CAPACITIVE DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100079269A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Armin Satz, Dirk Hammerschmidt, Tobias Werth
• Original Assignee: Armin Satz, Dirk Hammerschmidt, Tobias Werth
• Inventors: Werth, Tobias, Hammerschmidt, Dirk, Satz, Armin
• Application Number:
  US12/392,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079269A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

The invention is related to capacitive sensing and detection systems and methods. In one embodiment, a capacitive sensor system comprises a first electrode arrangement having a first characteristic and related to a first capacitance, a second electrode arrangement having a second characteristic different from the first characteristic and related to a second capacitance, and a control unit coupled to the first and second electrode arrangements and configured to identify an object-dependent variable from at least one of the first and second characteristics and first and second capacitances.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor system comprising:

a first electrode arrangement having a first characteristic and related to a first capacitance;

a second electrode arrangement having a second characteristic different from the first characteristic and related to a second capacitance; and

a control unit coupled to the first and second electrode arrangements and configured to identify an object-dependent variable from at least one of the first and second characteristics and first and second capacitances.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one additional electrode arrangement having a third characteristic and related to a third capacitance, wherein the control unit is coupled to the third electrode arrangement and is configured to identify the object-dependent variable from at least one of the first, second and third characteristics and first, second and third capacitances.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first, second and characteristics are each selected from the group consisting of an electrode size, an electrode dimension, a number of electrodes, an electrode stack configuration, an adjacent material deposit, an electrode distribution and an electrode orientation.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first, second and at least one additional electrode are arranged along a length.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the length is related to a dimension of a vehicle component.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle component is a bumper or a fender.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a sensor model configured to identify the object-dependent variable from at least one of the first, second and third characteristics and first, second and third capacitances.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the object-dependent variable is a distance.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor model is a parallel plate capacitor model.

10. A sensor system comprising:

a first set of electrodes configured to direct a first electric field in a first direction relative to a vehicle;

a second set of electrodes configured to direct a second electric field in a second direction relative to a vehicle; and

a control unit coupled to the first and second sets of electrodes and configured to detect changes in the first and second electric fields.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second sets of electrodes are mounted to one of a bumper or a fender of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first direction is outward and the second direction is inward relative to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one capacitive sensor coupled to the control unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor is arranged near a shock absorber of the vehicle.

12. The system of 11, further comprising a shield between the first and second sets of electrodes.

16. A method comprising:

configuring a first set of electrodes to detect a change in an electric field directed externally relative to a vehicle;

configuring a second set of electrodes to detect a change in an electric field directed internally relative to a vehicle; and

providing a path to communicate information from the first and second sets of electrodes.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting a pre-crash event from information from the first set of electrodes.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting an impact event from information from the second set of electrodes.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

configuring a third set of electrodes to detect a change in a shock absorber of the vehicle; and

providing a path to communicate information from the third set of electrodes.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting an impact event from information from the third set of electrodes.