The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 23, 2017
Microchip Technology Incorporated, Chandler, AZ (US);
Xiang Gao, Chandler, AZ (US);
MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED, Chandler, AZ (US);
Abstract
Relative capacitance of a plurality of capacitive sensors may be monitored by using only one ADC conversion. A plurality of capacitive sensors individually charges a sample and hold capacitor. After all of the plurality of capacitive sensors have charged the sample and hold capacitor, a digital conversion of the resulting analog on the sample and hold capacitor is made and stored in a memory. This stored digital collective voltage is compared to a previously stored one and if different then a proximity/touch event may have occurred. Therefore, an entire panel of capacitive sensors may be quickly monitored for a change in the 'group' capacitance thereof, or portions of the capacitive sensors may be monitored for a change in the 'subgroup' capacitance thereof. By knowing which subgroup of capacitive sensors has changed its collective capacitive value, a more focused and selective capacitive sensor measurement can be made that uses less power.