Simultaneous Detection of In-Plane and Out-Of-Plane Position Displacement With Capacitive Sensors

• US 20090115429A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Lee, Juil
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/662
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2415 adapted for encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2451 Incremental encoders G01D5/2454 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first capacitive sensor connected to a first supply voltage, a second capacitive sensor connected to a second supply voltage, a sensing circuit for producing a sense voltage in response to current flowing in the first and second capacitive sensors, a first mixer for combining the sense voltage with a first reference voltage to produce a first signal representative of in-plane displacement between electrodes of the first and second capacitive sensors, and a second mixer for combining the sense voltage with a second reference voltage to produce a second signal representative of out-of-plane displacement between the electrodes of the first and second capacitive sensors.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitive sensor having a first electrode connected to a first supply voltage

a second electrode connected to a second supply voltage, and a third electrode;

a sensing circuit for producing a sense voltage in response to current flowing between the first electrode and the third electrode, and between the second electrode and the third electrode;

a first mixer for combining the sense voltage with a first reference voltage to produce a first signal representative of in-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor; and

a second mixer for combining the sense voltage with a second reference voltage to produce a second signal representative of out-of-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second supply voltages includes an in-phase component and a quadrature component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the in-phase and quadrature components of the first and second supply voltages have the same frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the in-phase component of the second supply voltage has a phase opposite to the phase of the in-phase component of the first supply voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the quadrature component of the first supply voltage and the quadrature component of the second supply voltage have the same phase.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a compensation circuit for correcting a component of at least one of the first and second supply voltages in response to at least one of the first and second signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first bandpass filter for filtering the first signal; and

a second bandpass filter for filtering the second signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit comprises:

an amplifier having an output, an inverting input connected to the third electrode, and a non-inverting input; and

a resistor connected between the output and the inverting input.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit comprises:

an amplifier having an output, an inverting input connected to the third electrode, and a non-inverting input; and

a capacitor connected between the output and the inverting input.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth electrode;

wherein the sensing circuit comprises;

an amplifier having first and second outputs, and first and second inputs, wherein the third electrode is connected to the first input and the fourth electrode is connected to the second input;

a first capacitor connected between the first output and the first input; and

a second capacitor connected between the second output and the second input.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitive sensor having a first electrode connected to a first supply voltage having a first component at a first frequency and a second component at a second frequency

a second electrode connected to a second supply voltage having a first component at the first frequency and a second component at the second frequency, and a third electrode;

a sensing circuit for producing a sense voltage in response to current flowing between the first electrode and the third electrode, and between the second electrode and the third electrode;

a first mixer for combining the sense voltage with a first reference voltage to produce a first signal representative of in-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor; and

a second mixer for combining the sense voltage with a second reference voltage to produce a second signal representative of out-of-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first component of the second supply voltage has a phase opposite to the phase of the first component of the first supply voltage.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second component of the first supply voltage and the second component of the second supply voltage have the same phase.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a compensation circuit for correcting a component of at least one of the first and second supply voltages in response to at least one of the first and second signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a first bandpass filter for filtering the first signal; and

a second bandpass filter for filtering the second signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensing circuit comprises:

an amplifier having an output, an inverting input connected to the third electrode, and a non-inverting input; and

a resistor connected between the output and the inverting input.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensing circuit comprises:

an amplifier having an output, an inverting input connected to the third electrode, and a non-inverting input; and

a capacitor connected between the output and the inverting input.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a fourth electrode; and

wherein the sensing circuit comprises;

an amplifier having first and second outputs, and first and second inputs, wherein the third electrode is connected to the first input and the fourth electrode is connected to the second input;

a first capacitor connected between the first output and the first input; and

a second capacitor connected between the second output and the second input.

19. A method comprising:

connecting a first electrode of a capacitive sensor to a first supply voltage;

connecting a second electrode of the capacitive sensor to a second supply voltage;

producing a sense voltage in response to current flowing in the first and second electrodes and a third electrode of the capacitive sensor;

combining the sense voltage with a first reference voltage to produce a first signal representative of in-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor; and

combining the sense voltage with a second reference voltage to produce a second signal representative of out-of-plane displacement of the first and second electrodes with respect to the third electrode of the capacitive sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second supply voltages includes an in-phase component and a quadrature component.