Switch device

A switch device that is for a vehicle and inputs an operation condition to a specified instrument according to user's finger manipulation, the switch device comprising:

• a plurality of switch portions provided with design portions displaying switch functions and overlapping with a plurality of electrode portions;
• a detection portion that detects a capacitance change generated in accordance with a distance between the user's finger and each of the electrode portions;
• a brightness adjustment portion that adjusts brightness of each of the design portions;
• and
• a control portion that controls brightness of the brightness adjustment portion, wherein
• when the brightness adjustment portion turns on, the switch portions perform night illumination of the design portions,
• during the night illumination, when the finger approaches the electrode portions, and the detection portion acquires the capacitance of the electrode portions, the control portion decreases brightness of the design portion corresponding to the electrode portion other than all the electrode portions whose capacitance acquired by the detection portion exceeds a predetermined first approach determination threshold value so that the decreased brightness is lower than brightness corresponding to the brightness adjustment portion that was turned on,
• when the finger further approaches any of the electrode portions, the control portion increases brightness of the design portions corresponding to all the electrode portions whose capacitance exceeds a predetermined second approach determination threshold value higher than the first approach determination threshold value and falls short of a predetermined switch-on determination threshold value that is higher than the second approach determination threshold value so that the increased brightness is higher than brightness corresponding to the brightness adjustment portion that was turned on, and
• when the capacitance of the any of the electrode portions exceeds the switch-on determination threshold value, the control portion turns on the switch portion corresponding to the any of the electrode portions to operate the instrument and subsequently returns the brightness increased by the brightness adjustment portion to brightness corresponding to the brightness adjustment portion that was turned on.

A switch device that is for a vehicle and inputs an operation condition to a specified instrument according to user's finger manipulation, the switch device comprising:

• a plurality of switch portions for input;
• a detection portion that detects a distance between the user's finger and each of the switch portions;
• a brightness adjustment portion that adjusts brightness of each of the switch portion;
• and
• a control portion that performs a brightness adjustment control, wherein
• in the brightness adjustment control,
• when the finger approaches the switch portions and the detection portion acquires the manipulation distances, the control portion allows the brightness adjustment portion to increase brightness of all the switch portions whose manipulation distances are shorter than a predetermined approach determination threshold value so that the increased brightness is higher than original brightness of the switch portions,
• the control portion maintains a brightness control performed by the brightness adjustment portion when the finger further approaches any of the switch portions and the manipulation distance of the any of the switch portions is smaller than the approach determination threshold value and is larger than a predetermined switch-on determination threshold value that is smaller than the approach determination threshold value, and
• when the manipulation distance of the any of the switch portions is smaller than the switch-on determination threshold value, the control portion turns on the switch portion to operate the instrument and subsequently returns the brightness increased by the brightness adjustment portion to the original brightness.

A switch device that is for a vehicle and inputs an operation condition to a specified instrument according to manipulation by a part of a user's body, the switch device comprising:

• a plurality of switch portions provided with design portions displaying switch functions and overlapping with a plurality of electrode portions;
• a detection portion that detects a capacitance change generated in accordance with a distance between the part of the body and each of the electrode portions;
• a brightness adjustment portion that adjusts brightness of the design portions;
• and
• a control portion that performs a brightness adjustment control to control brightness of the brightness adjustment portion, wherein
• in the brightness adjustment control,
• when the detection portion acquires capacitances of the electrode portions and any of the capacitances exceeds a first approach determination threshold value, the control portion identifies all the design portions corresponding to the electrode portions whose capacitance exceeds the first approach determination threshold value as a specific design portion, and controls the brightness adjustment portion so that brightness of the specific design portion is higher than brightness of the design portion other than the specific design portion,
• the control portion controls the brightness adjustment portion to maintain increased brightness of the specific design portion when the capacitance of the electrode portion corresponding to the specific design portion ranges between the first approach determination threshold value and a second approach determination threshold value larger than the first approach determination threshold value,
• when a capacitance of the electrode portion corresponding to any of the design portions identified as the specific design portion exceeds the second approach determination threshold value, the control portion controls the brightness adjustment portion so that brightness of the any of the design portions identified with the specific design portion is higher than brightness of the other specific design portions, and
• when the capacitance of the electrode portion in excess of the second approach determination threshold value exceeds a switch-on determination threshold value that is larger than the second approach determination threshold value, the control portion turns on the switch portion corresponding to the electrode portion and controls the brightness adjustment portion so that brightness of the design portion of the switch portion equals brightness of all the other design portions.