Discrimination device and discrimination method

Abstract

The present invention provides a discrimination device and discrimination method capable of determining the state of an object. [Solution] The discrimination device 100 comprises a load capacitance 130 that constitutes capacitance through the object, a variable inductor 150 connected to the load capacitance 130, a drive unit 122 that drives the load capacitance 130, an ammeter 121 that detects the current consumption of the drive unit 122, and a discrimination unit 140 that determines the state of the object based on the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the detected current consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discrimination device and a discrimination method, and more particularly to a discrimination device and a discrimination method for discriminating a state related to an object, for example.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a detection circuit, Patent Document 1 describes a touch sensor. In Patent Document 1, a change in current is detected by utilizing the fact that the oscillation frequency of a current control oscillation circuit changes according to the consumption current of a drive unit that drives a capacitance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventor has studied a method for discriminating a state related to an object using a detection circuit such as that of Patent Document 1. However, with a detection circuit such as that of Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to discriminate a state related to an object.

[0005] Other problems and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one embodiment, a variable inductor is connected to a load capacitance that constitutes a capacitance via an object. The discrimination device drives the load capacitance by a drive unit and detects the consumption current of the drive unit. The discrimination device discriminates a state related to the object based on the inductance of the variable inductor and the detected consumption current.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the above embodiment, the state of the object can be determined. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the discrimination device in the study example. [Figure 2] This graph shows the relationship between the water depth of the object being measured and the impedance of the load capacity. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the state of an object being measured. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the state of an object being measured. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the state of an object being measured. [Figure 6] This graph shows the relationship between the water depth of the object being measured and the impedance of the load capacity. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the general configuration of the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This graph shows the relationship between the inductance of a variable inductor and the impedance of the load capacitance. [Figure 9] This is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This is a configuration diagram showing another example of the configuration of the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates an example of object identification by the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This figure illustrates an example of object identification by the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] This figure illustrates an example of object identification by the discrimination device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16]This is a diagram for explaining an example of electrode arrangement in the load capacity according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 17] This is a diagram for explaining an example of electrode arrangement in the load capacity according to Embodiment 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified. Also, in each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0010] (Examination Example) The inventor examined a method for discriminating the state of an object such as water and ice. Discriminating the state of an object includes detecting a change in the state of the object. The inventor focused on the fact that when the dielectric constant of an object changes, the impedance of the object also changes in order to detect a change in the state of the object. Since the reciprocal of impedance is proportional to current, an examination example using a detection circuit as in Patent Document 1 will be described.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a discrimination device 900 in an examination example examined by the inventor. In the discrimination device 900, for example, a current is detected using the detection circuit of Patent Document 1, and the state of the measurement object is discriminated. In the example of FIG. 1, the discrimination device 900 includes a power supply 110, a measurement unit 120, a load capacity 130, and a discrimination unit 910.

[0012] The measurement unit 120 drives the load capacity 130 and measures the consumption current corresponding to the driving of the load capacity 130. For example, the measurement unit 120 includes an ammeter 121, a driving unit 122, and a signal generation unit 123. The measurement unit 120 may be the same detection circuit as in Patent Document 1. For example, similar to Patent Document 1, it may include a current control oscillation circuit, and the change in current may be detected by utilizing the fact that the oscillation frequency of the current control oscillation circuit changes according to the consumption current of the driving unit 122 that drives the load capacity 130.

[0013] The drive unit 122 drives the load capacity 130. The ammeter 121 measures the current consumed by the load capacity (I DRV The impedance of the load capacity 130 decreases, and the current consumption of the drive unit 122 increases accordingly. In other words, measuring the current consumption of the drive unit 122 is related to measuring the impedance of the load capacity 130. For this reason, measuring the current consumption of the drive unit 122 and measuring the impedance of the load capacity 130 are interchangeable.

[0014] The load capacitance 130 is composed of electrodes 131 and 132, forming a capacitive element. The object to be measured is placed between electrodes 131 and 132. The object to be measured is an object whose state is to be determined (a change in state is detected). For example, the object to be measured may be water, food containing water, or any other object.

[0015] The discrimination unit 910 determines the state of the object being measured (detects a change in state) based on the current measured by the measurement unit 120 (ammeter 121).

[0016] It is known that the complex permittivity of an object changes with changes in its state. The complex permittivity includes the relative permittivity and the dielectric loss tangent. For example, in the case of water, the complex permittivity, i.e., the impedance, changes with changes in water depth or when the water freezes. Figure 2 shows the relationship between water depth and the reciprocal of the absolute value of the impedance of a load capacitance of 130. From a relationship like that shown in Figure 2, it is possible to detect changes in the state of an object by detecting the change in its complex permittivity, i.e., its impedance, that accompanies changes in its state.

[0017] However, the inventors found a problem in the example shown in Figure 1: it is sometimes impossible to determine the state of the object being measured. For example, state 0 is when the container is completely filled with water and the depth d is d0, state 1 is when the water depth d has decreased from d0, as shown in Figure 4, and state 2 is when the water depth d remains d0 but is frozen, as shown in Figure 5.

[0018] Figure 6 shows the relationship between water depth and the reciprocal of the absolute value of the impedance of a load capacity of 130 in the case of water and ice. As shown in Figure 6, in the case of water, the absolute value of the impedance changes between state 0 and state 1. However, in state 1, where the water level has decreased, and state 2, where the water has frozen, the absolute value of the impedance of a load capacity of 130 is the same. Therefore, simply detecting the impedance (current consumption) as in the example cannot determine whether the water level is low (state 1) or frozen (state 2).

[0019] (Embodiment 1) Next, Embodiment 1 will be described.

[0020] <Overview of Embodiment 1> Figure 7 shows the schematic configuration of the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the discrimination device 100 mainly comprises an ammeter 121, a drive unit 122, a load capacitor 130, a discrimination unit 140, and a variable inductor 150. For example, the ammeter 121, drive unit 122, and load capacitor 130 are the same as those in Figure 1.

[0021] The load capacitance 130 is formed through the object being measured. The variable inductor 150 is connected to the load capacitance 130. The load capacitance 130 and the variable inductor 150 may be connected in series or in parallel. The variable inductor 150 can be set to any inductance. For example, the inductance of the variable inductor 150 may be set from the discrimination unit 140.

[0022] The drive unit 122 drives the load capacity 130. The ammeter 121 measures the current consumed by the drive unit 122 (I DRV This is a current detection unit that detects the current.

[0023] The discrimination unit 140 determines the state of the object being measured based on the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption detected by the ammeter 121. For example, in this embodiment, by adding a variable inductor to the configuration of the example under consideration, it becomes possible to determine whether the water has decreased or frozen. Note that the example is not limited to determining the state of water and ice, but other states may also be determined.

[0024] For example, the state of the object to be measured may include the material state of the object or the physical state of the object. In other words, the state of the object is an element that indicates the material or physical characteristics of the object. The material state of the object may include one of the following: gas, liquid, or solid state, the type of substance that makes up the object, or the proportion of the substance that makes up the object. The physical state of the object may include the shape of the object, or the distance from the electrode 131 or 132 of load capacity 130 to the object. A state combining any of these elements may also be determined.

[0025] The discrimination unit 140 pre-sets (stores) a first relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption for each state of the object to be measured. The discrimination unit 140 compares the pre-set first relationship with a second relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption when determining the state of the object to be measured. The discrimination unit 140 may determine the state of the object to be measured based on the comparison result of the first relationship and the second relationship.

[0026] Figure 8 shows the relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the reciprocal of the absolute value of the impedance of the load capacitance 130 in states 0, 1, and 2, as shown in Figures 3 to 5. As shown in Figure 8, the absolute value of the impedance of the load capacitance 130 changes according to the inductance of the variable inductor 150. Different characteristics (relationships) are observed in each of the three states: state 0 (filled with water), state 1 (reduced water level), and state 2 (frozen water). The inductance value at which the impedance of the load capacitance 130 peaks differs between state 0 and states 1 and 2. Also, the peak value of the impedance of the load capacitance 130 differs between state 1 and state 2. The point at which the impedance peaks in each characteristic corresponds to the resonance point where the load capacitance 130 and the variable inductor 150 resonate together. The resonance point changes depending on the complex permittivity (dielectric loss tangent) of the load capacitance 130. Figure 8 can also be said to represent each point in the relationship between water depth and impedance shown in Figure 6 in two dimensions: inductance versus impedance. As shown in Figure 8, the relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the absolute value of the impedance of the load capacitance 130 differs for each state. Therefore, the state of the object can be determined by measuring the impedance (current consumption) of the load capacitance 130 corresponding to the inductance of the variable inductor 150.

[0027] <Example configuration of Embodiment 1> Figure 9 shows a specific configuration example of the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment. In the example in Figure 9, the discrimination device 100 includes a power supply 110, a measuring unit 120, a load capacitor 130, a discrimination unit 140, and a variable inductor 150. For example, the power supply 110, the measuring unit 120, and the load capacitor 130 are the same as in Figure 1. For example, some or all of the configuration in Figure 9 may be implemented in a semiconductor device.

[0028] The object to be measured is placed between electrodes 131 and 132 of the load capacitance 130. The inductance of the variable inductor 150 is set according to the control from the discrimination unit 140 (specifically, the control unit 142). The variable inductor 150 is connected between the load capacitance 130 (specifically, electrode 132) and ground. Alternatively, the variable inductor 150 may be connected between the measurement unit 120 (specifically, the drive unit 122) and the load capacitance 130 (specifically, electrode 131). Furthermore, electrodes 131 and 132 may each include multiple electrodes.

[0029] The power supply 110 supplies the power supply voltage to the measurement unit 120 (specifically, the drive unit 122). The measurement unit 120 includes an ammeter 121, a drive unit 122, and a signal generation unit 123, as in Figure 1. For example, the measurement unit 120 may be a detection circuit similar to that in Patent Document 1. The measurement unit 120 may also be a circuit with other configurations, as long as it can drive the load capacitance 130 and measure (detect) the current consumption corresponding to the load capacitance 130.

[0030] The signal generation unit 123 generates a clock signal to be supplied to the drive unit 122. The drive unit 122 drives the load capacitor 130 (specifically the electrode 131) in accordance with the clock signal from the signal generation unit 123. The ammeter 121 measures the current consumption (I) that flows when the drive unit 122 drives the load capacitor 130. DRV The system measures the temperature and outputs the measurement result to the discrimination unit 140 (specifically, the memory 141).

[0031] The discrimination unit 140 comprises a memory 141, a control unit 142, and an estimation unit 143. The control unit 142 controls the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the measurement unit 120 (specifically, the signal generation unit 123) to measure the current consumption according to the inductance. The memory 141 stores the inductance of the variable inductor 150 (control value) set by the control unit 142 and the measurement result (current consumption) measured by the ammeter 121 at the set inductance, associating them together. In other words, the memory 141 stores the relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption.

[0032] The estimation unit 143 estimates the state of the object being measured from the measurement results of the inductance (control value) and current consumption of the variable inductor stored in the memory 141. The estimation unit 143 estimates the state of the object being measured according to the comparison result between the first relationship and the second relationship stored in the memory 141. The first relationship is the relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption, which have been measured in advance for each state of the object being measured. The second relationship is the relationship between the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the current consumption, which have been measured when estimating the state of the object being measured.

[0033] Figure 10 shows another connection example of the variable inductor 150 compared to the configuration example in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the load capacitor 130 and the variable inductor 150 are connected in series, but as shown in Figure 10, the load capacitor 130 and the variable inductor 150 may be connected in parallel. In the example in Figure 10, one end of the variable inductor 150 is connected between the drive unit 122 and the electrode 131, and the other end of the variable inductor 150 is connected between the electrode 132 and ground.

[0034] <Example of operation of Embodiment 1> Figure 11 shows an example of the procedure for estimating the state of an object to be measured, as an example of the operation of the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0035] As shown in Figure 11, the discrimination device 100 pre-measures inductance-to-current values ​​according to the state of the object to be measured and records them in the memory 141 (S101). Before estimating the state of the object to be measured, the control unit 142 controls the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the measurement unit 120 for each state of the object to be measured to measure the current consumption according to the inductance. The memory 141 stores the relationship between the measured inductance and current consumption for each state of the object to be measured as a reference for state estimation. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the current consumption according to the inductance is measured for each of state 0, state 1, and state 2, and the measurement results are stored. In this way, the relationship between inductance and current consumption measured using the object to be measured may be stored in the memory 141. Not limited to this example, the relationship between inductance and current consumption calculated by simulation may also be stored in the memory 141.

[0036] Next, the discrimination device 100 measures the inductance versus current measurement value (S102). When estimating the state of the object to be measured, the control unit 142 controls the inductance of the variable inductor 150 and the measurement unit 120 to measure the current consumption corresponding to the inductance. The measurement method is the same as in S101. The memory 141 stores the relationship between the measured inductance and current consumption as the target for state estimation. When detecting a change in state, for example, the relationship between inductance and current consumption may be measured periodically, or the relationship between inductance and current consumption may be measured when the current consumption changes significantly beyond a predetermined value.

[0037] Next, the discrimination device 100 estimates the state of the object to be measured by comparing the result measured in S102 with the result measured in advance in S101 (S103). The estimation unit 143 compares the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each state, which was measured in advance as a reference, with the relationship between inductance and current consumption measured at the time of estimation. For example, as shown in Figure 8, suppose the relationships between inductance and current consumption for state 0, state 1, and state 2 are stored in advance. In this case, the relationship that is closest to the relationship between inductance and current consumption measured at the time of estimation is identified from among the relationships for state 0, state 1, and state 2, and the state of the object to be measured is estimated based on the identified relationship. For example, in the case of Figure 8, the current consumption measured when the inductance is 2 μH (the reciprocal of impedance in Figure 8) may be determined to be closest to state 0, state 1, or state 2, and the closest state may be estimated as the state of the object to be measured. For example, the estimation unit 143 may use a machine learning model that has previously measured the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each state to estimate the state from the relationship between inductance and current consumption measured at the time of estimation.

[0038] Figure 12 shows an example of the operation of the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment, illustrating an example of the procedure for measuring the relationship between inductance and current measurements. Figure 12 shows, for example, the measurement procedure during the preliminary measurement (S101) and state estimation (S102) in Figure 11.

[0039] As shown in Figure 12, the control unit 142 sets the inductance (inductor value) of the variable inductor 150 (S201). The control unit 142 outputs the set inductance (control value) to the memory 141.

[0040] Next, the drive unit 122 sends a signal to the electrode 131 with a load capacity 130 (S202). For example, when the control unit 142 outputs a control signal to the signal generation unit 123 for measurement, the signal generation unit 123 outputs a clock signal to the drive unit 122 in accordance with the control signal. The drive unit 122 drives the electrode 131 in accordance with the clock signal from the signal generation unit 123.

[0041] Next, the ammeter 121 measures the current I that flows when the drive unit 122 drives the electrode 131. DRV The current is measured (S203). The ammeter 121 outputs the measured current value to the memory 141.

[0042] Next, the control value of the variable inductor 150 and the measured current value are stored in the memory 141 (S204). The memory 141 stores the inductance of the variable inductor 150 set by the control unit 142 and the current consumption measured by the ammeter 121 in association with each other.

[0043] Next, the control unit 142 changes the inductance of the variable inductor 150 (S205). Then, the process from S202 onwards is repeated to measure the current at the changed inductance, and the measurement results are stored in the memory 141. During the preliminary measurement, S201 to S205 are performed for each state of the object to be measured, and during state estimation, S201 to S205 are performed for the object to be measured whose state is to be estimated. This measures the relationship between inductance and current consumption (the reciprocal of impedance in Figure 8), as shown in Figure 8, and stores it in the memory 141. Note that during the preliminary measurement and state estimation, the current consumption may be measured over the entire range of inductance (from the minimum to the maximum settable value), as shown in Figure 8. Rather than the entire range, the current consumption may be measured over a predetermined range of inductance. For example, in the case of the relationship shown in Figure 8, the current consumption may be measured in the range near the impedance peak (resonance point). Since the resonance point corresponding to the impedance peak can be calculated from the shape of the electrodes of the load capacitance, the current consumption may be measured in the range near the peak calculated according to the shape of the electrodes of the load capacitance.

[0044] <Example of determination of Embodiment 1> As described above, the state of an object may include gases, liquids, and solids. It is not limited to water; for example, the state of an object whose complex permittivity changes with a change of state, such as carbon dioxide, may also be determined. Any state of an object can be determined if its complex permittivity changes with the frequency of the electric field. For example, since the complex permittivity changes depending on the type of object, the type of object may also be determined.

[0045] Figures 13 to 15 show other examples of object discrimination by the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 13, the distance from electrode 131 (or 132) to the object may be discriminated. The distance to the object can be determined by pre-measuring the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each distance of the object.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the shape of the object to be measured can be determined by using objects with different shapes, such as triangular or square cross-sections. The shape of the object to be measured can be determined by pre-measuring the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each object with different shapes.

[0047] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 15, it is possible to identify objects whose complex dielectric constant changes when mixed. In the example in Figure 15, different seasonings such as soy sauce and vinegar are mixed together to be measured, and the ratio of soy sauce to vinegar is determined. By pre-measuring the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each different ratio of seasonings, the ratio of seasonings can be determined.

[0048] <Example of electrode arrangement for load capacity in Embodiment 1> Figures 16 and 17 show examples of other electrode arrangements in the load capacity of the discrimination device 100 according to this embodiment. As described above, electrodes 131 (first electrode) and 132 (second electrode) may be arranged facing each other so as to sandwich the object to be measured. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, electrodes 131 and 132 may be arranged side by side. For example, electrodes 131 and 132 are arranged side by side on the side closer to the first surface (bottom surface) of the object to be measured.

[0049] When measuring an object by sandwiching it between two electrodes, the measurement is affected by changes in the object's shape. If you want to determine the state of an object without being affected by changes in its shape, you can place the two electrodes side by side. This allows for stable measurement even if the shape of the object changes, as long as the shape near the electrodes remains unchanged. For example, when detecting rain or snow on a roof, sandwiching the object with electrodes would require significantly altering the electrode's position relative to the roof's shape. In this case, placing the electrodes side by side on the roof allows for the detection of rain or snow. For example, placing electrodes side by side under frozen food can determine whether the food has thawed. For example, placing multiple electrodes side by side on a touch panel can detect a finger or stylus touching (approaching) the touch panel.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, a variable inductor is connected to the load capacitance, and the current consumption corresponding to the inductance of the variable inductor is measured. For example, by pre-measuring the relationship between inductance and current consumption for each state of the object being measured, and then measuring the current consumption corresponding to the inductance at the time of determination, the state of the object being measured can be determined. In the example in Figure 8, if the absolute value of the impedance of the load capacitance changes from state 0, it is possible to determine whether it is state 1 (water decreased) or state 2 (frozen) from the relationship between the measured inductance and current. In addition, similar to the state of the object being measured, it is also possible to determine the type of object being measured, the proportion of substances contained in the object, the shape of the object, the distance to the object, etc.

[0051] Furthermore, each element described and explained in the drawings as a functional block that performs various processes can be composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and other circuits in hardware terms. In software terms, it is implemented by programs loaded into memory. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be implemented in various ways using hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to any one of these.

[0052] The programs described above can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, and CD-R / Ws. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of transient computer-readable media. Examples of transient computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Temporary computer-readable media can supply programs to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0053] The present invention has been described in detail above based on embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments already described, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 100 Discrimination device 110 Power supply 120 Measuring section 121 Ammeter 122 Drive Unit 123 Signal generation unit 130 load capacity 131 Electrode 132 Electrode 140 Discrimination part 141 memory 142 Control Unit 143 Estimation Department 150 Variable Inductor

Claims

1. Load capacity, which constitutes capacity through the object, The aforementioned variable inductor with load capacitance, A drive unit that drives the aforementioned load capacity, A current detection unit for detecting the current consumption of the drive unit, A discrimination unit that determines the state of the object based on the inductance of the variable inductor and the detected current consumption, A discrimination device equipped with the following features.

2. The state relating to the object includes the material state of the object, or the physical state of the object. The discrimination device according to claim 1.

3. The material state of the object includes one of the following: gas, liquid, or solid; the type of substance constituting the object; and the proportion of the substance constituting the object. The discrimination device according to claim 2.

4. The physical state of the object includes the shape of the object, or the distance from the electrode of the load capacitance to the object. The discrimination device according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned discrimination unit is A first relationship between the inductance and the current consumption is predetermined for each state of the object, Based on the comparison result between the aforementioned pre-set first relationship and the second relationship between the inductance and the current consumption when determining the state of the object, the state of the object is determined. The discrimination device according to claim 1.

6. The first relationship includes a measured value of the current consumption relative to the inductance for each state of the object, The discrimination device according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned discrimination unit is A control unit for controlling the inductance of the variable inductor, A memory for storing the first relationship based on the controlled inductance and the detected current consumption, The discrimination device according to claim 5, comprising:

8. The first relationship and the second relationship include the relationship between the current consumption and the inductance within a predetermined range. The discrimination device according to claim 5.

9. The predetermined range includes the range corresponding to the resonance point based on the load capacitance and the variable inductor. The discrimination device according to claim 8.

10. The resonance point is based on the shape of the electrode of the load capacitance. The discrimination device according to claim 9.

11. The load capacity includes a first electrode and a second electrode via the object, The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged facing each other so as to sandwich the object, or side by side on the side of the object closest to the first surface. The discrimination device according to claim 1.

12. The load capacitance and the variable inductor are connected in series or in parallel. The discrimination device according to claim 1.

13. The load capacity is determined by the object, A variable inductor is connected to the load capacitance, The drive unit drives the load capacity, The current consumption of the drive unit is detected, Based on the inductance of the variable inductor and the detected current consumption, the state of the object is determined. Discrimination method.

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