METHOD FOR THE OPERATION OF A CAPACITIVE SENSOR ARRAY ON A MOTOR VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED DEVICE

摘要

A sensor array for the detection of movement gestures on a motor vehicle includes two elongated sensor electrode arrays offset from each other on the motor vehicle. At least one control and evaluation device is coupled to the arrays and detects a change in their capacitance. A longer array is deformed in the direction of a shorter array where the longer array protrudes over the shorter array. The control and evaluation device is designed to detect a time sequence of capacitance values for each of the arrays. The times when each array responds and stops responding are recorded, as is the time difference between the times when the arrays respond (response time difference), and the time difference between the times when the arrays stop responding (drop-out time difference). These are compared when assessing whether an actuation event has been recorded by the control and evaluation device.

主权项

1. A sensor array for the detection of movement gestures on a motor vehicle, wherein two sensor electrode arrays are arranged at spatially offset positions on the motor vehicle, wherein the sensor electrodes are designed as elongate electrode arrays and disposed with the same spatial orientation, and with at least one control and evaluation device which is coupled to the sensor electrode arrays and detects a change in the capacitance of the sensor electrode arrays in relation to a reference potential, characterized in that one of the sensor electrode arrays is longer than the other sensor electrode array, wherein the longer sensor electrode array extends in longitudinal direction on both sides over the shorter sensor electrode array, wherein in the horizontal overlapping area the sensor electrode arrays show a vertical distance, i.e., they are arranged on top of each other, wherein the longer sensor electrode array is deformed in the direction of the shorter sensor electrode array in the region of the sections protruding horizontally over the shorter sensor electrode array, wherein the control and evaluation device is designed in such a way that a time sequence of capacitance values is detected for each of the sensor electrode arrays, and respective times when each sensor electrode array responds and stops responding are recorded, and wherein the time difference between the times when the sensor electrode arrays respond (response time difference) and the time difference between the times when the sensor electrodes stop responding (drop-out time difference) are compared when assessing whether an actuation event has been recorded by the control and evaluation device.