Directional capacitive proximity sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- detecting an object near an electronic system that includes an electrically conductive medium forming a shield, an electrically insulating medium on the electrically conductive medium, and electrodes around a central area and on the electrically insulating medium, the detecting including;
determining measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes, the determining for each measurement representative of capacitance including;
executing a number of charge and transfer cycles of charging the electrodes and of transferring the charge between the electrodes and a sampling capacitor, andmonitoring the number of charge and transfer cycles and a voltage across terminals of the sampling capacitor;
comparing the measurements representative of capacitance with a detection threshold; and
deducing whether an object is near the central area in a detection field based on the comparing,wherein the determining includes simultaneously activating all the electrodes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting an object near an electronic system, comprising steps of: forming electrodes around a central area, on an electrically insulating medium, determining measurements representative of the capacitance of the electrodes, and comparing the measurements with a detection threshold, and deducing whether or not an object is near the central area in a detection, the electrically insulating medium on which the electrodes are formed being deposited on an electrically conductive medium forming a shield, the capacitance measurements being taken by simultaneously activating all the electrodes.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
detecting an object near an electronic system that includes an electrically conductive medium forming a shield, an electrically insulating medium on the electrically conductive medium, and electrodes around a central area and on the electrically insulating medium, the detecting including; determining measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes, the determining for each measurement representative of capacitance including; executing a number of charge and transfer cycles of charging the electrodes and of transferring the charge between the electrodes and a sampling capacitor, and monitoring the number of charge and transfer cycles and a voltage across terminals of the sampling capacitor; comparing the measurements representative of capacitance with a detection threshold; and deducing whether an object is near the central area in a detection field based on the comparing, wherein the determining includes simultaneously activating all the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
6. A method, comprising:
detecting an object near an electronic system that includes an electrically conductive medium forming a shield, an electrically insulating medium on the electrically conductive medium, and electrodes around a central area and on the electrically insulating medium, the detecting including; determining measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes, the determining for each measurement representative of capacitance including; executing a fixed number of charge and transfer cycles of charging the electrodes and of transferring the charge between the electrodes and a sampling capacitor, and determining the measurement representative of the capacitance on the electrodes according to the voltage at terminals of the sampling capacitor after the fixed number of the charge and transfer cycles; comparing the measurements representative of capacitance with a detection threshold; and deducing whether an object is near the central area in a detection field based on the comparing, the determining includes simultaneously activating all the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
9. A proximity detection device, comprising:
-
a central structure; an electrically insulating medium having a first surface facing a detection field, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an outer side surface extending between the first surface and the second surface and being transverse to the first and second surfaces, the electrically insulating medium laterally surrounding the central structure; electrode positioned laterally around and spaced from the central structure, the electrodes being positioned in the electrically insulating medium; an electrically conductive shield laterally surrounding the central structure and the insulating medium, the electrically conductive shield having a first portion and a second portion that is transverse to the first portion, the second portion being on the second surface of the electrically insulating medium and the first portion being on the outer side surface of the electrically insulating medium, the first portion of the shield being separated from the central structure by the insulating medium; a control circuit configured to control the electrodes, determine measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes, compare the measurements with a detection threshold, and deduce whether an object is near the central area in a detection field based on comparing the measurements with the detection threshold. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An electronic system comprising:
-
system electronics; and a proximity detection device coupled to the system electronics and including; a central structure; an electrically insulating medium having a first surface facing a detection field, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an outer side surface extending between the first surface and the second surface and being transverse to the first and second surfaces, the electrically insulating medium laterally surrounding the central structure; electrodes positioned laterally around and spaced from the central structure, the electrodes being positioned in the electrically insulating medium; an electrically conductive shield laterally surrounding the central structure and the insulating medium, the electrically conductive shield having a first portion and a second portion that is transverse to the first portion, the second portion being on the second surface of the electrically insulating medium and the first portion being on the outer side surface of the electrically insulating medium, the first portion of the shield being separated from the central structure by the insulating medium; a control circuit configured to control the electrodes, determine measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes, compare the measurements with a detection threshold, and deduce whether an object is near the central area in a detection field based on comparing the measurements with the detection threshold. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A proximity detection device comprising:
-
a central structure; a plurality of electrodes laterally surrounding the central structure; an electrically conductive shield that includes a conductive frame completely laterally surrounding the plurality of electrodes and the central structure; an insulating medium that insulates the electrodes from the shield, the insulating medium including a first surface facing a detection field, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and an outer side surface between the first surface and the second surface and being transverse to the first and second surfaces, the shield being on the second surface and on the outer side surface of the insulating medium; and a controller configured to make measurements representative of a capacitance on the electrodes and determine whether an object is within the detection field based on the measurements. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
-
Specification