Closed path capacitive position sensor

• US 8,643,626 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Philipp, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US13/495,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20120313892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/177, 345/178, 324/686, 341/31, 178/18, 178/19, 178/20, 178 1801- 1807, 178/19.01, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94073 with capacitive detection
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96066 Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch

Abstract

A capacitive position sensor for detecting the position of an object relative to a resistive sensing element. The sensing element comprises a sensing path that has terminals connected along it that subdivide the sensing path into multiple sections. Each terminal is coupled to its own sensing channel, each of which generates a signal that is sensitive to the capacitance between its terminal and a system ground. The signals are fed to a processor for analysis. The processor determines over which section the object is positioned by comparing the signals from the sensing channels, and determines the position of the object within that section by comparing the signals from the terminals spanning that section. The sensing path can be formed in a closed loop, such as a circle for a scroll dial, in which the operator'"'"'s finger position and movement can be uniquely determined in a straightforward manner.

Claims

1. A capacitive position sensor for detecting a position of an object comprising:

a single resistive sensing element comprising one continuous resistor that forms a closed sensing path;

a plurality of at least three terminals disposed along the single resistive sensing element at different locations along the closed sensing path, each of the plurality of terminals coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sensing channels;

a plurality of at least three sensing channels that are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of terminals, wherein each sensing channel is operable to generate a signal indicative of capacitance between the respective one of the plurality of terminals and a system ground; and

a processor operable to determine a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned and a position of the object within the particular one of plurality of sensing channels by comparing the signals from the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to determine the position of the object within the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels by a ratiometric analysis of signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to subtract a signal taken from a further terminal from each of the signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels prior to performing the ratiometric analysis.

2. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the closed sensing path forms a closed loop.

3. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensing path is formed by a single resistor.

4. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the closed sensing path has a substantially constant resistance per unit length.

5. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensing channels comprises a sampling capacitor connected in series between its terminal and the system ground such that in use each sampling capacitor is supplied with an amount of charge which depends on the capacitance between its terminal and the system ground.

6. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to determine the particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned by comparing magnitude of the signals.

7. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to provide a position output signal.

8. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 7, wherein the position output signal is provided conditional on the signals from the sensing channels exceeding a threshold.

9. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to provide a status output signal indicative of whether the signals exceed a threshold.

10. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to repeatedly determine position of the object and provide a motion output signal indicative of how the object has moved over the sensing element.

11. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a wiper that is arranged adjacent to the sensing element, wherein the wiper can be manually actuated to move relative to the sensing path so as to constitute the object to be detected.

12. A capacitive position sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switch controller operable to apply a switching sequence at the plurality of sensing channels, wherein the switching sequence causes a plurality of sampling capacitors associated with respective ones of the plurality of sensing channels to be connected to and then disconnected from a supply voltage and a respective terminal to be subsequently connected to the system ground, and

wherein the switching sequence is repeated until a voltage at each of the plurality of sensing channels is greater than a predefined reference threshold, and

wherein a number of times that the switching sequence is repeated to result in the voltage at a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels to be greater than the predefined reference threshold is used to determine the particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned.

13. A control panel incorporating a capacitive position sensor for detecting a position of an object comprising;

a single resistive sensing element comprising one continuous resistor that forms a closed sensing path;

a plurality of at least three terminals disposed along the single resistive sensing element at different locations along the closed sensing path, each of the plurality of terminals coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sensing channels;

a plurality of sensing channels that are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of terminals, wherein each sensing channel is operable to generate a signal indicative of capacitance between the respective one of the plurality of terminals and a system ground; and

a processor operable to determine a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned and a position of the object within the particular one of plurality of sensing channels by comparing the signals from the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to determine the position of the object within the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels by a ratiometric analysis of signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to subtract a signal taken from a further terminal from each of the signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels prior to performing the ratiometric analysis.

14. A control panel according to claim 13, further comprising:

a switch controller operable to apply a switching sequence at the plurality of sensing channels, wherein the switching sequence causes a plurality of sampling capacitors associated with respective ones of the plurality of sensing channels to be connected to and then disconnected from a supply voltage and a respective terminal to be subsequently connected to the system ground, and

wherein the switching sequence is repeated until a voltage at each of the plurality of sensing channels is greater than a predefined reference threshold, and

wherein a number of times that the switching sequence is repeated to result in the voltage at a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels to be greater than the predefined reference threshold is used to determine the particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned.

15. An apparatus having a control panel incorporating a capacitive position sensor for detecting a position of an object comprising:

a single resistive sensing element comprising one continuous resistor that forms a closed sensing path;

a plurality of at least three terminals disposed along the single resistive sensing element at different locations along the closed sensing path, each of the plurality of terminals coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sensing channels;

a plurality of sensing channels that are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of terminals, wherein each sensing channel is operable to generate a signal indicative of capacitance between the respective one of the plurality of terminals and a system ground; and

a processor operable to determine a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned and a position of the object within the particular one of plurality of sensing channels by comparing the signals from the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to determine the position of the object within the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels by a ratiometric analysis of signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels, and

wherein the processor is further operable to subtract a signal taken from a further terminal from each of the signals taken from the terminals spanning the determined particular one of the plurality of sensing channels prior to performing the ratiometric analysis.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a switch controller operable to apply a switching sequence at the plurality of sensing channels, wherein the switching sequence causes a plurality of sampling capacitors associated with respective ones of the plurality of sensing channels to be connected to and then disconnected from a supply voltage and a respective terminal to be subsequently connected to the system ground, and

wherein the switching sequence is repeated until a voltage at each of the plurality of sensing Channels is greater than a predefined reference threshold, and

wherein a number of times that the switching sequence is repeated to result in the voltage at a particular one of the plurality of sensing channels to be greater than the predefined reference threshold is used to determine the particular one of the plurality of sensing channels over which the object is positioned.