Patent ID: 8633715

Claim:
A proximity detection system comprising: an excitation source that generates an excitation signal; a capacitive sensor having a sense electrode that secures to a surface of a system component, wherein the capacitive sensor forms a circuit with the excitation source to generate a capacitive field about the sense electrode at least in a direction of interest, wherein the capacitive field changes due to the presence of objects present within the capacitive field, thus changing the overall capacitance of the capacitive sensor; a monitor coupled to the circuit formed of the excitation source and capacitive sensor that obtains measurements that are influenced by the capacitive field associated with the capacitive sensor; a mapping of threshold values at a plurality of positions of the capacitive sensor within a space; and a controller that, for a given position of the capacitive sensor within the mapped space: determines a measured value from at least one measurement from the monitor for the given position; retrieves, based at least in part upon the given position, a threshold value from the mapping to derive an anticipated value; performs an evaluation based upon the determined value and the anticipated value; and performs a predetermined action if the determined value is outside a predetermined range of the anticipated value.