Capacitive sensor with ratiometric voltage references

• US 7,667,468 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US11/880,963
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 324/676, 324/678, 324/679, 341/143
• US Class Current: 324/676
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance

Abstract

A capacitive sensor with ratiometric voltage references includes a voltage source, a charge transfer switch, an integrating capacitor, and a comparator. The voltage source is configured to generate a first voltage reference and a second voltage reference in response to a supply voltage, where the first voltage reference changes proportionally to the second voltage reference in response to a change in the supply voltage. The charge transfer switch is coupled to the integrating capacitor to distribute charge between a sensing capacitor and the integrating capacitor, where the charge is accumulated in response to the first voltage reference. The comparator is coupled to the second voltage reference and the integrating capacitor to compare a voltage on the integrating capacitor against the second voltage reference.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a voltage source to generate a first voltage reference and a second voltage reference in response to a supply voltage;

a charge transfer switch coupled to an integrating capacitor having a first plate and a second plate coupled to a reference voltage rail to distribute charge between a sensing capacitor and the integrating capacitor, the charge accumulated in response to the first voltage reference;

a control switch coupled to the first plate of the integrating capacitor to selectively disconnect the first plate of the integrating capacitor from a reference voltage node to maintain an integrated charge on the integrating capacitor; and

a comparator coupled to the second voltage reference and the integrating capacitor to compare a voltage proportional to the integrated charge on the integrating capacitor against the second voltage reference, wherein the first voltage reference changes proportionally to the second voltage reference in response to a change in the supply voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging switch coupled between the sensing capacitor and the voltage source to charge the sensing capacitor to the first voltage reference, wherein the reference voltage node is coupled to the reference voltage rail, and the control switch is a discharging switch coupled between the integrating capacitor and the reference voltage node to discharge the integrating capacitor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a discharging switch coupled between the sensing capacitor and a voltage rail to discharge the sensing capacitor, wherein the reference voltage node is coupled to the first voltage reference, and the control switch is a charging switch coupled between the integrating capacitor and the reference voltage node to charge the integrating capacitor to the first voltage reference.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage source comprises:

a first resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a first voltage rail; and

a second resistor coupled between the second terminal of the first resistor and a second voltage rail, wherein the first voltage reference is generated in response to a voltage on the first terminal and the second voltage reference is generated in response to a voltage on the second terminal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the voltage source further comprises:

a first voltage buffer coupled to the first terminal of the first resistor to buffer the first voltage reference; and

a second voltage buffer coupled to the second terminal to buffer the second voltage reference.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first voltage reference changes proportionally to the second voltage reference in response to a change in temperature of the voltage source.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage source comprises:

an amplifier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal;

a voltage regulator coupled to the first input terminal of the amplifier, the voltage regulator to generate a substantially constant output voltage in response to a voltage supplied by a first voltage rail;

a first resistor coupled between the second terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and

a second resistor coupled between the second terminal of the amplifier and a second voltage rail, wherein the first voltage reference is generated in response to a voltage at the output terminal of the amplifier and the second voltage reference is generated in response to a voltage at the second terminal of the amplifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first resistor has a first resistance and the second resistor has a second resistance, wherein a ratio of the first resistance to the second resistance is substantially constant in response to a change in temperature of the first and second resistors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clock source to generate a switching signal having a switching frequency, wherein the charge is alternately accumulated and distributed between the sensing capacitor and the integrating capacitor in response to the switching signal and at the switching frequency.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a counter coupled to an output of the comparator and coupled to receive the switching signal, wherein the counter is configured to count a number of pulses of the switching signal until the voltage on the integrating capacitor is greater than the second voltage reference.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a processor coupled to the counter to receive a number N representative of the number of pulses counted by the counter, wherein the processor is configured to determine a capacitance or a change in capacitance of the sensing capacitor in response to the received number N.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a counter coupled to an output of the comparator and coupled to receive the switching signal, wherein the counter is to count a number of pulses of the switching signal until the voltage on the integrating capacitor is less than the second voltage reference.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an analog input/output for coupling to a capacitive sense user interface, wherein the sensing capacitor is one of a plurality of sensing capacitors within the capacitive sense user interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plate of the integrated capacitor is not directly coupled to a resistor.

15. A method of operating a capacitance sensor, comprising:

outputting a first voltage reference and a second voltage reference from a voltage source in response to a supply voltage;

accumulating a charge in response to the first voltage reference;

distributing the charge between a sensing capacitor and an integrating capacitor;

maintaining an integrated charge on the integrating capacitor after the distributing; and

comparing a voltage proportional to the integrated charge on the integrating capacitor with the second voltage reference to determine whether the voltage on the integrating capacitor is greater than or less than the second voltage reference, wherein the first voltage reference changes proportionally to the second voltage reference in response to a change in the supply voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising switching, at a switching frequency, between accumulating the charge and distributing the charge, wherein accumulating the charge comprises charging the sensing capacitor to the first voltage reference.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a switching signal having the switching frequency, wherein the switching between accumulating and distributing is in response to the switching signal;

counting pulses of the switching signal until the voltage on the integrating capacitor is greater than the second voltage reference; and

determining the capacitance of the sensing capacitor in response to a number of pulses of the switching signal that are counted.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein accumulating the charge comprises charging the integrating capacitor to the first voltage reference, the method further comprising switching, at a switching frequency, between distributing charge between the sensing capacitor and the integrating capacitor and discharging the sensing capacitor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating a switching signal having the switching frequency, wherein the switching between accumulating and distributing is in response to the switching signal;

counting pulses of the switching signal until the voltage on the integrating capacitor is less than the second voltage reference; and

determining the capacitance of the sensing capacitor in response to a number of pulses of the switching signal that are counted.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for generating a first voltage reference and a second voltage reference in response to a supply voltage;

means for accumulating a charge in response to the first voltage reference;

means for distributing the charge between a sensing capacitor and an integrating capacitor;

means for maintaining an integrated charge on the integrating capacitor after distributing; and

means for comparing a voltage proportional to the integrated charge on the integrating capacitor with the second voltage reference to determine whether the voltage on the integrating capacitor is greater than or less than the second voltage reference, wherein the first voltage reference changes proportionally to the second voltage reference in response to a change in the supply voltage.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for switching, at a switching frequency, between accumulating the charge and distributing the charge, wherein accumulating the charge comprises charging the sensing capacitor to the first voltage reference;

means for counting pulses of the switching signal until the voltage on the integrating capacitor is greater than the second voltage reference; and

means for determining the capacitance of the sensing capacitor in response to a number of pulses of the switching signal that are counted.