Operator sensing circuit for disabling motor of power equipment
First Claim
1. Operator sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
- at least one capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip,a charge sensor detecting at least a capacity of said sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity,said charge sensor further detecting a capacity of a capacitive reference simulator element and generating a reference signal value indicative of said capacity,a controller connected to said charge sensor,said controller receiving said reference signal value and comparing said reference signal value with a preselected stored reference range in order to determine proper operative conditions of said sensing circuit if said reference signal value is within said reference range,said controller receiving said capacity signal value and comparing said capacity signal value with a preselected hands-on capacity signal value in order to distinguish between a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is on a first side of said hands-on capacity signal value or a non-proper hands-on state, which is present if the capacity signal value is on a second side of said hands-on capacity signal value;
said hands-on capacity signal value being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical characteristic in an operator-sensing circuit having a microcontroller that commands a charge sensor to send a sensor charge signal to a capacitive sensing element. The charge sensor outputs a corresponding raw data signal to the microcontroller that in turn sends a signal that disables the motor of a unit power equipment upon the absence of an operator'"'"'s hand on a hand-gripping surface of the equipment. Capacitive means for operating within a predetermined charge range that includes preselected values that designate hands-off and hands-on conditions on the hand-gripping surface. The capacitor charge range is effective to distinguish between the presence of an operator'"'"'s hand and foreign material on the gripping surface for avoiding a false hands-on-signal.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. Operator sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
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at least one capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip, a charge sensor detecting at least a capacity of said sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity, said charge sensor further detecting a capacity of a capacitive reference simulator element and generating a reference signal value indicative of said capacity, a controller connected to said charge sensor, said controller receiving said reference signal value and comparing said reference signal value with a preselected stored reference range in order to determine proper operative conditions of said sensing circuit if said reference signal value is within said reference range, said controller receiving said capacity signal value and comparing said capacity signal value with a preselected hands-on capacity signal value in order to distinguish between a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is on a first side of said hands-on capacity signal value or a non-proper hands-on state, which is present if the capacity signal value is on a second side of said hands-on capacity signal value; said hands-on capacity signal value being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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16. Operator sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
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at least one capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip, a charge sensor detecting at least a capacity of said sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity, a controller connected to said charge sensor and receiving said capacity signal value, a range of predefined operational capacity signal values indicating proper operative conditions of said sensing element and being stored in said controller, said controller comparing said capacity signal value with said range of predefined operational capacity signal values in order to determine a presence of the proper operative conditions of said sensing element if said capacity signal value is within said range in order to distinguish between a proper functional state which is present if the capacity signal value is within said range, or a non-proper functional state, which is present if the capacity signal value is outside of said range; and a hands-on range of predefined capacity signal values; said hands-on range being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip; said controller further comparing said capacity signal value with said hands-on range in order to determine a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is within said hands-on range. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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28. Operator sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
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at least one capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip, said capacitive sensing element comprises a first electrode arranged on an inner dielectric member, said inner dielectric member being disposed on a second electrode, said first electrode being covered by an outer dielectric member and having a tube-like structural configuration which extends between opposed edges in a direction of its axis with an extension which is smaller than an extension of an operator'"'"'s hand in said direction when gripping said hand-grip, a charge sensor detecting at least a capacity of said sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity, a controller connected to said charge sensor and receiving said capacity signal value, said controller comparing said capacity signal value with a predetermined hands-on range of capacity signal values extending between an upper capacity signal value and a lower non-zero capacity signal value in order to distinguish between a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is within said hands-on threshold range of capacity signal values or a non-proper hands-on state, which is present if the capacity signal value is outside of said hands-on range of capacity signal values; said hands-on range of capacity signal values being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip.
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29. Operator sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
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at least one capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip, said capacitive sensing element comprises a first electrode arranged on an inner dielectric member, said inner dielectric member being disposed on a second electrode formed by a handle portion, said first electrode being covered by an outer dielectric member, said first and second electrodes together with said inner dielectric member therebetween establishing a first capacity, said first electrode with said gripping surface in said hands-on state and said outer dielectric member therebetween establishing a second capacity which is greater than said first capacity, a human body establishing a third capacity in said hands-on state, said third capacity and said second capacity being in serial arrangement and parallel to said first capacity and defining the capacity of said capacitive sensing element; a charge sensor detecting the capacity of said capacitive sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity, a controller connected to said charge sensor and receiving said capacity signal value, said controller comparing said capacity signal value with a predetermined hands-on capacity signal value in order to distinguish between a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is on a first side of said hands-on capacity signal value or a non-proper hands-on state, which is present if the capacity signal value is on a second side of said hands-on capacity signal value; said hands-on capacity signal value being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip.
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30. An operator-sensing circuit for a hand-grip of a device, comprising:
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a capacitive sensing element incorporated in said hand-grip, said sensing element having a capacity which is changed in a hands-on state of an operator'"'"'s hand on said hand-grip when compared with a hands-off state of said hand-grip; a charge-transfer sensor detecting at least a capacity of said sensing element and generating a capacity signal value representing said detected capacity, a controller connected to said charge transfer sensor and receiving said capacity signal value, said controller comparing said capacity signal value with a preselected hands-on capacity signal value in order to distinguish between a proper hands-on state which is present if the capacity signal value is on a first side of said hands-on capacity signal value or a non-proper hands-on state, which is present if the capacity signal value is on a second side of said hands-on capacity signal value, said hands-on capacity value being chosen to differentiate between (i) at least one of dirt and water on the hand-grip, and (ii) one of the operator'"'"'s hand and the operator'"'"'s hand in a glove on the hand-grip, said controller detecting said capacity signal value to be within or not within a predefined range of operational values that designate an absence of functional problems of said operator sensing circuit; said range of operational values being chosen to comprise said capacity signal values corresponding to proper hands-on states and non-proper hands-on states; said predefined range of operational values being effective to detect functional problems of said operator sensing circuit if said capacity signal is not within said predefined range of operational values; and said controller enables full operation of said device when the presence of a proper hands-on state and the absence of functional problems is determined. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification