Unambiguous capacitance sensing using shared inputs
First Claim
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1. A capacitance sensing apparatus comprising:
- a first plurality of capacitance sensor elements traversing a sensing region; and
sensor circuitry having a first plurality of inputs, wherein more than one of said capacitance sensor elements are electrically coupled to a same input of said first plurality of inputs;
wherein a position of an object along an axis of said sensing region is identified according to which subset of said inputs senses a change in capacitance that is induced when said object is proximate to said sensing region.
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Abstract
Capacitance sensing apparatuses are described. The apparatus includes capacitance sensor elements that traverse a sensing region. The apparatus also includes sensor circuitry that has multiple inputs. More than one of the capacitance sensor elements are electrically coupled to the same input. A position of an object along an axis of the sensing region is unambiguously identified according to which subset of the inputs senses a change in capacitance that is induced when the object is proximate to the sensing region.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A capacitance sensing apparatus comprising:
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a first plurality of capacitance sensor elements traversing a sensing region; and sensor circuitry having a first plurality of inputs, wherein more than one of said capacitance sensor elements are electrically coupled to a same input of said first plurality of inputs; wherein a position of an object along an axis of said sensing region is identified according to which subset of said inputs senses a change in capacitance that is induced when said object is proximate to said sensing region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of sensing a position of an object proximate to a sensing region, said method comprising:
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sensing measures of capacitance at a first plurality of inputs coupled to a first plurality of capacitance sensor elements that traverse said sensing region, wherein more than one of said capacitance sensor elements are electrically coupled to a same input of said first plurality of inputs, wherein a change in capacitance is induced in one or more of said capacitance sensor elements when said object is proximate to said sensing region; and comparing capacitance measures between selected combinations of said first plurality of inputs to identify which subset of said inputs senses said change in capacitance, wherein a position of said object along an axis of said sensing region unambiguously corresponds to which of said inputs are members of said subset. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A capacitance sensing apparatus comprising:
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a first plurality of capacitance sensor elements comprising first, second, third and fourth capacitance sensor elements that traverse a sensing region, wherein a change in capacitance is induced in at least one of said capacitance sensor elements when an object is proximate to said sensing region; and sensor circuitry having a first plurality of inputs comprising first, second, third and fourth inputs; wherein a comparison of a first measure of capacitance received at said first input and a second measure of capacitance received at said second input is used in setting a value of a first variable, said first and second measures respectively produced by said first and second capacitance sensor elements, and wherein a comparison of a third measure of capacitance sensed at said third input and a fourth measure of capacitance sensed at said fourth input is used in setting a value of a second variable, said third and fourth measures respectively produced by said third and fourth capacitance sensor elements; and wherein a position along an axis of said sensing region corresponds to said value of said first variable and said value of said second variable. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of determining a position in a sensing region of a capacitance sensing apparatus, said method comprising:
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setting a value of a first variable by comparing a first measure of capacitance received at a first input and a second measure of capacitance received at a second input, said first measure produced by a first capacitance sensor element that traverses said sensing region and said second measure produced by a second capacitance sensor element that traverses said sensing region; and setting a value of a second variable by comparing a third measure of capacitance sensed at a third input and a fourth measure of capacitance sensed at a fourth input, said third measure produced by a third capacitance sensor element that traverses said sensing region and said fourth measure produced by a fourth capacitance sensor element that traverses said sensing region; wherein a position along an axis of said sensing region corresponds to said value of said first variable and said value of said second variable. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A capacitance sensing apparatus comprising:
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sensor circuitry having a plurality of inputs comprising a first input, a second input, a third input and a fourth input; and a sensing region having a plurality of sub-regions and a first plurality of capacitance sensor elements, said sub-regions comprising a first sub-region comprising a first capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said second input and a second capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said fourth input, a second sub-region comprising a third capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said second input and a fourth capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said third input, a third sub-region comprising a fifth capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said first input and a sixth capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said third input, and a fourth sub-region comprising a seventh capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said first input and an eighth capacitance sensor element electrically coupled to said fourth input; wherein a change in capacitance is induced in one or more of said capacitance sensor elements when an object is proximate to said sensing region;
wherein said sensor circuitry compares a first measure of capacitance sensed at said first input and a second measure of capacitance sensed at said second input to set a value for a first variable, and wherein said sensor circuitry compares a third measure of capacitance sensed at said third input and a fourth measure of capacitance sensed at said fourth input to set a value for a second variable; and
wherein a sub-region of said plurality of sub-regions is uniquely identifiable according to values of said first and second variables such that a position of said object along an axis of said sensing region can be determined. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification