Patent ID: 8179180

Claim:
In an electrical appliance, a series arrangement comprising at least first and second devices, each of the devices in the series arrangement for detecting an approach or a touch related to at least one sensor element, each of the devices in the series arrangement comprising a first signal path with a first input and a first output and a second signal path with a second input and a second output, wherein the first signal path comprises a delay device with a delay, the delay device configured to delay a digital first input signal at the first input into a digital first output signal at the first output, wherein the delay is dependent on a capacitance value resulting from the approach or the touch related to the sensor element, and wherein the second signal path comprises an XOR-element, which is configured to generate an edge in a digital second output signal at the second output, when the digital first output signal outputted by the delay device exhibits an edge, and wherein the first output of the first device is connected to the first input of the second device and the second output of the first device is connected to the second input of the second device.