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US 11,822,035 B2Granted
Passive inductive proximity sensor array signal processing circuit
AssigneeGE Aviation Systems LLC
InventorEric J. Hoekstra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A proximity sensor comprises a reference inductor, a first set of sensor inductors, a first set of comparators, each comparator of the first set of comparators corresponding to one of the sensor inductors of the first set of sensor inductors, and an alternating current voltage source to output a sinusoidal voltage to the reference inductor and each of the sensor inductors. Each comparator of the first set of comparators receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage and each comparator of the first set of comparators receives a voltage across a corresponding sensor inductor as an input voltage.
Claims15
A proximity sensor comprising:
- a reference inductor;
- a first set of sensor inductors;
- a first set of comparators, each comparator of the first set of comparators corresponding to one of the sensor inductors of the first set of sensor inductors;
- a second set of comparators, each comparator of the second set of comparators corresponding to one of the sensor inductors of the first set of sensor inductors;
- and
- an alternating current voltage source to output a sinusoidal voltage to the reference inductor and each of the sensor inductors,
- wherein each comparator of the first set of comparators receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage, such that each comparator of the first set of comparators receives the same reference voltage;
- wherein each comparator of the first set of comparators receives a voltage across a corresponding sensor inductor as an input voltage;
- wherein each comparator of the second set of comparators receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage;
- wherein each comparator of the second set of comparators receives a voltage across a corresponding sensor inductor as an input voltage;
- and
- wherein each comparator of the second set of comparators is configured to output a high signal when the input voltage is higher than the reference voltage and each comparator of the second set of comparators is configured to output a low signal when the input voltage is lower than the reference voltage, thereby providing redundancy of detection to the first set of comparators.
9 more elements
A proximity sensor comprising:
- a master circuit;
- and
- a monitor circuit positioned remotely from the master circuit,
- wherein the master circuit comprises a reference inductor, a plurality of sensor inductors, and a plurality of comparators, each of the sensor inductors is positioned remotely from the reference inductor, and each comparator receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage and a voltage across one of the sensor inductors as an input voltage, such that each comparator receives the same reference voltage and each comparator outputs a low signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is higher than the voltage across one of the sensor inductors and outputs a high signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is lower than the voltage across one of the sensor inductors;
- wherein the master circuit is configured to determine a change in inductance between each of the sensor inductors and the reference inductor when a metal is placed in proximity to the sensor inductors;
- wherein the monitor circuit comprises a plurality of second comparators;
- wherein the monitor circuit is configured to independently determine a change in inductance between each of the sensor inductors and the reference inductor when a metal is placed in proximity to the sensor inductors;
- and
- wherein each comparator of the plurality of second comparators receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage and a voltage across one of the sensor inductors as an input voltage, such that each comparator of the plurality of second comparators outputs a low signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is greater than the voltage across one of the sensor inductors and outputs a high signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is lower than the voltage across one of the sensor inductors.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- applying an alternating current voltage to a reference inductor and a plurality of sensor inductors of a master circuit;
- and
- determining whether a metal is in proximity to one or more of the plurality of sensor inductors based on first outputs of one or more comparators of the master circuit and second outputs of one or more comparators of a monitor circuit,
- wherein each comparator of the master circuit corresponds to a comparator of the monitor circuit and corresponds to one of the plurality of sensor inductors;
- wherein the plurality of sensor inductors of the master circuit are positioned remotely from the reference inductor in a plurality of aircraft systems;
- wherein the master circuit is configured to determine a change in inductance between each of the plurality of sensor inductors and the reference inductor when the metal is placed in proximity to the plurality of sensor inductors;
- wherein the monitor circuit is configured to independently determine a change in inductance between each of the plurality of sensor inductors and the reference inductor when the metal is placed in proximity to the plurality of sensor inductors;
- wherein each comparator of the master circuit receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage and a voltage across one of the plurality of sensor inductors as an input voltage, such that each comparator receives the same reference voltage and such that each comparator of the master circuit outputs a low signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is greater than the voltage across one of the plurality of sensor inductors and outputs a high signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is lower than the voltage across one of the plurality of sensor inductors;
- and
- wherein each comparator of the monitor circuit receives a voltage across the reference inductor as a reference voltage and a voltage across one of the plurality of sensor inductors as an input voltage, such that each comparator of the monitor circuit outputs a low signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is higher than the voltage across one of the plurality of sensor inductors and outputs a high signal when the voltage across the reference inductor is lower than the voltage.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.