SYSTEM INCLUDING CAPACITIVELY COUPLED ELECTRODES AND CIRCUITS IN A NETWORK

• US 20100054305A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Klug, Thomas, Hammerschmidt, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• 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 capacitively coupled to the first electrode;

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

a second circuit configured to receive the data via the network and receive a current that corresponds to the signal via the second electrode, wherein the second circuit is configured to receive based on the data.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an electronic control unit 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.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an electronic control unit 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.

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.

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.

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.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a power supply connected to the first circuit and the second circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a first power supply connected to the first circuit; and

a second power supply connected to the second circuit.

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

11. A system comprising:

a first transceiver connected to a first electrode;

a second transceiver connected to a second electrode that is capacitively coupled to the first electrode; and

an electronic control unit configured to transmit data to the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to transmit signals and receive currents based on the data and to measure capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first transceiver is connected to multiple electrodes and configured to select at least one of the multiple electrodes to transmit signals and receive currents based on the data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second transceiver is connected to multiple electrodes and configured to select at least one of the multiple electrodes to transmit signals and receive currents based on the data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit the data to the first transceiver and the second transceiver via at least one of a bus, a wireless communications link and inductive coupling.

15. A method of sensing comprising:

receiving data via a network at a first circuit;

transmitting a signal via a first electrode based on the data;

receiving the data via the network at a second circuit;

receiving current that corresponds to the signal via a second electrode based on the data; and

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

16. The method of claim 15, 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.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

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

18. The method of claim 15 comprising:

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

19. A method of sensing comprising:

receiving data at a first transceiver connected to a first electrode;

receiving the data at a second transceiver connected to a second electrode;

transmitting a signal based on the data via at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and

receiving current based on the data via at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver to measure capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

selecting at least one of multiple electrodes connected to the first transceiver.

21. The method of claim 19 comprising at least one of:

transmitting a start frequency in the data; and

transmitting a spread spectrum sequence in the data.