Capacitive Safety System Frequency Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety systems for objects like weapons struggle with reliable user authentication due to slow recognition speeds, interference from environmental factors like gloves or dirt, and signal losses caused by capacitance variations and mismatched resonant frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A safety system that uses a transmitter with a microcontroller and resonant circuit to generate and amplify an identification signal, adjusting its frequency to match the estimated actual resonant frequency of the circuit, thereby maximizing signal amplification and reliability, and a receiver that recognizes authorized users based on both the identification signal and its intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fingerprint recognition or PIN code systems are used for user authentication, then authorized user verification is achieved, but recognition speed is slow and reliability is reduced in environments with gloves, dirt, or noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based authentication systems (fingerprint sensors, key switches) with a capacitive coupling system that uses electrical field interaction through the human body. The transmitter capacitively couples an identification signal to the user's body, which is then received by the receiver, enabling contactless and faster authentication that is not affected by physical contaminants like gloves or dirt.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the human body as an intermediary medium for signal transmission. The body acts as a capacitive coupling medium that transfers the identification signal from the transmitter to the receiver, enabling authentication without direct mechanical contact and improving both speed and reliability in various environmental conditions.
2Speed
If capacitive signal transmission is used for short-distance communication, then transmission speed is improved, but signal intensity is reduced due to capacitance variations and resonant frequency mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic frequency adjustment by estimating the actual resonant frequency of the capacitive coupling path and adapting the identification signal frequency accordingly. The system continuously monitors and adjusts the transmission frequency to match the optimal resonant frequency, maximizing signal intensity and reliability while maintaining fast transmission speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of the identification signal based on the estimated actual resonant frequency of the capacitive coupling path. By adjusting this critical parameter, the system optimizes signal transmission efficiency and intensity, ensuring reliable authentication despite variations in capacitance caused by different user conditions or environmental factors.
3Device complexity
If the identification signal frequency is fixed at theoretical resonant frequency, then system simplicity is maintained, but signal amplification is reduced due to deviation from actual resonant frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the actual resonant frequency is estimated based on the capacitive coupling characteristics and used to adjust the identification signal frequency. This feedback loop ensures that the system operates at optimal frequency for maximum signal amplification while keeping the overall system relatively simple through automated frequency adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary estimation of the actual resonant frequency before transmitting the identification signal. By pre-adjusting the frequency based on estimated capacitive coupling conditions, the system ensures optimal signal amplification from the start, avoiding the need for complex real-time adjustments during authentication.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures reliable user authentication by maximizing signal amplification and adapting to environmental changes, reducing the risk of false negatives and improving overall system reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a resonant circuit to amplify said identification signal
Implementation Method 2
The transmitter is suitable to be placed in the vicinity of the body of a person to capacitively couple said identification signal to it
Implementation Method 3
a receiver which is suitable to be capacitively coupled to said body in order to receive said identification signal
Data Source
AI summary
A safety system for an object having a transmitter that comprises a microcontroller to generate an identification signal having a given frequency and a resonant circuit to amplify the signal. The transmitter is suitable to be placed in the vicinity of the body of a person to capacitively couple the identification signal to it. The safety system also comprises a receiver suitable to be capacitively coupled to the body in order to receive the first identification signal and to recognize based on the identification signal if a user is an authorized user. The safety system estimates the actual resonant frequency of the resonant circuit when the circuit is amplifying the signal and the microcontroller is adapted to choose as frequency for the identification signal the closest frequency to the estimated actual resonant circuit it can generate so that the amplification of the identification signal is maximized.