Obscured feature detector with advanced trace properties
First Claim
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1. An obscured feature detector comprising:
- a plurality of sensor plates, each having a capacitance that varies based on;
(a) the proximity of the sensor plates to one or more surrounding objects, and (b) the dielectric constant(s) of the surrounding object(s);
a sensing circuit coupled to the sensor plates by a plurality of electrically conductive traces, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the capacitances of the sensor plates; and
wherein the electrically conductive traces have a physical trace length defined by the distance along the traces between the sensor plates and the sensing circuit, and the physical trace lengths of two or more of the electrically conductive traces are substantially the same.
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Abstract
A surface-conforming obscured feature detector includes a plurality of sensor plates, each having a capacitance that varies based on the dielectric constant of the materials that compose the surrounding objects and the proximity of those objects. A sensing circuit is coupled to the sensor plates 32 to measure the capacitances of the sensor plates. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuit to analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or a plurality of indicators are coupled to the controller, and are selectively activated to identify the location of an obscured feature behind a surface.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An obscured feature detector comprising:
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a plurality of sensor plates, each having a capacitance that varies based on;
(a) the proximity of the sensor plates to one or more surrounding objects, and (b) the dielectric constant(s) of the surrounding object(s);a sensing circuit coupled to the sensor plates by a plurality of electrically conductive traces, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the capacitances of the sensor plates; and wherein the electrically conductive traces have a physical trace length defined by the distance along the traces between the sensor plates and the sensing circuit, and the physical trace lengths of two or more of the electrically conductive traces are substantially the same. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of using an obscured feature detector having a plurality of sensor plates to determine the location of an obscured feature behind a surface, the method comprising:
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placing the obscured feature detector on the surface; transmitting a value from the plurality of sensor plates along a plurality of electrically conductive traces to a sensor circuit, wherein a physical trace length of at least two of the conductive traces is substantially equal; measuring capacitance readings sensed in a plurality of regions, each region corresponding to an area surrounding one or more of the sensor plates and represented by the value transmitted from the plurality of sensor plates; and identifying, based on the capacitance readings, a location of the obscured feature behind the surface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification