Method and system for determining proximity of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255781-B2
Application number	US-201313852453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A first sensor detects whether an object is within a first region that surrounds the first sensor. A second sensor detects whether the object is within a second region that surrounds the second sensor. The first and second sensors are omnidirectional capacitive electrodes. In response to the first sensor detecting that the object is not within the first region, a device determines that the object is not proximate to a particular side of the first and second sensors. In response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, and the second sensor detecting that the object is within the second region, the device determines that the object is not proximate to the particular side. In response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, the device determines that the object is proximate to the particular side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by at least one device for determining proximity of an object, the method comprising:
with a first sensor, detecting whether the object is within a first region that surrounds the first sensor;
with a second sensor, detecting whether the object is within a second region that surrounds the second sensor, wherein the first and second sensors are omnidirectional capacitive electrodes, and wherein the object is unrestricted to approach the first and second sensors from front and rear sides of the first and second sensors;
in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is not within the first region, determining that the object is not proximate to a particular side of the first and second sensors, wherein the particular side is one of the front and rear sides;
in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, and the second sensor detecting that the object is within the second region, determining that the object is not proximate to the particular side; and
in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, determining that the object is proximate to the particular side.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second regions partially overlap with one another.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors are frame-shaped.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second regions are different from one another in at least one of: size; and shape.

5. The method of claim 1 , and comprising:
with a third sensor that is omnidirectional, detecting whether the object is within a third region that surrounds the third sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining that the object is proximate to the particular side includes:
in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, and yet the third sensor detecting that the object is not within the third region, determining that the object is proximate to the particular side.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first, second and third sensors are line-shaped, and wherein the first, second and third regions concentrically surround axes of the first, second and third sensors respectively.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first, second and third regions partially overlap with one another.

9. The method of claim 1 , and comprising:
in response to determining that the object is proximate to the particular side, outputting a signal for causing another device to perform an operation.

10. A system for determining proximity of an object, the system comprising:
a first sensor for detecting whether the object is within a first region that surrounds the first sensor;
a second sensor for detecting whether the object is within a second region that surrounds the second sensor, wherein the first and second sensors are omnidirectional capacitive electrodes, and wherein the object is unrestricted to approach the first and second sensors from front and rear sides of the first and second sensors; and
at least one device for: in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is not within the first region, determining that the object is not proximate to a particular side of the first and second sensors, wherein the particular side is one of the front and rear sides; in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, and the second sensor detecting that the object is within the second region, determining that the object is not proximate to the particular side; and, in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, determining that the object is proximate to the particular side.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second regions partially overlap with one another.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second sensors are frame-shaped.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second regions are different from one another in at least one of: size; and shape.

14. The system of claim 10 , and comprising:
a third sensor for detecting whether the object is within a third region that surrounds the third sensor, wherein the third sensor is omnidirectional.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein determining that the object is proximate to the particular side includes:
in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, and yet the third sensor detecting that the object is not within the third region, determining that the object is proximate to the particular side.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first, second and third sensors are line-shaped, and wherein the first, second and third regions concentrically surround axes of the first, second and third sensors respectively.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first, second and third regions partially overlap with one another.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one device is for: in response to determining that the object is proximate to the particular side, outputting a signal for causing another device to perform an operation.

19. A system for determining proximity of an object, the system comprising:
a first sensor for detecting whether the object is within a first region that surrounds the first sensor;
a second sensor for detecting whether the object is within a second region that surrounds the second sensor;
a third sensor for detecting whether the object is within a third region that surrounds the third sensor, wherein the first, second and third sensors are omnidirectional capacitive electrodes, and wherein the object is unrestricted to approach the first and second sensors from front and rear sides of the first, second and third sensors; and
at least one device for: in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is not within the first region, determining that the object is not proximate to a particular side of the first, second and third sensors, wherein the particular side is one of the front and rear sides; in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, and the second sensor detecting that the object is within the second region, determining that the object is not proximate to the particular side; in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, and the third sensor detecting that the object is within the third region, determining that the object is not proximate to the particular side; and, in response to the first sensor detecting that the object is within the first region, yet the second sensor detecting that the object is not within the second region, and yet the third sensor detecting that the object is not within the third region, determining that the object is proximate to the particular side.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first, second and third sensors are line-shaped, and wherein the first, second and third regions concentrically surround axes of the first, second and third sensors respectively.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first, second and third regions partially overlap with one another.

22.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Deutschland
• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Spevak Peter

Classifications

• G01B7/14 Primary

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B7/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B7/023

  for measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B7/082 and G01B7/102 take precedence) · CPC title