Electrostatic switch controller, control method thereof, door operating device, and electronic key system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016277023-A1
Application number	US-201615067329-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrostatic switch controller, comprising: a contact sensing sensor configured to sense presence of contact of a person to a contact portion when the person performs an operation; a pressure sensing sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the contact portion; and a control part configured to determine whether the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrostatic switch controller, comprising:
a contact sensing sensor configured to sense presence of contact of a person to a contact portion when the person performs an operation; a pressure sensing sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the contact portion; and a control part configured to determine whether the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

2 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 1 , wherein the control part is further configured to determine that the contact to the contact portion is made by a raindrop, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

3 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 2 , further comprising a rain sensing sensor configured to sense a contact of the raindrop.

4 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 1 , wherein the contact sensing sensor includes:
a substrate; and an electrostatic capacitance type sensing electrode formed on the substrate.

5 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensing sensor includes:
a substrate; an electrostatic capacitance type sensing electrode formed on the substrate; and a conductive rubber disposed to cover at least a portion of the sensing electrode.

6 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor or the pressure sensing sensor comprises an electrostatic capacitance sensor.

7 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor or the pressure sensing sensor comprises electrostatic capacitance sensors arranged in a form of a matrix.

8 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor, the pressure sensing sensor or the rain sensing sensor comprises an electrostatic capacitance sensor.

9 . The electrostatic switch controller of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor, the pressure sensing sensor or the rain sensing sensor comprises electrostatic capacitance sensors arranged in a form of a matrix.

10 . A control method of an electrostatic switch controller including a contact sensing sensor configured to sense presence of contact of a person to a contact portion when the person performs an operation, a pressure sensing sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the contact portion, and a control part configured to determine whether the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor, the control method comprising:
by the contact sensing sensor, sensing presence of a contact to the contact portion; by the pressure sensing sensor, sensing a pressure applied to the contact portion; and by the control part, determining whether the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

11 . The control method of claim 10 , further comprising: by the control part, determining that the contact to the contact portion is made by a raindrop, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

12 . A door operating device comprising:
an electrostatic switch controller including a contact sensing part including a contact sensing sensor configured to sense presence of contact of a person to a contact portion when the person performs an opening or a closing operation for a door and a pressure sensing sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the contact portion; a locking part configured to unlock and lock the door; and a control part configured to instruct the locking part to unlock the door when determining that the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

13 . The door operating device of claim 12 , wherein the control part is further configured to instruct the locking part to lock the door when determining that the contact to the contact portion is made by a raindrop, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

14 . The door operating device of claim 13 , further comprising a rain sensing sensor configured to sense a contact by the raindrop.

15 . The door operating device of claim 12 , further comprising a contactless sensing part including a signal transmitting/receiving section configured to transmit/receive a signal to/from an electronic key carried by the person, and a key recognizing section configured to recognize the electronic key and an operation of the electronic key based on the signal transmitted/received by the signal transmitting/receiving section,
wherein the control part is further configured to control the locking part based on the result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor and a result of the recognition by the key recognizing section.

16 . The door operating device of claim 12 , wherein the contact sensing sensor includes:
a substrate; and an electrostatic capacitance type sensing electrode formed on the substrate.

17 . The door operating device of claim 12 , wherein the pressure sensing sensor includes:
a substrate; an electrostatic capacitance type sensing electrode formed on the substrate; and a conductive rubber disposed to cover at least a portion of the sensing electrode.

18 . The door operating device of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor, the pressure sensing sensor or the rain sensing sensor comprises an electrostatic capacitance sensor.

19 . The door operating device of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the contact sensing sensor, the pressure sensing sensor or the rain sensing sensor comprises electrostatic capacitance sensors arranged in a form of a matrix.

20 . An electronic key system comprising:
an electrostatic switch controller including a contact sensing part including a contact sensing sensor configured to sense presence of contact of a person to a contact portion when the person performs an opening or a closing operation for a door, and a pressure sensing sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the contact portion; a locking part configured to unlock and lock the door; a transmitter configured to form a sensing range of an electronic key carried by the person; and a control part configured to recognize the electronic key within the sensing range and an operation of the electronic key and instruct the locking part to unlock the door when determining that the contact to the contact portion is made by at least a portion of a body of the person, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

21 . The electronic key system of claim 20 , wherein the control part is further configured to instruct the locking part to lock the door when determining that the contact to the contact portion is made by a raindrop, based on a result of the sensing by the contact sensing sensor and the pressure sensing sensor.

22 . The electronic key system of claim 21

Assignees

• Rohm Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakajima Masao

Classifications

• E05Y2201/68

  Handles, cranks · CPC title

• E05B85/16

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• E05F15/75

  responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object · CPC title

• E05B81/77

  comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user · CPC title