Patent · US Expired

Method for making a capacitive distance sensor

US6496021B2 · kind B2 · utility

22Cited by
60References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 18, 2002
Grant dateDec 17, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 18, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V40/1306
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This invention is directed to a method of making a capacitive distance sensor that includes one or more sensor cells each with first and second capacitor plates. The method includes determining an expected range of sizes of objects the sensor will be used to detect and determining a total perimeter value for each of a plurality of capacitor patterns. Each capacitor pattern includes a different arrangement of the first and second capacitor plates and the total perimeter value is the sum of the perimeter values for the first and second capacitor plates. The method selects one of the capacitor patterns based on the expected size of the object and on the total perimeter values determined for the capacitor patterns. The selecting step includes selecting whichever one of the capacitor patterns has the largest total perimeter value if the object is smaller than each of the one or more sensor cells.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.