Obscured feature detector
First Claim
Patent Images
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 plurality of sensor plates, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the capacitance of each of the sensor plates;
a controller coupled to the sensing circuit, the controller being configured to receive the capacitance measurements from the sensing circuit;
the controller configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;
the first mode configured to detect obscured features that are at least a first distance behind a surface, and the second mode configured to detect obscured features that are less than the first distance behind the surface;
one or a plurality of indicators coupled to the controller, each indicator capable of toggling between a deactivated state and an activated state; and
wherein the controller is configured to activate one or more of the indicators to identify a location of an obscured feature.
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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.
56 Citations
20 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 plurality of sensor plates, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the capacitance of each of the sensor plates; a controller coupled to the sensing circuit, the controller being configured to receive the capacitance measurements from the sensing circuit; the controller configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode; the first mode configured to detect obscured features that are at least a first distance behind a surface, and the second mode configured to detect obscured features that are less than the first distance behind the surface; one or a plurality of indicators coupled to the controller, each indicator capable of toggling between a deactivated state and an activated state; and wherein the controller is configured to activate one or more of the indicators to identify a location of an obscured feature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. 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 plurality of sensor plates, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the capacitance in the area surrounding each of the sensor plates; a controller coupled to the sensing circuit, the controller being configured to receive the capacitance measurements from the sensing circuit; the controller configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode; the first mode configured to update the indicators at a first update frequency, and a second mode configured to update the indicators at a second update frequency; one or a plurality of indicators coupled to the controller, each indicator capable of toggling between a deactivated state and an activated state; and wherein the controller is configured to activate one or more of the indicators to identify a location of an obscured feature. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method for determining the location of an obscured feature behind a surface, the method comprising:
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selecting a first mode or a second mode of an obscured feature detector, the first mode being configured to detect obscured features of a predetermined depth behind the surface, and the second mode being configured to detect obscured features of a predetermined second depth behind the surface; placing the obscured feature detector on the surface, the obscured feature detector having a plurality of sensor plates arranged in an array; sensing the capacitance in an area surrounding one or more of the sensor plates; identifying, based upon the sensed capacitance, the location of one or a plurality of obscured features; and activating one or a plurality of indicators to promote visual identification of the location of an obscured feature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification