IP Library Granted Patent US 9,671,920
Granted Patent B2
US 9,671,920 · App. 14/750,181 · Granted Jun 6, 2017

Compensation of a target object coupling to feeding lines in capacitive sensing system

Inventors: Lionel Portmann (Lausanne, CH); Axel Heim (Munich, DE); Andreas Dorfner (Munich, DE); Claus Kaltner (Bergkirchen, DE)
Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
G06F3/047G06F3/044H03K17/962G06F2203/04103H03K2217/94094H03K2217/96023H03K2217/960765
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,671,920
App. No.
14/750,181
Granted
Jun 6, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An input device has one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line(s) connecting the one or more electrode(s) with the electronic circuit, wherein the device is configured to increase or decrease a signal received from at least one of the electrodes through an associated feed line in function of at least one other signal from another electrode.

Claims (21)

1. An input device comprising one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line connecting said electrodes with said electronic circuit, further comprising one or more additional feed lines connected to the electronic circuit which are not connected with any electrodes, wherein at least one other signal is generated by the one or more additional feed lines wherein the one or more additional feed lines each operate as an electrode and wherein the at least one other signal is used to correct a sensor signal;

wherein an electrode is split into multiple segments and a feed line is routed between at least two electrode segments, wherein the electrode segments are galvanically connected through a connection line.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein an additional feed line is arranged in the vicinity of another feed line.

3. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein an additional feed line runs at least partly in parallel with the another feed line.

4. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein an additional feed line is arranged in the vicinity of another electrode.

5. The input device according to claim 1 , comprising analog circuitry to increase or decrease the sensor signal.

6. The input device according to claim 1 , comprising digital circuitry to increase or decrease the sensor signal.

7. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises a processor configured to compute a position of an object within a three-dimensional detection space or to detect movement patterns or gestures of said object from received sensor signals.

8. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein a signal from an electrode connected with the feed line routed between the at least two electrode segments is corrected by a signal received from the multiple segment electrode multiplied by a compensation factor.

9. A method for compensating parasitic capacitive coupling effects in a capacitive sensor system comprising one or more electrodes coupled with an electronic circuit through one or more conductive feed lines, the method comprising arranging one or more additional feed lines connected to the electronic circuit which are not connected with any electrodes, and generating the at least one other signal by the one or more additional feed lines, wherein the one or more additional feed lines each operate as an electrode, and

correcting a sensor signal by the at least one other signal.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein an additional feed line is arranged in the vicinity of another feed line.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein an additional feed line is arranged in the vicinity of another electrode.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein an additional feed line runs at least partly in parallel with the another feed line.

13. The method according to claim 9 , comprising the step of increasing or decreasing the signal by an analog circuitry.

14. The method according to claim 9 , comprising the step of increasing or decreasing the signal by a digital circuitry.

15. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising computing a position of an object within a three-dimensional detection space from received sensor signals.

16. A method for compensating parasitic capacitive coupling effects in a capacitive sensor system comprising one or more electrodes coupled with an electronic circuit through one or more conductive feed lines, the method comprising the steps of:

splitting an electrode into multiple segments and routing a feed line between at least two electrode segments, wherein the electrode segments are galvanically connected through a connection line, and

increasing or decreasing a signal received from at least one of the electrode through an associated feed line by a signal received from said at least two electrode segments.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising correcting a signal from an electrode connected with the feed line and routed between the at least two electrode segments by a signal received from the multiple segment electrode multiplied by a compensation factor.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 059666/0545 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059333/0222 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047103/0206 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046426/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 041675/0617 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2015
From: PORTMANN, LIONEL; HEIM, AXEL; DORFNER, ANDREAS; KALTNER, CLAUS
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 036483/0478 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62017671 · Jun 26, 2014
Related Publication 20150378482A1 · Dec 31, 2015