Patent Abstract:
A circuit, system, and method for converting self capacitance to a digital value may include a pair of charge transfer circuits, each including a deadband switch network, a sensor capacitor or modulation capacitor, and an integration capacitor may be coupled to a comparator to produce a bitstream representative of the capacitance of the sensor capacitor of one of the charge transfer circuits. The bitstream may be used to indicate a capacitance value of the self capacitance through conversion by a digitizing circuit element.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/329,937, filed Apr. 29, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to sensing systems, and more particularly to capacitance-sensing systems configurable to measure self capacitance or convert self capacitance to digital values representative of the capacitance. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Capacitance sensing systems can sense electrical signals generated on electrodes that reflect changes in capacitance. Such changes in capacitance can indicate a touch event (i.e., the proximity of an object to particular electrodes). Capacitive sense elements may be used to replace mechanical buttons, knobs and other similar mechanical user interface controls. The use of a capacitive sense element allows for the elimination of complicated mechanical switches and buttons, providing reliable operation under harsh conditions. In addition, capacitive sense elements are widely used in modern customer applications, providing new user interface options in existing products. Capacitive sense elements can range from a single button to a large number arranged in the form of a capacitive sense array for a touch-sensing surface. 
         [0004]    Arrays of capacitive sense elements work by measuring the capacitance of a capacitive sense element, and looking for a delta (change) in capacitance indicating a touch or presence of a conductive object. When a conductive object (e.g., a finger, hand, or other object) comes into contact with or close proximity to a capacitive sense element, the capacitance changes and the conductive object is detected. The capacitance changes of the capacitive touch sense elements can be measured by an electrical circuit. The electrical circuit converts the measured capacitances of the capacitive sense elements into digital values. 
         [0005]    There are two typical types of capacitance: 1) mutual capacitance where the capacitance-sensing circuit has access to both electrodes of the capacitor; 2) self capacitance where the capacitance-sensing circuit has only access to one electrode of the capacitor where the second electrode is tied to a DC voltage level or is parasitically coupled to Earth Ground. A touch panel has a distributed load of capacitance of both types (1) and (2) and some touch solutions sense both capacitances either uniquely or in hybrid form with its various sense modes. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a capacitance measurement system, according to one embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a ratiometric capacitance to code converter, according to one embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates voltage waveforms for a ratiometric capacitance to code converter, according to one embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates accumulated voltage waveforms for varied proportions of sensor, modulation, and integration capacitances, according to one embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates a ratiometric capacitance to code converter with different clock sources, according to one embodiment 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a capacitance sensing system  100  that may incorporate the proposed ratiometric capacitance to code converter of the present application. System  100  may include at least one capacitance sensing electrode  101  coupled to a sensing circuit  110 . In one embodiment, sensing circuit  110  may include circuitry integrated into a single device. In another embodiment, the various components of sensing circuit  110  may be distributed amongst several discrete components. For ease of explanation, sensing circuit  110  will be described herein as a single integrated circuit device. Sensing electrodes  101  may be coupled to sensing circuit  110  through inputs  105 . Inputs  105  may be coupled to inputs of a receive channel  120 . Receive channel  120  may be configured to convert capacitance to a digital value, such as with the proposed ratiometric capacitance to code converter. Receive channel  120  may be coupled to external components  125  as such may be necessary for the conversion. External components may be coupled to sensing circuit  110  through inputs  106 . Receive channel  120  may be coupled to decision logic  130  and to MCU  140 . 
         [0012]    Decision logic  130  may be configured to process the output of receive channel  120  to determine whether a change in digital values representative of capacitance is associated with a touch or other action. Decision logic  130  may also be configured to track baseline or background capacitance values for use in touch detection. MCU  140  may be used to configure receive channel  120  based on system or application requirements. The configuration of receive channel  120  and MCU  140  may be at startup, during runtime, or based on some interrupt of host-generated commands. MCU  140  may also be configured to execute functions similar to decision logic  130  and used to make decisions regarding the presence of an object on the capacitance sensing electrodes  101  or for baseline or background capacitance tracking. MCU  140  and decision logic  130  may be coupled to memory unit  150  for storing values associated with touch detection. Memory unit  150  may also store program files and commands that are executed by MCU  140 . MCU  140  may also be coupled to external components, as necessary, through inputs  107 . MCU  140  may also be coupled to communication interface  160 , which may be used to output status to host  180  or another external device. Communication interface  160  may also be configured to receive commands from an external device. 
         [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a capacitance-to-code converter  200  that may be implemented as receive channel  120  of sensing circuit  110  of  FIG. 1 . Capacitance-to-code converter  200  may include a first charge transfer circuit  210  including a sensor capacitor  212  (see capacitance sensing electrode  101  of  FIG. 1 ). Sensor capacitor  212  may have a first plate alternately coupled to a source voltage and an integration capacitor  216 . Sensor capacitor  212  may have a second plate coupled to a ground potential. Sensor capacitor  212  alternates between the source voltage and integration capacitor  216  through deadband switches  213  and  214 . Deadband switches  213  and  214  may be clocked by clock signal Fclk. In a first phase, when switch  213  is closed, a voltage potential is produced on sensor capacitor  212 . In a second phase, when switch  214  is closed, charge accumulated on sensor capacitor  212  during the first phase is transferred to integration capacitor  216 . 
         [0014]    Capacitor to code converter  200  includes a second charge transfer circuit  220  including a modulation capacitor  222 . Modulation capacitor  222  may have a first plate alternately coupled to an integration capacitor  226  and a source voltage. Modulation capacitor  222  may have a second plate coupled to a ground potential. Modulation capacitor  222  alternates between the source voltage and integration capacitor  226  through deadband switches  223  and  224 . Deadband switches  223  and  224  may be clocked by an output of sigma-delta modulator  230 . Switches  223  and  224  may couple modulation capacitor  222  to integration capacitor  226  and the source voltage at opposite phases as modulation capacitor  222  is coupled to integration capacitor  226  and the source voltage. That is, in a first phase, when switch  224  is closed, modulation capacitor  222  is coupled to integration capacitor  226 , transferring charge accumulated on the modulation capacitor  222  to integration capacitor  226 . In the second phase, when switch  223  is closed, modulation capacitor  222  is coupled to the source voltage, allowing charge to accumulate on modulation capacitor  222 . 
         [0015]    Integration capacitors  216  and  226  may be coupled to inputs of comparator  232 . In one embodiment, integration capacitor  216  is coupled to an inverting input of comparator  232 . One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that integration capacitor  226  may be coupled to an inverting input instead. As the voltages on integration capacitors  216  and  226  are compared by comparator  232 , a bit stream output  238  is generated. Bit stream output  238  may be a synchronized output of comparator  232  and a control clock from control block  244  through latch  234 . 
         [0016]    The bit stream output of comparator  232  may be digitized by decimator and control logic  240 . The bit stream output  238  may also be used to provide a clock frequency to charge transfer circuit  220  through AND gate  236 , which may have a second input coupled to Fclk. 
         [0017]    The operation of capacitance-to-code converter  200  has a reset phase, wherein integration capacitors  216  and  226  are reset to a ground potential by switches  217  and  227 , respectively. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that a reset to ground is merely one embodiment. In various other embodiments, reset switches  217  and  227  may be configured to reset integration capacitors to voltages that are not a zero potential. After integration capacitors  216  and  226  are reset to ground, switches  217  and  227  are opened and the charge transfer from sensor capacitor  212  and modulation capacitor  222  begins. Integration capacitors  216  and  226  have charge accumulated on them by the repeated transfer of charge from sensor capacitor  212  and modulation capacitor  222 , respectively. The duty cycle (DC) of the bit stream output of comparator  232 , based on the inputs from the integration capacitor  216  and modulation integration capacitor  226  is given by: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
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         [0018]    The duty cycle output depends on the capacitive relationship between the sensor capacitor  212  and the reference capacitors (modulation capacitor  222  and integration capacitors  216  and  226 , wherein Cint 1  is integration capacitor  216  and Cint 2  is integration capacitor  226 ). In one embodiment, reference capacitors may be sensors but configured as reference capacitors for measurement of other sensor capacitors. As long as the capacitance values of the reference capacitors (either discrete or on-chip capacitors, or sensor capacitors) remain relatively constant over the measurement of the sensor capacitor under test, capacitance-to-code converter  200  operates as expected. If a sensor capacitor not under test is used as the modulation capacitor  222 , the temperature coefficients of the sensor capacitor  212  under test and the modulation capacitor  222  will be similar, providing temperature insensitivity. This temperature insensitivity may be particularly useful in wake-on-touch and low-power applications. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the capacitance value of each integration capacitor  216  and  226  is considerable larger than its respective sensor capacitor  212  or modulation capacitor  222 . The values of integration capacitors  216  and  226  may be 1000 times greater than the capacitance of the sensor capacitor  212  and modulation capacitor  222 . 
         [0020]    As the number of charge transfer cycles for integration capacitors  216  and  226  define the resolution of the capacitance to code converter  200 , a digital timer counts the number of charge transfer cycles (the operation of switches  213 / 214  and  223 / 224 ) and terminates the measurement cycle when the required number of charge transfer cycles has been reached. Of note, the output of the capacitance-to-code converter  200  is not dependent on the clock frequency, Fclk, only the number of clock pulses for the desired measurement count. Also, the output of capacitance-to-code converter  200  is not dependent on supply voltage (V DD ). This architecture allows the use of spread-spectrum, random, pseudo-random, or fixed frequency clock sequencers. Fclk may be any of these clock types. 
         [0021]    As the output of comparator  232  is processed by the decimator and control logic  240 , the digital value, RawData, representative of the capacitance on sensor capacitor  212  may be given by: 
         [0000]      RawData= DC·N   RES , 
         [0000]    where N RES  is the number of Fclk cycles during the measurement time. In one embodiment, N RES  is selected from the order of two: 
         [0000]        N   RES =2 n −1,
 
         [0000]    where n is a whole, positive integer. The average excitation current, I s1   _   avg , which defines the noise immunity to external noise is given by: 
         [0000]        I   s1   _   avg   =V   swing   _   avg   ·F   clk   ·C   s1 , 
         [0000]    where V swing   _   avg  is the average difference between the voltage on integration capacitor  216  and the supply voltage of charge transfer circuit  210  over the measurement interval. 
         [0022]    Decimator and logic block  240  may include a decimator  242  and a module  244 . Decimator  242  may be a digital filter configured to reduce the input sample rate received from the output of latch  234  and provide a reduced data rate as the output of decimator and logic block  240 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  illustrates voltage waveforms at various nodes of the capacitance to code converter  200 . During operation of charge transfer circuit  210 , the voltage on sensor capacitor  212  increases according to waveform  312 . Note, this is an exponential increase, but one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that charge transfer circuit  210  may be configured to generate a linear response as charge is shared with integration capacitor  216 . As charge is accumulated on integration capacitor  216  and modulation capacitor  226 , the voltage on each increases as shown by wave forms  316  and  326 . Fclk provides the clock signal to the charge transfer operation as well as the comparator  232 , which generates the bitstream output waveform  332 , which is converted to the digital value used in making determinations on the state of sensor capacitor  212 . 
         [0024]    As stated above with regard to  FIG. 2 , the proportionate capacitance of sensor capacitor  212  and modulation capacitor  222  to integration capacitors  216  and  226 , respectively, determines the effective resolution and the external noise immunity of capacitance to code converter  200 . Proportionately larger integration capacitors may provide greater resolution and noise immunity. With regard to noise immunity, the greater the average value of V swing , the greater the immunity. V swing  is the difference between the voltage on the integration capacitor at each charge transfer cycle and the supply voltage. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates example V swing  values for sensor-to-integration capacitance ratios of 1:10 ( 410 ) and 1:100 ( 420 ). With a smaller integration capacitor, relative to the sensor capacitor, the voltage increase across the integration capacitor with each charge transfer cycle is greater. For example, if ten charge transfer cycles are used for the conversion measurement window, the average V swing  value at each cycle is greater. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of capacitance to code converter  500 , which is similar to capacitance to code converter  200  of  FIG. 2 , but wherein the clock frequency, Fmod, of the modulation capacitor charge transfer circuit  220  is greater than the clock frequency, Fsw, of the sensor capacitor charge transfer circuit  210 . In this embodiment, Fmod may be given by: 
         [0000]      Fmod= N·F   sw , 
         [0000]    where N is a positive integer. The duty cycle output of capacitance to code converter  500  is therefore given by: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
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         [0000]    Increasing the Fmod relative to Fsw allows for smaller modulation capacitors ( 212  and  222 ), which may allow them to be integrated on-chip far easier. 
         [0027]    The embodiments described herein may be used in various designs of mutual-capacitance sensing arrays of the capacitance sensing system, or in self-capacitance sensing arrays. In one embodiment, the capacitance sensing system detects multiple sense elements that are activated in the array, and can analyze a signal pattern on the neighboring sense elements to separate noise from actual signal. The embodiments described herein are not tied to a particular capacitive sensing solution and can be used as well with other sensing solutions, including optical sensing solutions, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0028]    In the above description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the description. 
         [0029]    Some portions of the detailed description are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers or the like. 
         [0030]    It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the above discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “encrypting,” “decrypting,” “storing,” “providing,” “deriving,” “obtaining,” “receiving,” “authenticating,” “deleting,” “executing,” “requesting,” “communicating,” or the like, refer to the actions and processes of a computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computing system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. 
         [0031]    The words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “example’ or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Moreover, use of the term “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an implementation” or “one implementation” throughout is not intended to mean the same embodiment or implementation unless described as such. 
         [0032]    Embodiments described herein may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs and magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions. The term “computer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present embodiments. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical media, magnetic media, any medium that is capable of storing a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present embodiments. 
         [0033]    The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below. In addition, the present embodiments are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the embodiments as described herein. 
         [0034]    The above description sets forth numerous specific details such as examples of specific systems, components, methods and so forth, in order to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that at least some embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram format in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Thus, the specific details set forth above are merely exemplary. Particular implementations may vary from these exemplary details and still be contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0035]    It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7