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:
Dec. 16, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 10, 2006
Bradley Clayton Stewart, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Sergio Garcia DE Alba Garcin, Jalisco, MX;
Rogelio Reyna Garcia, Jalisco, MX;
Gabriel Sanchez Barba, Jalisco, MX;
David L. Wilson, Muskego, WI (US);
Bradley Clayton Stewart, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Sergio Garcia de Alba Garcin, Jalisco, MX;
Rogelio Reyna Garcia, Jalisco, MX;
Gabriel Sanchez Barba, Jalisco, MX;
David L. Wilson, Muskego, WI (US);
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
An electric field sensor may be used to detect accumulation of frozen material. In one embodiment, an e-field system includes a first electrode, a second electrode located at a distance from the first electrode, the second electrode forming a capacitive element with the first electrode, wherein a gap is present between the first and second electrodes, and an electric field sensor having an electrode terminal coupled to the first electrode and providing an electric field output value representative of an amount of frozen material located in the gap between the first and second electrodes. The system may also include a first insulator adjacent the first electrode and outside the gap, and a conductive layer adjacent the first insulator, where the first insulator is between the first electrode and the conductive layer, and where a shield output of the electric field sensor is coupled to the conductive layer.