SENSOR APPARATUS AND INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20110267310A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukahara, Tsubasa, Ito, Osamu, Kuriya, Shinobu, Goto, Tetsuro, Nakagawa, Toshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/090,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 sensor unit, a calculation unit, a switch circuit unit, and a control unit. The sensor unit has a plurality of detection electrodes each having a capacitance changed by proximity of a detection target object. The calculation unit calculates a first distance, which is a distance between the detection target object and the sensor unit. The switch circuit unit is capable of switching the detection electrodes between a first state in which a signal voltage for detecting the capacitance is supplied and a second state which is an electrically floating state, and selects at least two detection electrodes one by one switched from the second state to the first state. The control unit controls the switch circuit unit to cause a second distance, which is a distance between the detection electrodes switched from the second state to the first state, to correspond to the first distance.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:

a sensor unit configured to have a plurality of detection electrodes each having a capacitance that is changed by proximity of a detection target object;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a first distance, the first distance being a distance between the detection target object and the sensor unit;

a switch circuit unit capable of switching the plurality of detection electrodes between a first state and a second state, and configured to select at least two detection electrodes one by one that are switched from the second state to the first state from among the plurality of detection electrodes, the first state being a state in which a signal voltage for detecting the capacitance is supplied, the second state being an electrically floating state; and

a control unit configured to control the switch circuit unit to cause a second distance to correspond to the first distance calculated by the calculation unit, the second distance being a distance between the detection electrodes switched from the second state to the first state.

2. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of detection electrodes each are configured to have a plurality of first electrode units arranged at a first interval in a first direction, and

the control unit is configured to control the switch circuit unit to change the second distance by an integral multiple of the first interval in accordance with the first distance.

3. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the plurality of detection electrodes each are configured to further have a plurality of second electrode units arranged at a second interval in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and

the control unit is configured to control the switch circuit unit to change the second distance by an integral multiple of the second interval in accordance with the second distance.

4. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a display device disposed to be opposed to the sensor unit, and configured to have a display surface that displays information.

5. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an input member disposed to be opposed to the sensor unit, and capable of inputting information.

6. An information display apparatus, comprising:

a sensor unit configured to have a plurality of detection electrodes each having a capacitance that is changed by proximity of a detection target object;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a first distance, the first distance being a distance between the detection target object and the sensor unit;

a switch circuit unit capable of switching the plurality of detection electrodes between a first state and a second state, and configured to select at least two detection electrodes one by one that are switched from the second state to the first state from among the plurality of detection electrodes, the first state being a state in which a signal voltage for detecting the capacitance is supplied, the second state being an electrically floating state;

a control unit configured to control the switch circuit unit to cause a second distance to correspond to the first distance calculated by the calculation unit, the second distance being a distance between the detection electrodes switched from the second state to the first state; and

a display device disposed to be opposed to the sensor unit, and configured to have a display surface that displays information.