Capacitive sensing with high-frequency noise reduction

• US 8,378,981 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Philipp, Harald, Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/466,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.06, 341/33, 341/22, 324/768, 324/678
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• 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: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sensing the presence of a body from a change in an amount of charge present on a capacitively charged key includes performing a measurement burst which generates a plurality of signal sample values from a plurality of measurement cycles. Each of the measurement cycle includes inducing charge onto the key during a drive part of the measurement cycle, measuring during a signal measurement part of the measurement cycle the charge induced on the key during the drive part of the measurement cycle, and generating a signal sample value to represent of the charge measured from the key during the signal measurement part of the measurement cycle. The method includes comparing the value of the plurality of the signal sample values of the measurement burst with a determined range of accepted values between a determined maximum and a determined minimum value, and processing any of the plurality of signal sample values, which are outside the determined accepted range to the effect that the presence of the body can be determined only from a change in the value of one or more of the plurality of signal samples which are within the determined accepted range. By removing the effects of signal sample values, which are outside the determined accepted range of values, then the effects of noise, such as rectangular noise, which might otherwise cause a body to be erroneously detected can be substantially reduced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of signal sample values from a plurality of measurement cycles, each of the measurement cycles comprising;

inducing charge onto a capacitive key;

measuring the charge induced on the capacitive key; and

generating a signal sample value representing the charge measured from the capacitive key; and

processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values, the processing comprising limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change;

wherein limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining a rate of change between the second processed signal sample value and a first signal sample value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values further comprises discarding signal sample values which are outside an accepted range between a determined minimum and a determined maximum.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adaptively determining the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a first signal sample value and a second signal sample value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the maximum rate of change based on the plurality of signal sample values, the determination comprising:

determining, during a first time period, the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a first signal sample value and a second signal sample value; and

adapting, during a second time period, the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a third signal sample value and a fourth signal sample value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an output signal sample value based on an average of the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining whether to constrain the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values further comprises:

reducing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined maximum if the first processed signal sample value exceeds the determined maximum; and

increasing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined minimum if the first processed signal sample value is lower than the determined minimum.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more of the plurality of signal sample values are generated during a test phase, and further comprising setting the determined maximum and the determined minimum based on the one or more signal sample values generated during the test phase.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a driving circuit operable to induce charge onto a capacitive key;

a charge sensing circuit comprising a signal measurement capacitor; and

a controller, the controller being operable to perform operations comprising;

controlling the driving circuit and the charge sensing circuit to generate a plurality of signal sample values from a plurality of measurement cycles, each of the measurement cycles comprising;

inducing charge onto the capacitive key;

measuring the charge induced on the capacitive key; and

generating a signal sample value representing the charge measured from the capacitive key; and

processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values, the processing comprising limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change;

wherein limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining a rate of change between the second processed signal sample value and a first signal sample value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values further comprises discarding those of the plurality of signal sample values which are outside an accepted range between a determined minimum and a determined maximum.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to perform operations further comprising adaptively determining the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a first signal sample value and a second signal sample value.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to perform operations further comprising determining the maximum rate of change based on the plurality of signal sample values, the determination comprising:

determining, during a first time period, the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a first signal sample value and a second signal sample value; and

adapting, during a second time period, the maximum rate of change based on a rate of change between a third signal sample value and a fourth signal sample value.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to perform operations further comprising generating an output signal sample value based on an average of the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining whether to constrain the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values further comprises:

reducing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined maximum if the first processed signal sample value exceeds the determined maximum; and

increasing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined minimum if the first processed signal sample value is lower than the determined minimum.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

one or more of the plurality of signal sample values are generated during a test phase; and

the controller is operable to perform operations further comprising setting the determined maximum and the determined minimum based on the one or more signal sample values generated during the test phase.

17. A controller, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic configured when executed by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

controlling a driving circuit and a charge sensing circuit, the charge sensing circuit comprising a signal measurement capacitor, to generate a plurality of signal sample values from a plurality of measurement cycles, each of the measurement cycles comprising;

inducing charge onto a capacitive key;

measuring the charge induced on the capacitive key; and

generating a signal sample value representing the charge measured from the capacitive key; and

processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values, the processing comprising limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change;

wherein limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining a rate of change between the second processed signal sample value and a first signal sample value.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values further comprises:

reducing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined maximum if the first processed signal sample value exceeds a determined maximum; and

increasing, prior to limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to the maximum rate of change, the first processed signal sample value to a determined minimum if the first processed signal sample value is lower than a determined minimum.

19. The controller of claim 17, wherein the maximum rate of change is adaptively determined based on a rate of change between a first signal sample value and a second signal sample value.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for generating a plurality of signal sample values from a plurality of measurement cycles, each of the measurement cycles comprising;

inducing charge onto a capacitive key;

measuring the charge induced on the capacitive key; and

generating a signal sample value representing the charge measured from the capacitive key; and

means for processing the plurality of signal sample values to obtain a plurality of processed signal sample values, the processing comprising limiting a rate of change between a first processed signal sample value and a second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change, wherein limiting the rate of change between the first processed signal sample value and the second processed signal sample value to a maximum rate of change comprises determining a rate of change between the second processed signal sample value and a first signal sample value.