Electrostatic capacitance detection circuit and input device

• US 9,678,191 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujiyoshi, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Natalini, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US13/949,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20140035601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• 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: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer

Abstract

An electrostatic capacitance detection circuit includes a charge amplifier that has an operational amplifier in which a capacitor is provided on a feedback path, and into which a signal including detection of electric charge of an inter-electrode capacitor of a sensor electrode and electric charge due to an external noise, and a selection switch that can switch a direction of a capacitor that is connected to input and output terminals of the charge amplifier through a feedback path that switches the direction of the capacitor depending on a direction of electric charge flowing in from a detection-side electrode of the sensor electrode, due to a drive signal applied to the sensor electrode.

Claims

1. An electrostatic capacitance detection circuit comprising;

a drive electrode and a detection electrode that constitute a sensor;

an electric charge integral circuit into which a signal including detection electric charge of an inter-electrode capacitance formed between the drive electrode and the detection electrode, and electric charge due to an external noise flows, wherein the electric charge integral circuit includes a capacitor that accumulates the electric charge transferred from the inter-electrode capacitance, and continuously integrates the electric charge transferred due to a drive signal applied to the drive electrode, in the capacitor;

wherein the electric charge integral circuit includes;

a charge amplifier that has an operational amplifier in which the capacitor is provided on a feedback path, and

a plurality of selection switches, each switching a direction of the drive signal applied to the capacitor, and wherein a voltage selection switch that switches rising or falling of the drive signal applied to the drive electrode and a feedback path selection switch that switches a path capacitor provided in the feedback path are controlled at the same time according to the rising falling of the drive signal; and

an A/D converter that converts an output of the electric charge integral circuit from an analog into a digital signal.

2. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a catch switch that controls a period during which the drive signal flows into the charge amplifier,

wherein the analog signal that becomes an output of the charge amplifier due to the catch switch is caught in accord with the timing of analog/digital conversion.

3. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1,

wherein one of a resistance element, an impedance element, an active element, and a circuitry that is a combination of the impedance element and the active element is connected in parallel with respect to the feedback path of the operational amplifier.

4. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the A/D converter converts the analog signal that is made from a difference in electric potential between output electric potential of the charge amplifier and reference electric potential into the digital signal.

5. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 4, further comprising:

a feedback circuit that generates a feedback signal based on the digital signal to be applied to the drive electrode in the capacitor, wherein the feedback signal results from converting the analog signal made from the difference in electric potential between the output electric potential of the charge amplifier and the reference electric potential into the digital signal, and wherein the feedback circuit feeds the feedback signal to the charge amplifier.

6. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the A/D converter converts the analog signal that is made from a difference in electric potential between output electric potential of the charge amplifier that corresponds to a rising edge of the drive signal and the output electric potential of the charge amplifier that corresponds to a falling edge of the drive signal, into the digital signal.

7. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 6, further comprising:

a feedback circuit that generates a feedback signal based on the digital signal to be applied to the drive electrode in the capacitor, wherein the feedback signal results from converting the analog signal made from the difference in electric potential between the output electric potential of the charge amplifier that corresponds to a rising edge of the drive signal and the output electric potential of the charge amplifier that corresponds to a falling edge of the drive signal into the digital signal, and wherein the feedback circuit feeds the feedback signal to the charge amplifier.

8. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the electric charge integral circuit further includes:

an electric current conveyor circuit that has a differential amplifier to which electric potential of the detection electrode of the sensor and reference electric potential are input, a first electric current output circuit of which output electric current is controlled with an output voltage of the differential amplifier, a feedback path through which output electric current of the first electric current output circuit is fed back to an input of the differential amplifier, and a second electric current output circuit that makes up a current mirror configuration, in company with the first electric current output circuit; and

a selection circuit that initializes electric potential of the capacitor integrating output electric current of the second electric current output circuit, and switches an output of the electric current conveyor circuit and connection to the capacitor depending on a direction of electric charge that flows in from the detection electrode of the sensor.

9. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 8,

wherein the selection circuit includes:

a first switch that is connected between an output of the second electric current output circuit and one terminal of the capacitor,

a second switch that is connected between an output of the second electric current output circuit and the other terminal of the capacitor,

a third switch that is connected between the other terminal of the capacitor and ground,

a fourth switch that is connected between one terminal of the capacitor and a power source, and

a fifth switch that is connected between a reference electric potential terminal and one terminal of the capacitor.

10. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 8,

wherein the selection circuit includes:

a first switch that is connected between an output of the second electric current output circuit and one terminal of the capacitor,

a second switch that is connected between an output of the second electric current output circuit and the other terminal of the capacitor,

a third switch that is connected between the other terminal of the capacitor and a reference electric potential terminal, and

a fourth switch that is connected between one terminal of the capacitor and the reference electric potential terminal.

11. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 8,

wherein the operational amplifier in the electric charge integral circuit further includes:

a first operational amplifier that has a first differential amplifier to which electric potential of a detection electrode of the sensor electrode and reference electric potential are input, a first electric current output circuit of which output electric current is controlled with an output voltage of the first differential amplifier, and a feedback path through which output electric current of the first electric current output circuit is fed back to an input of the first differential amplifier;

a second operational amplifier that has a second differential amplifier to which the electric potential of the detection electrode of the sensor electrode and the reference electric potential are input, and a second electric current output circuit of which output electric current is controlled with an output voltage of the second differential amplifier; and

the selection circuit initializes electric potential of the capacitor integrating output electric current of the second electric current output circuit, and switches an output of the second operational amplifier and connection to the capacitor depending on a direction of electric charge that flows in from the detection electrode of the sensor electrode.

12. The electrostatic capacitance detection circuit according to claim 1, wherein the A/D converter comprises a delta sigma type converter.

13. An input device comprising:

A sensor comprising a drive electrode and a detection electrode; and

an electrostatic capacitance detection circuit connected to the sensor, the electrostatic capacitance detection circuit comprising;

an electric charge integral circuit into which a signal including detection electric charge of an inter-electrode capacitance of both the drive electrode and the detection electrode, and electric charge due to an external noise flows, wherein the electric charge integral circuit includes a capacitor that accumulates the electric charge transferred from the inter-electrode capacitance, and continuously integrates the electric charge transferred due to a drive signal applied to the drive electrode in the capacitor;

wherein the electric charge integral circuit includes;

a charge amplifier that has an operational amplifier in which the capacitor is provided on a feedback path, and

a plurality of selection switches, each switching a direction of the drive signal applied to the capacitor, and wherein a voltage selection switch that switches rising or falling of the drive signal applied to the drive electrode and a feedback path selection switch that switches a path of the capacitor provided in the feedback path are controlled at the same time according to the rising and falling of the drive signal; and

an A/D converter that converts an output of the electric charge integral circuit from an analog signal into a digital signal.