Noise handling in capacitive touch sensors

• US 8,598,894 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat, Pickett, Daniel, Philipp, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US13/290,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 324/684, 324/613
• US Class Current: 324/684
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/26 Measuring noise figure; Measuring signal-to-noise ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

In a capacitive sensor of the type having X electrodes which are driven and Y electrodes that are used as sense channels connected to charge measurement capacitors, signal measurements may be made by driving the X electrodes to transfer successive packets of charge to the charge measurement capacitors. An additional noise measurement may be made by emulating or mimicking the signal measurement, but in certain embodiments without driving the X electrodes. The packets of charge transferred to the charge accumulation capacitor may be indicative of noise induced on the XY sensing nodes. These noise measurements can be used to configure post-processing of the signal measurements.

Claims

1. A method of measuring proximity of a body to a capacitive sensor device comprising a coupling capacitor having a capacitance sensitive to proximity of a body, and a charge accumulation capacitor having first and second plates, the first plate being connected to the coupling capacitor, and the second plate being connected to a voltage output line, the method comprising:

making a signal measurement by transferring charge indicative of the capacitance of the coupling capacitor from the coupling capacitor to the charge accumulation capacitor, and by reading the voltage on the voltage output line, thereby to measure proximity of a body; and

making a noise measurement by emulating the signal measurement, but inhibiting charge from arising on the coupling capacitor as a result of proximity of a body, thereby to transfer charge indicative of noise induced on the coupling capacitor to the charge accumulation capacitor, and by reading the voltage on the voltage output line, thereby to measure noise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor device comprises X and Y electrodes forming respective X and Y plates of the coupling capacitor, wherein the first plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is connected to the Y plate of the coupling capacitor, and wherein the second plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is connected to a pre-charge line operable to inject a predetermined amount of charge onto the second plate, wherein, in the signal measurement, at least one cycle of driving the X electrode with an input voltage is applied, and wherein, in the noise measurement, the X electrode is not driven.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when making the noise measurement, the second plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is pre-charged before mimicking the signal measurement, thereby to measure noise through its modulation of the amount of charge initially placed on the charge accumulation capacitor by the pre-charge.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the noise measurement, charge is transferred to the charge accumulation capacitor in a plurality of cycles, and the voltage on the voltage output line is read after a predetermined number of said cycles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the signal measurement, charge is transferred to the charge accumulation capacitor in a plurality of cycles, and the voltage on the voltage output line is read after a predetermined number of said cycles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the signal measurement charge is transferred to the charge accumulation capacitor in a plurality of cycles, wherein the cycles are repeated until the voltage on the voltage output line reaches a threshold value, the number of cycles required to reach the threshold value being read as the measure of the capacitance.

7. A capacitive sensor device comprising a coupling capacitor having a capacitance sensitive to proximity of a body, and a charge accumulation capacitor having first and second plates, the first plate being connected to the coupling capacitor, and the second plate being connected to a voltage output line,

the device being operable in a first mode to make a signal measurement by transferring charge indicative of the capacitance of the coupling capacitor from the coupling capacitor to the charge accumulation capacitor, wherein the voltage on the voltage output line is a measure of proximity of a body;

and

the device being operable in a second mode to make a noise measurement by emulating the signal measurement, but inhibiting charge from arising on the coupling capacitor as a result of proximity of a body, thereby to transfer charge indicative of noise induced on the coupling capacitor to the charge accumulation capacitor, wherein the voltage on the voltage output line is a measure of noise.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the second plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is additionally connected to a pre-charge line operable to inject a predetermined amount of charge onto the second plate, and wherein, in the noise measurement mode, the second plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is pre-charged before mimicking the signal measurement, thereby to measure noise through its modulation of the amount of charge initially placed on the charge accumulation capacitor by the pre-charge.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising X and Y electrodes forming respective X and Y plates of the coupling capacitor, wherein the first plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is connected to the Y plate of the coupling capacitor, and wherein the second plate of the charge accumulation capacitor is connected to a pre-charge line operable to inject a predetermined amount of charge onto the second plate, wherein, in the signal measurement mode, at least one cycle of driving the X electrode with an input voltage is applied, and wherein, in the noise measurement mode, the X electrode is not driven.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein there are a plurality of Y electrodes common to each X electrode

11. The device of claim 9, wherein each Y electrode has its own charge accumulator capacitor.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein there are a plurality of X electrodes, and the X and Y electrodes are arranged to form a two-dimensional array of coupling capacitors distributed over a touch sensitive panel.

13. The device of claim 7, further comprising a data acquisition unit connected to the voltage output line and operable to measure the voltage on the voltage output line to acquire the signal and noise measurements.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a filter operable to perform numerical processing on the signal measurements, wherein the filter is operable having regard to the noise measurements.