Shared Charge-Transfer Capacitance Sensing With Fewer Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current capacitance sensors face challenges in reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining performance, particularly in implementing flexible and accurate capacitance sensing for various electronic devices without increasing component count or size.
Innovation Solution
The use of charge transfer techniques that allow multiple capacitances to share components such as passive networks, voltage conditioning circuits, and guarding electrodes, reducing device complexity and improving performance by efficiently detecting measurable capacitance using standard microcontrollers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple separate components are used for each capacitance sensing function, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and component count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple capacitance sensing functions into a single integrated sensor device that can detect both self-capacitance and mutual capacitance. The sensor array integrates multiple sensing electrodes and driving electrodes that can simultaneously perform different capacitance measurements, reducing the need for separate sensor devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device is designed with multi-functionality to perform various capacitance sensing operations including proximity detection, touch detection, and gesture recognition using the same hardware components. The controller can configure the sensor array to different measurement modes, making the device universal for multiple input functions.
2Measurement precision
If more components are added to improve sensing performance, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing functions into a single sensor array structure that can be manufactured as one integrated component. The sensor device uses a unified electrode pattern and single manufacturing process to achieve multiple capacitance sensing capabilities, avoiding the need for separate components that would increase manufacturing complexity and cost.
3Reliability
If separate dedicated components are used for each capacitance measurement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and pin count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed with multi-functionality to handle different capacitance measurement modes using the same pin connections. The sensor array can be configured through software control to perform self-capacitance, mutual capacitance, or other sensing operations without requiring dedicated hardware paths for each function, reducing pin count while maintaining reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient detection of capacitance, reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining performance, making it suitable for a wide range of electronic devices, including proximity sensors, by sharing components like passive networks and voltage conditioning circuits.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the measurable capacitance to share charge with a passive network that includes at least one integrating capacitance statically coupled to a plurality of measurable capacitances
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and devices are described for detecting a measurable capacitance using charge transfer techniques that can be implemented with many standard microcontrollers, and can share components to reduce device complexity and improve performance. In the various implementations of this embodiment, the passive network used to accumulate charge can be shared between multiple measurable capacitances. Likewise, in various implementations a voltage conditioning circuit configured to provide a variable reference voltage can be shared between multiple measurable capacitances. Finally, in various implementations a guarding electrode configured to guard the measurable capacitances can be shared between multiple measurable capacitances. In each of these cases, sharing components can reduce device complexity and improve performance.