The present invention generally relates to switches, and more particularly relates to proximity switches having enhanced determination of switch activation.
Automotive vehicles are typically equipped with various user actuatable switches, such as switches for operating devices including powered windows, door locks, headlights, windshield wipers, moonroofs or sunroofs, interior lighting, radio and infotainment devices, and various other devices. Generally, these types of switches need to be actuated by a user in order to activate or deactivate a device or perform some type of control function. Proximity switches, such as capacitive switches, employ one or more proximity sensors to generate a sense activation field and sense changes to the activation field indicative of user actuation of the switch, typically caused by a user's finger in close proximity or contact with the sensor. Capacitive switches are typically configured to detect user actuation of the switch based on comparison of the sense activation field to a threshold.
Switch assemblies often employ a plurality of capacitive switches in close proximity to one another and generally require that a user select a single desired capacitive switch to perform the intended operation. In some applications, such as use in an automobile, the driver of the vehicle has limited ability to view the switches due to driver distraction. In such applications, it is desirable to allow the user to explore the switch assembly for a specific button while avoiding a premature determination of switch activation. Thus, it is desirable to discriminate whether the user intends to activate a switch, or is simply exploring for a specific switch button while focusing on a higher priority task, such as driving, or has no intent to activate a switch. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide for a proximity switch arrangement which enhances the use of proximity switches by a person, such as a driver of a vehicle.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a proximity switch assembly is provided. The proximity switch assembly includes a first proximity switch having a first proximity sensor and a second proximity switch having a second proximity sensor. The proximity switch assembly also includes a tactile feature disposed between the first and second proximity switches. The proximity switch assembly further includes control circuitry detecting an object on the tactile feature based on sensed signals from the first and second proximity sensors and preventing activation of the first and second switches when an object is detected on the tactile feature.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a proximity switch assembly is provided that includes a first proximity switch having a first sensor. The proximity switch assembly also includes a resting pad having a second sensor for sensing an object on the resting pad. The proximity switch assembly further includes control circuitry detecting a first object with the first proximity sensor and a second object on the resting pad and determining activation of the first proximity switch based on detection of the first and second objects.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling activation of proximity switches is provided. The method includes the steps of sensing a first signal associated with a first sensor for a first proximity switch and sensing a second signal associated with a second sensor for a second proximity switch. The method also includes the step of detecting an object on a tactile feature disposed between the first and second proximity switches based on the first and second signals. The method further includes the step of controlling activation of the first and second switches based on the detected object.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design; some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring to
The proximity switches 22 are shown and described herein as capacitive switches, according to one embodiment. Each proximity switch 22 includes at least one proximity sensor that provides a sense activation field to sense contact or close proximity (e.g., within one millimeter) of a first object such as a user's finger in relation to the one or more proximity sensors, such as a swiping motion by the user's finger. Thus, the sense activation field of each proximity switch 22 is a capacitive field in the exemplary embodiment and the user's finger has electrical conductivity and dielectric properties that cause a change or disturbance in the sense activation field as should be evident to those skilled in the art. However, it should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional or alternative types of proximity sensors can be used, such as, but not limited to, inductive sensors, optical sensors, temperatures sensors, resistive sensors, the like, or a combination thereof. Exemplary proximity sensors are described in the Apr. 9, 2009, ATMEL® Touch Sensors Design Guide, 10620 D-AT42-04/09, the entire reference hereby being incorporated herein by reference.
The proximity switches 22 shown in
Referring to
The proximity switch assembly 20 is shown including a pair of resting pads labeled P1 and P2 shown located generally above buttons B1 and B5, respectively. The resting pads P1 and P2 may include active sensors, according to one embodiment. The active sensors of resting pads P1 and P2 may be proximity sensors, such as capacitive sensors, similar to those employed in proximity switches 22. The resting pads P1 and P2 have a geometry and dedicated location configured to serve as resting pads upon which a user may place a thumb, finger, palm or other body part onto one of the resting pads P1 or P2 to either activate one of the proximity switches 22 or to prevent activation of one of the proximity switches 22.
Referring to
Referring to
While the tactile feature shown and described herein includes a plurality of outward extending members in the form of ridges, it should be appreciated that other tactile features having various shapes, sizes and surface textures may be employed. According to various embodiments, the tactile feature may be a surface roughening, a different material, or other feature.
Referring to
According to one embodiment, each of the proximity sensors 24 may be formed by printing conductive ink onto the rear surface of the substrate 14 which may be the armrest 14. One example of a printed ink proximity sensor 24 is shown in
In the embodiment shown and described herein, the drive electrode 26 of each proximity sensor 24 is applied with voltage input VI as square wave pulses having a charge pulse cycle sufficient to charge the receive electrode 28 to a desired voltage. The receive electrode 28 thereby serves as a measurement electrode. In the embodiment shown, adjacent sense activation fields 32 generated by adjacent proximity switches 22 overlap, however, more or less overlap may exist according to other embodiments. When a user or operator, such as the user's finger 34, enters an activation field 32, the proximity switch assembly 20 detects the disturbance caused by the finger 34 to the activation field 32 and determines whether the disturbance is sufficient to activate the corresponding proximity switch 22. The disturbance of the activation field 32 is detected by processing the charge pulse signal associated with the corresponding signal channel. When the user's finger 34 contacts two activation fields 32, the proximity switch assembly 20 detects the disturbance of both contacted activation fields 32 via separate signal channels. Each proximity switch 22 has its own dedicated signal channel generating charge pulse counts which is processed as discussed herein.
Referring to
The controller 40 provides an output signal to one or more devices that are configured to perform dedicated actions responsive to detected activation of a proximity switch. For example, the one or more devices may include door windows 16 having a motor to move the window panel between open and closed positions, door locks 18 having a motor or other actuator to move the door lock between locked and unlocked positions, and a window lock 17 that may be used to lock all vehicle doors, such as for parental control of windows. Other devices may be controlled such as a radio for performing on and off functions, volume control, scanning, and other types of devices for performing other dedicated functions. One of the proximity switches 22 may be dedicated to actuating the door window closed, another proximity switch 22 may be dedicated to actuating the door window open, and a further switch 22 may be dedicated to actuating the door locks unlocked, a further switch 22 may be dedicated to actuate the door locks locked, and a further switch 22 may be actuated to lock all vehicle windows.
The controller 40 is further shown having an analog to digital (A/D) comparator 44 coupled to the microprocessor 42. The A/D comparator 44 receives the voltage output VO from each of the proximity switches 22, converts the analog signal to a digital signal, and provides the digital signal to the microprocessor 42. Additionally, controller 40 includes a pulse counter 46 coupled to the microprocessor 42. The pulse counter 46 counts the charge signal pulses that are applied to each drive electrode of each proximity sensor, performs a count of the pulses needed to charge the capacitor until the voltage output VO reaches a predetermined voltage, and provides the count to the microprocessor 42. The pulse count is indicative of the change in capacitance of the corresponding capacitive sensor. The controller 40 is further shown communicating with a pulse width modulated drive buffer 15. The controller 40 provides a pulse width modulated signal to the pulse width modulated drive buffer 15 to generate a square wave pulse train VI which is applied to each drive electrode of each proximity sensor/switch 22. The controller 40 processes one or more control routines, shown in one embodiment including control routine 100 stored in memory to monitor and make a determination as to activation of one of the proximity switches.
The control routine 100 processes the various proximity switches 22 and performs a method of sensing user input on the sensors and determining activation of a proximity switch associated with the proximity switch assembly 20. The method includes the steps of generating an activation field with each of a plurality of proximity sensors, and detecting a signal from each of a plurality of proximity sensors associated with the proximity switches due to presence of an object such as a user. According to one embodiment, the control routine detects whether an object is pressed on or in contact with a resting pad, and allows activation of a switch when the switch is activated and an object is detected on the resting pad. According to another embodiment, the control routine detects whether an object is pressed on or in contact with the resting pad and prohibits activation of a switch when an object is detected on the resting pad. According to a further embodiment, the control routine detects when the signal amplitude for signals associated with two adjacent neighboring switches exceeds a threshold value indicative of an object on or very near the ridge located between the neighboring switches, and prevents activation of the neighboring switches in that situation.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
If there are other signal channels greater than α×CHmax, then routine 100 proceeds to decision step 114 to determine the following: if the signal channel is greater than α×CHmax; and if the adjacent neighboring channels CH i+1 is greater than α×CHmax; and if the absolute value of the current channel (CHi) minus the neighboring channel (CHi+1) is less than Δmax, indicative that the signal values for adjacent channels are sufficiently close. If any of the conditions in decision step 114 are not met, routine 100 returns to step 104. If all of the conditions in step 114 are met, routine 100 proceeds to step 116 to determine that the signal channels for the current switch and the neighboring switch are triggered by an object on a resting pad, which is the tactile feature or ridge disposed therebetween, and removes the current switch and neighboring switch from the selectable list of signal channels greater than α×CHmax, such that when an object is detected on the tactile feature, the switches associated with the neighboring channels are prevented from activation. Routine 100 then proceeds to decision step 118 to determine if there are any other channels greater than α×CHmax that are left and, if not, activates the current switch at step 120. Otherwise, routine 100 returns to step 114.
Routine 100 may further process signals associated with buttons B1-B5 and proximity sensor B6 as shown in the embodiment of
Referring to
As seen in
Accordingly, the proximity switch assembly and method advantageously determines activation of the proximity switches based on a tactile feature such as a ridge or resting pad. The system and method advantageously allows for a user to explore the proximity switch pads which can be particularly useful in an automotive application where driver distraction can be avoided.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3382588 | Serrell et al. | May 1968 | A |
3544804 | Gaumer et al. | Dec 1970 | A |
3691396 | Hinrichs | Sep 1972 | A |
3707671 | Morrow et al. | Dec 1972 | A |
3826979 | Steinmann | Jul 1974 | A |
4204204 | Pitstick | May 1980 | A |
4205325 | Haygood et al. | May 1980 | A |
4232289 | Daniel | Nov 1980 | A |
4257117 | Besson | Mar 1981 | A |
4290052 | Eichelberger et al. | Sep 1981 | A |
4340813 | Sauer | Jul 1982 | A |
4374381 | Ng et al. | Feb 1983 | A |
4380040 | Posset | Apr 1983 | A |
4413252 | Tyler et al. | Nov 1983 | A |
4431882 | Frame | Feb 1984 | A |
4446380 | Moriya et al. | May 1984 | A |
4453112 | Sauer et al. | Jun 1984 | A |
4492958 | Minami | Jan 1985 | A |
4494105 | House | Jan 1985 | A |
4502726 | Adams | Mar 1985 | A |
4514817 | Pepper et al. | Apr 1985 | A |
4613802 | Kraus et al. | Sep 1986 | A |
4680429 | Murdock et al. | Jul 1987 | A |
4743895 | Alexander | May 1988 | A |
4748390 | Okushima et al. | May 1988 | A |
4758735 | Ingraham | Jul 1988 | A |
4821029 | Logan et al. | Apr 1989 | A |
4855550 | Schultz, Jr. | Aug 1989 | A |
4872485 | Laverty, Jr. | Oct 1989 | A |
4899138 | Araki et al. | Feb 1990 | A |
4901074 | Sinn et al. | Feb 1990 | A |
4905001 | Penner | Feb 1990 | A |
4924222 | Antikidis et al. | May 1990 | A |
4972070 | Laverty, Jr. | Nov 1990 | A |
5025516 | Wilson | Jun 1991 | A |
5033508 | Laverty, Jr. | Jul 1991 | A |
5036321 | Leach et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
5063306 | Edwards | Nov 1991 | A |
5108530 | Niebling, Jr. et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
5153590 | Charlier | Oct 1992 | A |
5159159 | Asher | Oct 1992 | A |
5159276 | Reddy, III | Oct 1992 | A |
5177341 | Balderson | Jan 1993 | A |
5215811 | Reafler et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
5239152 | Caldwell et al. | Aug 1993 | A |
5270710 | Gaultier et al. | Dec 1993 | A |
5294889 | Heep et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
5329239 | Kindermann et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5341231 | Yamamoto et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
5403980 | Eckrich | Apr 1995 | A |
5451724 | Nakazawa et al. | Sep 1995 | A |
5467080 | Stoll et al. | Nov 1995 | A |
5477422 | Hooker et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
5494180 | Callahan | Feb 1996 | A |
5512836 | Chen et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5548268 | Collins | Aug 1996 | A |
5566702 | Philipp | Oct 1996 | A |
5572205 | Caldwell et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
5586042 | Pisau et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
5594222 | Caldwell | Jan 1997 | A |
5598527 | Debrus et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5670886 | Wolff et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
5681515 | Pratt et al. | Oct 1997 | A |
5730165 | Philipp | Mar 1998 | A |
5747756 | Boedecker | May 1998 | A |
5760554 | Bustamante | Jun 1998 | A |
5790107 | Kasser et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5796183 | Hourmand | Aug 1998 | A |
5825352 | Bisset et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
5827980 | Doemens et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
5864105 | Andrews | Jan 1999 | A |
5867111 | Caldwell et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
5874672 | Gerardi et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
5917165 | Platt et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
5920309 | Bisset et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
5942733 | Allen et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
5963000 | Tsutsumi et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
5973417 | Goetz et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
5973623 | Gupta et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
6010742 | Tanabe et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6011602 | Miyashita et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6031465 | Burgess | Feb 2000 | A |
6035180 | Kubes et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
6037930 | Wolfe et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
6040534 | Beukema | Mar 2000 | A |
6157372 | Blackburn et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
6172666 | Okura | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6215476 | Depew et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6219253 | Green | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6231111 | Carter et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6275644 | Domas et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6288707 | Philipp | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6292100 | Dowling | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6310611 | Caldwell | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6320282 | Caldwell | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6323919 | Yang et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6369369 | Kochman et al. | Apr 2002 | B2 |
6377009 | Philipp | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6379017 | Nakabayashi et al. | Apr 2002 | B2 |
6380931 | Gillespie et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6415138 | Sirola et al. | Jul 2002 | B2 |
6427540 | Monroe et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6452138 | Kochman et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6452514 | Philipp | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6456027 | Pruessel | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6457355 | Philipp | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6464381 | Anderson, Jr. et al. | Oct 2002 | B2 |
6466036 | Philipp | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6485595 | Yenni, Jr. et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6529125 | Butler et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6535200 | Philipp | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6537359 | Spa | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6559902 | Kusuda et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
6587097 | Aufderheide et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6607413 | Stevenson et al. | Aug 2003 | B2 |
6614579 | Roberts et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6617975 | Burgess | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6639159 | Anzai | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6652777 | Rapp et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6654006 | Kawashima et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6661410 | Casebolt et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
6664489 | Kleinhans et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
6713897 | Caldwell | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6734377 | Gremm et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
6738051 | Boyd et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
6740416 | Yokogawa et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
6756970 | Keely, Jr. et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6773129 | Anderson, Jr. et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6774505 | Wnuk | Aug 2004 | B1 |
6794728 | Kithil | Sep 2004 | B1 |
6795226 | Agrawal et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6809280 | Divigalpitiya et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6812424 | Miyako | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6819316 | Schulz et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6819990 | Ichinose | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6825752 | Nahata et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6834373 | Dieberger | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6841748 | Serizawa et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6847018 | Wong | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6847289 | Pang et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6854870 | Huizenga | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6879250 | Fayt et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6884936 | Takahashi et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6891114 | Peterson | May 2005 | B2 |
6891530 | Umemoto et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6897390 | Caldwell et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6929900 | Farquhar et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
6930672 | Kuribayashi | Aug 2005 | B1 |
6940291 | Ozick | Sep 2005 | B1 |
6960735 | Hein et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6962436 | Holloway et al. | Nov 2005 | B1 |
6964023 | Maes et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6966225 | Mallary | Nov 2005 | B1 |
6967587 | Snell et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6977615 | Brandwein, Jr. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
6987605 | Liang et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6993607 | Philipp | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6999066 | Litwiller | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7030513 | Caldwell | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7046129 | Regnet et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7053360 | Balp et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7063379 | Steuer et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
7091836 | Kachouh et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7091886 | DePue et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7098414 | Caldwell | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7105752 | Tsai et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7106171 | Burgess | Sep 2006 | B1 |
7135995 | Engelmann et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
7146024 | Benkley, III | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7151450 | Beggs et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7151532 | Schulz | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7154481 | Cross et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7180017 | Hein | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7186936 | Marcus et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
7205777 | Schulz et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7215529 | Rosenau | May 2007 | B2 |
7218498 | Caldwell | May 2007 | B2 |
7232973 | Kaps et al. | Jun 2007 | B2 |
7242393 | Caldwell | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7245131 | Kurachi et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7248151 | McCall | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7248955 | Hein et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7254775 | Geaghan et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
7255466 | Schmidt et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
7255622 | Stevenson et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
7269484 | Hein | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7295168 | Saegusa et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7295904 | Kanevsky et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7339579 | Richter et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
7342485 | Joehl et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
7355595 | Bathiche et al. | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7361860 | Caldwell | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7385308 | Yerdon et al. | Jun 2008 | B2 |
7445350 | Konet et al. | Nov 2008 | B2 |
7479788 | Bolender et al. | Jan 2009 | B2 |
7489053 | Gentile et al. | Feb 2009 | B2 |
7521941 | Ely et al. | Apr 2009 | B2 |
7521942 | Reynolds | Apr 2009 | B2 |
7531921 | Cencur | May 2009 | B2 |
7532202 | Roberts | May 2009 | B2 |
7535131 | Safieh, Jr. | May 2009 | B1 |
7535459 | You et al. | May 2009 | B2 |
7567240 | Peterson, Jr. et al. | Jul 2009 | B2 |
7583092 | Reynolds et al. | Sep 2009 | B2 |
7643010 | Westerman et al. | Jan 2010 | B2 |
7653883 | Hotelling et al. | Jan 2010 | B2 |
7688080 | Golovchenko et al. | Mar 2010 | B2 |
7701440 | Harley | Apr 2010 | B2 |
7705257 | Arione et al. | Apr 2010 | B2 |
7708120 | Einbinder | May 2010 | B2 |
7714846 | Gray | May 2010 | B1 |
7719142 | Hein et al. | May 2010 | B2 |
7728819 | Inokawa | Jun 2010 | B2 |
7737953 | Mackey | Jun 2010 | B2 |
7737956 | Hsieh et al. | Jun 2010 | B2 |
7777732 | Herz et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
7782307 | Westerman et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
7791594 | Dunko | Sep 2010 | B2 |
7795882 | Kirchner et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
7800590 | Satoh et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
7821425 | Philipp | Oct 2010 | B2 |
7834853 | Finney et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
7839392 | Pak et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
7876310 | Westerman et al. | Jan 2011 | B2 |
7881940 | Dusterhoff | Feb 2011 | B2 |
RE42199 | Caldwell | Mar 2011 | E |
7898531 | Bowden et al. | Mar 2011 | B2 |
7920131 | Westerman | Apr 2011 | B2 |
7924143 | Griffin et al. | Apr 2011 | B2 |
7957864 | Lenneman et al. | Jun 2011 | B2 |
7977596 | Born et al. | Jul 2011 | B2 |
7978181 | Westerman | Jul 2011 | B2 |
7989752 | Yokozawa | Aug 2011 | B2 |
8026904 | Westerman | Sep 2011 | B2 |
8050876 | Feen et al. | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8054296 | Land et al. | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8054300 | Bernstein | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8077154 | Emig et al. | Dec 2011 | B2 |
8090497 | Ando | Jan 2012 | B2 |
8253425 | Reynolds et al. | Aug 2012 | B2 |
8283800 | Salter et al. | Oct 2012 | B2 |
8330385 | Salter et al. | Dec 2012 | B2 |
8339286 | Cordeiro | Dec 2012 | B2 |
8454181 | Salter et al. | Jun 2013 | B2 |
8508487 | Schwesig et al. | Aug 2013 | B2 |
8517383 | Wallace et al. | Aug 2013 | B2 |
8537107 | Li | Sep 2013 | B1 |
8575949 | Salter et al. | Nov 2013 | B2 |
20010019228 | Gremm | Sep 2001 | A1 |
20010028558 | Rapp et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
20020040266 | Edgar et al. | Apr 2002 | A1 |
20020084721 | Walczak | Jul 2002 | A1 |
20020093786 | Maser | Jul 2002 | A1 |
20020149376 | Haffner et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20020167439 | Bloch et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20020167704 | Kleinhans et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20030002273 | Anderson, Jr. et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030101781 | Budzynski et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030122554 | Karray et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20030128116 | Ieda et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20040056753 | Chiang et al. | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20040145613 | Stavely et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040160072 | Carter et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20040160234 | Denen et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20040160713 | Wei | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20040197547 | Bristow et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
20040246239 | Knowles et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050052429 | Philipp | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050068712 | Schulz et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050088417 | Mulligan | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050110769 | DaCosta et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050137765 | Hein et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050242923 | Pearson et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050275567 | DePue et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060022682 | Nakamura et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060038793 | Philipp | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060044800 | Reime | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060082545 | Choquet et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060170241 | Yamashita | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060244733 | Geaghan | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20060262549 | Schmidt et al. | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20060267953 | Peterson, Jr. et al. | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20060279015 | Wang | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20060287474 | Crawford et al. | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20070008726 | Brown | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20070023265 | Ishikawa et al. | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20070051609 | Parkinson | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20070068790 | Yerdon et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20070096565 | Breed et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070103431 | Tabatowski-Bush | May 2007 | A1 |
20070226994 | Wollach et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070232779 | Moody et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070247429 | Westerman | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070255468 | Strebel et al. | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20070257891 | Esenther et al. | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20070296709 | GuangHai | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20080012835 | Rimon et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080018604 | Paun et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080023715 | Choi | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080030465 | Konet et al. | Feb 2008 | A1 |
20080074398 | Wright | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20080111714 | Kremin | May 2008 | A1 |
20080136792 | Peng et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080142352 | Wright | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080143681 | XiaoPing | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080150905 | Grivna et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080158146 | Westerman | Jul 2008 | A1 |
20080196945 | Konstas | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20080202912 | Boddie et al. | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20080231290 | Zhitomirsky | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20080238650 | Riihimaki et al. | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20080257706 | Haag | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20080272623 | Kadzban et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20090066659 | He et al. | Mar 2009 | A1 |
20090079699 | Sun | Mar 2009 | A1 |
20090108985 | Haag et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
20090115731 | Rak | May 2009 | A1 |
20090120697 | Wilner et al. | May 2009 | A1 |
20090135157 | Harley | May 2009 | A1 |
20090225043 | Rosener | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090235588 | Patterson et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090236210 | Clark et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090251435 | Westerman et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20090256677 | Hein et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20090309616 | Klinghult et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20100001974 | Su et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20100007613 | Costa | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20100007620 | Hsieh et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20100013777 | Baudisch et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20100026654 | Suddreth | Feb 2010 | A1 |
20100039392 | Pratt et al. | Feb 2010 | A1 |
20100090712 | Vandermeijden | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20100090966 | Gregorio | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20100102830 | Curtis et al. | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20100103139 | Soo et al. | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20100110037 | Huang et al. | May 2010 | A1 |
20100125393 | Jarvinen et al. | May 2010 | A1 |
20100156814 | Weber et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
20100177057 | Flint et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20100188356 | Vu et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20100188364 | Lin et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20100194692 | Orr et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20100207907 | Tanabe et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20100212819 | Salter et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20100214253 | Wu et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20100219935 | Bingle et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100241431 | Weng et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100241983 | Walline et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100245286 | Parker | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100250071 | Pala et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100277431 | Klinghult | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100280983 | Cho et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100286867 | Bergholz et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100289754 | Sleeman et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100289759 | Fisher et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100296303 | Sarioglu et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100302200 | Netherton et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100315267 | Chung et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100321214 | Wang et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100321321 | Shenfield et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100321335 | Lim et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100328261 | Woolley et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20100328262 | Huang et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20110001707 | Faubert et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110001722 | Newman et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110007021 | Bernstein et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110007023 | Abrahamsson et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110012623 | Gastel et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110018744 | Philipp | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110018817 | Kryze et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110022393 | Waller et al. | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110031983 | David et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110034219 | Filson et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110037725 | Pryor | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110037735 | Land et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110039602 | McNamara et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110041409 | Newman et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110043481 | Bruwer | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20110050251 | Franke et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110050587 | Natanzon et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110050618 | Murphy et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110050620 | Hristov | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110055753 | Horodezky et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110062969 | Hargreaves et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110063425 | Tieman | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110074573 | Seshadri | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110080365 | Westerman | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110080366 | Bolender | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110080376 | Kuo et al. | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110082616 | Small et al. | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110083110 | Griffin et al. | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110095997 | Philipp | Apr 2011 | A1 |
20110115732 | Coni et al. | May 2011 | A1 |
20110115742 | Sobel et al. | May 2011 | A1 |
20110134047 | Wigdor et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110134054 | Woo et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110141006 | Rabu | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110141041 | Parkinson et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110148803 | Xu | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110157037 | Shamir et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110157079 | Wu et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110157080 | Ciesla et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110157089 | Rainisto | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110161001 | Fink | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110169758 | Aono | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20110187492 | Newman et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
20110279276 | Newham | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20110279409 | Salaverry et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20120007821 | Zaliva | Jan 2012 | A1 |
20120037485 | Sitarski | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20120043976 | Bokma et al. | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20120055557 | Belz et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120062247 | Chang | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120062498 | Weaver et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120068956 | Jira et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120154324 | Wright et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20120217147 | Porter et al. | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20120312676 | Salter et al. | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20120313648 | Salter et al. | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20130036529 | Salter et al. | Feb 2013 | A1 |
20130076121 | Salter et al. | Mar 2013 | A1 |
20130093500 | Bruwer | Apr 2013 | A1 |
20130106436 | Brunet et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130113397 | Salter et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130113544 | Salter et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130126325 | Curtis et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130270896 | Buttolo et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130270899 | Buttolo et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271157 | Buttolo et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271159 | Santos et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271182 | Buttolo et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271202 | Buttolo et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271203 | Salter et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130271204 | Salter et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20130291439 | Wuerstlein et al. | Nov 2013 | A1 |
20130307610 | Salter et al. | Nov 2013 | A1 |
20130328616 | Buttolo et al. | Dec 2013 | A1 |
20140002405 | Salter et al. | Jan 2014 | A1 |
20140145733 | Buttolo et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
4024052 | Jan 1992 | DE |
1152443 | Nov 2001 | EP |
1327860 | Jul 2003 | EP |
1562293 | Aug 2005 | EP |
2133777 | Oct 2011 | EP |
2133777 | Oct 2011 | EP |
2071338 | Sep 1981 | GB |
2158737 | Nov 1985 | GB |
2279750 | Jan 1995 | GB |
2409578 | Jun 2005 | GB |
2418741 | Apr 2006 | GB |
61188515 | Aug 1986 | JP |
4065038 | Mar 1992 | JP |
04082416 | Mar 1992 | JP |
07315880 | Dec 1995 | JP |
08138446 | May 1996 | JP |
11065764 | Mar 1999 | JP |
11110131 | Apr 1999 | JP |
11260133 | Sep 1999 | JP |
11316553 | Nov 1999 | JP |
2000047178 | Feb 2000 | JP |
2000075293 | Mar 2000 | JP |
2001013868 | Jan 2001 | JP |
2006007764 | Jan 2006 | JP |
2007027034 | Feb 2007 | JP |
2008033701 | Feb 2008 | JP |
2010139362 | Jun 2010 | JP |
2010165618 | Jul 2010 | JP |
2010218422 | Sep 2010 | JP |
2010239587 | Oct 2010 | JP |
2010287148 | Dec 2010 | JP |
2011014280 | Jan 2011 | JP |
20040110463 | Dec 2004 | KR |
20090127544 | Dec 2009 | KR |
20100114768 | Oct 2010 | KR |
9636960 | Nov 1996 | WO |
9963394 | Dec 1999 | WO |
2006093398 | Sep 2006 | WO |
2007022027 | Feb 2007 | WO |
2008121760 | Oct 2008 | WO |
2009054592 | Apr 2009 | WO |
2010111362 | Sep 2010 | WO |
2012032318 | Mar 2012 | WO |
2012032318 | Mar 2012 | WO |
2012169106 | Dec 2012 | WO |
2012169106 | Dec 2012 | WO |
Entry |
---|
U.S. Appl. No. 13/609,390, filed Sep. 11, 2012, entitled “Proximity Switch Based Door Latch Release,” (14 pages of specification and 4 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
U.S. Appl. No. 13/665,253, filed Oct. 31, 2012, entitled Proximity Switch Assembly Having Round Layer, (15 pages of specification and 7 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
U.S. Appl. No. 13/799,413, filed Mar. 13, 2013, entitled “Proximity Interface Development System Having Replicator and Method,” (29 pages of specification and 20 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
U.S. Appl. No. 13/799,478, filed Mar. 13, 2013, entitled “Proximity Interface Development System Having Analyzer and Method,” (29 pages of specification and 20 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
U.S. Appl. No. 14/168,614, filed Jan. 30, 2014, entitled “Proximity Switch Assembly and Activation Method Having Virtual Button Mode,” (30 pages of specification and 15 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
Van Ess, Dave et al., “Capacitive Touch Switches for Automotive Applications,” 7 pages, Published in Automotive DesignLine, www.automotiedesignline.com, Feb. 2006. |
“Introduction to Touch Solutions, White Paper, Revision 1.0 A,” Densitron Corporation, 14 pages, Aug. 21, 2007. |
Kliffken, Marksu G. et al., “Obstacle Detection for Power Operated Window-Lift and Sunroof Actuation Systems,” Paper No. 2001-1-0466, 1 page, © 2011 SAE International, Published Mar. 5, 2001. |
NXP Capacitive Sensors, 1 page, www.nxp.com, copyrighted 2006-2010, NXP Semiconductors. |
“Moisture Immunity in QuickSense Studio,” AN552, Rev. 0.1 10/10, 8 pages, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., © 2010. |
“Clevios P Formulation Guide,” 12 pages, www.clevios.com, Heraeus Clevios GmbH, no date provided. |
“Charge-Transfer Sensing-Based Touch Controls Facilitate Creative Interfaces,” www.ferret.com.au, 2 pages, Jan. 18, 2006. |
Kiosk Peripherals, “Touch Screen,” www.bitsbytesintegrators.com/kiosk-peripherals.html, 10 pages, no date provided. |
JVC KD-AVX777 Detachable Front-Panel with Integrated 5.4″ Touch-Screen Monitor, 6 pages, www.crutchfield.com, no date provided. |
Ergonomic Palm Buttons, Pepperl+Fuchs, www.wolfautomation.com, 6 pages, no date provided. |
“Orgacon EL-P3000, Screen printing Ink Series 3000,” 2 pages, AGFA, last updated in Feb. 2006. |
“Touch Sensors Design Guide” by Atmel, 10620 D-AT42-04/09, Revised Apr. 2009, 72 pages, Copyrighted 2008-2009 Atmel Corporation. |
U.S. Appl. No. 14/314,328, filed Jun. 25, 2014, entitled “Proximity Switch Assembly Having Pliable Surface and Depression,” (43 pages of specification and 24 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
U.S. Appl. No. 14/314,364, filed Jun. 25, 2014, entitled “Proximity Switch Assembly Having Groove Between Adjacent Proximity Sensors,” (43 pages of specification and 24 pages of drawings) and Official Filing Receipt (3 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20130321065 A1 | Dec 2013 | US |