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US 10,895,657 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for obscured feature detection with uniform electric fields
AssigneeFranklin Sensors Inc.
InventorsDavid M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features are disclosed. An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. 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.
Claims25
An obscured feature detector comprising:
- three or more sensor plates arranged linearly to form a sensor array, each sensor plate configured to take a sensor reading that varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects, each of the sensor plates configured to provide a primary coupling area to form a first end of a corresponding electric field;
- one or more common plates that are configured to provide a corresponding primary coupling area to correspond to a sensor plate and form a second end of the corresponding electric field of that sensor plate,
- wherein a center of the primary coupling area of an end sensor plate of the sensor array is on a first line with a center of the corresponding primary coupling area of the one or more common plates,
- wherein a center of the primary coupling area of a non-end sensor plate of the sensor array is on a second line with a center of the corresponding primary coupling area of the one or more common plates,
- wherein the first line and the second line are non-parallel, and
- wherein a response of the end sensor plate is similar to a response of a middle sensor plate;
- a sensing circuit coupled to the three or more sensor plates, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the sensor readings of the three or more sensor plates;
- and
- an indicator to be toggled between a deactivated state and an activated state to indicate a location of a region of relative high sensor reading.
6 more elements
An obscured feature detector comprising:
- three or more sensor plates arranged linearly to form a sensor array, each sensor plate configured to take a sensor reading that varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects, each sensor plate forming a first end of a corresponding electric field;
- a common plate to form a second end of the corresponding electric field of each sensor plate, the common plate having a length extending along the sensor array and along one side of each of the three or more sensor plates, the length of the common plate being at most 16 millimeters longer than a collective length of the sensor array,
- wherein a response of each of the three or more sensor plates is similar to a response of every other sensor plate of the three or more sensor plates;
- a sensing circuit coupled to the three or more sensor plates, the sensing circuit being configured to measure the sensor readings of the three or more sensor plates, and detect a non-metallic object;
- and
- an indicator to be toggled between a deactivated state and an activated state to indicate a location of a region of relative high sensor reading.
3 more elements
An obscured feature detector comprising:
- three or more sensor plates forming a sensor array, each sensor plate to capture a sensor reading that varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects, the three or more sensor plates to collectively create a sensing field, each individual sensor plate of the three or more sensor plates to create a corresponding primary sensing field zone within the sensing field where the individual sensor plate contributes more strongly to the sensing field than any other of the three or more sensor plates, the three or more sensor plates to create primary sensing field zones that are similar similarly responsive, wherein the primary sensing field zone corresponding to an end sensor plate is has a responsiveness similar to a responsiveness of the primary sensing field zone corresponding to a middle sensor plate;
- a common plate to receive the primary sensing field zones, the common plate having a length that extends along a collective length of the sensor array, the length of the common plate being at most one and a half times a sensor width longer than the collective length of the sensor array,
- a sensing circuit coupled to the three or more sensor plates, the sensing circuit configured to measure sensor readings of the three or more sensor plates, and detect a non-metallic object;
- and
- an indicator to be toggled between a deactivated state and an activated state to indicate a location of a region of relative high sensor reading.
2 more elements
A method of detecting an obscured feature behind a surface, comprising:
- taking a sensor reading of three or more sensor plates of an obscured feature detector that is disposed on a surface, the three or more sensor plates arranged linearly in a sensor array, the sensor reading of a region of a sensing field formed between the three or more sensor plates and a common plate of the obscured feature detector, wherein the three or more sensor plates are to create primary sensing field zones that are similarly responsive, wherein the common plate is sized and shaped to cause a sensing field of an end sensor plate to have a responsiveness similar to a responsiveness of a sensing field of a non-end sensor plate,
- measuring, via a sensing circuit, the sensor reading of the three or more sensor plates;
- comparing measurements of sensor readings in different regions of the sensing field;
- and
- toggling an indicator from a deactivated state to an activated state to indicate a location of a region of the sensing field having a relatively high sensor reading to detect a non-metallic object.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.