EP1964264A1

EP1964264A1 - Capacitive proximity sensor

Info

Publication number: EP1964264A1
Application number: EP06829555A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gerd Reime
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-14
Filing date: 2006-12-12
Publication date: 2008-09-03
Also published as: US20080303537A1; US7902841B2; WO2007068457A1; DE102005063023A1

Abstract

An arrangement serves the purpose of monitoring an object such as a door for changes in a field surrounding the object. A sensor-active region having a measurement area (11a) is associated with the object, and a driver (12, 13) applies a certain variable in the sensor-active region. A receiver (14) detects the variable applied by the drivers and changes in the variable in the field surrounding the object (10) in the sensor-active region (11). By means of a circuit which is connected downstream of the receiver (14), the changes in the field surrounding the object (10) are used to produce a control and/or measurement signal (Δ11a, Δ11b). As a result of the fact that, in order to detect changes in the variable in the field surrounding the object (10), in addition a further measurement path or a reference path with an associated driver (13, 12) is provided, the fact that a clock circuit (15) for switching each of the measurement paths or the measurement path and the reference path on in sections of time is provided, the fact that a regulating device (17) for regulating the at least one variable introduced by the drivers (12, 13) into the measurement paths and/or reference path in response to changes in the variable in the field is provided, with the result that on average the same amplitude of the variable passes from the drivers and the sensor-active region (11) to the receiver (14) at the receiver (14) from each of the measurement paths, and the fact that the sensor-active region (11) is coupled, at a high resistance, at least to the drivers (12, 13), an arrangement for monitoring an object is made more sensitive and at the same time less susceptible to faults.

Description

CAPACITIVE NEAR SENSOR

description

Related to related applications

This application claims the priority of German patent application 10 2005 063 023.5, filed December 14, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated from ^¬ expressly included as part of the present application is made.

Field of the invention

The invention relates to an arrangement for monitoring an object for changes in a field surrounding the object according to the preamble of claim 1.

State of the art

In many areas, there is a desire to detect changes in the environment of an object in order to derive, for example, control commands for opening doors or other openings. For this purpose, mostly opto-electronically operating proximity sensors are used which detect the approach of a person to an object and derive a corresponding control command therefrom.

For the US 2004/0189293 A1 underlying the preamble of claim 1, a device is known in which an electromagnetic field is checked for changes in the environment of the field. This device serves, in particular, to check persons to see if they have metallic objects such as e.g. Carrying weapons. Depending on the result of the check, a passage is then opened or released. Similar devices are also shown in EP 1 583 236 A1, DE 197 01 899 A1, DE 197 44 152 A1, EP 1 341 306 A1 and EP 1 106 981 A2.

The previously known systems have in common that they not only react to the changes to be detected in their environment, but are also susceptible to interference. Such disturbances may be extraneous light in the optoelectronic devices, in the inductive or capacitive solutions, the results may already be affected by humidity or grounding of the approaching person or the approaching object. Object of the invention

Based on this prior art, the present invention seeks to make an arrangement for monitoring an object more sensitive and at the same time less susceptible to interference.

This object is achieved by an arrangement with the features of claim 1.

Various steps are taken to record the changes. On the one hand, two measurement paths are matched with one another, whereby a control device ensures that at the receiver, the same amplitude values in total from the drivers of the measurement path and from the sensor-active region arrive at the receiver from each of the measurement paths to the receiver. The control device thus regulates the power supplied to the drivers. However, this alone is not enough to ensure the desired sensitivity even under changing environmental conditions. This is additionally achieved by coupling the sensor-active region with the measuring surfaces to the drivers in a high-impedance manner so that even the smallest changes in the environment become noticeable on the measuring surface in an amplitude and / or phase change. At the same time, an amplifier circuit is coupled to the measuring surface in such a high-impedance manner that the amplitude and / or phase of the measuring signal is hardly or only slightly influenced.

In particular, in the case of capacitive solutions, the problem arises namely that, depending on grounding and atmospheric humidity, the charge applied by the drivers to the measuring surface either flows off too quickly or does not flow off at all, so that reliable and unambiguous values can not be determined. However, due to the high-impedance connection with possible high amplification at the receiving amplifier due to the regulation of the charge or power introduced into the measuring sections, even the smallest changes to the sensor-active surface are perceived at the receiver.

Preferably, the arrangement operates capacitively, but inductive solutions can be realized in the same way. The high-impedance coupling is preferably also provided with respect to the receiver in order to make the sensor-active region actually high-impedance. If necessary, an operating point optimization can be achieved in that the impedances provided between the low-resistance and the high-resistance region are selected so that the voltage in the region of the driver is greater than the voltage in the region of the sensor-active surface, preferably in the sensor-active region the voltage in the area of the driver is halved.

Brief description of the figures

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. Show it:

Hg. 1 is a block diagram of the arrangement,

2 shows a representation concerning the operating point optimization,

Fig. 3,4,5 the structure of an object to be monitored as a door with capacitive

Coatings in perspective, in front and side view, FIG. 6 a front view of an opening closed with the object,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the opening of FIG. 6 and

Fig. 8 shows an enlarged detail of Fig. 6 in the region of the articulation of the object on the door frame

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments are only examples that are not intended to limit the inventive concept to a particular arrangement.

Before describing the invention in detail, it should be understood that it is not limited to the particular components of the circuit or arrangement or the respective process steps, as these components and methods may vary. The terms used herein are merely intended to describe particular embodiments and are not used in a limiting sense. Furthermore, if the singular or indefinite articles are used in the specification or claims, this also applies to the majority of these elements, unless the overall context clearly indicates otherwise. This also applies in the opposite direction.

In many cases, it is desirable to close an access, for example, by a glass door without a frame on the glass and without cable connection to the outer frame, which itself but automatically opens on approach. It should be visible in the glass no sensor and a light barrier in front of the door should not be attached. In the case of be here ^¬ signed sensor means the whole door can as an object 10 made the active sensor part without a cable connection to the outer frame is required, and even without a sensor device is visible. It can also determine the direction of approach, for example, to open the door in the right direction. However, the application of the arrangement is not limited to this embodiment. It can also be used when determining changes in the environment of other objects or also when changes in a moving or moving object result from the movement in its environment or when a moving object changes in its environment are to be detected in general.

The figures show an arrangement for monitoring an object 10 for changes in a field surrounding the object, wherein the object may be any object in whose surroundings changes are to be detected. In the exemplary embodiment, the object 10 is, for example, a glass door, which as a sensor-active surface 11 has on its two sides a coating as measuring surfaces 11a, 11b, which is intended, for example, to carry a capacitive charge. The object, so here the door is so that all or the corresponding part sensor-active, in which in the case of the glass door, the coating is applied. This coating can e.g. be arranged between two glass surfaces. In this respect, in the exemplary embodiment, the field surrounding the object 10 is a capacitive field, although the arrangement may also work inductively in an analogous manner, provided that the desired high-impedance coupling with the impedance Z occurs.

The arrangement has at least one sensor-active region 11 associated with the object 10, which is formed in FIG. 1 by the two measuring surfaces 11a, 11b. In principle, at least one measuring path within which the changes detected by the measuring surfaces 11a and / or 11b are forwarded via the impedances Z arranged in FIG. 1 below the respective measuring surface to the input 14a of a receiver 14, which in the exemplary embodiment of FIG is formed by a receive amplifier. If no direction detection is desired, only one measuring surface is sufficient. Each of the measuring sections is assigned at least one driver 12, 13 in order to apply a specific or determinable quantity in the sensor-active area. In the capacitive embodiment of Fig. 1, these drivers are digital / analog converters (DACs) which invert the signals coming from the outputs 17b, 17c of the regulator 17 once directly Q, once inverted Q in bring in the measuring sections. The receiver 14 is for detecting the size applied by the drivers, which may be, for example, a certain amount of charge. However, the receiver also detects changes in the field surrounding the object 10 when, for example, a body approaches the sensor-active area 11 assigned to the object 10 and thereby changes the charge conditions. Connected downstream of the receiver 14 is a synchronous demodulator circuit for determining changes to or in the field surrounding the object and for generating a control and / or measuring signal Δ11a, Δ11b.

If the output power of the driver stages DAC 12, 13 in FIG. 1 is correctly matched, an equal signal from clock phase to clock phase is present at the output of the receiver amplifier. A change in the field surrounding the object 10 leads to a deviation from phase to phase. Thus, there is an isochronous output signal, which is then corrected again as soon as possible by means of the synchronous demodulator 21, the digital control device 17 in the embodiment and the drivers 12,13 to the same values of clock phase to clock phase. For this purpose, the received signal from the output 14b of the amplifier 14 to the input 21a of the synchronous demodulator 21, is decomposed in the synchronous demodulator in its isochronous shares and then transmitted from the output 21b of the synchronous demodulator to the input 17a of the controller 17. The value for the power control of the drivers 12, 13 is at the same time the measurement signal, which is further evaluated. Since only when changing the field surrounding the object, e.g. Approaching a person or other object to amplify the possible difference from clock phase to clock phase, the amplifier, here the receive amplifier as a receiver 14, have a very high gain. This contributes significantly to the sensitivity of the measuring system.

For direction-dependent detection of the changes in the field surrounding the object 11, at least one further measuring path with associated driver is provided in addition to the at least one measuring path. Thus, the one measurement path may include the measurement surface 11a, while the other measurement path is associated with the measurement surface 11b. If the further measuring path is a reference path, then this is not influenced by external influences, but instead can be provided as a reference in a closed housing, for example. This would be equivalent to the fact that the glass door of Figures 3 to 8 only has a one-sided coating as a sensor-active area and thus evenly reacts to approach from both directions. A clock circuit 15 is provided for the time-wise activation of each of the measuring sections or the at least one measuring section and the reference section. About the controller 20 in the form of a microprocessor, the clock circuit 15 is driven, which is a signal to the switches 24, 25 via the output 15a and the measuring surfaces 11 a, 11 b alternately active. It goes without saying that more than two measuring surfaces can be provided and the clock circuit is then adapted accordingly. The controller 20 controls from the output 20a via the control line 18, the driver 12, 13 and also via the input 21c to the analog / digital converter x bit ADC in synchronous demodulator 21 at. The signals emanating from the output 12b, 13b of the drivers 12, 13 influence the predetermined or predeterminable magnitude, ie in the capacitive embodiment the charge of the measuring surfaces 11a, 11b. Between the drivers and the sensor-active region 11, formed by these measuring surfaces, a high-impedance coupling is provided, which is represented by the impedance Z. In the exemplary embodiment, the coupling is preferably carried out via capacitors, but it can also be provided coils or corresponding resistors or combinations of aforementioned components for this purpose. In the exemplary embodiment, the impedance Z is a series connection of 10 pF and 56 kΩ at a clock frequency of 100 kHz and a drive voltage of 2 volts.

The existing on the measuring surface, preferably changing in the change of the clock fertil fertilizer then passes to the receiver 14, the receiving amplifier. This gives its received signal as an amplified output signal to the synchronous demodulator 21, in which the respective measuring sections and / or reference lines associated signals and x bit ADC are compared with each other to form a differential signal, so that at the output 21b of the synchronous modulator 21, a signal the input 17a of the digital controller (eg with Pl characteristic) can be given as a control device 17. The pending after the synchronous demodulator 21 signal is also given at the same time to the input 19a of the direction detector 19 with signal evaluation, which outputs from the outputs 19b, 19c, the changes to the measuring surfaces as a control and / or measurement signal .DELTA.11a, .DELTA.11b. The value for the power control of the drivers 12, 13 coming from the outputs of the control device 17 and present at the inputs 12a, 12b of the drivers 12, 13 is at the same time the measurement signal which is further evaluated. Control device 17 and direction detector 19 are connected via the terminals 17d, 19d and control line 30, if necessary, with each other.

The regulation of the at least one variable introduced by the drivers 12, 13 in measuring sections and / or reference sections, that is to say in the exemplary embodiment of the charge quantity In response to changes in the field surrounding the object 10, the receiver 14 of each of the measuring sections has on average the same amplitude of the predetermined or predeterminable quantity, ie in the exemplary embodiment of the charge, from the drivers 12, 13 and the sensor-active region 11 Receiver 14 arrives. This is done by a corresponding readjustment of the driver power.

Preferably, according to Figure 1, the sensor-active region 11 is coupled to the receiver 14 high impedance, which is represented by the impedance Z. Also preferably, the high-impedance coupling with respect to the drivers 12, 13 and the receiver 14 is formed approximately the same size, which happens in the embodiment by the same size capacitors, resistors, coils or combinations of said components.

If the ratio of the voltage at the drivers 12, 13 to the voltage in the sensor-active region 11 is selected such that this value is less than 1, a workspace optimization according to FIG. 2 can take place. In FIG. 2, the ordinate shows the voltage U _11a at the one measuring path of the impedance Z. It becomes clear that the slope of this curve at maximum voltage U_max and minimum voltage U_min at the measuring surface is low, while it is greater in the middle range. If values are to be derived from voltage changes, it is therefore recommended that the ratio of the voltage across the drivers 12, 13 to the voltage in the sensor-active region 11 be kept between 0.1 and 0.9, preferably even approximately 0.5. In this area, an amplitude change leads to the strongest signal change.

Due to the small capacitance or the high resistance or the high induction - in the embodiment - of the capacitors results in the desired high impedance from the measuring surface 11a, 11b to the output stage and from the measuring surface to the preamplifier. Such smallest changes take place even when the approaching person is not on a grounded ground. Even a metallically conductive connection in the immediate vicinity of the measuring surface does not disturb the sensitivity of the system. Due to the preamplification or the high control performance even the smallest changes to the measuring surface can be detected perfectly.

Such solutions are particularly necessary when in the embodiment of Figures 3 to 8, the object is a door, for example, a glass door, which should open automatically when approaching a person. In this case, coatings can be arranged on the glass door to form a capacitance, as by the measuring surfaces 11a, 11b in the figures 3 and 4 indicated. If one wants to capacitively couple these measuring surfaces according to FIGS. 7 and 8 over the door frame, only small surfaces are available on the door stop in the region of the door frame 22, so that only small capacitors are suitable for this purpose, and in particular no cables. Although this allows a supply line 23 on Türrah- men 22 to the capacitor, the surface itself is small, but at the same time allows the desired high-impedance coupling. If necessary, different areas of the door, here as object 10, can be coupled via various superimposed areas or adjacent areas of the door frame. One of the capacitive couplings corresponds to the impedance Z between the drivers 12 or 13 to the measuring surface 11a, 11b, while the other capacitive coupling (s) corresponds to the impedance Z to the preamplifier. In the illustration according to FIGS. 6 to 8, only a capacitive measuring path is thus shown without direction detection. By connecting the two measuring surfaces 11a, 11b with capacitively effective surfaces to the outer edge of the pane of the glass door facing the pivot point or hinge by suitable measures, each surface can be integrated into its own measuring path. This thus permits a direction-dependent detection of a person or an object approaching the door or the object 10. Conversely, when such an object moves, a sensor signal also results, even when approaching a dry wooden pole, which thus carries hardly any charge.

The measuring surfaces 11a, 11b do not have to be formed as flat surfaces as in FIGS. 3 to 8. In principle, the surfaces can assume any desired shape without losing the advantages of the solution according to the invention. This creates a great deal of creative freedom, which is advantageous for any desired application, in particular in the approximation detection and direction detection.

Thus, for example, a conductor wire can be arranged along an eg movable rubber strip in order, for example, to realize a trapping protection on a movable element. This measuring arrangement can be used, for example, on a vehicle on the window, door or tailgate or on a sliding or revolving door, since the measuring arrangement described almost does not change its sensitivity even in the immediate vicinity of metal frames. A person or object in the vicinity, for example at a distance of 50 cm, is recognized due to the capacitive effect, while, for example, a dry wooden lath deforms the rubber strip upon contact, whereupon the change in distance between the conductor wire and the metal surface causes the measuring arrangement to respond. Advantageously, the electrical ground of the sensor device is then connected to the electrically conductive mass of the metal frame. It can but also two lines so in a flexible element, for example, the rubber strip are arranged, they change each other slightly when exposed to an external force. Of the two lines can then be one of the sensor-active area 11 with the measuring surface and the other the electrical mass of the sensor. But even here a direction-dependent detection is possible if the two lines are operated as measuring surfaces 11a, 11b.

In addition, it is understood that the digital solution shown in Figure 1 can also be constructed in an analogous manner.

The signals of the clock circuit 15 can have any desired pulse shape. In this case, this shape is not limited to a rectangular signal, but the clock signal may also be sinusoidal, if this is advantageous for certain purposes. Likewise, the drivers can be operated by means of a Spreizbandspektrums, thereby avoiding a resonance with frequencies present in the environment as far as possible. The person skilled in the art, the methods used in this case, such as TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, etc. known.

It will be understood that this description is susceptible of various modifications, changes and adaptations, ranging from equivalents to the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 object

11 sensor active area

11a, 11b measuring surfaces

12, 13 drivers

12a, 13a entrance

12b, 13b output

14 recipients

14a entrance

14b output

15 clock cycle

15a exit

17 control device

17a entrance

17b, 17c output

17d connection

18 control line

19 directional detector

19a entrance

19b, 19c output

19d connection

20 control

20a exit

21 synchronous demodulator

21a, 21c entrance

21 b output

22 door frame

23 supply line

24, 25 switches

30 control line

Δ11 a, Δ11 b control signal

Claims

claims

1. Arrangement for monitoring an object (10), in particular a door or an opening, to changes in a field surrounding the object, with

at least one sensor-active area (11) assigned to the object (10),

at least one measuring section with associated driver (12, 13) for applying a specific or determinable quantity in the sensor-active area,

at least one receiver (14) for detecting the size applied by the drivers and changes in size in the field surrounding the object (10) in the sensor active area (11),

- A circuit downstream of the receiver (14) for determining changes in the field surrounding the object (10) and for generating a control and / or measuring signal (Δ11a, Δ11b) based on the detected changes, characterized

that, in order to detect changes in size in the field surrounding the object (10), at least one further measuring path or a reference path with associated driver (13, 12) is provided in addition to the at least one measuring path,

- That a clock circuit (15) is provided for the time-wise activation of each of the measuring sections or the measuring section and the reference section that a control device (17) for controlling the at least one of the drivers (12,13) introduced into the measuring sections and / or reference section size is provided in response to changes in size in the field, so that at the receiver (14) from each of the measuring sections on average the same amplitude of the size of the drivers and the sensor-active region (11) reaches the receiver (14), and

- That the sensor-active region (11) is at least connected to the driver (12,13) high impedance.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the object (10) surrounding the field is a capacitive field and that the size is a capacitive charge.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor-active region (11) is also coupled to the receiver (14) of high impedance.

4. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor-active region (11) by at least one measuring surface (11a, 11b) is formed.

5. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for high-resistance coupling capacitors, resistors, coils or combinations of said components are used.

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the high-impedance coupling with respect to the drivers (12,13) and the receiver (14) takes place by approximately equal capacitors.

7. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ratio of the voltage in the sensor-active region (1 1) to the voltage at the drivers (12,13) is less than 1.

8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the ratio between 0.1 and 0.9, preferably approximately 0.5.