Sensor arrangement

US7470352B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Bjorn-Oliver Eversmann · Munich, DE
• Christian Paulus · Weilheim, DE
• Guido Stromberg · Birkenfeld, DE
• Roland Thewes · Puchheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 16, 2004
• Grant date: Dec 30, 2008
• Expiry date: Nov 16, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N33/4836
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Sensor arrangement having row and column lines arranged in first and second directions, respectively, sensor arrays arranged in crossover regions of the row and column lines, a detector, and a decoding device. The sensor arrays have a coupling device for electrically coupling respective row and column lines, and a sensor element to influence electric current flow through the coupling device. The detector is electrically coupled to a respective end section of at least a portion of the row and column lines, and detects a respective accumulative current flow from the individual electrical current flows provided by the sensor arrays of the respective lines. The decoding device is coupled to the row and column lines, and evaluates at least a portion of the accumulative electric current flows fed to the decoding device via the row and column lines to determine at which of the sensor elements a sensor signal is present.