US 12,007,521 B2
Detection method of a user of an apparatus for controlling one or more functionalities of the apparatus
Federico Rizzardini, Settimo Milanese (IT); and Lorenzo Bracco, Chivasso (IT)
Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/867,175.
Claims priority of application No. 102021000019814 (IT), filed on Jul. 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0025202 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. G01V 3/08 (2006.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.01)
CPC G01V 3/088 (2013.01) [H02J 50/20 (2016.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A detection method of a user of an apparatus operatively coupled to a charge variation sensor having at least one electrode and a control unit electrically coupled to each other, the at least one electrode being configured to detect a respective electric or electrostatic charge variation caused by the presence of the user in a detection region of the at least one electrode,
the detection method comprising:
acquiring, by the control unit and through the at least one electrode, a charge variation signal indicative of the presence or absence of the user in the detection region;
generating, by the control unit and as a function of the charge variation signal, one or more feature signals indicative of respective features of the charge variation signal;
generating, by the control unit and as a function of the one or more feature signals, a movement signal which has a value equal to a first value or to a second value, the first value of the movement signal being indicative of the absence of movement by the user in the detection region and the second value of the movement signal being indicative of a movement of the user in the detection region; and
generating, by the control unit and as a function of the movement signal, a presence signal which has a value equal to a first value or to a second value, the first value of the presence signal being indicative of the absence of the user from the detection region and the second value of the presence signal being indicative of the presence of the user in the detection region.