Manually activated position indicator

• US 4,873,400 A
• Filed: 07/08/1988
• Issued: 10/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Euchner & Co.
• Original Assignee: Euchner & Co.
• Inventors: Quinzio, Giovanni, Link, Walter, Rapp, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/216,294
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 340/709, 340/710, 341/33
• US Class Current: 178/18.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/251 one conductor or channel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96076 with spring electrode

Abstract

A manually activated position indicator with electrical output signals includes a plurality of adjacent electrodes (S, Al-, Al+, Bl-, Bl+, Ax-, Ax+, Bx-, Bx+,Ay-, Ay+, By-, By+), which are electrically insulated from one another and are covered on one side by an electrically insulating layer (3) the side of which opposite said electrodes is provided as a support surface for a finger (4) of the user of said position indicator wherein said electrodes form at least three groups, and all of the electrodes (S) of a first group are connected to a voltage source (5) that delivers an alternating voltage (Us). The electrodes of the other groups are connected to a signal evaluating circuit, and at least one electrode of said other groups is arranged adjacent to an electrode (S) of the first group.

Claims

1. A manually activated position indicator with electrical output signals, comprising:

(a) a plurality of adjacent electrodes (S, A1-, A1+, B1-, B1+, Ax-, Ax+, Bx-, Bx+, Ay-, Ay+, By-, By+), which are electrically insulated from one another and are covered on one side by an electrically insulating layer (3) the side of which opposite said electrodes is provided as a support surface for a finger (4) of the user of said position indicator wherein;

(b) said electrodes form at least three groups;

(c) all of the electrodes (S) of a first group are connected to a voltage source (5) that delivers an alternating voltage (Us);

(d) the electrodes of the other groups are connected to a signal evaluating circuit; and

(e) at least one electrode of said other groups is arranged adjacent to an electrode (S) of the first group.

2. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are formed by areas of a conductive layer on an electrically insulated support plate (1).

3. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the respective two electrodes of a second and third group, which have the smallest spacing from an electrode (S) arranged between them from the first group, are connected to the respective inputs of a differential amplifier (6, 10, 11) of the signal evaluating circuit.

4. The position indicator according to claim 3, wherein a circuit that compares the amplitude of the signals and/or a circuit that compares the phase positions of the signals is connected to the output of the differential amplifier (6).

5. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein immediately next to each electrode (S) of the first group on opposite sides of said each electrode of the first group, an electrode (A-, B+) of a second group or a fifth group is arranged, and immediately next to said electrode (A-) of the second group, on the side opposite the electrode (S) of the first group, an electrode (B-) of a fourth group is arranged, and immediately next to the electrode (B+) of the fifth group on the side opposite the electrode (S) of the first group, there is arranged an electrode (A+) of a third group.

6. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes (S) of the first group and the electrodes that cooperate therewith are associated with at least one electrode (φ

) which is at ground potential.

7. The position indicator according to claim 6, in which the electrodes are formed by areas of a conductive layer on an electrically insulated support plate, wherein the electrode which is at ground potential is arranged on the back side of said support plate carrying the remaining electrodes.

8. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein all of the electrodes (S, A-, A+, B-, B+, φ

) are arranged in a row adjacent to one another and wherein all of the electrodes of the same group are connected with one another in an electrically conductive manner.

9. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein all of the electrodes (S, Ax-, Ax+, Bx-, Bx+, Ay-, Ay+, By-, By+) are arranged in a matrix, the parallel rows of electrodes running in a first direction of said matrix having the same electrode sequence as the rows of electrodes running at right angles to said first direction.

10. The position indicator according to claim 9, wherein all of the rows have the same electrode configuration.

11. The position indicator according to claim 8, further comprising two differential amplifiers (10, 11), the inputs of the electrodes forming similarly directed rows of the second and third groups (A-, A+) or the fourth and fifth groups (B-, B+) being connected to one of each of said differential amplifiers, respectively, wherein the outputs of the two differential amplifiers (10, 11), to which the inputs of the electrodes forming similarly directed rows of the second and third groups (A-, A+) or the fourth and fifth groups (B-, B+) are connected, communicate with the inputs of a directional logic (14, 15).

12. The position indicator according to claim 9, further comprising two differential amplifiers (10, 11), the inputs of the electrodes forming similarly directed rows of the second and third groups (A-, A+) or the fourth and fifth groups (B-, B+) being connected to one of each of said differential amplifiers, respectively, wherein the outputs of the two differential amplifiers (10, 11), to which the inputs of the electrodes forming similarly directed rows of the second and third groups (A-, A+) or the fourth and fifth groups (B-, B+) are connected, communicate with the inputs of a directional logic (14, 15).

13. The position indicator according to claim 12, wherein two differential amplifiers are provided for both orthogonal directions of the matrix, whereby all electrodes of the second and third groups, or the fourth and fifth groups are connected to the inputs of the two differential amplifiers in said first direction as well as to those of the direction running at right angles to said first direction, and in that both pairs of differential amplifiers are followed in the circuit by respective directional logics.