Input apparatus and control method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10739902-B2
Application number	US-201715830678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

An input apparatus for a vehicle is provided with a plurality of sensor electrodes; and a controller is configured to determine a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about sensor values collected from a subset of sensor electrodes, which is randomly selected from the plurality of sensor electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of sensor electrodes; and
a controller configured to determine a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about sensor values collected from a subset of sensor electrodes, which is randomly selected from the plurality of sensor electrodes,
wherein the capacitance reference value is used to determine whether an object is approaching the input apparatus,
wherein the controller determines a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about the sensor values collected from the subset of sensor electrodes, which is randomly selected except a currently used sensor electrode from the plurality of sensor electrodes, and
wherein the controller determines a sensor electrode in which noise information is detected, among the plurality of sensor electrodes, as the currently used sensor electrode.

2. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the controller converts the sensor electrode, in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes, into an inactive state.

3. The input apparatus of claim 2 , wherein,
the controller determines a sensor electrode outputting a sensor value out of a reference range for equal to or longer than a first predetermined period of time, as the sensor electrode in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes.

4. The input apparatus of claim 3 , wherein,
when it is detected that a sensor value of the inactive sensor electrode is in the reference range, the controller converts the inactive sensor electrode into an active state.

5. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the controller determines a sensor electrode in which information about user proximity gesture is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes as the currently used sensor electrode.

6. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the controller determines a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about the sensor values collected from the subset of sensor electrodes, which is not adjacent to each other among the plurality of sensor electrodes.

7. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of sensor electrodes is arranged at a certain interval.

8. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of sensor electrodes is arranged in a certain shape.

9. The input apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the input apparatus is installed in a center fascia of a vehicle.

10. A control method of an input apparatus comprising:
collecting information about sensor values from a plurality of sensor electrodes;
determining a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about the sensor values from a subset of sensor electrodes, which is randomly selected from the plurality of sensor electrodes; and
determining a sensor electrode in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes as a currently used sensor electrode,
wherein the capacitance reference value is used to determine whether an object is approaching the input apparatus, and
wherein the determination of the capacitance reference value of the input apparatus comprises determining a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about the sensor values collected from the subset of sensor electrodes, which is selected except the currently used sensor electrode from the plurality of sensor electrodes.

11. The control method of claim 10 , further comprising:
converting the sensor electrode, in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes, into an inactive state.

12. The control method of claim 10 , wherein:
the determination of the sensor electrode in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes, as the currently used sensor electrode, comprises determining a sensor electrode outputting a sensor value out of a reference range for equal to or longer than a first predetermined period of time, as a sensor electrode, in which noise information is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes.

13. The control method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining a sensor electrode, in which information about user proximity gesture is detected among the plurality of sensor electrodes, as the currently used sensor electrode.

14. The control method of claim 10 , wherein:
the determination of the capacitance reference value comprises determining a capacitance reference value of the input apparatus based on information about sensor values collected from a plurality of sensor electrodes, which is not adjacent to each other among the plurality of sensor electrodes.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Seok Donghee
• Kwon Gideok
• Lee Jong Bok
• Ro Heejin

Classifications

• H03K2217/94026

  Automatic threshold calibration; e.g. threshold automatically adapts to ambient conditions or follows variation of input · CPC title

• B60K35/00 Primary

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• H03K17/9622

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/038 Primary

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title