Inspection method of sensor device and sensor device

• US 9,658,270 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takuya, Yokoyama, Shinya, Oki, Toshiyuki, Yanagi, Shuji, Asao, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes-Vivour, Temilade
• Application Number:
  US14/634,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/228 Circuits therefor measuring capacitance per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/50 Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/67 Testing the correctness of wire connections in electric apparatus or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/00 Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof covered by H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2201/00 Algorithms used for the adjustment of time-domain equalizers

Abstract

In a reset period of a first stage, a switching circuit is turned on, and high-level driving voltages are output from driving circuits. In a charge transfer period subsequent to the reset period, the switching circuit is turned off, and low-level driving voltages are output from the driving circuits. It is determined whether or not an output voltage of an amplifier circuit in the charge transfer period is included in a normal range. In the inspection of a second stage subsequent to the first stage, in the same manner as in the normal measurement, voltages having opposite phases are output from the driving circuits in the reset period and the charge transfer period, and it is determined whether or not the output voltage of the amplifier circuit in the charge transfer period is included in a normal range.

Claims

1. An inspection method of a sensor device including:

a sensor unit having a first capacitive sensor element connected between a first driving terminal and a signal terminal and a second capacitive sensor element connected between a second driving terminal and the signal terminal;

a first driving circuit configured to output a first driving voltage or a second driving voltage to the first driving terminal;

a second driving circuit configured to output the first driving voltage or the second driving voltage to the second driving terminal;

a capacitor having a first end connected to the signal terminal and a second end;

an amplifier circuit configured to output an amplified voltage to the second end of the capacitor by amplifying a difference between a voltage of the signal terminal and a reference voltage such that the voltage of the signal terminal becomes close to the reference voltage; and

a switching circuit configured to discharge electric charges accumulated in the capacitor, the inspection method comprising;

a first inspection stage including;

a first step of discharging the capacitor using the switching circuit, and applying the first driving voltage to the first and second driving terminals using the first and second driving circuits, respectively;

a second step of stopping the discharging of the capacitor using the switching circuit to make the capacitor available for charging, applying the second driving voltage to the first and second driving terminals using the first and second driving circuits, respectively, and outputting the amplified voltage by amplifying the difference between the voltage of the signal terminal and the reference voltage using the amplifier circuit; and

a third step of determining whether or not the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit in the second step is within a first normal range between a first threshold voltage and a power supply voltage, the first threshold voltage being higher than the reference voltage and lower than the power supply voltage.

2. The inspection method of a sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second inspection step including;

a fourth step of discharging the capacitor using the switching circuit, and applying the first driving voltage to the first driving terminal using the first driving circuit and the second driving voltage to the second driving terminal using the second driving circuit;

a fifth step of stopping the discharging of the capacitor using the switching circuit, and outputting the second driving voltage to the first driving terminal using the first driving circuit and the first driving voltage to the second driving terminal using the second driving circuit, and outputting the amplified voltage by amplifying the difference between the voltage of the signal terminal and the reference voltage using the amplifier circuit; and

a sixth step of determining whether or not the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit in the fifth step is within a second normal range between a second threshold voltage and a third threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage being higher than a ground potential and lower than the reference voltage, and the third threshold voltage being higher than the reference voltage and lower than the power supply voltage,

wherein the second inspection stage is performed if the first inspection stage determines that the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit is within the first normal range.

3. The inspection method of a sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the sensor device includes an offset adjustment circuit configured to adjust an offset voltage of the amplifier circuit,

and wherein a function of the offset adjustment circuit is disabled in the first inspection stage and enabled in the second inspection stage.

4. A sensor device, comprising:

a sensor unit including;

a first capacitive sensor element connected between a first driving terminal and a signal terminal; and

a second capacitive sensor element connected between a second driving terminal and the signal terminal;

a first driving circuit configured to output a first driving voltage or a second driving voltage to the first driving terminal;

a second driving circuit configured to output the first driving voltage or the second driving voltage to the second driving terminal;

a capacitor having a first end connected to the signal terminal and a second end;

an amplifier circuit configured to output an amplified voltage to the second end of the capacitor, by amplifying a difference between a voltage of the signal terminal and a reference voltage, such that the voltage of the signal terminal becomes close to the reference voltage;

a switching circuit configured to discharge electric charges accumulated in the capacitor; and

a control circuit configured to control the first driving circuit, the second driving circuit, and the switching circuit such that the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit corresponds to a difference between a capacitance of the first capacitive sensor element and a capacitance of the second capacitive sensor element,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to perform a first inspection stage in which the control circuit;

controls, in a first step, the switching circuit to discharge the capacitor, and both of the first and second driving circuits to output to the first driving voltage to the first and second driving terminals, respectively;

controls, in a second step, the switching circuit to stop the discharge of the capacitor to make the capacitor available for charging, and both of the first and second driving circuits to output the second driving voltage to the first and second driving terminals, respectively; and

determines, in a third step, whether or not the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit in the second step is within a first normal range between a first threshold voltage and a power supply voltage, wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the reference voltage and lower than the power supply voltage.

5. The sensor device according to claim 4,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to perform a second inspection stage in which the control circuit:

controls, in a fourth step, the switching circuit to discharge the capacitor, the first driving circuit to output the first driving voltage to the first driving terminal, and the second driving circuit to output the second driving voltage to the second driving terminal;

controls, in a fifth step, the switching circuit to stop the discharge of the capacitor to make the capacitor available for charging, the first driving circuit to output the second driving voltage to from the first driving terminal, and the second driving circuit to output the first driving voltage to the second driving terminal; and

determines, in a sixth step, whether or not the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit in the fifth step is within a second normal range between a second threshold voltage and a third threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage being higher than a ground potential and lower than the reference voltage, and the third threshold voltage being higher than the reference voltage and lower than the power supply voltage,

and wherein the second inspection stage is performed if the control circuit determines that the amplified voltage output from the amplifier circuit in the first inspection stage is within the first normal range.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an offset adjustment circuit configured to adjust an offset voltage of the amplifier circuit,

wherein the control circuit disables a function of the offset adjustment circuit in the first inspection stage, and enables the function the offset adjustment circuit in the second inspection stage.