Patent ID: 7161154

Claim:
An array with sensor elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix including at least one sensor element having a sensor, at least one output, at least one control input and at least one switch unit, the sensor element being configured so that in an activated state a signal generated by the sensor is present at the output, wherein a switch unit for activating the sensor element according to signals present at the control input is connected to sensor, the output and the control imput, wherein the array further has at least one group of sensor elements configured so that at least one output from each sensor element is connected to a group output, and wherein in at least one group three sensor elements form a geometric plane and there exists in at least one group at least one sensor element that is not adjacent to any other sensor element of the group, and wherein the addressing of the sensor elements of each group can selectively be changed between individual and simultaneous addressing, wherein there is at least one 2×2 block with sensor elements from four different groups, wherein the array further has at least one block-form meta-group having four groups of sensor elements forming similar 2×2 blocks with sensor elements from each of the four groups such that in the meta-group a row control line runs through at least each second row of sensor elements and a column contol line runs through at least each second column of sensor elements, wherein the sensor elements positioned on one or both sides of each of the control lines are connected to it, and wherein each sensor element of the meta-group is connected to exactly one row control line and to exactly one column control line.