is too close to the sensor electrode. The operation determination unit is configured to stop determining whether the first operation and the second operation have been performed if a sensor electrode with an electrostatic capacitance of more than or equal to the upper limit determination value is present.

9. A vehicle operation detection method, comprising using a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a column to detect operations for opening and closing bodies of the vehicle, characterized in that, In the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the direction corresponding to the opening direction of the opening and closing body is the first direction, and the direction corresponding to the closing direction of the opening and closing body is the second direction. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes the two foremost sensor electrodes located in the first direction and the second direction. The vehicle operation detection method includes the following: The sensor electrode whose electrostatic capacitance is above a first determination value is identified as the operation start electrode. The system determines whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode increases. If the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance among the plurality of sensor electrodes switches sequentially from the operation start electrode to the first direction, it is determined that a first operation has been performed. If the sensor electrode with increased electrostatic capacitance switches sequentially from the operation start electrode to the second direction, it is determined that a second operation has been performed. as well as If the first operation is determined to have been performed, an instruction is output to open the opening / closing body; if the second operation is determined to have been performed, an instruction is output to close the opening / closing body. The plurality of sensor electrodes includes adjacent electrodes, which are the sensor electrodes adjacent to the operation start electrode. The determination of whether the electrostatic capacitance of the sensor electrode has increased includes the following: if the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode becomes a second determination value that is greater than the first determination value, it is determined that the electrostatic capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased.

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