Multi-modal sensing surface

• US 10,649,572 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Villar, Nicolas, Zhang, Haiyan, Saul, Greg, Cletheroe, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US14/931,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10376 the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00

Abstract

A multi-modal sensing surface comprises two overlaid arrays: a capacitive sensing electrode array and an array of RF antennas. A first sensing module is coupled to the capacitive sensing electrode array and is configured to detect both an increase and a decrease of capacitance between electrodes in the array. A second sensing module is coupled to the array of RF antennas and is configured to selectively tune and detune one or more of the RF antennas in the array of RF antennas.

Claims

1. A multi-modal sensing surface comprising:

two overlaid arrays, the two arrays comprising a capacitive sensing electrode array and an array of RF antennas;

a first sensing module coupled to the capacitive sensing electrode array and arranged to detect an increase in mutual capacitance between electrodes at first and second locations in the array caused by first and second objects being proximate to the multi-modal sensing surface; and

a second sensing module coupled to the array of RF antennas and arranged to, based at least in part on detecting the increase in mutual capacitance;

selectively tune a first RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to a first frequency, wherein the first RF antenna is associated with the first and second locations;

detune a second RF antenna in the array of antennas and a third RF antenna in the array of RF antennas to a second frequency different from the first frequency, wherein the second RF antenna is associated with the first location and not the second location and the third RF antenna is associated with the second location and not the first location;

receive, by the first RF antenna, data transmitted from a first wireless tag associated with the first object and data transmitted from a second wireless tag associated with the second object;

distinguish between the first wireless tag associated with the first object and the second wireless tag associated with the second object by;

selectively tuning the second RF antenna to the first frequency and detuning the first and third RF antennas to the second frequency,

receiving, by the second RF antenna, data transmitted from the second wireless tag associated with the second object,

selectively tuning the third RF antenna to the first frequency and detuning the second and third RF antennas to the second frequency, and

receiving, by the third RF antenna, data transmitted from the third wireless tag associated with the second object.

2. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the second sensing module is arranged to selectively tune the first RF antenna to a frequency corresponding to the wireless tag.

3. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the second sensing module is arranged to selectively detune the second and third RF antennas by deactivating the second and third RF antennas.

4. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the array of RF antennas comprises a first set of RF antennas at a first orientation and a second set of RF antennas at a second orientation, and wherein the first set of RF antennas includes the first RF antenna, and the second set of RF antennas includes the second and third RF antennas.

5. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 4, wherein the first set of RF antennas are perpendicular to the second set of RF antennas and lie in a plane parallel to a plane comprising the second set of RF antennas.

6. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the sensing surface comprises a touch surface and the array of RF antennas is on an opposite side of the capacitive sensing array from the touch surface.

7. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the second sensing module is further arranged to connect the array of RF antennas to ground whilst the first sensing module is detecting capacitance changes between the electrodes in the capacitive sensing electrode array.

8. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein each RF antenna in the array of RF antennas includes a pre-defined signal response, and wherein the antennas in the array of RF antennas are spaced such that a null in the signal response of one RF antenna does not substantially align with a null in the signal response of an adjacent RF antenna.

9. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the two overlaid arrays are formed in or on a flexible substrate.

10. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the two overlaid arrays are woven into a fabric substrate.

11. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface arranged to communicate data to a separate computing device, the data comprising locations of any touch events and objects detected by the first sensing module and identities of any objects determined by the second sensing module.

12. A computing device comprising the multi-modal sensing surface as set forth in claim 1.

13. A multi-modal sensing surface according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing module and the second sensing module function at a same time during the detecting of the increase in mutual capacitance.

14. A method of detecting and locating touch events and objects using a multi-modal sensing surface, the method comprising:

detecting, by a first sensing module in the multi-modal sensing surface, a decrease in mutual capacitance between electrodes at first and second locations in a capacitive sensing electrode array in the multi-modal sensing surface;

in response to detecting the increase in mutual capacitance between the electrodes at the first and second locations;

determining that the first and second locations are associated with a first RF antenna in an array of RF antennas in the multi-modal sensing surface;

selectively tuning the first RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to a first frequency, wherein the first RF antenna is associated with the first and second locations;

detuning, by a second sensing module in the multi-modal sensing surface, second and third antennas in the array of RF antennas, to a second frequency that is different from the first frequency;

distinguishing between a first wireless tag associated with the first location and a second wireless tag associated with the second location by;

selectively tuning the second RF antenna to the first frequency and detuning the first and third RF antennas to the second frequency,

receiving, by the second RF antenna, data transmitted from the second wireless tag associated with the second object,

selectively tuning the third RF antenna to the first frequency and detuning the second and third RF antennas to the second frequency, and

receiving, by the third RF antenna, data transmitted from the third wireless tag associated with the second object.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

prior to detecting changes in capacitance, connecting the array of RF antennas to ground.

16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

providing location data identifying the first and second locations and any data read from the first and second wireless tags as an input to a computer program.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising in response to detecting, in the first sensing module, the increase in capacitance between the electrodes at the second location:

tracking motion of an object initially at the second location on the multi-modal sensing surface.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

detecting, by a sensing module in a multi-modal sensing surface, an increase in capacitance between electrodes at a location in a capacitive sensing electrode array in the multi-modal sensing surface;

in response to detecting an increase in mutual capacitance between the electrodes at the location, distinguishing between first and second wireless tags by;

selectively tuning a first RF antenna, in an array of RF antennas, to a first frequency, wherein the first RF antenna is associated with the location, and wherein the first and second wireless tags operate at the first frequency;

selectively detuning a second RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to a second frequency different from the first frequency, wherein the second RF antenna is associated with the location;

receiving, by the first RF antenna, data transmitted from the first and second wireless tags when the first RF antenna is tuned to the first frequency;

selectively detuning the first RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to the second frequency,

selectively tuning the second RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to the first frequency; and

receiving, by the second RF antenna, data transmitted from the first wireless tag when the second RF antenna is tuned to the first frequency.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting, by the sensing module in a multi-modal sensing surface, an increase in capacitance between electrodes at a second location in the capacitive sensing electrode array in the multi-modal sensing surface at a same time the increase in capacitance is detected a first location; and

selectively detuning the first RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to the second frequency,

selectively detuning the second RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to the first frequency, and

selectively tuning a third RF antenna, in the array of RF antennas, to the first frequency.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein data is not received from the second wireless tag when the second RF antenna is tuned to the first frequency.