ELECTROSTATIC SENSOR

• US 20110018558A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Koichi, Kobayashi, Yuji, Hirakawa, Masaya
• Application Number:
  US12/935,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/676
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe

Abstract

Multiple sensor capacitors Cd are respectively assigned to multiple buttons B1 through B3. Each of the multiple sensor capacitors is assigned to one of the multiple channels. A capacitance detection unit detects the combined capacitance of the sensor capacitors each of which is assigned to the corresponding one of the multiple channels. A comparison unit compares the combined capacitance detected by the capacitance detection unit for each channel with a predetermined threshold value, and converts the comparison results into binary digital signals in increment of channels. A decoder decodes the binary digital signals output in increments of channels from the comparison unit, and judges whether each switch is in the ON state or the OFF state.

Claims

1. An electrostatic sensor comprising:

a plurality of switches;

a plurality of sensor capacitors assigned to each of the plurality of switches; and

a control circuit which judges based upon the capacitance values of the plurality of sensor capacitors whether each of the plurality of switches is in the ON state or the OFF state,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor capacitors is assigned to one of a plurality of channels,

and wherein the control circuit comprises

a capacitance detection unit which detects the combined capacitance of the sensor capacitors assigned to each of the plurality of channels,

a comparison unit which compares, in increments of channels, the combined capacitance detected by the capacitance detection unit with a predetermined threshold value, and converts the comparison results into binary digital signals in increments of channels, and

a decoder which decodes the binary digital signals with respect to the plurality of channels output from the comparison unit, and judges whether each switch is in the ON state or the OFF state.

2. An electrostatic sensor according to claim 1, wherein, when the combined capacitance is greater than the predetermined threshold value for all the plurality of channels assigned to a given switch, the decoder judges that the given switch is in the ON state.

3. An electrostatic sensor according to claim 1, further including a simultaneously pressed button judgment circuit which receives data that indicates the ON/OFF state of each of the plurality of switches,

wherein, when data that corresponds to a given switch continuously indicates the ON state for a predetermined judgment time period, the simultaneously pressed button judgment circuit judges that the ON state of the switch is valid.

4. An electrostatic sensor according to claim 3, wherein, when data that corresponds to a given switch indicates the ON state before the expiration of the judgment time period after data that corresponds to a different switch indicates the ON state, the simultaneously pressed button judgment circuit judges that the ON states of both of the two switches are invalid.

5. An electrostatic sensor according to claim 3, wherein, when data that corresponds to one of two switches, both of which indicate the ON state, transits to the state that indicates the OFF state, the simultaneously pressed button judgment circuit checks whether or not data that corresponds to the other switch continuously indicates the ON state for the judgment time period.

6. An electrostatic sensor according to claim 3, wherein, even when data that corresponds to a given switch indicates the ON state in a time period during which judgment is made that the ON state of a different switch is valid, the simultaneously pressed button judgment circuit judges that the ON state of that given switch is invalid.