Capacitance voltage conversion circuit, input apparatus using the same, electronic instrument, and capacitance voltage conversion method

• US 9,652,104 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Yukihiro, Shimada, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khoo, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US14/993,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 324658, 324678, 324679, 324684, 324686, 327103, 327560, 178 1806
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

A capacitance voltage conversion circuit, which converts respective capacitances of a plurality of sensor capacitors into voltages, includes: a plurality of capacitance current conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each capacitance current conversion circuit configured to generate a detection current corresponding to a capacitance of a corresponding sensor capacitor; a current average circuit configured to average a plurality of detection currents, which are respectively generated by the capacitance current conversion circuits, to generate an average current; and a plurality of current voltage conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each current voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a difference current between a corresponding detection current and the average current into a voltage.

Claims

1. A capacitance voltage conversion circuit which converts a capacitance of each of a plurality of sensor capacitors into a voltage, the capacitance voltage conversion circuit comprising:

a plurality of capacitance current conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each of the capacitance current conversion circuit configured to generate a detection current corresponding to a capacitance of a corresponding sensor capacitor;

a current average circuit configured to average detection currents, which are generated by the capacitance current conversion circuits, to generate an average current;

a plurality of current voltage conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each of the current voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a difference current between a corresponding detection current and the average current into a first output voltage, wherein in a standby mode, whether a user touches at least one of the sensor capacitors is determined on the basis of a difference current between the reference current and the average current;

a reference capacitor; and

a second capacitance current conversion circuit configured to generate a reference current corresponding to a capacitance of the reference capacitor.

2. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second current voltage conversion circuit configured to convert the difference current between the reference current and the average current into a second output voltage.

3. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 2, further comprising:

a multiplexer configured to receive respective first output voltages of the plurality of current voltage conversion circuits and the second output voltage of the second current voltage conversion circuit, and to select one of the received first and second output voltages; and

an Analog/Digital converter configured to convert the one of the received first and second output voltages, selected by the multiplexer, into a digital value,

wherein in the standby mode, the multiplexer selects the second output voltage of the second current voltage conversion circuit.

4. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 3, wherein in the standby mode, the plurality of current voltage conversion circuits are stopped.

5. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 1, wherein the reference capacitor is a variable capacitor.

6. A capacitance voltage conversion circuit which converts a capacitance of each of a plurality of sensor capacitors into a voltage, the capacitance voltage conversion circuit comprising:

a plurality of capacitance current conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each of the capacitance current conversion circuit configured to generate a detection current corresponding to a capacitance of a corresponding sensor capacitor;

a current average circuit configured to average detection currents, which are generated by the capacitance current conversion circuits, to generate an average current;

a plurality of current voltage conversion circuits disposed in respective correspondence with the sensor capacitors, each of the current voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a difference current between a corresponding detection current and the average current into a first output voltage, wherein in a standby mode, whether a user touches at least one of the sensor capacitors is determined on the basis of the average current;

a reference capacitor;

a second capacitance current conversion circuit configured to generate a reference current corresponding to a capacitance of the reference capacitor; and

a second current voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a difference current between the reference current and the average current into a second output voltage,

wherein the current average circuit averages the reference current and the detection currents which are respectively generated by the plurality of capacitance current conversion circuits, thereby generating the average current.

7. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 6, wherein in a standby mode, whether a user touches at least one of the sensor capacitors is determined on the basis of an output voltage of the second current voltage conversion circuit.

8. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a multiplexer configured to receive the respective first output voltages of the plurality of current voltage conversion circuits and the second output voltage of the second current voltage conversion circuit, and to select one of the received first and second output voltages; and

an Analog/Digital converter configured to convert the one of the received first and second output voltages, selected by the multiplexer, into a digital value,

wherein in the standby mode, the multiplexer selects the second output voltage of the second current voltage conversion circuit.

9. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 8, wherein in the standby mode, the plurality of current voltage conversion circuits are stopped.

10. The capacitance voltage conversion circuit of claim 6, wherein the reference capacitor is a variable capacitor.