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US 11,693,039 B2Granted
Electrostatic charge sensor with high impedance contact pads
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorMassimo Orio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device provides high impedance contact pads for an electrostatic charge sensor. The contact pads are shared between the electrostatic charge sensor and drivers. The contact pads are set to a high impedance state by reducing current leakage through the drivers. Compared to electrostatic charge sensor with low impedance contact pads, the electrostatic charge sensor disclosed herein has high sensitivity, and is able to detect weak electrostatic fields.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- an electrode configured to receive an electrostatic charge;
- a contact pad electrically coupled to the electrode;
- an electrostatic charge sensor electrically coupled to the contact pad, the electrostatic charge sensor configured to measure the electrostatic charge;
- a driver electrically coupled to the contact pad, the driver configured to output a driving signal to the contact pad, the driver electrically coupled between a first electrical signal and ground;
- a first charge pump configured to generate a second electrical signal having a greater voltage level than the first electrical signal;
- and
- a second charge pump configured to generate a third electrical signal having a voltage level below ground, the driver configured to be set to an off state using the second electrical signal and the third electrical signal.
4 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes configured to receive an electrostatic charge;
- a plurality of contact pads, each of the plurality of contact pads being electrically coupled to a respective electrode of the plurality of electrodes;
- an electrostatic charge sensor configured to measure the electrostatic charge;
- a plurality of drivers configured to output driving signals, each of the plurality of drivers being configured to receive a first electrical signal and electrically coupled to ground, each of the plurality of contact pads being shared between the electrostatic charge sensor and a respective driver of the plurality of drivers;
- a plurality of positive charge pumps configured to generate a plurality of second electrical signals that each have a greater voltage level than the first electrical signal;
- and
- a plurality of negative charge pumps configured to generate a plurality of third electrical signals that each have a voltage level below ground, each of the plurality of drivers configured to receive a respective second electrical signal of the plurality of second electrical signals and a respective third electrical signal of the plurality of third electrical signals.
4 more elements
A device, comprising:
- an electrode configured to receive an electrostatic charge;
- a contact pad electrically coupled to the electrode;
- an electrostatic charge sensor electrically coupled to the contact pad, the electrostatic charge sensor configured to measure the electrostatic charge;
- and
- a driver electrically coupled to the contact pad and ground, the driver configured to receive a first electrical signal, a second electrical signal having a greater voltage level than the first electrical signal, and a third electrical signal having a voltage level below ground, the driver configured to output a driving signal to the contact pad using the first electrical signal, the driver configured to be set to an off state using the second electrical signal and the third electrical signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.