ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITY TYPE CONTACT DETECTION DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrostatic capacitance type contact detecting device capable of preventing erroneous detection that a user contacts a door handle when rain water is collected on the upper face or the like of a door handle. SOLUTION: This is the electrostatic capacitance type contact detecting device, and when the user contacts the surface of a door handle outside a vehicle, its contact is detected. The electrostatic capacitance type contact detecting device includes an upper side sensor electrode installed at the upper side part of the door handle, a lower side sensor electrode installed at the lower side part of the door handle, an upper side detecting part to detect that the user contacts the upper side surface of the door handle based on an output from the upper side sensor electrode, and a lower side detecting part to detect that the user contacts the lower side surface of the door handle based on an output from the lower side sensor electrode. A detection sensitivity of either one of the upper side detecting part or the lower side detecting part is lower than that of the other. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT