Circuit arrangement for detecting the capacitance or capacitance change of a capacitive circuit element or component

• US 20030112021A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I F M Electronic GmbH
• Original Assignee: I F M Electronic GmbH
• Inventors: Palata, Jaromir, Schulz, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 6,864,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24

Abstract

A circuit arrangement for detecting the capacitance or capacitance change of a capacitive circuit element or component, in which there is a capacitive noise voltage compensation element, which corresponds to the sensor capacitor, represented as a noise voltage compensation capacitor, and a noise voltage compensation electrode of the noise voltage compensation capacitor, which corresponds to the first electrode of the sensor capacitor, is connected to the second electrode of a storage capacitor. The noise voltage compensation capacitor can be influenced in the same way as the sensor capacitor by the LF noise voltage. In this way, the adulteration of the measurement result by LF noise voltages which otherwise occurs no longer takes place.

Claims

1. Circuit arrangement for detecting the capacitance or capacitance change of a capacitive circuit element or component, comprising:

a voltage source,

at least one charging switch and at least one recharging switch,

a control device which controls the charging switch and the recharging switch and which contains a clock generator,

a storage capacitor, and

an evaluation circuit which is connected to the storage capacitor,

wherein the voltage source is connectable to the electrode of the capacitive circuit element or component via the charging switch in a closed position of the charging switch,

wherein the second electrode of the capacitive circuit element or component is connected or connectable to a terminal of the voltage source, which terminal is away from the charging switch, so that the capacitive circuit element or component is charged by the voltage source when the charging switch is closed,

wherein an electrode of the storage capacitor is connected or connectable to the electrode of the capacitive circuit element or component which is connected to the charging switch, and the second electrode of the storage capacitor is connectable via the closed recharging switch to the second electrode of the capacitive circuit element or component so that the capacitive circuit element or component is discharged onto the storage capacitor or the charge stored in the capacitive circuit element or component is recharged into the storage capacitor when the charging switch is opened and the recharging switch is closed, and

wherein the evaluation circuit is able to determine the capacitance or capacitance change of the capacitive circuit element or component from the voltage on the storage capacitor after a certain number of charging and recharging cycles,

wherein a capacitive noise voltage compensation element is provided which has a noise voltage compensation electrode connected to the second electrode of the storage capacitor, a second noise voltage compensation electrode connected to the second electrode of the capacitive circuit element or component, and

wherein the noise voltage compensation element is arranged to be influenced by LF noise voltage in the same way as the capacitive circuit element or component.

2. Circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitive circuit element or component and the capacitive noise voltage compensation element are made and arranged such that there is no directionally selective preference with regard to influence by the LF noise voltage.

3. Circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging time (t_L) and the recharging time (t_U) are the same.

4. Circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if the charging time (t_L) and the recharging time (t_U) are not the same, the ratio of the capacitance of the capacitive circuit element or component to the capacitance of the capacitive noise voltage compensation element is proportional to the ratio of the charging time (t_L) to the recharging time (t_U).

5. Circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are several capacitive circuit elements or components and several capacitive noise voltage compensation elements.

6. Circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the capacitive circuit elements or components on the one hand and the capacitive noise voltage compensation elements on the other are connected in parallel.