Heater device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331937-B2
Application number	US-202117157244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 7, 2018
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A heater device includes a first detection pattern that is arranged on an insulating substrate and detects a change in capacitance between a first transmitting electrode and a first receiving electrode for detecting an object, a second detection pattern that is arranged on the insulating substrate and detects the change in capacitance between a second transmitting electrode and a second receiving electrode for detecting the object, a capacitance determination unit that determines whether one of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than a first threshold value and the other is lower than a second threshold value, and a disconnection determination unit that determines a disconnection in the first or the second detection pattern, when result of the capacitance determination unit is positive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heater device having a heat generating portion configured to generate a heat output arranged on an insulating substrate, comprising:
a first detection pattern arranged on the insulating substrate, having a first transmitting electrode and a first receiving electrode for detecting an object, the first detection pattern being configured to detect a change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode;
a second detection pattern arranged on the insulating substrate, having a second transmitting electrode and a second receiving electrode for detecting the object, the second detection pattern being configured to detect a change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode;
a capacitance determination unit configured to determine whether or not one of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, whether or not the other of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is lower than a second threshold value; and
a disconnection determination unit configured to determine that a disconnection of the first detection pattern or the second detection pattern occurs, when the capacitance determination unit determines that one of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the other of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is lower than the second threshold value,
wherein the heat output stops based on the determination of the disconnection determination unit that the disconnection of the first detection pattern or the second detection pattern occurs.

2. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the capacitance determination unit is a first capacitance determination unit, and
further comprising,
a second capacitance determination unit configured to determine whether or not the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, and
an object determination unit configured to determine that the object is detected, when the capacitance determination unit determines that the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and that the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the second threshold value.

3. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least a part of the first transmitting electrode, at least a part of the first receiving electrode, at least a part of the second transmitting electrode, and at least a part of the second receiving electrode overlap with a circular region having a diameter of 10 mm projected on the insulating substrate from a normal direction of the insulating substrate.

4. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat generating portion is arranged on one surface of the insulating substrate, and
the first transmitting electrode, the first receiving electrode, the second transmitting electrode, and the second receiving electrode are arranged between the heat generating portions.

5. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first transmitting electrode, the first receiving electrode, the second transmitting electrode, and the second receiving electrode are arranged on one surface of the insulating substrate, and
the heat generating portion is arranged on the other surface of the insulating substrate.

6. A heater device having a heat generating portion configured to generate a heating output arranged on an insulating substrate, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the heater device to:
detect a change in capacitance between a first transmitting electrode and a first receiving electrode as a first detection pattern having the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode arranged on the insulating substrate for detecting an object;
detect a change in capacitance between a second transmitting electrode and a second receiving electrode as a second detection pattern having the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode arranged on the insulating substrate for detecting the object;
determine whether or not one of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, whether or not the other of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is lower than a second threshold value; and
determine that a disconnection of the first detection pattern or the second detection pattern occurs, when the capacitance determination unit determines that one of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the other of the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is lower than the second threshold value,
wherein the processor stops the heating output based on the determination that the disconnection of the first detection pattern or the second detection pattern occurs.

7. The heater device according to claim 6 , wherein
the heater device is further caused to
determine whether or not the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, and
determine that the object is detected, when the capacitance determination unit determines that the change in capacitance between the first transmitting electrode and the first receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and that the change in capacitance between the second transmitting electrode and the second receiving electrode is equal to or higher than the second threshold value.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Ishikawa Kimitake
• Tanaka Yusuke
• Seki Hideki
• Ito Shuji

Classifications

• H05B3/03

  Electrodes · CPC title

• G01V3/088 Primary

  operating with electric fields (G01V3/082 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24C7/043 Primary

  Stoves · CPC title

• H05B1/0236

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H05B3/28

  heating conductor embedded in insulating material · CPC title