Circuit arrangement for a sensor element

• US 5,973,417 A
• Filed: 02/17/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Inventors: Russ, Ivo, Goetz, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US09/024,574
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 307/112, 307/113, 307/116, 307/117, 307/125, 307/139, 307/129
• US Class Current: 307/129
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96076 with spring electrode

Abstract

A circuit arrangement (11) has an activating circuit (13) for a sensor element (12) of a touch contact switch, which in one embodiment of the invention contains a frequency generator (16). The frequency generator (16) generates a frequency-modulated activating signal (17), which is applied to the sensor element (12). In another embodiment the forming of the activating signal (17) takes place in a microcontroller (48), containing eventually the activating part (13) and or the evaluation of the signal. Through passing through a large frequency range for the activating signal (17), the influence of extraneous signals, even when using a lower signal voltage, is minimized.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for at least one sensor element of at least one touch contact switch, in which an activating signal with an operating frequency is applied to the sensor element and is variable as a function of an operating state of the sensor element and the activating signal is modulated, the circuit arrangement comprises:

at least one activating part, the activation part comprises a frequency generator for generating the activating signal with the operating frequency;

at least one sensor part with an output;

at least one evaluating part; and

,

switching means constructed for short-circuiting in each case one phase of the activating signal applied to the sensor element at a constant voltage.

2. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the activating signal is frequency-modulated with an operating frequency.

3. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each sensor element is provided with an associated sensor part.

4. Circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the operating frequency with a fixed modulation frequency sweep is variable between a minimum value and a maximum value, the minimum value being approximately 5 kHz and the maximum value being approximately 50 kHz.

5. Circuit arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the modulation frequency is approximately 20 to 1000 Hz.

6. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the activating signal is a square-wave signal.

7. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a component forms a first part of a voltage divider with two parts, the sensor element forming a second part of the voltage divider.

8. Circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the voltage divider is a capacitive voltage divider and a feed capacitor forms the first part of said capacitive voltage divider.

9. Circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the component forming the first part of the voltage divider is contained in the sensor part.

10. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a filter is connected upstream of the output of the sensor part.

11. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein two inverting components are provided in succession at a random point in the signal path downstream of the frequency generator and upstream of the sensor element, in which the inverted signal following the first inverting component at the output of said component is conducted to the switching means and is responsible for the activation thereof.

12. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the switching means contain a switch with a semiconductor component.

13. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating part contains a signal multiplexer that is provided with at least one input for the connection of at least one output of a sensor part and an output connected to a signal evaluating unit by a signal amplifier.

14. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is an intrinsically flexible, three dimensionally variable and electrically conductive body and is provided for use in a touch contact switch of a hard glass or glass ceramic cooking field.

15. Circuit arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the sensor element is made of electrically conductive foam.

16. Circuit arrangement for at least one sensor element of at least one touch contact switch, in which an activating signal with an operating frequency is applied to the sensor element and is variable as a function of an operating state of the sensor element and the activating signal is modulated, wherein the circuit arrangement comprises:

at least one activating part;

at least one sensor part with an output;

at least one evaluating part;

at least one sensor element;

at least one microcontroller for generating at least the activating signal with the operating frequency for the at least one sensor element; and

,

switching means constructed for short-circuiting in each case one phase of the activating signal applied to the sensor element at a constant voltage.

17. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the activating signal is frequency-modulated with an operating frequency.

18. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein each sensor element is provided with an associated sensor part.

19. Circuit arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the operating frequency with a fixed modulation frequency sweep is variable between a minimum value and a maximum value, the minimum value being approximately 5 kHz and the maximum value being approximately 50 kHz.

20. Circuit arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the modulation frequency is approximately 20 to 1000 Hz.

21. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the activating signal is a square-wave signal.

22. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a component forms a first part of a voltage divider with two parts, the sensor element forming a second part of the voltage divider.

23. Circuit arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the voltage divider is a capacitive voltage divider and a feed capacitor forms the first part of said capacitive voltage divider.

24. Circuit arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the component forming the first part of the voltage divider is contained in the sensor part.

25. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a filter is connected upstream of the output of the sensor part.

26. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the evaluating part contains a signal multiplexer, that is provided with at least one input for the connection of at least one output of a sensor part and an output connected to a signal evaluating unit by a signal amplifier.

27. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the activating part and the evaluating part are contained in the microcontroller.

28. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the switching means are provided in the microcontroller.

29. Circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the sensor element is an intrinsically flexible, three dimensionally variable and electrically conductive body and is provided for use in a touch contact switch of a hard glass or glass ceramic cooking field.

30. Circuit arrangement according to claim 29, wherein the sensor element is made of electrically conductive foam.