Interaction sensing

• US 10,318,090 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Post, Ernest Rehmi, Bau, Olivier, Tsekov, Iliya, Sadi, Sajid, Digman, Mike, Attarian, Vatche, Consul, Sergi, Wortham, Cody
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US14/458,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• 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, an apparatus includes a single electrode configured to passively receive a charge displacement and a change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in an environment. The apparatus further includes a touch sensor, coupled to the single electrode, configured to detect a first input based on the charge displacement, and a second input based on the change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in the environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

passively receiving a first signal at an electrode of a triboelectric sensor and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) sensor configured to detect contact, separation, proximity, or motion based on changes in EMI in the environment of the EMI sensor;

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor;

detecting, based on the first signal, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

receiving a second signal from the electrode of the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

performing either one of;

when the first signal is analyzed using the EMI sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor;

or

when the first signal is analyzed using the triboelectric sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyzing the second signal using the EMI sensor; and

detecting, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal is the second signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal is received after the first signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by the one or more objects.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more first objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by one or more second objects.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising triggering, based on the proximity input made by the one or more first objects, a particular software application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second signals are received concurrently.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the first signal comprises classifying the first detected input as a contact, separation, proximity, or motion event based at least in part on a waveform of the first signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the second signal comprises:

characterizing the second signal into one or more frequency bands; and

determining a current context by comparing the characterization of the second signal to one or more stored noise profiles associated with one or more pre-determined contexts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the EMI sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting, based on the first signal, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.

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

detect a first signal passively received at an electrode of a triboelectric sensor and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) sensor configured to detect contact, separation, proximity, or motion based on changes in EMI in the environment of the EMI sensor;

analyze the first signal using either the triboelectric sensor or the EMI sensor and detect, based on the analysis, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor; and

detect a second signal received at the electrode of the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

perform either one of;

when the first signal is analyzed using the EMI sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyze the second signal using the triboelectric sensor;

or

when the first signal is analyzed using the triboelectric sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyze the second signal using the EMI sensor; and

detect, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first signal is the second signal.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the second signal is received after the first signal.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein detecting, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by the one or more objects.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more first objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by one or more second objects.

21. The media of claim 20, further embodying logic that is operable when executed to trigger, based on the proximity input made by the one or more first objects, a particular software application.

22. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first and second signals are received concurrently.

23. The medium of claim 14, wherein analyzing the first signal comprises classifying the first detected input as a contact, separation, proximity, or motion event based at least in part on a waveform of the first signal.

24. The medium of claim 14, wherein the analysis of the second signal comprises:

characterizing the second signal into one or more frequency bands; and

determining a current context by comparing the characterization of the second signal to one or more stored noise profiles associated with one or more pre-determined contexts.

25. The medium of claim 14, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the EMI sensor.

26. The media of claim 25, wherein detecting, based on the first signal, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.

27. An apparatus comprising:

an electrode of a triboelectric sensor and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) sensor configured to detect contact, separation, proximity, or motion based on changes in EMI in the environment of the EMI sensor; and

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

detect a first signal passively received at the electrode of the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

analyze the first signal using either the triboelectric sensor or the EMI sensor and detect, based on the analysis, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

detect a second signal received at the electrode of the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor;

perform either one of;

when the first signal is analyzed using the EMI sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyze the second signal using the triboelectric sensor;

or

when the first signal is analyzed using the triboelectric sensor and determined to represent the first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input, analyze the second signal using the EMI sensor; and

detect, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first signal is the second signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second signal is received after the first signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein detecting, based on the analysis of the second signal, a second contact, separation, motion, or proximity input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the second signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by the one or more objects.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the first input comprises a proximity input made by one or more first objects; and

the second input comprises a contact input made by one or more second objects.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the computer-readable non-transitory storage medium further embodies logic that is operable when executed to trigger, based on the proximity input made by the one or more first objects, a particular software application.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first and second signals are received concurrently.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein analyzing the first signal comprises classifying the first detected input as a contact, separation, proximity, or motion event based at least in part on a waveform of the first signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the analysis of the second signal comprises:

characterizing the second signal into one or more frequency bands; and

determining a current context by comparing the characterization of the second signal to one or more stored noise profiles associated with one or more pre-determined contexts.

38. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

analyzing the first signal using the EMI sensor or the triboelectric sensor comprises analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor; and

the performing step comprises analyzing the second signal using the EMI sensor.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein detecting, based on the first signal, a first contact, separation, proximity, or motion input to the triboelectric sensor and the EMI sensor comprises detecting, based on analyzing the first signal using the triboelectric sensor, a contact input made by an object.