Low noise proximity sensing system
First Claim
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1. An electronic proximity sensing apparatus, comprising:
- at least two pair of signal pads, each pair of signal pads comprising a first signal pad and a second signal pad, each signal pad connected to receive an electric voltage signal;
at least two sensing conductors routed between the first signal pads and the second signal pads of the at least two pair of signal pads; and
a sensor operable to detect the difference in voltage between two of the at least two sensing conductors.
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Abstract
An electronic proximity sensing apparatus has at least one signal pad. The signal pads are each connected to receive an electric voltage signal. At least two sensing conductors are routed in proximity to the signal pads, and a sensor is operable to detect the difference in voltage between two of the at least two sensing conductors. Differential sensing is further applied to other capacitive proximity sensing circuits to reduce common-mode interference.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. An electronic proximity sensing apparatus, comprising:
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at least two pair of signal pads, each pair of signal pads comprising a first signal pad and a second signal pad, each signal pad connected to receive an electric voltage signal;
at least two sensing conductors routed between the first signal pads and the second signal pads of the at least two pair of signal pads; and
a sensor operable to detect the difference in voltage between two of the at least two sensing conductors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An electronic proximity sensing apparatus, comprising:
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at least one signal pad, each signal pad configured to receive an electric voltage signal;
at least two sensing conductors physically positioned in proximity to the at least one signal pad, the sensing conductors not in electrical contact with the at least one signal pad; and
a sensor operable to detect the difference in voltage between two of the at least two sensing conductors, thereby sensing proximity of an object. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of sensing proximity of an object, comprising:
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providing an electrical signal to at least two pair of signal pads, each pair of signal pads comprising a first signal pad and a second signal pad; and
sensing a difference in voltage between at least two sensing conductors routed between the first signal pads and the second signal pads of the at least two pair of signal pads. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of sensing proximity of an object, comprising:
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providing a changing electric voltage signal to at least one signal pad; and
detecting a difference in voltage between two of at least two sensing conductors routed substantially parallel to one another and in proximity to the at least one signal pad, the sensing conductors not electrically coupled to the at least one signal pad. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. An electronic proximity sensing apparatus, comprising:
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at least two sensing pads, the at least two sensing pads being substantially similar in size and configuration to one another;
at least one signal source, the signal source either electrically coupled to at least one of the two sensing pads or coupled to at least one signal pad in proximity to the at least two sensing pads; and
a sensor operable to detect the difference in voltage between two of the at least two sensing pads, thereby sensing proximity of an object. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of detecting proximity of a capacitive object, comprising:
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providing an electric stimulus signal to a region having least two sensing pads;
sensing an electric signal from a first sensing pad, the electric signal indicating proximity of a capacitive body;
sensing an electric signal from a second sensing pad, the second sensing pad located physically near the first sensing pad and similar in physical configuration to the first sensing pad, and the electric signal indicating proximity of a capacitive body; and
differentially combining the sensed electric signals from the first sensing pad and the second sensing pad such that common mode noise is reduced.
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Specification