1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a sensor for detecting a target in a non-contact manner and a switch including the sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a sensor is used in an operating switch for a user's operation such as an operation of turning an apparatus on or off. As this kind of sensor, a capacitance-type sensor utilizing electrostatic capacitance is known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-111996 discloses a capacitance-type contact sensor (touch sensor).
The contact sensor disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-111996 includes an operating switch, which is a first contact sensor unit, a dummy switch, which is a second contact sensor unit disposed close to the operating switch, and a sensor detection unit that detects whether or not effective contact has been made with the operating switch on the basis of output of the dummy switch. In this contact sensor, while the dummy switch is detecting user's contact, output of the operating switch is made ineffective even if the operating switch is detecting user's contact. In this way, only intentional contact is made effective. This makes it possible to prevent the contact sensor from reacting to an operation that is not intended by the user.