Proximity sensor

Abstract

A proximity sensor that outputs presence or absence of a detection object or a position of the detection object as a detection result includes: a detection part configured to include a detection coil and a capacitor; an oscillation circuit configured to excite the detection part; an analog/digital conversion circuit configured to detect a signal change occurring in the detection part and output a digital signal indicating the detected signal change; a temperature detection part configured to detect a temperature inside a casing of the proximity sensor; a storage part configured to store a characteristic parameter unique to the proximity sensor in advance; a control calculation part configured to process a digital signal from the analog/digital conversion circuit to calculate a signal indicating a distance to the detection object, compensate the calculated signal using the characteristics parameter stored in the storage part, and output the compensated signal as the detection result.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.