Patent ID: 8013598

Claim:
An object detecting device that uses an electromagnetic induction to detect the shape of or the distance from an object to be measured made of an electrically conductive or magnetic material placed on a detection surface of the device, said device comprising: a first loop wire group in which a plurality of first loop wires each having a plurality of coil-shaped portions are arranged on the same plane in parallel to one another; a second loop wire group in which a plurality of second loop wires each having a plurality of coil-shaped portions are arranged on the same plane in parallel to one another, the second loop wire group being arranged in parallel to the first loop wire group, and the plurality of the second loop wires being arranged in perpendicular to the plurality of the first loop wires, respectively; a spacer that keeps the distance between the first loop wire group and the second loop wire group constant; a plurality of electromagnetic coupling portions at which the first loop wires and the second loop wires are electromagnetically coupled to each other through the coil-shaped portions located at the intersections between the first loop wires and the second loop wires; a driver that is connected to one of the first loop wire group and the second loop wire group and drives the loop wire group connected thereto; and a detector that is connected to the other one of the first loop wire group and the second loop wire group and detects a change in the degree of electromagnetic coupling at each of the electromagnetic coupling portions from the loop wire group connected thereto.