# US 9,753,172 B2 · Operation detecting apparatus for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,172 B2 - Document ID: US9753172B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/945,834 - Filed: 2015-11-19 - Published: 2016-05-19 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-19 - Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Haruki Tsuji; Hitoshi Takayanagi; Takaya Aiyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753172B2 ## CPC - G01V 3/08: operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) - B60R 16/02: electric {constitutive elements} - H03K 17/955: using a capacitive detector - H03K 2217/960705: Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe - H03K 2217/96073: Amplitude comparison - H03K 2217/960745: Capacitive differential; e.g. comparison with reference capacitance - H03K 2217/960775: Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract An operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle includes: a detecting unit including a first electrode and a second electrode for detecting variations in capacitance value; a capacitance measuring unit configured to measure a first capacitance value detected by the first electrode and a second capacitance value detected by the second electrode; a determining unit configured to compare a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the first capacitance value with a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the second capacitance value and determine presence or absence of operation from a user on the basis of the result of comparison; and an output unit configured to output a control signal on the basis of a result of determination of the determining unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a detecting unit including a first electrode and a second electrode for detecting variations in capacitance value; a capacitance measuring unit configured to measure a first capacitance value detected by the first electrode and a second capacitance value detected by the second electrode; a determining unit configured to compare a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the first capacitance value with a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the second capacitance value and determine presence or absence of operation from a user on the basis of the result of comparison; an output unit configured to output a control signal on the basis of a result of determination of the determining unit; and an operating unit configured to multiply at least one of a value on the basis of the amount of variations in the first capacitance value and a value on the basis of the amount of variations in the second capacitance value by a coefficient, wherein multiplication of the coefficient makes a detecting area of the second electrode larger than a detecting area of the first electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit determines that operation is performed by the user in a case where an absolute value of the amount of variations in the first capacitance value is not smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and the absolute value of the amount of variations in the first capacitance value is not smaller than an absolute value of the amount of variations in the second capacitance value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode has a larger surface area than the first electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance measuring unit includes a converting unit configured to convert the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to voltage values at a time of measuring, and an amplification rate when converting the second capacitance value into the voltage value is larger than an amplification rate when converting the first capacitance value into the voltage value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit determines that operation is not performed by the user in the case where the absolute value of the amount of variations in the first capacitance value is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 6 An operation detecting apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a detecting unit including a first electrode and a second electrode for detecting variations in capacitance value; a capacitance measuring unit configured to measure a first capacitance value detected by the first electrode and a second capacitance value detected by the second electrode; a determining unit configured to compare a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the first capacitance value with a value on the basis of an amount of variations in the second capacitance value and determine presence or absence of operation from a user on the basis of the result of comparison; an output unit configured to output a control signal on the basis of a result of determination of the determining unit; and a third electrode in addition to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first capacitance value is a capacitance value between the first electrode and the third electrode, and the second capacitance value is a capacitance value between the second electrode and the third electrode.