Interaction sensing

• US 10,042,504 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Post, Ernest Rehmi, Bau, Olivier, Tsekov, Iliya, Sadi, Sajid, Digman, Mike, Attarian, Vatche, Consul, Sergi, Wortham, Cody
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US14/458,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving a signal from an electrode of a touch sensor that senses a charge displacement, based on the signal, in order to detect the contact or separation. The method further includes detecting a contact or separation input to the touch sensor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal resulting from a charge displacement at an electrode of a touch sensor comprising;

the electrode; and

an insulator coupled to the electrode, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;

detecting, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;

classifying the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein;

the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;

the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;

the object comprises a material; and

the method further comprises identifying, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the object is in contact with the insulator; and

the method further comprises detecting, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a noise component of the signal;

rejecting at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and

classifying, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

detect a charge displacement at an electrode of a touch sensor comprising;

the electrode; and

an insulator coupled to the electrode, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;

detect, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation input between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;

classify the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein;

the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;

the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;

the object comprises a material; and

the logic is further operable when executed to identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to determine a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the object is in contact with the insulator; and

the logic is further operable when executed to detect, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

analyze a noise component of the signal;

reject at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and

classify, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor comprising;

an electrode; and

an insulator coupled to the electrode; and

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic that is operable when executed to;

detect a charge displacement at the electrode of the touch sensor, wherein the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between the insulator and an object external to the touch sensor;

detect, based on the charge displacement, a contact or separation input between the insulator and the object external to the touch sensor;

classify the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event, wherein;

the touch sensor further comprises a plurality of sensing sites, each sensing site including a triboelectric material and at least two sensing sites having different tribonegativities;

the charge displacement is a result of a triboelectric interaction between a portion of the plurality of sensing sites and the object external to the touch sensor;

the object comprises a material; and

the logic is further operable when executed to identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, the object or a type of the material of the object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to determine a time the contact event occurred and location on the touch sensor of the contact event.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the object is in contact with the insulator; and

the logic is further operable when executed to detect, based on the charge displacement at the electrode, a contact between a second object and the object in contact with the insulator.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

analyze a noise component of the signal;

reject at least a portion of the noise component of the signal; and

classify, based at least in part on a characteristic of the signal after the rejection of at least a portion of the noise component of the signal, the contact or separation as a contact event or a separation event.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of the signal comprises a time-domain profile of the signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the time-domain profile of the signal comprises a signal waveform that comprises a peak and a trough.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

identify, based on the charge displacement and the portion of the plurality of sensing sites, a position of the object.