Input system and control method

A control method for an input system, wherein

• the input system includes:
• an input device including a movable contact, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode;
• an electrostatic sensor connected to the first electrode;
• a conduction sensor connected to the third electrode and configured to detect electrical conduction and non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
• and
• a controller configured to switch a sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor to an ON state or an OFF state;
• when the movable contact is pressed, electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes, and when the movable contact the input device is further pressed after the electrostatic capacitance changes, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically conductive to each other, and
• the control method comprises:
• causing the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor to be in the OFF state before the movable contact is pressed and maintains the OFF state until the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
• switching, by the controller, the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state after the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
• causing, by the controller, the electrostatic sensor to output a detected value related to the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode after switching the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state;
• and
• determining, based on the detected value output from the electrostatic sensor, whether the movable contact has been pressed.

An input system comprising:

• an input device including a movable contact, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode;
• an electrostatic sensor connected to the first electrode;
• a conduction sensor connected to the third electrode and configured to detect electrical conduction and non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
• and
• a controller configured to switch a sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor between an ON state and an OFF state, wherein:
• the input device is configured such that, when the movable contact is pressed, electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes,
• the input device is configured such that, when the movable contact is further pressed after the electrostatic capacitance changes, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically conductive to each other, and after the third electrode and the fourth electrode become electrically conductive to each other, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically non-conductive from each other,
• the controller causes the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor to be in the OFF state before the movable contact is pressed and maintains the OFF state until the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, and
• after the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state.

An input system comprising:

• an input device including a movable contact, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode;
• an electrostatic sensor connected to the first electrode;
• a conduction sensor connected to the third electrode;
• a controller configured to switch a sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor between an ON state and an OFF state;
• and
• a determiner connected to the electrostatic sensor and configured to determine, based on output from the electrostatic sensor, whether the movable contact is pressed, wherein:
• when the movable contact of the input device is pressed, electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes,
• when the movable contact of the input device is further pressed after the electrostatic capacitance changes, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically conductive to each other,
• the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode,
• after the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state,
• in the ON state, the electrostatic sensor outputs a detected value related to the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode,
• the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor is input to the determiner,
• the determiner includes storage configured to store a reference value, compares the reference value and the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor, and determines whether the movable contact has been pressed,
• the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state and then to the OFF state, and
• subsequently, the reference value for when the sensing operation changes from the OFF state to the ON state is set based on the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor before the sensing operation is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.

An input system comprising:

• an input device including a movable contact, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode;
• an electrostatic sensor connected to the first electrode;
• a conduction sensor connected to the third electrode;
• a controller configured to switch a sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor between an ON state and an OFF state;
• and
• a determiner connected to the electrostatic sensor and configured to determine, based on output from the electrostatic sensor, whether the movable contact is pressed, wherein:
• when the movable contact of the input device is pressed, electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes,
• when the movable contact of the input device is further pressed after the electrostatic capacitance changes, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically conductive to each other,
• the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode,
• after the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state,
• in the ON state, the electrostatic sensor outputs a detected value related to the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode,
• the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor is input to the determiner,
• the determiner includes storage configured to store a reference value, compares the reference value and the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor, and determines whether the movable contact has been pressed,
• after the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state,
• the storage of the determiner stores, as an auxiliary reference value, the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor,
• subsequently, until the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor falls within a predetermined range including the reference value,
• when the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor is less than the auxiliary reference value, the determiner updates the auxiliary reference in the storage to the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor as a new auxiliary reference, and
• when the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor is greater than the auxiliary reference value, the determiner compares the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor and the auxiliary reference value and determines whether the movable contact has been pressed.