Liquid sensor and method for controlling a function of a liquid sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921209-B2
Application number	US-201716462051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A liquid sensor, including: a) a housing; b) at least one sensor having at least two metallic contact surfaces for detecting a liquid; and c) a processing unit for processing sensor signals of the at least one sensor, a function of the liquid sensor being controllable by an actuation of at least one of the metallic contact surfaces. A method for controlling a function of a liquid sensor is also proposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid sensor, including:
a) a housing;
b) at least one sensor having at least two metallic contact surfaces for detecting a liquid;
c) a processing unit for processing sensor signals of the at least one sensor,
wherein a function of the liquid sensor, other than the detecting of the liquid, is controllable by an actuation of at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces in which a user touches the at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces, such that the at least two metallic contact surfaces are provided for the detecting of the liquid and are actuatable by touch from the user for control of the function other than the detecting of the liquid.

2. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , including a wireless unit for transmitting the sensor signals to a receiving unit that is disposed remote from the liquid sensor, wherein the wireless unit may be coupled to the receiving unit by an actuation of the at least one of the metallic contact surfaces.

3. The liquid sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the wireless unit comprises at least one high-frequency unit.

4. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to identify an actuation of at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces.

5. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one analog input or one digital input of the processing unit is used to identify an actuation of at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces.

6. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit comprises at least one microcontroller.

7. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two metallic contact surfaces are unmovable relative to the housing.

8. The liquid sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the function other than the detecting of the liquid includes at least one of switching the liquid sensor on or off, an activation or deactivation of the at least one sensor of the liquid sensor, or a registration or a coupling of the liquid sensor with a remote receiving unit.

9. A method for controlling a function of a liquid sensor other than a detection of a liquid, the liquid sensor having at least one sensor having at least two metallic contact surfaces for the detection of the liquid, the method comprising:
actuating at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces by a user touching the at least one of the at least two metallic contact surfaces to control the function of the liquid sensor that is other than the detection of the liquid.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the function other than the detection of the liquid includes at least one of switching the liquid sensor on or off, an activation or deactivation of the at least one sensor of the liquid sensor, or a registration or a coupling of the liquid sensor with a remote receiving unit.

Assignees

• Grohe Ag

Inventors

• Jung Andreas
• Schoenbeck Heiko

Classifications

• H03K2017/9613

  using two electrodes per touch switch · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title

• G01M3/16 Primary

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title