1. A coordinate input device comprising:
a plurality of first detection electrodes disposed in parallel to each other,
a plurality of second detection electrodes intersecting the first detection electrodes;
an electrode drive circuit configured to apply a drive signal to one or more of the first detection electrodes; and
a detection circuit configured to detect a signal of the second detection electrode generated by the drive signal,
wherein the electrode drive circuit is configured to select one or more of the first detection electrodes to which the drive signal is not applied as a reference electrode;
wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect a signal of the selected reference electrode as a noise signal, and
further comprising an input coordinate computing circuit configured to correct a detection result of the detection circuit on the basis of the detected noise signal of the reference electrode, and to calculate an input coordinate from the corrected detection result.
2. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is the first detection electrode which is disposed in parallel to the vicinity of the first detection electrode to which the drive signal is applied.
3. The coordinate input device according to claim 1,
wherein the electrode drive circuit includes a circuit configured to select one or more from among the plurality of first detection electrodes and to apply the drive signal thereto, and
the detection circuit includes a circuit configured to measure currents or voltages of the plurality of second detection electrodes generated by the drive signal.
4. The coordinate input device according to claim 3,
wherein the circuit for correcting a detection result includes a circuit configured to calculate a correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a predetermined value to or from the detection result from the reference electrode, and
the input coordinate computing circuit is configured to correct the detection result of the second detection electrode by subtracting or adding the correction value from or to the capacitance detection result of the second detection electrode.
5. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the detection circuit includes:
a first detection circuit that selects one or more of the plurality of first detection electrodes and that detects a signal of the selected first detection electrodes; and
a second detection circuit that selects one or more of the plurality of second detection electrodes and that detects a signal of the selected second detection electrodes.
6. The coordinate input device according to claim 5,
wherein the circuit configured to correct a detection result includes:
a circuit to calculate a first correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a first predetermined value to or from the detection result of the first reference electrode; and
a circuit to calculate a second correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a second predetermined value to or from the detection result of the second reference electrode,
wherein the input coordinate computing circuit is configured to correct the detection result of the first detection electrode by subtracting or adding the first correction value from or to the detection result of the first detection electrode, and to correct the detection result of the second detection electrode by subtracting or adding the second correction value from or to the detection result of the second detection electrode.
7. A coordinate input device comprising:
a plurality of first detection electrodes, which are disposed in parallel to each other,
a plurality of second detection electrodes intersecting the first detection electrodes,
an electrode drive circuit configured to apply a drive signal to one or more of the first detection electrodes;
a detection circuit configured to detect a signal of the second detection electrode charged by the drive signal;
a selecting circuit configured to select one or more of the first detection electrodes to which the drive signal is not applied from among the first detection electrodes as a reference electrode,
wherein
the detection circuit is configured to detect a signal of the selected reference electrode as a noise signal,
a correcting circuit is configured to correct a detection result of the detection circuit on the basis of the detected the noise signal of the reference electrode, and
further comprising an input coordinate computing circuit that calculates an input coordinate from the corrected detection result.
8. The coordinate input device according to claim 7, wherein the reference electrode is the first detection electrode which is disposed parallel to the vicinity of the first detection electrode to which the drive signal is applied.
9. The coordinate input device according to claim 7,
wherein the detection circuit includes a circuit configured to measure currents or voltages of the plurality of second detection electrodes as the signal of the second detection electrodes.
10. The coordinate input device according to claim 9,
wherein the corrected detection result includes a correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a predetermined value to or from the detection result from the reference electrode, and
the input coordinate computing circuit is configured to correct the detection result of the second detection electrode by subtracting or adding the correction value from or to the detection result of the second detection electrode.
11. The coordinate input device according to claim 7, wherein the detection circuit includes:
a first detection circuit that selects one or more of the plurality of first detection electrodes and detects signals of the selected first detection electrodes; and
a second capacitance detection circuit that selects one or more of the plurality of second detection electrodes and detects signals of the selected second detection electrodes.
12. The coordinate input device according to claim 11, wherein the corrected detection result includes:
a first correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a first predetermined value to or from the detection result of the first reference electrode; and
a second correction value within a predetermined range by adding or subtracting a second predetermined value to or from the second reference electrode,
wherein the input coordinate computing circuit is configured to correct the detection result of the first detection electrode by subtracting or adding the first correction value from or to the detection result of the first detection electrode, and to correct the detection result of the second detection electrode by subtracting or adding the second correction value from or to the detection result of the second detection electrode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A gas flow field for use in a fuel cell comprising a three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure including at least one corrugation.
2. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure proximate to each of at least one of the corrugations defines a microchannel.
3. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure has a plurality of corrugations.
4. The gas flow field of claim 3, wherein the corrugations each have a pitch and a run, the pitch for each corrugation being at least equal to two-thirds of the run for that corrugation.
5. The gas flow field of claim 3, wherein a first subset of the corrugations are substantially located in a first plane, a second subset of the corrugations are substantially located in a second plane, the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane, and neighboring corrugations belong to different subsets.
6. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein each corrugation has an internal angle of approximately 120.
7. The gas flow field of claim 3, wherein the plurality of corrugations includes at least 20 corrugations.
8. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure has a thickness, the corrugations each have a pitch, and the pitch of the corrugations is less than twice the thickness of the structure.
9. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure comprises at least one material chosen from the group consisting of carbon filament, stainless steel, derivatives of stainless steel, epitaxial substrates, nickel, nickel alloys, gold, gold alloys, copper, copper alloys, thermoplastics, and iridium.
10. The gas flow field of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure is microplated with gold, iridium, copper, or silver.
11. The gas flow field of claim 1, wherein the open cells of the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure are five-sided substantially geometrically shaped orifices.
12. A gas flow field for use in a fuel cell assembly, comprising a three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure including a plurality of deformations from a planar orientation that define at least one microchannel.
13. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein the deformations from a planar orientation are corrugations.
14. The gas flow field of claim 13, wherein the corrugations each have a pitch and a run, the pitch for each corrugation being at least equal to two-thirds of the run for that corrugation.
15. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein at least one deformation has an internal angle of approximately 120.
16. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein the plurality of deformations includes at least 20 deformations.
17. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure is constructed of at least one material chosen from the group consisting of carbon filament, stainless steel, derivatives of stainless steel, epitaxial substrates, nickel, nickel alloys, gold, gold alloys, copper, copper alloys, thermoplastics, and iridium.
18. The gas flow field of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure is microplated with gold, iridium, copper, or silver.
19. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein the open cells of the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure are five-sided substantially geometrically shaped orifices.
20. The gas flow field of claim 12, wherein the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure has a thickness, the deformations each have a pitch, and the pitch of the deformations is less than twice the thickness of the structure.
21. A method of preparing a gas flow field comprising the steps of:
a. applying metal to a particulate thermoplastic resinous material;
b. removing the particulate resinous structure to produce a three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure; and
c. deforming the three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure to define at least one microchannel.
22. The method of preparing a gas flow field according to claim 21 further comprising the additional step of adding cobalt to the metal.
23. The method of preparing a gas flow field according to claim 21 further comprising the additional step of microplating the deformed three-dimensional, open-cell, foamed structure.
24. A gas flow field made according to the method of claim 21.
25. A method of operating a flow field, comprising the steps of:
a. supplying a reactant through a flow field; and
b. removing a product via a microchannel defined by at least one deformation from a plane in the flow field.