Patent ID: 8175774
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A system for capacitive object recognition comprising: a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes having an adjustable parameter; and a controller modeling current pathways between the pair of electrodes and potential current pathways between an external object and at least the pair of electrodes formed by interaction of the external object with an electric field between the pair electrodes as a network of capacitors, the controller configured to set the adjustable parameter to a first setting and to apply a set of alternating current voltages simultaneously to the pair of electrodes and measure a resulting first set of current values at each of the electrodes, configured to set the adjustable parameter to a second setting and apply the set of alternating current voltages simultaneously to the pair of electrodes and measure a resulting second set of current values at each of the electrodes, configured to determine values for up to all capacitors of the network of capacitors based on the first and second sets of current values; and configured to sense the presence of and identify the external object based on determined values of one or more of the capacitors of the network of capacitors.