Method of capacitive measurement between an object and an electrode plane by partial synchronous demodulation

• US 10,139,439 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quickstep Technologies, LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quickstep Technologies, LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neel, Christian, Blondin, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US14/384,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners

Abstract

A method of capacitive measurement between an object and an electrode plane includes applying an excitation signal to the resistive electrode plane, and determining a value of capacitance on the basis of a measurement of a measurement signal originating from the electrode plane. The excitation signal is a nonsinusoidal signal having at least one discontinuity. To determine the value of capacitance, the measurement signal is attenuated over a time window, this time window being the duration for which the resistivity of the electrode plane is manifested on the measurement signal in response to the at least one discontinuity.

Claims

1. A method of capacitive measurement between an object and an electrode plane, in which method a processor unit operates as follows:

applying an excitation signal to the electrode plane;

generating a control signal for a mixing circuit, the control signal defining a measurement window and a time-lapse window for the mixing circuit; and

determining a capacitance value representative of a capacitance between the object and an electrode in the electrode plane based on a measurement from a measurement signal originating from the electrode plane,

wherein the excitation signal is a non-sinusoidal signal comprising at least one discontinuity, and in order to determine the capacitance value, the measurement signal is evaluated during the measurement window and not evaluated during the time-lapse window, the time-lapse window being a time period during which said at least one discontinuity is occurring, and the measurement window being a time period free of said at least one discontinuity.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the excitation signal is a square or rectangular signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement is carried out by synchronous demodulation at the mixing circuit.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement signal is suppressed within said time-lapse window.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the excitation signal is at substantially the same potential as a guard signal applied on a conductive plane used as an active guard plane against capacitive leakages.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen associated with a capacitive detection device, the capacitive detection device comprising an electrode plane; and

a processor unit electrically couplable to the electrode plane for detecting the position of an object with respect to the display screen by measuring the capacitance between said object and the electrode plane, the processor unit capable of

applying an excitation signal to the electrode plane, the excitation signal being a non sinusoidal signal comprising at least one discontinuity,

generating a control signal for a mixing circuit, the control signal defining a measurement window and a time-lapse window for the mixing circuit, and

determining a capacitance value representative of a capacitance between the object and an electrode in the electrode plane based on a measurement from a measurement signal originating from the electrode plane, the measurement signal evaluated during the measurement window and not evaluated within the time-lapse window, this time-lapse window being a time period during which said at least one discontinuity is occurring, and the measurement window being a time period free of said at least one discontinuity.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the processor unit and electrically couplable to the electrode plane, the electronic circuit including the mixing circuit configured as a synchronous demodulator for determining the capacitance value.

8. The device according to claim 6, the capacitive detection device further comprising a conductive plane used as an active guard plane against capacitive leakages, the excitation signal being substantially the same potential as a guard signal applied to this conductive plane.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the conductive plane is designed using tin-doped indium oxide.

10. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the electrodes are designed using tin-doped indium oxide.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor unit for detecting a position of an object with respect to a capacitive detection device including an electrode plane by measuring a capacitance between the object and one or more electrodes in the electrode plane, the processor unit electrically couplable to the electrode plane and capable of applying an excitation signal to the electrode plane;

the excitation signal being a non sinusoidal signal comprising at least one discontinuity, the processor unit further capable of generating a control signal for a mixing circuit, the control signal defining a measurement window and a time-lapse window for the mixing circuit; and

an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the processor unit and including the mixing circuit, the electronic circuit electrically couplable to the electrode plane and configured for

receiving a measurement signal from the one or more electrodes,

evaluating the measurement signal during the measurement window and not evaluating the measurement signal during the time-lapse window, the time-lapse window being a time period during which the at least one discontinuity is occurring, and the measurement window being a time period free of the at least one discontinuity;

wherein the processor unit is further capable of determining a capacitance value representative of a capacitance between the object and an electrode in the electrode plane based on the evaluated measurement signal.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the excitation signal is a square or rectangular signal.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the mixing circuit is configured as a synchronous demodulator for evaluating the measurement signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the synchronous demodulator is configured for demodulating the measurement signal only during the measurement window.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, the electronic circuit further configured for suppressing the measurement signal within the time-lapse window.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic circuit is configured for receiving a filtering signal for identifying the measurement window and the time-lapse window.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, the capacitive detection device further comprising a conductive plane used as an active guard plane against capacitive leakages, the active guard plane receiving a guard signal referenced to the excitation signal.