# US 2014/0191770 A1 · Capacitive sensing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191770 A1 - Document ID: US20140191770A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/153,344 - Filed: 2014-01-13 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-13 - Inventors: Jean-Noel LEFEBVRE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191770A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G01D 5/24: by varying capacitance - G01R 27/2605: {Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24)} - H03K 17/9622: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard} - H03K 2217/960775: Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A capacitive sensing device including logic components and a capacitive sensor having at least one electrode, said logic components and capacitive sensor being arranged to form an oscillator, where the capacitive sensor includes a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes, as well as a selector arranged to form an oscillator selectively from a plurality of possible oscillators, by connecting the logic components with respectively, in the case of each oscillator formed, a given combination from the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sensor including at least an emission electrode and a reception electrode forming a capacitor formed by means of mutual electrostatic coupling. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capacitive sensing device comprising: logic components and a capacitive sensor comprising at least one electrode, wherein the logic components and the capacitive sensor being arranged to form an oscillator, and wherein the capacitive sensors comprise a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes, the device further comprising a selector arranged to selectively form an oscillator from a plurality of possible oscillators by connecting logic components comprising at least one inverter logic component, and a follower logic component with, respectively, in the case of each oscillator formed, a given combination among the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sensor comprising at least one transmitting electrode and one receiving electrode forming a capacitance by mutual electrostatic coupling. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the selector is arranged to sequentially form different oscillators according to a predefined time sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein a current limiting component is disposed at the output of the inverter component, between the inverter component and the follower component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) Device according to claim 3, wherein the capacitive sensor is disposed in parallel with the follower component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, comprising an information feedback loop disposed between the output of the follower component and the input of the inverter component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a receiving electrode or transmitting electrode common to a set of electrode combinations formed among the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes forms a matrix structure, the selector being arranged to form a set of oscillators each comprising an electrode combination formed by an electrode pair comprised of a transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the selector is arranged to form an oscillator with a combination of electrodes comprising a first transmitting electrode, and a second transmitting electrode, a capacitance formed by mutual electrostatic coupling being measured relative to a receiving electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Device according to claim 8, wherein the second transmitting electrode is fed in phase with the first transmitting electrode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) Device according to any of claims 8, wherein the second transmitting electrode is fed in anti-phase with the first transmitting electrode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) Device according to claim 8, wherein the first transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode on the one hand, and the second transmitting electrode on the other hand are disposed on either side of a control surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) Device according to claim 10, wherein a first pair of electrodes and a second pair of electrodes are disposed on either side of the control surface, the selector being arranged to selectively form: a first oscillator comprising a first transmitting electrode formed by the transmitting electrode of the first pair, and a second transmitting electrode formed by the transmitting electrode of the second pair, a capacitance formed by mutual electrostatic coupling being measured relative to the receiving electrode of the first pair, and a second oscillator comprising a first transmitting electrode formed by the transmitting electrode of the first pair, and a second transmitting electrode formed by the transmitting electrode of the second pair, a capacitance formed by mutual electrostatic coupling being measured relative to the receiving electrode of the second pair. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) Device according to claim 8, comprised of a first set of electrodes comprising the first transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the second transmitting electrode disposed spaced apart according to a first direction, and a second set comprising a first transmitting electrode, a receiving electrode and a second transmitting electrode disposed spaced apart according to a second direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) Device according to claim 8, comprising logic components distributed in circuit portions associated with an electrode or a combination of electrodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Device according to claim 14, wherein each circuit portion is disposed close to a pair of electrodes so as to form an oscillator with said pair of electrodes and comprising connections between said circuit portions so as to allow for sensing by a given receiving electrode associated with a circuit portion a transmission by a first transmitting electrode associated with the same circuit portion and a second transmitting electrode supplied by another circuit portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein at least one electrode is used as a transmitting or receiving electrode according to configurations of the device selected by the selector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Device according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed on the edges of a touch screen. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) Device according to any of claim 1, comprising an electrode disposed above the screen and several peripheral electrodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, comprising a voltage level adjustment component disposed upstream of a transmitting electrode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) Device according to claim 19, wherein the adjustment component is arranged to raise the level of voltage supplied to the transmitting electrode. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) Device according to claim 19, wherein the adjustment component is arranged to adjust an operating point in terms of the nominal frequency of the oscillator. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, comprising a signal processing unit for analyzing the characteristics of a signal of the oscillator, and the frequency of the oscillator.