Body sensing device

• US 5,760,688 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Kasai, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/655,362
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 340/551, 340/552, 340/561, 340/562, 340/565, 340/567, 340/933, 340/941, 331/63, 331/64, 331/65, 331/107 R, 331/108 R, 331/117 R
• US Class Current: 340/561
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/20 by varying inductance, e.g. by a movable armature
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/02 Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/102 by measuring amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/954 controlled by an oscillatory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9547 with variable amplitude

Abstract

An improved body sensing device capable of precisely sensing a living body at a standstill by discriminating the living body from other substances than the living body. An oscillator provided with a detection coil oscillates a high frequency signal. As there is no object or exists baggage or the like near the detection coil, the oscillator oscillates and generates a high frequency signal at a high level to be detected by a detector for turning on a transistor of a controller. As there exists a human body near the oscillator, the oscillation stops and the input signal from the detector to the transistor is extremely lowered, so that the transistor is turned off.

Claims

1. A body sensing device, comprising:

an oscillator having a coil, said oscillator configured to stop an oscillation of a high frequency signal when a body to be detected thereby exists near said coil, and

a controller configured to detect the stop of the oscillation of said oscillator,

wherein said high frequency has such a frequency that said oscillator stops the oscillation in response to an approach by a non-magnetic body or a non-metal body, and

wherein said coil is configured to output a signal having a quality factor below a predetermined value when said non-magnetic body or said non-metal body approaches said coil, and to output the signal having a quality factor above the predetermined value when a magnetic body, a metal body or no object approaches said coil.

2. A body sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said frequency is between 10 MHz and 300 MHz.

3. A body sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said coil has a diameter of between 150 mm and 300 mm.

4. A body sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said coil is an air-core coil having at least one turn.

5. A body sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said coil is wound around a magnetic member.

6. A body sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said coil includes a plurality of coils disposed in a concentric relationship to one another.

7. A living body sensing device, comprising:

a coil for sensing a living body,

a discriminating circuit connected with said coil for discriminating an approach of said living body,

a circuit housing enclosing said discriminating circuit,

wherein a size of said coil in any horizontal direction is larger than a size of said circuit housing in any horizontal direction, and

wherein said coil is configured to output a signal having a quality factor above a predetermined value when a magnetic body or no object approaches said coil, and to output a signal having a quality factor below the predetermined value when said living body approaches said coil.

8. A living body sensing device according to claim 7, wherein said coil is a one-turn coil having a diameter of approximately 200 mm.

9. A living body sensing device according to claim 8, wherein said coil is built within one of a seat and a cushion.

10. A living body sensing device according to claim 8, wherein said coil is made of conductive material in a high frequency.

11. A living body sensing device according to claim 8, wherein said coil is a circular air-core coil having a diameter between 15 centimeters and 30 centimeters.

12. A living body sensing device according to claim 7, wherein said discriminating circuit includes an oscillator for stopping an oscillation of a high frequency signal as the living body to be detected thereby exists near said coil, and a controller for detecting the stop of the oscillation of said oscillator.

13. A living body sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said oscillator is provided with a sensitivity adjuster for changing the quality factor of said coil.

14. A living body sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said oscillator is provided with a temperature compensation circuit for compensating a change of an amplitude or frequency of said high frequency signal due to a temperature change.

15. A living body sensing device, comprising.

an oscillator including a coil, said oscillator generating a high frequency signal having a different amplitude depending upon whether or not a living body exists near said coil, the amplitude of the high frequency signal being generated based on an output signal of said coil, the output signal of said coil having a quality factor below a predetermined value when the living body exists near said coil, and having a quality factor above the predetermined value when the living body does not exist near said coil,

a detector for detecting an output signal generated from said oscillator, and

a controller for discriminating an existence or absence of the living body in accordance with a magnitude of an output signal generated from said detector.

16. A living body sensing device according to claim 15, further comprising a series circuit of a filter and an amplifier which is connected with said detector in parallel,

wherein a signal having a frequency higher than that of the high frequency signal upon the existence and absence of the living body near said coil is detected by said filter to be amplified by said amplifier, and

wherein an amplitude of the output signal generated from said detector is compensated by an output from said amplifier.

17. A living body sensing device according to claim 15, further comprising a second amplifier connected to said filter and interposed between said detector and said controller, said second amplifier for detecting a frequency of the output signal from said detector,

wherein an amplification factor of said second amplifier is changed according to the frequency detected by said filter.

18. A living body sensing device according to claim 15, wherein said oscillator includes only one resonator for generating the high frequency signal.

19. A living body sensing device, comprising:

an oscillator including a coil, said oscillator generating a high frequency signal having a different amplitude depending upon whether or not a living body exists near said coil,

a detector for detecting an output signal generated from said oscillator to generate a detection signal,

a controller for discriminating an existence or absence of the living body in accordance with a magnitude of the output signal generated from said detector, and

a frequency detector for detecting an output frequency of said oscillator,

wherein said controller determines the absence of the living body regardless of an amplitude of said detection signal when the output frequency detected by said frequency detector is higher than a predetermined frequency which sets a maximum frequency in which the detection of the living body is made.

20. A living body sensing device according to claim 19, wherein the absence or presence of the living body is determined based on both an amplitude of a signal output from said coil and a frequency of the signal output from said coil,

wherein the amplitude of the signal being less than a predetermined level is indicative of the presence of the living body, and the frequency of the signal being less than the predetermined frequency is also indicative of the presence of the living body, and

wherein, when the amplitude of the signal is less than the predetermined level at the same time the frequency of the signal is greater than the predetermined frequency, the absence of the living body is determined by said controller.