Capacitive physical quantity detection device
First Claim
1. A capacitive physical quantity detection device for detecting a physical quantity, comprising:
- a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each capacitive physical quantity sensor performs a self-diagnosis operation and a normal operation, each capacitive physical quantity sensor including;
a detection unit having a movable electrode movable in accordance with the physical quantity and a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode;
a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier circuit, wherein a first negative or inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is coupled with the movable electrode,a second positive or non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit inputs a reference voltage therein during a period of the normal operation and inputs a self-diagnosis voltage therein during a period of the self-diagnosis operation, wherein the reference voltage is used for detecting a capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, and the self-diagnosis voltage is used for performing the self-diagnosis operation, and the self-diagnosis voltage is different from the reference voltage, and the C-V conversion circuit outputs an output voltage corresponding to the capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode; and
a signal processing circuit that performs a signal processing of the output voltage from the C-V conversion circuit so as to produce a signal corresponding to the physical quantity, wherein the reference voltage in each capacitive physical quantity sensor is substantially the same;
the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors perform the self-diagnosis operation simultaneously, the self-diagnosis voltage in one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first self-diagnosis voltage, the self-diagnosis voltage in another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second self-diagnosis voltage, and, the first self-diagnosis voltage is greater than the reference voltage, and the second self-diagnosis voltage is less than the reference voltage,a signal that is output from the one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first signal, a signal that is output from the another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second signal, and the capacitive physical quantity detection device further comprises a control circuit that is connected with the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors and is configured to compare the first signal and the second signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A capacitive physical quantity detection device comprising a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each sensor includes: a detection unit having a movable electrode and a fixed electrode; a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier circuit, wherein a first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is coupled with the movable electrode, a second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit inputs a reference voltage and a self-diagnosis voltage therein during a normal operation and a self-diagnosis operation, respectively, and the C-V conversion circuit outputs an output voltage; and a signal processing circuit that performs a signal processing of the output voltage, wherein the reference voltage in each sensor is substantially the same, the plurality of sensors performs the self-diagnosis operation simultaneously, and the self-diagnosis voltage in one of the sensors is a first self-diagnosis voltage that is different in magnitude from the self-diagnosis voltage in another one of the sensors.
24 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A capacitive physical quantity detection device for detecting a physical quantity, comprising:
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a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each capacitive physical quantity sensor performs a self-diagnosis operation and a normal operation, each capacitive physical quantity sensor including; a detection unit having a movable electrode movable in accordance with the physical quantity and a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode; a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier circuit, wherein a first negative or inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is coupled with the movable electrode, a second positive or non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit inputs a reference voltage therein during a period of the normal operation and inputs a self-diagnosis voltage therein during a period of the self-diagnosis operation, wherein the reference voltage is used for detecting a capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, and the self-diagnosis voltage is used for performing the self-diagnosis operation, and the self-diagnosis voltage is different from the reference voltage, and the C-V conversion circuit outputs an output voltage corresponding to the capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode; and a signal processing circuit that performs a signal processing of the output voltage from the C-V conversion circuit so as to produce a signal corresponding to the physical quantity, wherein the reference voltage in each capacitive physical quantity sensor is substantially the same; the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors perform the self-diagnosis operation simultaneously, the self-diagnosis voltage in one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first self-diagnosis voltage, the self-diagnosis voltage in another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second self-diagnosis voltage, and, the first self-diagnosis voltage is greater than the reference voltage, and the second self-diagnosis voltage is less than the reference voltage, a signal that is output from the one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first signal, a signal that is output from the another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second signal, and the capacitive physical quantity detection device further comprises a control circuit that is connected with the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors and is configured to compare the first signal and the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A capacitive physical quantity detection device comprising:
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a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each capacitive physical quantity sensor performs a self-diagnosis operation and a normal operation, each capacitive physical quantity sensor including; a detection unit having a movable electrode movable in accordance with the physical quantity and a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode; a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier circuit, wherein a first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is coupled with the movable electrode, a second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit inputs a reference voltage therein during a period of the normal operation and inputs a self-diagnosis voltage therein during a period of the self-diagnosis operation, the reference voltage is used for detecting a capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, the self-diagnosis voltage is used for performing the self-diagnosis operation, the self-diagnosis voltage is different from the reference voltage, and the C-V conversion circuit outputs an output voltage corresponding to the capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode; and a signal processing circuit that performs a signal processing of the output voltage from the C-V conversion circuit so as to produce a signal corresponding to the physical quantity, wherein the reference voltage in each capacitive physical quantity sensor is substantially the same, the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors perform the self-diagnosis operation simultaneously, the self-diagnosis voltage in one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first self-diagnosis voltage, the self-diagnosis voltage in another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second self-diagnosis voltage, the first self-diagnosis voltage is different in magnitude from the second self-diagnosis voltage, the first self-diagnosis voltage includes a first self-diagnosis potential and a second self-diagnosis potential, the one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors switches between the first self-diagnosis potential and the second self-diagnosis potential at a first timing, the second self-diagnosis voltage includes a third self-diagnosis potential and a fourth self-diagnosis potential, the another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors switches between the third self-diagnosis potential and the fourth self-diagnosis potential at a second timing, and the first timing is different from the second timing. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A capacitive physical quantity detection device for detecting a physical quantity, comprising:
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a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each capacitive physical quantity sensor performs a self-diagnosis operation and a normal operation, each capacitive physical quantity sensor including; a detection unit having a movable electrode movable in accordance with the physical quantity and a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode;
a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier circuit, wherein a first negative input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is coupled with the movable electrode, a second positive input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit inputs a reference voltage therein during a period of the normal operation and inputs a self-diagnosis voltage therein during a period of the self-diagnosis operation, wherein the reference voltage is used for detecting a capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, and the self-diagnosis voltage is used for performing the self-diagnosis operation, and the self-diagnosis voltage is different from the reference voltage, and the C-V conversion circuit outputs an output voltage corresponding to the capacitance change between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode; and
a signal processing circuit that performs a signal processing of the output voltage from the C-V conversion circuit so as to produce a signal corresponding to the physical quantity, wherein the reference voltage in each capacitive physical quantity sensor is substantially the same, the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors perform the self-diagnosis operation simultaneously, the self-diagnosis voltage in one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first self-diagnosis voltage, the self-diagnosis voltage in another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second self-diagnosis voltage, and the first self-diagnosis voltage is greater than the reference voltage, and the second self-diagnosis voltage is less than the reference voltage;a signal that is output from the one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a first signal, a signal that is output from the another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors is a second signal, and the capacitive physical quantity detection device further comprises a control circuit that detects an occurrence of a short between the one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors and the another one of the plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, based on the first and the second signal.
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Specification