Patent ID: 8225661
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
1. An external-force detecting apparatus comprising: an oscillator including at least one drive electrode and at least one monitor electrode, and at least one of the at least one drive electrode and the at least one monitor electrode includes a plurality of drive electrodes or a plurality of monitor electrodes; a driving unit arranged to drive the oscillator; at least one drive line provided for each of the at least one drive electrode and arranged to connect each of the at least one drive electrode to the driving unit; and at least one monitor line provided for each of the at least one monitor electrode and arranged to connect each of the at least one monitor electrode to the driving unit; wherein the driving unit is arranged to output a drive signal to each of the at least one drive electrode through the at least one drive line to drive the oscillator and to perform automatic gain control to a level of the drive signal based on an oscillation state of the oscillator acquired from each of the at least one monitor electrode through the at least one monitor line, the external-force detecting apparatus further comprising: a first switching circuit arranged to switch between connection and disconnection of an electric path between the oscillator and the driving unit via the drive lines or the monitor lines connected to the plurality of drive electrodes or the plurality of monitor electrodes of the at least one of the at least one drive electrode and the at least one monitor electrode that includes the plurality of drive electrodes or the plurality of monitor electrodes.