# US 2020/0401268 A1 · Input device, method of controlling input device, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401268 A1 - Document ID: US20200401268A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/014,531 - Filed: 2020-09-08 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-12 - Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomoki YAMADA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401268A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0418: {for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment} - G06F 3/04182: {Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components} - G06F 3/04186: {Touch location disambiguation} - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An input device has: a detecting unit that generates a detection signal that changes according to the degree of the proximity of an object; a deciding unit that decides, according to a series of detection signals, whether a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals; and a reference value updating unit that, if the deciding unit decides that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals, updates a reference value, according to the detection signals. The deciding unit changes a decision reference so that the higher the degree, indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal, of the proximity of the object, is, the more likely the deciding unit is to decide that a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An input device that enters information matching a proximity state of an object, the input device comprising: a detecting unit that generates a detection signal that changes according to a degree of proximity of the object; a deciding unit that decides, according to a series of detection signals generated in the detecting unit, whether a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals; and a reference value updating unit that, if the deciding unit decides that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals, updates a reference value indicating a value of the detection signal in a state in which the object is not approaching, according to the detection signals generated in the detecting unit; wherein the deciding unit changes a decision reference so that the higher the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by a difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal, is, the more likely the deciding unit is to decide that a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The input device according to claim 1, wherein the deciding unit repeatedly decides whether a first evaluation value representing a magnitude of a change in detection signals in a first time is included in a first range, if a state in which the first evaluation value is included in the first range continues for a second time or more, decides that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals, and changes at least one of the first time, the first range, and the second time according to the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The input device according to claim 1, wherein the deciding unit repeatedly decides whether a first evaluation value representing a magnitude of a change in detection signals in a first time is included in a first range, if the first evaluation value is included in the first range, decides that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals, and changes at least one of the first time and the first range according to the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The input device according to claim 2, wherein the deciding unit calculates the first evaluation value that indicates a magnitude of non-uniformity in the detection signals with respect to an average of the detection signals in the first time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The input device according to claim 4, wherein the deciding unit calculates the first evaluation value matching a dispersion or standard deviation of the detection signals in the first time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The input device according to claim 2, wherein the deciding unit calculates the first evaluation value matching a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the detection signals in the first time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The input device according to claim 2, wherein the deciding unit performs low-pass filter processing to smooth the detection signals, and calculates the first evaluation value that represents the magnitude of the change in the detection signals in the first time, the detection signals having been smoothed in the low-pass filter processing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The input device according to claim 2, wherein the deciding unit calculates an inclination of a regression line that approximates the change in the detection signals in the first time, and changes at least one of the first time and the first range so that the larger the inclination of the regression line is, the more likely the deciding unit is to decide that a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The input device according to claim 8, wherein the deciding unit calculates a second evaluation value that represents a degree of approximation between the detection signal and an inferred value of the detection signal, the inferred value being based on the regression line, and changes at least one of the first time and the first range so that the higher the degree of the approximation, the degree being represented by the second evaluation value, is, the more likely the deciding unit is to decide that a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The input device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit includes: at least one electrode that forms a capacitor, a capacitance of which being changed depending on the degree of the proximity of the object; and a capacitance detection circuit that generates the detection signal matching the capacitance according to charge in the capacitor, the charge being transferred through the electrode. ### Claim 11 A method of controlling an input device that enters information matching a proximity state of an object, wherein the input device has a detecting unit that generates a detection signal that changes according to a degree of proximity of the object, the method comprising: deciding, according to a series of detection signals generated in the detecting unit, whether a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals; updating, if a decision is made that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals, a reference value indicating a value of the detection signal in a state in which the object is not approaching, according to the detection signals generated in the detecting unit; and changing a decision reference so that the higher the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal, is, the more likely a decision is to be made that a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of controlling the input device according to claim 11, wherein: the deciding whether a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals includes repeatedly deciding whether a magnitude of a change in the detection signals in a first time is included in a first range, and deciding, if a state in which the magnitude of the change in the detection signals in the first time is included in the first range continues for a second time or more, that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals; and the changing the decision reference includes changing at least one of the first time, the first range, and the second time according to the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of controlling the input device according to claim 11, wherein: the deciding whether a change due to the proximity of the object has occurred in the detection signals includes repeatedly deciding whether a magnitude of a change in the detection signals in a first time is included in a first range, and deciding, if the magnitude of the change in the detection signals in the first time is included in the first range, that a change due to the proximity of the object has not occurred in the detection signals; and the changing the decision reference includes changing at least one of the first time and the first range according to the degree of the proximity of the object, the degree being indicated by the difference between the reference value and the value of the detection signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A program that causes a computer to execute the method of controlling the input device according to claim 11.