Surface capacitance sensor system using buried stimulus electrode

• US 7,259,573 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atrua Technologies Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrade, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb; Anjan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NATALINI, JEFF WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US10/155,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 324/658, 324/662, 324/663, 324/686, 324/719, 324/124
• US Class Current: 324/678
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

A surface capacitance sensor system is implemented as an array of sensor electrodes near the surface of the integrated circuit and an array of stimulus electrodes below the sensor electrodes. Rows of stimulus electrodes are driven by sources while the voltages at the respective sensor electrodes are measured. Voltage measurements at each sensor electrode allow the surface capacitance at each sensor electrode location to be determined. The capacitance data is used to determine the positions of target electrodes above the array surface as required in the location fingerprint artifacts.

Claims

1. A capacitance sensor device comprising:

an integrated circuit;

a sensor electrode array comprising n rows and m columns;

a plurality of stimulus electrodes wherein each stimulus electrode corresponds to a row of said sensor electrode array, each of said plurality of stimulus electrod6s located beneath at least one sensor electrode in said sensor electrode array;

.

a plurality of n time-varying voltage sources, wherein each voltage source is connected to a stimulus electrode;

a plurality of m time-varying voltmeters;

a plurality of m blocks of n switches that allows the connection of one of the n sensor electrodes along a column to one time-varying voltmeter;

wherein

at least one sensor electrode is operable to diminish a capacitance between at least one of the plurality of stimulus electrodes located beneath the at least one sensor electrode and an element sensed by the capacitance sensor device.

2. The capacitance sensor device in claim 1, wherein no MOS devices within the integrated circuit are beneath or between any sensor or stimulus electrodes.

3. A capacitance sensor device for sensing an external object, comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes;

a stimulus electrode positioned such that there is a capacitance between the stimulus electrode and at least one of the plurality of sensor electrodes, said stimulus electrode beneath at least one of said plurality of sensor electrodes;

a time-varying voltage source connected to the stimulus electrode;

a plurality of time-varying voltmeters;

a plurality of switches, wherein each switch is coupled to the sensor electrode and one of the plurality of time-varying voltmeters;

wherein

said stimulus electrode is further positioned such that a capacitance between said at least one of said plurality of sensor electrodes said external object is greater than a capacitance between said stimulus electrode and said external object.

4. The capacitance sensor device in claim 3, wherein the device further includes MOS devices and no MOS devices are beneath or between any sensor or stimulus electrodes.

5. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the stimulus electrode is beneath at least one sensor electrode.

6. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of stimulus electrodes, each stimulus electrode being associated with a plurality of sensor electrodes.

7. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 6 wherein said stimulus electrode is associated with a plurality of sensor electrodes in that said stimulus electrode is capacitively coupled to a plurality of sensor electrodes.

8. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor electrode arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and columns.

9. A capacitance sensor device for sensing a target structure, comprising:

a first plurality of sense electrodes;

at least one stimulus electrode capacitively coupled to said plurality of sense electrodes, said at least one stimulus electrode located beneath at least one of said first plurality of sense electrodes, the at least one of said first plurality of sense electrodes adapted to diminish a capacitance between the target structure and the at least one stimulus electrode;

a voltage source coupled to the stimulus electrode adapted to generte a drive voltage between the stimulus electrode and at least one of the first plurality of sense electrodes;

a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to a different one of the first plurality of sense electrodes; and

a voltmeter coupled to the plurality of switches and adapted to measure a sensed voltage at a selected one of the first plurality of sense electrodes.

10. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, wherein said switches are adapted to select said selected one of the first plurality of sense electrodes.

11. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, wherein each of said switches comprises at least one transistor and none of said transistors are beneath or between any of said sense electrodes or said stimulus electrode.

12. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, wherein said voltage source comprises at least one transistor and none of said transistors are beneath or between any of said sense electrodes or said stimulus electrode.

13. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, wherein each of said voltmeters comprises at least one transistor and none of said transistors are beneath or between any of said sense electrodes or said stimulus electrode.

14. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, wherein said stimulus electrode is beneath said plurality of sense electrodes.

15. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 14 wherein the second plurality of switches are adapted to select the selected one of the second plurality of sense electrodes.

16. A capacitance sensor device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second plurality of sense electrodes;

a second stimulus electrode capacitively coupled to said second plurality of sense electrodes;

a second voltage source coupled to the second stimulus electrode and adapted to generate a drive voltage between the second stimulus electrode end at least one of the second plurality of sense electrodes;

a second plurality of switches, each coupled to a different one of the second plurality of sense electrodes;

a second voltmeter coupled to the second plurality of switches, the second voltmeter adapted to measure a sensed voltage at a selected one of the second plurality of sense electrodes.

17. A method for sensing a target structure comprises at least a portion of a fingertip the method comprising:

capacitively coupling at least one stimulus electrode to a plurality of sense electrodes located beneath said at least one sense electrode, at least one of said plurality of sense electrodes adapted to diminish a capacitance between the target structure and the at least one stimulus electrode;

applying time-varying voltages to said at least one stimulus electrodes to generate a drive voltage between the at least one stimulus electrode and at least one of the plurality of sense electrodes;

coupling a voltmeter to a selected one of the plurality of sense electrodes through a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to a different one of the plurality of sense electrodes;

measuring a time varying voltage at the at least one sense electrode;

determining the capacitance between the at least one sense electrode and the target structure using an integrated circuit comprising MOS devices wherein no MOS devices are located beneath or between the plurality of sense electrodes and the at least one stimulus electrodes; and

at least partially shielding the at least one stimulus electrode from capacitively coupling to the target structure by means of the sense electrodes.