Sensor and method of sensing

• US 9,600,124 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Philipp, Harald, Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): Midkiff, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US12/671,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,155 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

A sensor is arranged to determine the presence of an object from a change in a capacitance of a sensing element. The sensor includes a capacitance measurement circuit operable to perform measurement cycles to measure a capacitance of the sensing element, and a controller circuit. The control circuit is operable to detect a periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element, to determine a first part, of a repeating pattern of the periodic noise signal, which causes a change in an amount of charge present on the sensing element, which affects the measurement of the capacitance of the sensing element by the capacitance measurement circuit, to determine a second part of the repeating pattern of the periodic noise signal, which does not cause a change in the amount of charge present on the sensing element, and to control the measurement cycles of the capacitance measurement circuit to perform the measurement cycles during the second part of the periodic noise signal and not to perform the measurement cycles during the first part of the periodic noise signal.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a capacitance measurement circuit operable to perform measurement cycles to measure a capacitance of a sensing element, and

a controller circuit operable to;

analyze a signal used to measure the capacitance of the sensing element to identify a periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element, the periodic noise signal associated with an interference;

determine a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of affecting the measurement of the capacitance of the sensing element by the capacitance measurement circuit more than a second part of the periodic noise signal, the interference present during both the first part and the second part of the periodic noise signal; and

control the capacitance measurement circuit to perform the measurement cycles during the second part of the periodic noise signal.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing element comprises a key; and

the controller is further operable to control the capacitance measurement circuit to detect a change in the capacitance of the sensing element, the detection comprising;

generating a plurality of the measurement cycles, each measurement cycle comprising inducing charge onto the key during a charging part of the measurement cycle, and measuring an amount of charge induced on the key during a signal measurement part of the measurement cycle; and

detecting an object proximate the key from a change in an amount of charge transferred from the key.

3. The sensor of Claim 1, wherein controlling the capacitance measurement circuit to perform the measurement cycles during the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises:

generating a plurality of measurement bursts, each measurement burst comprising a plurality of the measurement cycles; and

synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises:

determining a temporal length of each of the measurement bursts; and

adjusting a timing of the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with a plurality of parts of the periodic noise signal which are less likely to affect the measurement of the capacitance of the sensing element.

5. The sensor of claim 3, wherein:

determining a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of affecting the measurement of the capacitance of the sensing element by the capacitance measurement circuit more than a second part of the periodic noise signal comprises detecting a plurality of rising and failing edges in the periodic noise signal; and

synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises adjusting a timing of the plurality of measurement bursts to avoid the plurality of rising and falling edges in the periodic noise signal.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is operable to control the capacitance measurement circuit to perform the measurement cycles during the second part of the periodic noise signal. for a plurality of periods of the periodic noise signal.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is operable to identify the periodic noise signal during a noise sensing phase, in which the capacitance measurement circuit does not perform any measurement cycles and the sensing element is floated.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing element comprises a key matrix forming a two dimensional capacitive transducer.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the periodic noise signal is generated by a liquid crystal display screen.

10. A method comprising:

analyzing a signal used to measure a capacitance of a sensing element to identify a periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element, the periodic noise signal associated with an interference;

determining a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of causing a greater change in an amount of charge present on the sensing element than a second part of the periodic noise signal, the interference present during both the first part and the second part of the periodic noise signal; and

performing measurement cycles to measure the capacitance of the sensing element during the second part of the periodic noise signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the sensing element comprises a key; and

performing measurement cycles to measure a capacitance of the sensing element during the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises;

generating a plurality of the measurement cycles, each measurement cycle comprising inducing charge onto the key during a charging part of the measurement cycle, and determining an amount of charge induced on the key during a signal measurement part of the measurement cycle; and

detecting an object proximate the key from a change in an amount of charge transferred from the key.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing measurement cycles to measure a capacitance of the sensing element during the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises:

generating a plurality of measurement bursts, each measurement burst comprising a plurality of the measurement cycles; and

synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises:

determining a temporal length of each of the measurement bursts; and

adjusting a timing of the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

determining a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of causing a greater change in an amount of charge present on the sensing element than a second part of the periodic noise signal comprises detecting a plurality of rising and falling edges in the periodic noise signal; and

synchronizing the plurality of measurement bursts and the measurement cycles within the plurality of measurement bursts to coincide with the second part of the periodic noise signal comprises adjusting a timing of the plurality of measurement bursts to avoid the plurality of rising and falling edges in the periodic noise signal.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the measurement cycles are performed during the second part of the periodic noise signal for a plurality of periods of the periodic noise signal.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing the signal present on the sensing element to identify the periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element comprises detecting the periodic noise signal during a noise sensing phase, in which measurement cycles are not performed and the sensing element is floated.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensing element comprises a key matrix forming a two dimensional capacitive transducer.

18. A controller operable to:

analyze a signal used to measure a capacitance of a sensing element to identify a periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element, the periodic noise signal associated with an interference;

determine a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of affecting a measurement of the capacitance of the sensing element by a capacitance measurement circuit more than a second part of the periodic noise signal, the capacitance measurement circuit operable to perform measurement cycles to measure the capacitance of the sensing element, the interference present during both the first part and the second part of the periodic noise signal; and

control the capacitance measurement circuit to perform the measurement cycles during the second part of the periodic noise signal.

19. The controller of claim 18, wherein:

the sensing element comprises a key; and

the controller is further operable to detect a change in the capacitance of the sensing element , the detection comprising;

generating a plurality of the measurement cycles, each measurement cycle comprising inducing charge onto the key during a charging part of the measurement cycle, and measuring an amount of charge induced on the key during a signal measurement part of the measurement cycle; and

detecting an object proximate the key from a change in an amount of charge transferred from the key.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for analyzing a signal used to measure a capacitance of a sensing element to identify a periodic noise signal induced on the sensing element, the periodic noise signal associated with an interference;

means for determining a first part of the periodic noise signal as being capable of causing a greater change in an amount of charge present on the sensing element than a second part of the periodic noise signal, the interference present during both the first part and the second part of the periodic noise signal; and

means for performing measurement cycles to measure the capacitance of the sensing element during the second part of the periodic noise signal.