APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR AN INDUCTIVE PROXIMITY SENSOR
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A proximity sensor comprising:
- a housing having a face and the housing defined in part by a longitudinal axis;
electronics within the housing;
at least a first pair of inductive coils disposed within the housing, the first pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics; and
one of the first pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the first pair of inductive coils.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inductive proximity sensor is disclosed. The proximity sensor includes a housing having at least a first pair of inductive coils disposed within the housing. One of the first pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the first pair of inductive coils. The sensor optionally includes a second set of inductive coils, having opposite polarity.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A proximity sensor comprising:
-
a housing having a face and the housing defined in part by a longitudinal axis; electronics within the housing; at least a first pair of inductive coils disposed within the housing, the first pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics; and one of the first pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the first pair of inductive coils. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A proximity sensor comprising:
-
a housing having a face and the housing defined in part by a longitudinal axis, the face having an outer dimension D; electronics disposed within the housing; at least a first pair of inductive coils disposed within the housing, the first pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and are separated from one another by more than ½
*D, the first pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics; andat least a second pair of inductor coils disposed within the housing, the second pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and are separated from one another by more than ½
*D, the second pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics; andone of the first pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the first pair of inductive coils, and one of the second pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the second pair of inductive coils. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method comprising:
-
sensing presence of an object with a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor including a housing having a face and the housing defined in part by a longitudinal axis, electronics disposed within the housing, at least a first pair of inductive coils disposed within the housing, the first pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics, at least a second pair of inductor coils disposed within the housing, the second pair of inductive coils disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the second pair of inductive coils electrically coupled with the electronics, one of the first pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the first pair of inductive coils, and one of the second pair of inductive coils is opposite in polarity from another one of the second pair of inductive coils; and wherein sensing includes sending a signal to the first pair of inductive coils and the second pair of inductive coils, including alternating between sending the signal to the first pair of inductive coils and to the second pair of inductive coils. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification