SENSOR APPARATUS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110148811A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Ryota, Kanehira, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A sensor apparatus includes a first capacitance element, a second capacitance element, a ground circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The first capacitance element has a first capacitance. The second capacitance element includes a first electrode and a second electrode that form a second capacitance larger than the first capacitance. The ground circuit includes a third electrode arranged adjacently to the first electrode, and converts the second capacitance into a third capacitance smaller than the second capacitance by connecting the third electrode to a ground potential. The signal processing circuit processes a first signal output from the first capacitance element based on a change of the first capacitance, and a second signal output from the second capacitance element based on a change of the third capacitance.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:

a first capacitance element having a first capacitance;

a second capacitance element including a first electrode and a second electrode that form a second capacitance larger than the first capacitance;

a ground circuit including a third electrode arranged adjacently to the first electrode, and converting the second capacitance into a third capacitance smaller than the second capacitance by connecting the third electrode to a ground potential; and

a signal processing circuit to process a first signal output from the first capacitance element based on a change of the first capacitance, and a second signal output from the second capacitance element based on a change of the third capacitance.

2. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first capacitance element includes an input operation surface operated by an operator,

wherein the first signal includes a signal for detecting a contact position of the operator with respect to the input operation surface, and

wherein the second signal includes a signal for detecting a pressing force of the operator with respect to the input operation surface.

3. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first capacitance element includes a plurality of first detection electrodes extending in a first direction, and a plurality of second detection electrodes that extend in a second direction crossing the first direction and are opposed to the plurality of first detection electrodes, to thereby form capacitance elements each having the first capacitance, and

wherein the ground circuit includes a switch circuit that forms the third electrode by connecting one of the plurality of first detection electrodes and the plurality of second detection electrodes to the ground potential.

4. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the switch circuit includes

a first switch having a first state in which an input of the first signal to the signal processing circuit is blocked, and

a second switch having a second state in which the second signal is allowed to be input to the signal processing circuit when the first switch is in the first state.

5. The sensor apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the first switch connects one of the plurality of first detection electrodes and the plurality of second detection electrodes to the ground potential in the first state.

6. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a casing to accommodate the first capacitance element,

wherein the first electrode is fixed to the first capacitance element, and the second electrode is fixed to the casing.

7. The sensor apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the first electrode is arranged in a circumference of the first capacitance element.

8. The sensor apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the second capacitance element further includes an elastic member arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode.

9. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a display element to display an image on the input operation surface.

10. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a first capacitance element including an input operation surface operated by an operator and having a first capacitance;

a second capacitance element including a first electrode and a second electrode, and forming a second capacitance larger than the first capacitance;

a ground circuit including a third electrode arranged adjacently to the first electrode, and converting the second capacitance into a third capacitance smaller than the second capacitance by connecting the third electrode to a ground potential;

a signal processing circuit to process a first signal for detecting a contact position of the operator with respect to the input operation surface and a second signal for detecting a pressing force of the operator with respect to the input operation surface, the first signal being output from the first capacitance element based on a change of the first capacitance, the second signal being output from the second capacitance element based on a change of the third capacitance; and

a display element to display an image on the input operation surface.