System including capacitively coupled electrodes and circuits in a network

• US 8,384,399 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Hammerschmidt, Dirk, Klug, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baldridge, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/200,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 324/667
• US Class Current: 324/667
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means

Abstract

A system including a first electrode, a second electrode, a first circuit and a second circuit. The second electrode is capacitively coupled to the first electrode. The first circuit is configured to receive data via a network and transmit a signal via the first electrode based on the data. The second circuit is configured to receive data via the network and receive a current that corresponds to the signal via the second electrode based on the data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode situated a first distance from the first electrode and capacitively coupled to the first electrode;

a third electrode situated a second distance from the first electrode and capacitively coupled to the first electrode and situated a third distance from the second electrode and capacitively coupled to the second electrode;

a first circuit configured to receive data via a network and transmit a first signal via the first electrode, wherein the first circuit is configured to transmit based on the data;

a second circuit configured to receive the data via the network and directly coupled to the second electrode to receive a first current from the second electrode and to transmit a second signal via the second electrode, wherein the first current corresponds to the first signal and the second circuit is configured to receive and transmit based on the data;

a third circuit configured to receive the data via the network and directly coupled to the third electrode to receive a second current from the third electrode and to receive a third current from the third electrode, wherein the second current corresponds to the first signal and the third current corresponds to the second signal and the third circuit is configured to receive based on the data; and

an electronic control unit configured to communicate with the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit via the network and detect changes in the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode and between the first electrode and the third electrode and between the second electrode and the third electrode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit the data via the network to the first circuit and the second circuit to measure capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and detect changes in the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit the data, which includes at least one of a signal start time, a signal frequency and a spread spectrum set-up, of the signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes a bus connected to at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes a wireless communications link for communicating to at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes an inductive coupling configured to communicate to at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an inductive coupling configured to supply power to at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

a power supply connected to the first circuit and at least one of the second circuit and the third circuit; and

a first power supply connected to the first circuit and a second power supply connected to at least one of the second circuit and the third circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first circuit and the third circuit is a transceiver.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a fourth electrode situated a fourth distance from the first electrode and capacitively coupled to the first electrode and situated a fifth distance from the second electrode and capacitively coupled to the second electrode and situated a sixth distance from the third electrode and capacitively coupled to the third electrode; and

a fourth circuit configured to receive the data via the network and directly coupled to the fourth electrode to receive a fourth current from the fourth electrode and a fifth current from the fourth electrode and to transmit a third signal via the fourth electrode, wherein the fourth current corresponds to the first signal and the fifth current corresponds to the second signal and the fourth circuit is configured to receive and transmit based on the data, and the third circuit is directly coupled to the third electrode to receive a sixth current from the third electrode that corresponds to the third signal and the electronic control unit is configured to communicate with the fourth circuit via the network and detect changes in the distance between the first electrode and the fourth electrode and between the second electrode and the fourth electrode and between the third electrode and the fourth electrode.

10. A method of sensing comprising:

receiving data via a network at a first circuit;

transmitting a first signal from a first electrode directly coupled to the first circuit and based on the data;

receiving the data via the network at a second circuit;

receiving a first current at the second circuit from a second electrode directly coupled to the second circuit and situated a first distance from the first electrode, wherein the first current corresponds to the first signal and the second electrode and the second circuit receive the current based on the data;

transmitting a second signal from the second electrode based on the data;

receiving the data via the network at a third circuit;

receiving a second current at the third circuit from a third electrode directly coupled to the third circuit and situated a second distance from the first electrode and a third distance from the second electrode, wherein the second current corresponds to the first signal and the third electrode and the third circuit receive the second current based on the data;

receiving a third current at the third circuit from the third electrode, wherein the third current corresponds to the second signal and the third electrode and the third circuit receive the third current based on the data;

measuring capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the first signal and the first current;

measuring capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode based on the first signal and the second current;

measuring capacitance between the second electrode and the third electrode based on the second signal and the third current;

detecting changes in the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the first signal and the first current;

detecting changes in the distance between the first electrode and the third electrode based on the first signal and the second current; and

detecting changes in the distance between the second electrode and the third electrode based on the second signal and the third current.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

transmitting the data, which includes at least one of a signal start time, a signal frequency and a spread spectrum set-up, of the signal.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising:

providing power to at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit and the third circuit via inductive coupling.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising:

transmitting the data via at least one of a bus, a wireless communications link and inductive coupling.