The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 2006
Filed:
Dec. 05, 2003
David Wadlow, Basking Ridge, NJ (US);
Frank Scholten, Livingston, NJ (US);
Ralph Giffone, Bloomfield, NJ (US);
Kenneth Gerenraich, Seal Beach, CA (US);
David Wadlow, Basking Ridge, NJ (US);
Frank Scholten, Livingston, NJ (US);
Ralph Giffone, Bloomfield, NJ (US);
Kenneth Gerenraich, Seal Beach, CA (US);
Gerenraich Family Trust, Laguna Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
A capacitive sensor system for controlling operation of a device in response to a rate of change in capacitance due to motion of a proximate object includes at least two sense electrodes disposed on a surface and a phase locked loop, including a voltage controlled oscillator and a phase/frequency comparator, connected between the sense electrodes and an RC network for providing an operating frequency to the sense electrodes. A circuit loop, including a reference oscillator, provides a fixed frequency reference for the phase locked loop to follow and a phase delay circuit connected between the phase/frequency comparator and the voltage controlled oscillator causes the voltage controlled oscillator to run ahead of the reference oscillator. A trigger circuit provides a control output in response to a change in phase shift between the fixed frequency and the operating frequency.