Portable electronic device including capacitive water detection means and method of implementation
US6885201B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 2003 |
| Grant date | Apr 26, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/223
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
There is described a portable device (1) including in particular a case (2) closed by a glass (3) and containing device for detecting the presence of water (22) in contact with an external region of the assembly formed by the case and the glass. In a preferred embodiment, the device for detecting the presence of water include a plurality of capacitive sensors (20) arranged in a peripheral region of the device (1) so as to undergo a variation in their respective capacitances when the latter is immersed in water. Thus, a quantity characteristic of the capacitance value of each sensor (20) is periodically measured and stored. After each measurement, the new value obtained is compared to the preceding one to detect any variation in the corresponding capacitance. When a part of the capacitive sensors (20) simultaneously see their respective capacitances vary considerably between two measurements, detection of the presence of water is validated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.