Vehicle operation detection device and vehicle operation detection method

A vehicle operation detection device, comprising:

• sensor electrodes arranged so as to form a row and configured such that a capacitance of each of the sensor electrodes increases as a detection target approaches the respective sensor electrode;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to output a command that causes an opening-closing body of a vehicle to open and close in reference to the capacitances of the sensor electrodes, wherein
• an arrangement direction of the sensor electrodes includes a first direction corresponding to an opening direction of the opening-closing body and a second direction corresponding to a closing direction of the opening-closing body,
• the sensor electrodes include two sensor electrodes at leading ends in the first direction and the second direction, respectively,
• the processing circuitry is configured to execute:
• a start electrode determination process that defines, as an operation start electrode, one of the two sensor electrodes having the capacitance greater than or equal to a first determination value;
• an operation determination process that determines whether the capacitance of one of the sensor electrodes increases, the operation determination process determining that a first operation has been performed in a case where the one of the sensor electrodes having the increased capacitance is sequentially shifted in the first direction from the operation start electrode, the operation determination process determining that a second operation has been performed in a case where the one of the sensor electrodes having the increased capacitance is sequentially shifted in the second direction from the operation start electrode;
• and
• a command process that outputs a first command that causes the opening-closing body to open based on the first operation being determined as having been performed and outputs a second command that causes the opening-closing body to close based on the second operation being determined as having been performed,
• the sensor electrodes include an adjacent electrode that is adjacent to the operation start electrode,
• the operation determination process includes determining that a capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased in a case where the capacitance of the adjacent electrode becomes greater than or equal to a second determination value,
• the start electrode determination process includes defining, as the operation start electrode, one of the two sensor electrodes having the capacitance remaining greater than or equal to the first determination value over a determination time, and
• the operation determination process includes setting the second determination value to be greater than the first determination value in a case where the capacitance of the adjacent electrode at a point in time of defining the operation start electrode is greater than or equal to the first determination value and setting the second determination value to be equal to the first determination value in a case where the capacitance of the adjacent electrode at the point in time of defining the operation start electrode is less than the first determination value.

A vehicle operation detection method for detecting an operation for causing an opening-closing body of a vehicle to open and close using sensor electrodes arranged so as to form a row, an arrangement direction of the sensor electrodes including a first direction corresponding to an opening direction of the opening-closing body and a second direction corresponding to a closing direction of the opening-closing body, the sensor electrodes including two sensor electrodes at leading ends in the first direction and the second direction, the vehicle operation detection method comprising:

• defining, as an operation start electrode, one of the two sensor electrodes having the capacitance greater than or equal to a first determination value;
• determining whether the capacitance of one of the sensor electrodes increases, the determining including determining that a first operation has been performed in a case where the one of the sensor electrodes having the increased capacitance is sequentially shifted in the first direction from the operation start electrode and determining that a second operation has been performed in a case where the one of the sensor electrodes having the increased capacitance is sequentially shifted in the second direction from the operation start electrode;
• and
• outputting a first command that causes the opening-closing body to open based on the first operation being determined as having been performed and outputting a second command that causes the opening-closing body to close based on the second operation being determined as having been performed, wherein
• the sensor electrodes include an adjacent electrode that is adjacent to the operation start electrode, and
• the determining whether the capacitance of the one of the sensor electrodes increases includes determining that a capacitance of the adjacent electrode has increased in a case where the capacitance of the adjacent electrode becomes greater than or equal to a second determination value, the second determination value being greater than the first determination value.