Patent ID: 7343814
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: G01G,G01L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a plurality of capacitors each having an upper conductive surface and a lower conductive surface substantially parallel to the upper conductive surface; a housing with a top plate and a bottom plate to encompass the plurality of capacitors; a sensor in the housing to generate a measurement based on a change in a distance between the upper conductive surface and the lower conductive surface of each of the plurality of capacitors when a contact zone of the top plate associated with the each of the plurality of capacitors is deflected by a force applied on the contact zone; a reference capacitor having an upper reference surface and a lower reference surface in the housing to compensate an error in the measurement based on an environmental condition; and at least one contact zone cavity formed on a bottom surface of the top plate, and wherein the upper conductive surface is formed on each of the at least one contact zone cavity.