Electric field sensor and vehicle safety system
First Claim
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1. An electric field sensor, comprising:
- a. at least one first electrode;
b. at least one second electrode;
c. at least one third electrode, wherein said at least one second electrode is located between said at least one first electrode and said at least one third electrode, said at least one first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by said electric field sensor, and said at least one second electrode is substantially the same size as said at least one first electrode;
d. a sensing circuit; and
e. a reference capacitor, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to replace one of the first, second or third electrodes in the sensing circuit with the reference capacitor in order to account for drift in the sensing circuit.
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Abstract
An electric field sensor and a vehicle safety system comprise at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode, and at least one third electrode. The at least one second electrode is located between the at least one first electrode and the at least one third electrode. The at least one first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by the electric field sensor, and the at least one second electrode is substantially the same size as the at least one first electrode.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An electric field sensor, comprising:
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a. at least one first electrode; b. at least one second electrode; c. at least one third electrode, wherein said at least one second electrode is located between said at least one first electrode and said at least one third electrode, said at least one first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by said electric field sensor, and said at least one second electrode is substantially the same size as said at least one first electrode; d. a sensing circuit; and e. a reference capacitor, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to replace one of the first, second or third electrodes in the sensing circuit with the reference capacitor in order to account for drift in the sensing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electric field sensor, comprising:
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a first electrode; a second electrode; a third electrode, wherein said second electrode is located between said first electrode and said third electrode, said first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by said electric field sensor, and said second electrode is substantially the same size as said first electrode; an oscillator configured to apply an oscillatory voltage signal to one of the first, second or third electrodes; a sensing circuit; and a reference capacitor, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to replace one of the first, second or third electrodes in the sensing circuit with the reference capacitor in order to account for drift in the sensing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A vehicle safety system comprising:
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an occupant detection system with an electric field sensor, wherein the electric field sensor comprises; at least one first electrode; at least one second electrode; and at least one third electrode, wherein the at least one second electrode is located between the at least one first electrode and the at least one third electrode, the at least one first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by the electric field sensor, and the at least one second electrode is substantially the same size as the at least one first electrode; a controller configured to determine whether or not a child seat is present on a vehicle seat based on a capacitance reading from the electric field sensor; a sensing circuit; and a reference capacitor, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to replace one of the first, second or third electrodes in the sensing circuit with the reference capacitor in order to account for drift in the sensing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A vehicle safety system comprising:
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an occupant detection system with an electric field sensor, wherein the electric field sensor comprises; at least one first electrode; at least one second electrode; at least one third electrode, wherein the at least one second electrode is located between the at least one first electrode and the at least one third electrode, the at least one first electrode is located proximate to a region to be sensed by the electric field sensor, and the at least one second electrode is substantially the same size as the at least one first electrode; a sensing circuit; and a reference capacitor, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to replace one of the first, second or third electrodes in the sensing circuit with the reference capacitor in order to account for drift in the sensing circuit.
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Specification