Patent ID: 9705494
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: E05F,E05Y,H03K

Claim:
1. A vehicle lift gate assembly comprising: a movable lift gate having a metal construction; an electrically non-conductive fascia panel mounted to the lift gate, the fascia panel having a perimeter, a central section, an interior surface directed towards the lift gate, and an exterior surface directed away from the lift gate; an electrical conductor being an array of electrically conductive strips placed vertically and horizontally across the central section of the fascia panel in electrical connectivity to each other and mounted to the interior surface of the fascia panel such that the electrical conductor is spaced apart from the metal of the lift gate, the electrical conductor functioning as one portion of a capacitor and the metal of the lift gate functioning as another portion of the capacitor; a controller in communication with the electrical conductor for driving the electrical conductor with an electrical charge to monitor a capacitive coupling of the electrical conductor and for measuring a capacitance of the capacitive coupling to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel and operable to control movement of the lift gate as a function of whether the electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel; and wherein the electrical conductor capacitively couples to the electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the fascia panel while the electrical conductor is driven with the electrical charge such that a capacitance indicated by the electrical conductor changes due to the electrical conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.