JP2023065199A - Electrostatic detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrostatic detection device capable of improving detection accuracy when detecting a user operation by a capacitance change of an electrode.SOLUTION: An electrostatic detection module 28 alternately switches an operation state of an electrode 23 having capacitance changing according to a user operation as contact or approach of a human body to a drive state in which the electrodes 23 executes capacitance detection and a non-drive state in which the electrode 23 does not execute capacitance detection. A determination unit 35 determines whether or not an antenna 17 communicating with a terminal 2 of a user is driven by monitoring a voltage of the electrode 23 when the electrode 23 is in the non-drive state. The electrostatic detection module 28 executes detection of the user operation on the basis of a determination result of the determination unit 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrostatic detection device that detects user operations based on changes in the capacitance of electrodes.

Conventionally, a vehicle is equipped with an electronic key system that wirelessly authenticates an electronic key to operate the vehicle. In this type of electronic key system, for example, an electrostatic detection device is provided on a door handle on the outside of a vehicle door. A configuration for locking and unlocking a vehicle door upon detection is well known (see Patent Literature 1).

JP 2017-32544 A

By the way, there is a configuration in which an antenna communicating with the electronic key is built in the door handle. In this case, there is a possibility that the radio waves transmitted from the antenna may get on the electrodes of the electrostatic detection device as noise. Therefore, it leads to a situation where the user's operation cannot be detected correctly by the electrostatic detection device, so some kind of countermeasure is required.

An electrostatic detection device that solves the above problems includes an electrode whose electrostatic capacitance changes in response to a user's operation such as contact or approach of a human body; a static sensing module that alternates between a state and a non-driven state in which the electrode does not perform the capacitance sensing; and monitoring the voltage of the electrode when the electrode is in the non-driven state. and a determination unit that determines whether an antenna that communicates with a user's terminal is driven or not, and the electrostatic detection module detects the user's operation based on the determination result of the determination unit.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the detection precision at the time of detecting a user operation by the electrostatic capacitance change of an electrode can be improved.

1 is a configuration diagram of an electrostatic detection device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a unitized electrostatic detection device; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing switching between a driven state and a non-driven state of electrodes. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram showing Hi/Lo change of a voltage signal with respect to whether or not an antenna is driven; (a) is a timing chart showing the operating state of electrodes, and (b) to (d) are waveform diagrams of voltage signals. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of an electrostatic detection device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an electrostatic detection device according to a third embodiment;

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the electrostatic detector will be described below.
[Overall configuration of the present disclosure]
As shown in FIG. 1, the user's operation target 1 includes an authentication system 3 that authenticates a terminal 2 owned by the user through wireless communication. An operation target 1 is, for example, a vehicle 4 . The authentication system 3 includes, for example, an electronic key system 6 that authenticates the electronic key 5 as the terminal 2 by wireless communication and activates the vehicle 4 . The electronic key system 6 includes, for example, a smart system that initiates two-way communication (smart communication) with the electronic key 5 in response to communication from the vehicle 4 and authenticates the electronic key 5 .

The vehicle 4 may be either a personal vehicle owned by the user or a shared car shared by a plurality of people. The terminal 2 is not limited to the electronic key 5 mainly having key functions, and may be, for example, a multifunctional terminal (mobile terminal) such as a high-performance mobile phone.

The authentication system 3 includes a verification ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 8 that verifies the terminal 2 . The ID information Did of the terminal 2 is registered in a memory (not shown) of the verification ECU 8 . The ID information Did includes, for example, a unique ID code possessed by each terminal 2, an authentication key used for encrypted communication, and the like.

The collation ECU 8 is connected to a vehicle-mounted device 11 via a communication line 10 provided in the vehicle 4 . The mounting device 11 includes, for example, a door lock control device, a steering lock device, an engine control device, and the like. The communication line 10 is preferably a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), for example.

The vehicle 4 includes a transmitter 15 that transmits radio waves to the terminal 2 and a receiver 16 that receives radio waves in the vehicle 4 . The transmission unit 15 and the reception unit 16 are connected to the collation ECU 8 and their operations are managed by the collation ECU 8 . The transmitter 15 preferably transmits radio waves in the LF (Low Frequency) band, for example. The receiving unit 16 preferably receives radio waves in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band, for example.

A plurality of transmission units 15 are provided in the vehicle 4 . In this case, the transmitting unit 15 may, for example, transmit radio waves to the outside of the vehicle on the driver's seat side, transmit radio waves to the outside of the vehicle on the passenger's seat side, or transmit radio waves to the inside of the vehicle. In this example, the transmitter 15 that transmits radio waves to the outside of the vehicle on the driver's seat side is referred to as the "antenna 17". This antenna 17 is provided on a door handle 19 outside the vehicle of the door 18 .

Each terminal 2 stores unique ID information Did of each terminal 2 in a memory (not shown). The terminal 2 can, for example, receive radio waves in the LF band and transmit radio waves in the UHF band.

The verification ECU 8 periodically or irregularly transmits radio waves from the transmission unit 15 to perform smart communication. When the terminal 2 receives the LF band radio wave transmitted from the transmission unit 15, the terminal 2 transmits the ID information Did registered therein to the vehicle 4 by the UHF band radio wave. When the receiving unit 16 receives the ID information Did transmitted from the terminal 2, the verification ECU 8 performs authentication using the ID information Did registered therein. The collation ECU 8 permits or executes the operation of the mounting device 11 when the authentication is established, that is, the smart collation is established. The collation ECU 8 executes control of the mounting device 11 based on the authentication result, which is the smart collation result.

[Overview Configuration of Electrostatic Detection Device 20]
The operation target 1 includes an electrostatic detection device 20 that electrostatically detects an operation (user operation) using the human body of a user who has an operation intention. A user operation, a so-called touch operation, may be any contact or approach of the human body. The electrostatic detection device 20 includes a sensor unit 21 that detects user operations based on changes in capacitance. The sensor unit 21 includes, for example, a controller 22 and electrodes 23 . The electrodes 23 include a lock electrode 24 that detects lock operation and an unlock electrode 25 that detects unlock operation. The controller 22 is preferably an IC that controls the sensor unit 21, for example. Controller 22 is connected to electrodes 23 .

The lock electrode 24 is arranged at a portion of the door handle 19 that is operated when locking the door. Specifically, the lock electrode 24 is preferably arranged at a predetermined position in front of the door handle 19 . Thus, the door locking operation is, for example, an operation of touching a predetermined position in front of the door handle 19 with a finger or the like. The lock operation is not limited to an operation of momentarily touching the lock electrode 24, and may be a long touch operation of keeping the lock electrode 24 touched for a certain period of time. The lock electrode 24 outputs to the controller 22 a capacitance according to the user's touch operation.

The unlock electrode 25 is arranged at a portion of the door handle 19 that is operated when unlocking the door. Specifically, the unlock electrode 25 is preferably arranged at a predetermined position on the back surface of the door handle 19 . Thus, the unlocking operation of the door is, for example, an operation of touching the back surface of the door handle 19 of the door with a finger or the like. The unlock operation is not limited to an operation of momentarily touching the unlock electrode 25, and may be a long touch operation of keeping the unlock electrode 25 touched for a certain period of time. The unlock electrode 25 outputs to the controller 22 a capacitance corresponding to the user's touch operation.

The controller 22 includes an electrostatic detection module 28 that detects user operations based on changes in capacitance of the electrodes 23 . The electrostatic detection module 28 is connected to the electrodes 23 through a multiplexer 29 provided in the controller 22 . Multiplexer 29 , for example, selectively connects electrode 23 to one of electrostatic detection module 28 and determination unit 35 . Multiplexer 29 is connected to electrodes 23 via electrode wiring 31 connected to port 30 of controller 22 .

The electrostatic detection module 28 detects a user's operation on the door handle 19 from the electrostatic capacitance data Sr detected based on the electrostatic capacitance change of the electrode 23 . Specifically, the electrostatic detection module 28 determines whether or not there is a lock operation from the capacitance data Sr based on the change in capacitance of the lock electrode 24 . As an example, when the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 24 becomes equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that there is a lock operation. The electrostatic detection module 28 determines whether or not an unlocking operation has been performed from the capacitance data Sr based on changes in the capacitance of the unlock electrode 25 . As an example, when the capacitance detected by the unlock electrode 25 is greater than or equal to the threshold value, it is determined that an unlock operation has been performed.

The electrostatic detection module 28 is connected with an output line 32 extending from the collation ECU 8 . The electrostatic detection module 28 outputs the determination result of the operation determination based on the detected capacitance data Sr to the verification ECU 8 via the output line 32 . Specifically, the static electricity detection module 28 outputs a lock detection notification Db1 to the verification ECU 8 via the output line 32 when it detects that there is a lock operation. The electrostatic detection module 28 outputs an unlock detection notification Db2 to the verification ECU 8 via the output line 32 when detecting that the unlocking operation is performed.

The verification ECU 8 controls the mounting device 11 based on the authentication result of the terminal 2 triggered by radio wave transmission from the antenna 17 (including the transmission unit 15) and the determination result of the operation determination of the electrostatic detection module 28. do. In the case of this example, when the verification ECU 8 inputs the lock detection notification Db1 as the determination result from the electrostatic detection module 28 when the authentication is established, the verification ECU 8 causes the door lock control device as the mounting device 11 to perform the locking operation. When the verification ECU 8 receives an unlock detection notification Db2 as a determination result from the static electricity detection module 28 when authentication is established, the verification ECU 8 causes the door lock control device as the mounting device 11 to perform an unlocking operation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 are arranged close to each other. In the case of this example, close arrangement means that the sensor units 21 are arranged at positions where radio waves (LF band radio waves) transmitted from the antenna 17 can easily reach the sensor units 21, for example.

The antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 are modularized as one component. Modularization means that the antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 are provided on one substrate or built in one housing, and have a structure manufactured as one part. say.

[Main configuration of the present disclosure]
As shown in FIG. 3, the electrostatic detection module 28 sets the operating state of the electrode 23 into a driven state in which the electrode 23 performs capacitance detection and a non-driven state in which the electrode 23 does not perform capacitance detection. switch alternately. Capacitance detection is preferably, for example, a process in which the electrode 23 is charged and discharged and the electrostatic detection module 28 acquires the capacitance data Sr at that time. Thus, the drive state is the time period during which the capacitance detection is performed, that is, the time period during which the electrodes 23 are driven. The non-driving state is, for example, a time period during which the battery waits for the next charge. When the electrode 23 is in the non-driving state, the electrostatic detection module 28 determines the user's operation based on the capacitance data Sr detected when the electrode 23 is in the driving state. In this way, data acquisition and determination of the capacitance based on the driving of the electrodes 23 are alternately repeated.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the electrostatic detection device 20 has a function of preventing erroneous touch detection caused by radio waves transmitted from the antenna 17 riding on the electrode 23 . By the way, if radio waves are transmitted from the antenna 17 while the electrodes 23 are activated, there is a possibility that noise will occur in the electrodes 23 due to the radio waves. Therefore, if the user touches the electrode 23 while radio waves are being transmitted from the antenna 17, the capacitance of the electrode 23 does not change as intended by the user, and the touch operation cannot be detected correctly. This example solves this problem.

The electrostatic detection device 20 includes a determination unit 35 that monitors the voltage of the electrode 23 and determines whether the antenna 17 is driven or not. In this example, the determination unit 35 is provided in the controller 22 . The determination unit 35 monitors the voltage of the electrode 23 and determines whether the antenna 17 is driven or not when the electrode 23 is in a non-driven state. The determination unit 35 preferably monitors the voltage of the port 30 of the controller 22 to determine whether the antenna 17 is driven or not.

The decision section 35 is connected to the multiplexer 29 via the A/D converter 36 . In this way, the determination unit 35 inputs the voltage of the electrode 23 via the A/D converter 36 when the multiplexer 29 is in a state of connecting the electrode 23 to the A/D converter 36 . The A/D converter 36 A/D-converts the voltage of the electrode 23 input from the multiplexer 29 and outputs it to the determination unit 35 . The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the A/D converter 36 .

Next, the action of the electrostatic detection device 20 of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 17 transmits the transmission data St supplied from the collation ECU 8 as radio waves at the timing of radio wave transmission. The transmission data St supplied from the verification ECU 8 is a predetermined rectangular wave, such as a wake signal for switching the electronic key 5 to active, radio waves transmitted for mutual authentication (challenge-response authentication), and the like. is. Note that the radio wave transmission may be performed, for example, regularly or irregularly set at a predetermined cycle, or may be performed when a user's operation is detected with the electrodes 23 .

The radio waves of the transmission data St are detected by the electrode 23 located near the antenna 17 . In the case of this example, since the antenna 17 exists near the electrode 23 , radio waves from the antenna 17 easily reach the electrode 23 . When the radio wave from the antenna 17 reaches the electrode 23, the electrode 23 undergoes a voltage fluctuation according to the detected transmission data St even though the human body does not touch or approach the electrode 23. FIG.

In the present example, multiplexer 29 connects electrode 23 with electrostatic detection module 28 when electrode 23 assumes an activated state. On the other hand, the multiplexer 29 connects the electrode 23 to the A/D converter 36, that is, the determination section 35 when the electrode 23 is in the non-driving state. Thus, the electrode 23 is connected to the determination section 35 via the multiplexer 29 and the A/D converter 36 when in the non-driven state. The determination unit 35 monitors the voltage of the port 30 to which the electrode 23 is connected when the electrode 23 is in the non-driving state. The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the voltage signal Vs input from the A/D converter 36 at this time.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when the antenna 17 is not driven, the voltage signal Vs takes a Lo level value. Therefore, when determining whether the antenna 17 is driven or not, the determination unit 35 determines that the antenna 17 is not driven if the voltage signal Vs is at the Lo level. Therefore, the electrostatic detection module 28 performs touch determination as usual. That is, the electrostatic detection module 28 normally performs touch determination calculations based on the capacitance data Sr acquired during the driving state during the time period when the electrodes 23 are in the non-driving state.

As shown in FIG. 5(c), when the antenna 17 is driven, the voltage signal Vs takes a Hi level value. Therefore, when determining whether or not the antenna is driven, the determination unit 35 determines that the antenna 17 is being driven if the voltage signal Vs is at the Hi level, and notifies that "the antenna is driven". Output to electrostatic detection module 28 .

It is preferable that the electrostatic detection module 28 does not execute the touch determination when the notification to the effect that “the antenna is driven” is input from the determination unit 35 . In the case of this example, as in the example of FIG. 5(c), at the timing of both the start and end of the drive state, if the notification of "antenna drive present" is input, the capacitance detected during that time The data Sr is discarded, and the calculation for touch determination is not executed. Therefore, the touch determination is not performed based on the capacitance data Sr (change in capacitance of the electrode 23) obtained from the electrode 23 while the antenna 17 is being driven.

As shown in FIG. 5(d), even if a notification of "antenna driven" is input when the driving state of the electrode 23 is started, the antenna 17 becomes non-driving in the middle of the driving state, and the electrode is turned off. When the driving state of 23 ends, the notification of "antenna driving" may not be input. Also, although not shown, there is a case where the "antenna driven" notification is not input at the start of the driving state, but the "antenna driven" notification is input when the driving state ends. In these cases, it is preferable not to perform calculations for touch determination in order to ensure determination accuracy.

According to the electrostatic detection device 20 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1-1) The electrostatic detection device 20 includes an electrode 23 , an electrostatic detection module 28 and a determination section 35 . The electrode 23 changes its capacitance according to a user's operation such as contact or proximity of the human body. The electrostatic detection module 28 alternately switches the operating state of the electrode 23 between a driving state in which the electrode 23 performs capacitance detection and a non-driving state in which said electrode 23 does not perform capacitance detection. The determination unit 35 monitors the voltage of the electrode 23 when the electrode 23 is in a non-driving state, and determines whether the antenna 17 communicating with the user's terminal 2 is driven. The electrostatic detection module 28 executes detection of user operation based on the determination result of the determination unit 35 .

According to the configuration of this example, when the antenna 17 is driven while the electrode 23 is in a non-driven state, the electric wave transmitted from the antenna 17 at this time causes the voltage of the electrode 23 to fluctuate. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the antenna 17 is driven from the voltage change of the electrode 23 when the electrode 23 is in the non-driven state. Thereby, for example, when the antenna 17 is driven, it is possible to prevent the electrostatic detection module 28 from detecting the user's operation. Therefore, even if the radio waves transmitted when the antenna is driven affect the electrode 23, the capacitance change that occurs at this time does not cause touch determination to be executed. Therefore, it is possible to improve detection accuracy when detecting a user's operation based on a change in capacitance of the electrode 23 .

(1-2) The electrode 23 is connected to the port 30 of the controller 22 provided with the electrostatic detection module 28 . The determination unit 35 monitors the voltage of the port 30 and determines whether the antenna 17 is driven. According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the antenna 17 is driven or not by a simple process of monitoring the voltage of the port 30 of the controller 22 .

(1-3) The antenna 17 is arranged near the electrode 23 . With this configuration, the space required for arranging the antenna 17 and the electrode 23 can be reduced, which contributes to the miniaturization of the device. If they are placed close to each other, the electrodes are likely to be affected by radio waves from the antenna 17. However, since the operation of the electrostatic detection module 28 is controlled according to the driving state of the antenna 17, correct user judgment can be obtained.

(1-4) The electrostatic detection device 20 includes a sensor unit 21 including electrodes 23 , an electrostatic detection module 28 , and a determination section 35 . The antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 are modularized as one component. With this configuration, the antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 can be provided as one integrated component.

(1-5) The electrostatic detection module 28 charges the electrode 23 and detects the capacitance data of the electrode 23 when in the driven state, and detects the electrostatic capacitance detected during the driven state when in the non-driven state. A user operation is determined based on the capacity data. According to this configuration, it is possible to simultaneously determine whether or not the antenna is driven while performing the determination of the touch operation based on the capacitance data Sr.

(1-6) The electrostatic detection device 20 includes a multiplexer 29 , electrode wiring 31 and an A/D converter 36 . Electrode wiring 31 is provided to connect electrode 23 to electrostatic detection module 28 . A multiplexer 29 selectively connects the electrode wiring 31 to one of the electrostatic detection module 28 and the determination section 35 . The A/D converter 36 A/D-converts the voltage of the electrode 23 input from the multiplexer 29 and outputs it to the determination unit 35 . The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the A/D converter 36 .

According to this configuration, the connection destination of one port 30 of the controller 22 can be appropriately switched by the multiplexer 29 . Therefore, one port 30 of the controller 22 can be shared for inputting the capacitance data Sr of the electrode 23 for touch determination and for inputting voltage when determining whether to drive the antenna. Therefore, the required number of ports of the controller 22 can be reduced.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In addition, 2nd Embodiment is the Example which changed the structure of the controller 22 of 1st Embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted, and only the different parts will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the electrostatic detection device 20 includes electrode wiring 31 provided for connecting the electrode 23 to the electrostatic detection module 28 and branch wiring 40 branching from the electrode wiring 31 . Electrode wiring 31 connects electrode 23 to first port 41 leading to electrostatic detection module 28 in controller 22 . A branch wiring 40 connects the electrode 23 to a second port 42 that is different from the first port 41 of the controller 22 . The electrostatic detection device 20 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven by monitoring the voltage of the second port 42 which is a different port than the first port 41 connecting the electrode 23 to the electrostatic detection module 28 .

The electrostatic detection device 20 includes an A/D converter 36 that A/D converts the voltage of the electrode 23 input via the branch wiring 40 and outputs the result to the determination unit 35 . The A/D converter 36 has an input connected to the second port 42 and an output connected to the determination section 35 . The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the A/D converter 36 .

Now, when the antenna 17 is driven while the electrode 23 is in a non-driven state, the radio waves from the antenna 17 are detected by the electrode 23, and are connected to the electrode 23 even though the electrode 23 should not change in capacitance. The voltage at the second port 42 changes. At this time, a Hi-level voltage signal Vs is output from the A/D converter 36 to the determination section 35 . As a result, the determination unit 35 recognizes that the antenna 17 is being driven because the Hi level voltage signal Vs is input. Therefore, it is possible to exclude the capacitance change of the electrode 23 caused by the driving of the antenna 17 from the touch determination, which contributes to the improvement of the determination accuracy of the user's operation.

According to the electrostatic detection device 20 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment.
(2-1) The electrostatic detector 20 includes electrode wiring 31 , A/D converter 36 , and branch wiring 40 . Electrode wiring 31 is provided to connect electrode 23 to electrostatic detection module 28 . The branch wiring 40 branches from the electrode wiring 31 . The A/D converter 36 A/D-converts the voltage of the electrode 23 input via the branch line 40 and outputs the result to the determination unit 35 . The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the A/D converter 36 . According to this configuration, for example, if the second port 42 is left in the controller 22, the second port 42 can be used to monitor the voltage of the electrode 23 in the non-driving state. Therefore, the second port 42 of the controller 22 can be effectively used.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, only the parts that are different from the first and second embodiments will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electrostatic detection device 20 includes a comparator 45 that outputs the input binary comparison result. In this example, the comparator 45 is preferably provided in the controller 22 . One input of the comparator 45 is connected to the second port 42, and the other input is connected to the third port 46, which is the input terminal of the reference voltage Vbs.

The comparator 45 compares the voltage of the electrode 23 input via the branch line 40 with the reference voltage Vbs, and outputs the comparison result to the determination section 35 . The comparator 45 outputs a Hi-level or Lo-level digital voltage signal Vs to the determination unit 35 as a voltage comparison result. The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the comparator 45 .

Now, when the antenna 17 is driven while the electrode 23 is in a non-driven state, the radio waves from the antenna 17 are detected by the electrode 23, and are connected to the electrode 23 even though the electrode 23 should not change in capacitance. The voltage at the second port 42 changes. At this time, when the voltage of the electrode 23 becomes higher than the reference voltage Vbs, the Hi level voltage signal Vs is output from the comparator 45 to the determination section 35 . As a result, the determination unit 35 recognizes that the antenna 17 is being driven because the Hi level voltage signal Vs is input. Therefore, it is possible to exclude the capacitance change of the electrode 23 caused by the driving of the antenna 17 from the touch determination, which contributes to the improvement of the determination accuracy of the user's operation.

According to the electrostatic detection device 20 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first and second embodiments.
(3-1) The electrostatic detection device 20 includes electrode wiring 31 , branch wiring 40 , and comparator 45 . Electrode wiring 31 is provided to connect electrode 23 to electrostatic detection module 28 . The branch wiring 40 branches from the electrode wiring 31 . The comparator 45 compares the voltage of the electrode 23 input via the branch line 40 and the reference voltage Vbs, and outputs the comparison result to the determination section 35 . The determination unit 35 determines whether or not the antenna 17 is driven based on the digital voltage signal Vs input from the comparator 45 . According to this configuration, for example, if the controller 22 is equipped with a comparator 45, it is possible to use this comparator 45 to monitor the voltage of the electrode 23 in the non-driving state. Therefore, the comparator 45 of the controller 22 can be effectively used.

In addition, this embodiment can be changed and implemented as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
- In each embodiment, while it is determined that the antenna 17 is being driven, the electrode 23 may not be shifted to the driving state.

- In each embodiment, the determination part 35 may monitor the voltage directly input from the electrode 23 instead of the port 30 (2nd port 42) of the controller 22. FIG.
- In each embodiment, the electrode 23 may be one of the lock electrode 24 and the unlock electrode 25 .

- In each embodiment, the drive state of the electrode 23 may be a state in which touch determination is performed using a change in capacitance generated in the electrode 23 .
- In each embodiment, the non-driving state of the electrodes 23 may be a state in which touch determination is not performed even if the electrodes 23 are being discharged.

- In each embodiment, the antenna 17 is not limited to being provided on the door handle 19, and may be provided, for example, on an exterior door mirror, a vehicle body pillar, a door plate, or the like.
- In each embodiment, the antenna 17 and the electrode 23 are not limited to be arranged close to each other, and may be arranged with a certain distance therebetween.

- In each embodiment, the antenna 17 and the sensor unit 21 may have a non-unitized configuration.
- In the first embodiment, instead of using the A/D converter 36, a configuration using the comparator 45 as described in the third embodiment may be used to generate the voltage signal Vs for antenna driving determination. . That is, the same port 30 of the controller 22 may be used, and the connection may be switched inside the controller 22 to perform the antenna drive determination.

- In the third embodiment, the comparator 45 is not limited to being provided inside the controller 22 (microcomputer), and may be arranged outside the controller 22 .
- In each embodiment, the static electricity detection device 20 is not limited to being mounted on a vehicle, and may be used in other equipment or devices.

- In each embodiment, the electrostatic detection module 28 and the determination unit 35 may be configured by [1] one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software), or [2] such a processor and , in combination with one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that performs at least some of the various types of processing. A processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, which stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform processes. Memory (computer-readable media) includes any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer including the above processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that perform all of the various types of processing may be used.

- In each embodiment, the electrostatic detection module 28 and the determination unit 35 may be configured from independent processors, or part of the functions may be configured from a shared processor. In this way, the electrostatic detection module 28 and the determination unit 35 are not limited to independent functional blocks, and may be configured from one functional block, or may be configured from a partially shared functional block.

- In each embodiment, the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples or structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and configurations, as well as other combinations and configurations, including single elements, more, or less, are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

2 terminal 17 antenna 20 electrostatic detector 21 sensor unit 22 controller 23 electrode 28 electrostatic detection module 29 multiplexer 30 port 31 electrode wiring 35 Determining unit 36 A/D converter 40 Branch wiring 45 Comparator Sr Capacitance data Vs Voltage signal.

Claims (8)

an electrode whose capacitance changes in response to a user operation, which is contact or proximity of the human body;
an electrostatic detection module that alternately switches the operating state of the electrodes between a driven state in which the electrodes perform capacitance detection and a non-driven state in which the electrodes do not perform the capacitance detection;
a determination unit that monitors the voltage of the electrode when the electrode is in the non-driving state and determines whether or not an antenna communicating with a user terminal is driven;
The electrostatic detection module is an electrostatic detection device that detects the user operation based on the determination result of the determination unit. the electrodes are connected to a port of a controller provided with the electrostatic detection module;
2. The electrostatic detection device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit monitors the voltage of the port and determines whether the antenna is driven or not. 3. The electrostatic detection device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is arranged near said electrode. a sensor unit including the electrode, the electrostatic detection module, and the determination unit;
The electrostatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the antenna and the sensor unit are modularized as one component. The electrostatic detection module charges the electrodes and detects capacitance data of the electrodes when in the driving state, and detects the capacitance detected during the driving state when in the non-driving state. The electrostatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the user operation is determined based on data. electrode wiring provided for connecting the electrodes to the electrostatic detection module;
a multiplexer that selectively connects the electrode wiring to one of the electrostatic detection module and the determination unit;
an A/D converter that A/D converts the voltage of the electrode input from the multiplexer and outputs the voltage to the determination unit;
The electrostatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the antenna is driven based on a digital voltage signal input from the A/D converter. electrode wiring provided for connecting the electrodes to the electrostatic detection module;
a branch wiring branching from the electrode wiring;
an A/D converter that A/D converts the voltage of the electrode input through the branch wiring and outputs the voltage to the determination unit;
The electrostatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the antenna is driven based on a digital voltage signal input from the A/D converter. electrode wiring provided for connecting the electrodes to the electrostatic detection module;
a branch wiring branching from the electrode wiring;
a comparator that compares the voltage of the electrode input via the branch wiring with a reference voltage and outputs the comparison result to the determination unit;
The electrostatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the antenna is driven based on a digital voltage signal input from the comparator.

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