Self-capacitance measurement

• US 9,372,582 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pant, Vivek, Shahparnia, Shahrooz, Hristov, Luben Hristov, Pedersen, Trond Jarle, Hermes, Bernard J., Brunet, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): FRY, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US13/451,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18.06, 178/18.01, 345173-174, 324/658, 324/679, 324/686, 327/336
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960745 Capacitive differential; e.g. comparison with reference capacitance

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes modifying an amount of charge of a capacitance of a touch sensor. The modified amount of charge resulting in a voltage at the capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance. The application of the first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level. The method also includes determining a first difference between the first charging voltage level and a reference voltage level; and determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first difference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

modifying an amount of charge of a measurement capacitance of a touch sensor, the modified amount of charge resulting in a voltage at the measurement capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level;

applying charge to an electrode associated with the measurement capacitance resulting in a first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance, the application of the charge to the electrode resulting in the first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance modifying the voltage at the measurement capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level;

transferring a portion of the charge on the measurement capacitance to a sampling capacitance such that a voltage level of the sampling capacitance increases as a function of a first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and a reference voltage level, and such that the voltage at the measurement capacitance is modified from the first charging voltage level to the reference voltage level, wherein the reference voltage level is a pre-determined voltage corresponding to the voltage obtained by applying the first pre-determined amount of charge to the electrode when a touch input has not occurred;

measuring the first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and the reference voltage level by measuring the voltage level of the sampling capacitance; and

determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based at least in part on the voltage level of the sampling capacitance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the amount of charge of the capacitance, the modified amount of charge resulting in the voltage at the capacitance being a second pre-determined voltage level;

applying a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the second pre-determined voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determining a second difference between the second charging voltage level and the reference voltage level; and

determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first pre-determined amount of charge comprises:

applying a portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a first pre-determined current for a first pre-determined amount of time; and

applying another portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a second pre-determined current for a second pre-determined amount of time, the second pre-determined current being larger than the first pre-determined current.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the pre-determined amount of charge comprising applying a pre-determined current for a pre-determined amount of time, the pre-determined current is a function of a reference current.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising periodically adjusting the pre-determined amount of time based on the first difference.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein further comprising periodically adjusting the reference current based on the first difference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determining a second difference between the second charging voltage level and a second pre-determined voltage level; and

determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred comprises comparing a value of an output voltage that is proportional to the first difference to a value of the output voltage without a touch input.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic configured when executed to:

modify an amount of charge of a measurement capacitance of a touch sensor, the modified amount of charge resulting in a voltage at the measurement capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level;

apply charge to an electrode associated with the measurement capacitance resulting, in a first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance, the application of the charge to the electrode resulting in the first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance modifying the voltage at the measurement capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level;

transfer a portion of the charge on the measurement capacitance to a sampling capacitance such that a voltage level of the sampling capacitance increases as a function of a first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and a reference voltage level, and such that the voltage at the measurement capacitance is modified from the first charging voltage level to the reference voltage level, wherein the reference voltage level is a pre-determined voltage corresponding to the voltage obtained by applying the first pre-determined amount of charge to the electrode when a touch input has not occurred;

measure the first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and the reference voltage level by measuring the voltage level of the sampling capacitance; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based at least in part on the voltage level of the sampling capacitance.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to:

modify the amount of charge of the capacitance, the modified amount of charge resulting in the voltage at the capacitance being a second pre-determined voltage level;

apply a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the second pre-determined voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determine a second difference between the second charging voltage level and the reference voltage level; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to:

apply a portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a first pre-determined current for a first pre-determined amount of time; and

apply another portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a second pre-determined current for a second pre-determined amount of time, the second pre-determined current being larger than the first pre-determined current.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to apply a pre-determined current for a pre-determined amount of time, the pre-determined current is a function of a reference current.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to periodically adjust the pre-determined amount of time based on the first difference.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to periodically adjust the reference current based on the first difference.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to:

apply a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determine a second difference between the second charging voltage level and a second pre-determined voltage level; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.

15. A device comprising:

a measurement circuit; and

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium coupled to the measurement circuit and embodying logic configured when executed to;

modify an amount of charge of a measurement capacitance of a touch sensor, the modified amount of charge resulting in a voltage at the measurement capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level;

apply charge to an electrode associated with the measurement capacitance resulting in a first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance, the application of the charge to the electrode resulting in the first pre-determined amount of charge on the measurement capacitance modifying the voltage at the measurement capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level;

transfer a portion of the charge on the measurement capacitance to a sampling capacitance such that a voltage level of the sampling capacitance increases as a function of a first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and a reference voltage level, and such that the voltage at the measurement capacitance is modified from the first charging voltage level to the reference voltage level, wherein the reference voltage level is a pre-determined voltage corresponding to the voltage obtained by applying the first pre-determined amount of charge to the electrode when a touch input has not occurred;

measure the first difference between the first charging voltage level resulting from the first pre-determined amount of charge and the reference voltage level by measuring the voltage level of the sampling capacitance; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based at least in part on the voltage level of the sampling capacitance.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

modify the amount of charge of the capacitance, the modified amount of charge resulting in the voltage at the capacitance being a second pre-determined voltage level;

apply a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the second pre-determined voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determine a second difference between the second charging voltage level and the reference voltage level; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

apply a portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a first pre-determined current for a first pre-determined amount of time; and

apply another portion of the first pre-determined amount of charge with a second pre-determined current for a second pre-determined amount of time, the second pre-determined current being larger than the first pre-determined current.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to apply a pre-determined current for a pre-determined amount of time, the pre-determined current is a function of a reference current.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the logic is further configured to periodically adjust the reference current based on the first difference.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

apply a second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance, the application of the second pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifying the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a second charging voltage level;

determine a second difference between the second charging voltage level and a second pre-determined voltage level; and

determine whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first and second differences.