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:
May. 20, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2011
Laurent Lamesch, Reichlange, LU;
Michael Virnich, Korlingen, DE;
Aloyse Schoos, Beitrange, LU;
Abstract
A combined seat heater and capacitive occupancy sensor comprises a heater network and a capacitive sensing network. The heater network includes a heating element () connected between a first node () and a second node () to dissipate heat. The capacitive sensing network is connected to the heating element to apply an oscillating current thereto and to derive a capacitive load of the heating element from the voltage resulting on the heating element. The heater network comprises a common mode choke () connecting the first and the second node to a third () and a fourth () node, respectively. The capacitive sensing network further comprises means to sustain the oscillating current in or to drive the oscillating current into the heating element as well as a high-impedance amplifier () having an input node operatively connected to the heating element to probe the resulting voltage, and an output node () to provide an output signal indicative of the voltage.