| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 324672000 | By comparison or difference circuit | 19 |
| 20100007360 | FLUID SENSOR DEVICE - The invention provides a fluid sensor device ( | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100117662 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROCESSING A MEASURED SIGNAL FOR RECORDING A PROPERTY OF A TONER MARK - In a method or system for processing a measurement signal to detect a property of a toner mark, the toner mark is generated with aid of an image generation device. The toner mark is detected with aid of a measurement unit in that sample values determined by the measurement unit at sample points in time are output as the measurement signal for detecting the property of the toner mark. A function is determined to describe at least one part of a signal curve of the measurement signal on a basis of at least one part of the output sample values. At least one extreme value of the function is determined. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100231239 | CAPACITANCE DETECTOR - A capaciatance detector is provided, which outputs an electric signal dependent on the capacitance present on an object to be measured. The capaciatance detector includes a measurement terminal to be disposed in contact with or in proximity to the object being measured; an impedance conversion circuit connected to the measurement terminal to form a resonant circuit; a reference phase oscillator for supplying a reference phase signal at a constant frequency to the resonant circuit; phase comparison means for outputting, as a capacitance detected signal, a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between a resonant signal, which is extracted from the resonant circuit in response to the reference phase signal being applied to the resonant circuit, and the reference phase signal; and resonance frequency regulation means for regulating the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit based on the phase difference signal. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110316564 | Salinity measuring apparatus - A salinity measuring apparatus to determine salinity of food includes a salinity sensing unit including a pair of measuring electrodes and a capacitor, a switching unit to switch a voltage of the capacitor of the salinity sensing unit, and a control unit to provide a pulse signal with a constant frequency to the switching unit and to determine the salinity of the food which is in contact with the measuring electrodes of the salinity sensing unit based on when the voltage of the capacitor reaches a reference voltage. By providing the pulse signal with the constant frequency to the switching unit, it is possible to minimize the internal impedance variation of the capacitor and to more accurately measure the salinity of the food. Since a period when the voltage of the capacitor is substantially “0” is present, it is possible to minimize accumulation of ions in the measuring electrodes. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120032692 | MEMS GAS SENSOR - Systems and methods for sensing a chemical or gas species of interest are provided. In one aspect, a method of sensing a chemical includes determining a capacitance change between at least two layers in a MEMS device, the capacitance between the at least two layers indicative of a presence of one or more chemicals; and identifying the presence of the one or more chemicals based on a determined electrical response of the at least two layers and the determined capacitance change. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120153972 | VEHICLE OPENING DEVICE - A sensing arrangement for sensing a body part in a vehicle opening is described. The arrangement includes a flexible sealing member with two separate electrically conductive members. The two electrically conductive members are interconnected by an electrical oscillator which generates an electric field in the vehicle opening. The arrangement also includes detecting circuitry for detecting a change in the capacitance of the electric field when the body part is in the vicinity of the opening, and for detecting electrical continuity of the first and second electrically conductive members. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120229151 | MEASUREMENT METHOD OF DEGRADATION/ALTERATION DEGREE OF LUBRICANT OIL AND MEASUREMENT DEVICE THEREOF - Provided is a method of measuring a degree of degradation/alteration of a lubricating oil, including obtaining dielectric constants or electrostatic capacitances at two or more different frequencies and determining a degradation/alteration state of the lubricating oil based on values of the dielectric constants or the electrostatic capacitances, in which one frequency (H | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120229152 | MEASURING METHOD FOR DEGREE OF DEGRADATION OF LUBRICATING OIL, AND MEASURING DEVICE THEREFOR, AS WELL AS LUBRICATING OIL MONITORING SYSTEM IN MACHINE AND DEVICE - Provided are a method of measuring a degree of degradation of a lubricating oil and a measuring device therefor, in which (a) acidity is measured through use of an ISFET of hydrogen ion sensitive type and (b) dielectric constants or electrostatic capacitances at two or more different frequencies are obtained, to thereby determine a degradation state of the lubricating oil based on the acidity and a plurality of values of the dielectric constants or the electrostatic capacitances. Accordingly, the degree of degradation of the lubricating oil can be measured easily and precisely and a degradation mechanism of the lubricating oil can be predicted. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120242354 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING PHASE BOUNDARIES AND CORRESPONDINGLY EQUIPPED LABORATORY DEVICE - A device for detecting a phase boundary in a liquid tank a sensor that can be advanced in the direction of the phase boundary in the liquid tank. A circuit processes an output signal of the sensor to detect a change in capacitance and has a first channel with a first filter module to filter out a first signal having a short pulse width from the output signal and a second channel having a second filter module to filter out a second signal having a greater pulse width from the output signal. A controller module with comparator module determines whether the first signal reaches a first threshold value and a processing module determines whether the second signal meets predefined second signal criteria. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20130154670 | Method and Apparatus for Detecting Smoke in an ION Chamber - A smoke detection sensor ion chamber has a capacitance and a change in the permittivity of that capacitance dielectric (ionized air in the chamber) may be used to detect the presence of smoke therein. Smoke from typical fires is mainly composed of unburned carbon that has diffused in the surrounding air and rises with the heat of the fire. The permittivity of the carbon particles is about 10 to 15 times the permittivity of clean air. The addition of the carbon particles into the air in the ion chamber changes in the permittivity thereof that is large enough to measure by measuring a change in capacitance of the ion chamber. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130207674 | Detecting a Dielectric Article - A device for detecting a dielectric object includes a first electrode and a second electrode. A first unit is configured to determine a first capacitance that exists between the first electrode and a common reference point and that is influenced by the object. A second unit is configured to determine a second capacitance that exists between the second electrode and the reference point and that is influenced by the object. The device further includes a control unit for actuating the first and second units and an evaluating unit that is configured to detect the object when the determined capacitances differ by more than a predetermined amount. The control unit is configured to actuate the units in such a manner that the capacitance determinations are carried out in succession. A switching unit is provided so as to electrically connect the electrode of the respective non-actuated unit to the common reference point. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130314106 | DECODER FOR DETERMINING A SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL STRUCTURE OF A DETECTED OBJECT BASED ON SIGNALS OF A CAPACITIVE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL STRUCTURE OF A DETECTED OBJECT BASED ON SIGNALS OF A CAPACITIVE SENSOR - A decoder unit for determining a substance or material structure of a detected object based on signals of a capacitive sensor comprises a distribution determination device arranged to determine a detected distribution relation based on signals of the at least one capacitive sensor; a comparison device arranged to compare the detected distribution relation with at least one predetermined distribution relation, the at least one predetermined distribution relation corresponding to a substance or a material structure and an output device arranged to indicate the result of the comparison carried out by the comparison device. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20140111225 | Measuring Voltage - In one embodiment, a method includes, at a first input of a comparator, receiving from an analog multiplexer one of multiple first voltages. Each of the first voltages results at least in part from an interaction between an object and an electrode of each of one or more nodes of a capacitive touch sensor. The method includes, at a second input of the comparator, receiving a second voltage across a measurement capacitor that has a first terminal coupled to the second input of the comparator. The method includes charging the measurement capacitor at least in part through a measurement resistor coupled in series to the first terminal of the measurement capacitor and monitoring an output of the comparator during the charging of the measurement capacitor. The output of the comparator changes state when the second voltage becomes approximately equal to or greater than the one of the first voltages. The method includes determining an amount of time from a start of the charging of the measurement capacitor to a change in state of the output of the comparator. | 04-24-2014 |
| 20140139242 | TOUCH SENSING CIRCUIT AND METHOD - A touch sensing circuit is provided. The touch sensing circuit includes: a touch capacitor, for being touched; a touch capacitor frequency detection unit, coupled to the touch capacitor, for detecting an output frequency from the touch capacitor; a reference frequency generation unit, for generating a reference frequency; a calculation unit, coupled to the touch capacitor frequency detection unit and the reference frequency generation unit, for calculating the variation of the difference between the output frequency from the touch capacitor and the reference frequency; and a determination unit, coupled to the calculation unit, for determining whether the touch capacitor is being touched based on whether the variation of the difference is greater than a criterion value. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140361795 | Sensor Device And Method For Capacitive Approximation Detection - A capacitive sensor device with an electrode system has a first transmitting electrode and a first reception electrode, wherein the first transmitting electrode can be brought into capacitive coupling with the first reception electrode, and a second transmitting electrode and a second reception electrode, wherein the second transmitting electrode can be brought into capacitive coupling with the second reception electrode, a signal generator for feeding the first transmitting electrode with a first electric alternating signal and the second transmitting electrode with a second electric alternating signal, and a signal processing device, which is coupled with the first reception electrode and with the second reception electrode, and which is adapted to form a first measurement variable from the difference between a first electric value tapped at the first reception electrode and a second electric value tapped at the second reception electrode | 12-11-2014 |
| 20140368222 | Capacitive Proximity Detection Using Delta-Sigma Conversion - Capacitive proximity detection is provided by combining a delta-sigma modulator and a capacitive voltage divider circuit to create a high resolution capacitive-to-digital converter. Period and duty cycle counters provide duty cycle ratios from the delta-sigma modulator for comparison of changes in capacitance values of a capacitive sensor when an object is in proximity thereto. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20160029854 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING CROSS-TALK BETWEEN CAPACITIVE SENSORS - An apparatus and method is provided to reduce cross-talk between multiple capacitive sensors used in an electronic toilet and between multiple capacitive sensors used in an electronic faucet and an electronic soap dispenser. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160178574 | TEST STRIP AND METHOD TO DETERMINE TEST STRIP COMPATIBILITY | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160377758 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING OBSCURED FEATURES - Obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features are disclosed. An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates. Each of the sensor plates can have an equivalent primary sensing field zone and a capacitance that varies based on the dielectric constant of the materials that compose the surrounding objects and the proximity of those objects. A sensing circuit is coupled to the sensor plates to measure the capacitances of the sensor plates. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuit to analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or a plurality of indicators are coupled to the controller, and can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface. | 12-29-2016 |
