Capacitance-type sensor

Abstract

To measure the distance between a sensing target and sensors accurately by suppressing differences in amount of change in outputs from sensors and differences in initial capacitances thereof and detect the sensing target highly accurately, capacitance-type sensor includes: sensor electrodes configuring a sensor electrode group; and a pair of guard electrodes. The sensor electrodes are driven being supplied with a sensor potential or a guard potential, and the guard electrodes are driven being supplied with the guard potential. Even when the outermost sensor electrode of the sensor electrode group is activated, the amount of change in the outputs from the sensor electrodes configuring the sensor electrode group and their capacitance values can be made substantially uniform because the guard electrodes are driven at the guard potential.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.