Methods and systems for changing the appearance of a position sensor with a light effect

• US 20040207605A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Day, Shawn P., Mackey, Bob Lee, Jennings, Mark, Woo, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,382,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for producing a light effect on a touchpad or other position sensor. In one aspect, a position sensor for detecting a position of an object suitably includes a sensor, a light source, and a light conductor at least partially located between the sensor and the object. The light conductor is configured to transmit light from the light source to produce a light effect that alters the appearance of the position sensor. Because the light conductor is located between the sensor and the object, the sensor need not be made from transparent or translucent material, thereby significantly reducing the cost of the sensor. In a further aspect, the position sensor includes at least one marking or pattern in proximity to the light conductor such that the marking can be made visible by at least a component of the light to produce an image of a soft control, logo, ornamental design, status indicator or the like.

Claims

1. A position sensor for detecting a position of an object, the position sensor comprising:

a sensor configured to sense the position of the object;

a light source configured to produce a light; and

a light conductor at least partially located between the sensor and the object, wherein the light conductor is configured to transmit the light from the light source to produce a light effect that alters an appearance of the position sensor.

2. The position sensor of claim 1 wherein the light conductor is further configured to scatter at least a portion of the light.

3. The position sensor of claim 2 wherein the light is scattered at a surface of the light conductor.

4. The position sensor of claim 3 wherein the light conductor comprises a first surface facing the sensor and a second surface facing the object.

5. The position sensor of claim 4 wherein the first surface comprises a portion configured to scatter the portion of the light.

6. The position sensor of claim 4 wherein the second surface comprises a portion configured to scatter the portion of the light.

7. The position sensor of claim 6 wherein the second surface further comprises a touch surface for the position sensor.

8. The position sensor of claim 4 wherein both the first and the second surface comprise portions configured to scatter the portion of the light.

9. The position sensor of claim 2 wherein the portion of the light is scattered from within the volume of the light conductor.

10. The position sensor of claim 2 wherein the light conductor comprises a grating configured to diffract the portion of light.

11. The position sensor of claim 10 wherein the grating is configured to diffract a pre-determined wavelength of the light.

12. The position sensor of claim 1 further comprising a control circuit configured to control the light source and to thereby modify the light effect.

13. The position sensor of claim 12 wherein the control circuit comprises a processor configured to communicate with the sensor and with the light source.

14. The position sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor.

15. The position sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor is opaque.

16. The position sensor of claim 1 further comprising a viewable pattern configured to become visible in response to the light.

17. The position sensor of claim 16 wherein the pattern is an ornamental design.

18. The position sensor of claim 16 wherein the pattern demarks a control.

19. The position sensor of claim 16 wherein the pattern is a status indicator

20. A touchpad having a sensing region for receiving an input from a user, the touchpad comprising:

an opaque, capacitive proximity sensor configured to sense the input;

a light source configured to produce a light; and

a light pipe located between the proximity sensor and the sensing region, wherein the light pipe is configured to transmit at least a portion of the light from the light source to produce a light effect that alters an appearance of the touchpad.

21. A system having a processor, a digital memory and an input/output sub-system communicating with a touchpad configured to receive a user input in a sensing region, wherein the touchpad comprises:

an opaque sensor configured to sense the user input;

a light source configured to produce a light; and

a light conductor located between the sensor and the sensing region, wherein the light conductor is configured to transmit the light from the light source to produce a light effect that alters an appearance of the touchpad.

22. A method of operating a device having a position sensor and a sensing region, the method comprising the steps of:

activating a light source to thereby produce a light;

transmitting at least a portion of the light from the light source with a light conductor, wherein the light conductor is located at least in part between the sensor and the sensing region; and

scattering at least a portion of the light from the light conductor to thereby produce a light effect that changes an appearance of the device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the scattering step comprises uniformly producing the light effect across the sensing region.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the scattering step comprises non-uniformly producing the light effect across the sensing region.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of adjusting the light effect in response to a status of the device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the adjusting step comprises varying the intensity of the light.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the adjusting step comprises varying the color of the light.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the adjusting step comprises temporal variation.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the adjusting step comprises dynamically adjusting the light effect as a function of an input sensed by the sensor.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the adjusting step comprises adjusting the light effect as a function of the position of an object sensed by the sensor.

31. A device comprising:

means for sensing an object position in proximity to a surface;

means for producing light;

means for conducting the light from the light producing means, wherein the conducting means is located at least in part between the sensing means and the surface; and

means for scattering at least a portion of the light from the conducting means to thereby produce a light effect that changes an appearance of the device.

32. A position sensing device having a sensing region, the sensing device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a user input received at the sensing region;

a light source configured to produce a light;

a light conductor located at least in part between the sensor and the sensing region, wherein the light conductor is configured to transmit the light from the light source; and

at least one marking in proximity to the light conductor, wherein the at least one marking is configured to be made visible by at least a component of the light to produce an image of a soft control.

33. The sensing device of claim 32 wherein the at least one marking comprises at least one diffraction grating sensitive to a wavelength component of the light.

34. The sensing device of claim 32 wherein the at least one marking comprises material sensitive to a wavelength component of the light.

35. The sensing device of claim 32 wherein the at least one marking is proximate to a surface of the light conductor.

36. The sensing device of claim 32 wherein the at least one marking is located within the volume of the light conductor.

37. The sensing device of claim 32 wherein the light source is further configured to be switchably activated to produce the component of the light.

38. The sensing device of claim 32 further comprising a second marking in proximity to the light conductor, wherein the second marking is configured to be made visible in response to a second component of the light to produce a second image of a second soft control.

39. The sensing device of claim 38 wherein the first component of the light comprises light of a first wavelength, and the second component of the light comprises light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

40. The sensing device of claim 38 wherein the first component of the light comprises light of a first polarization, and the second component of the light comprises light of a second polarization different from the first polarization.

41. The sensing device of claim 38 wherein the first component of the light comprises light of a first intensity, and the second component of the light comprises light of a second intensity different from the first intensity.

42. The sensing device of claim 38 wherein the first component of the light is produced by a first light producer, and the second component of the light is produced by a second light producer different from the first light producer.

43. The sensing device of claim 42 wherein the first and second light producers are light emitting diodes.

44. A method of controlling a position sensing device having a sensing region for detecting a user input correlating to a position of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling a light source to make visible a soft control corresponding to a soft control portion of the sensing region;

detecting the user input to determine the position of the object; and

producing a first result if the user input corresponds to the soft control portion, and to produce a second result different from the first result if the user input does not correspond to the soft control portion.

45. A digital storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are configured to execute the method of claim 44.

46. A digital storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for controlling a sensing device having a sensing region for detecting a user input correlating to a position of an object, the instructions comprising:

a first code module configured to control a light source to make visible a soft control corresponding to a soft control portion of the sensing region;

a second code module configured to detect the user input to determine the position of the object; and

a third code module configured to produce a first result if the user input corresponds to the soft control portion, and to produce a second result different from the first result if the user input does not correspond to the soft control portion.

47. An apparatus for providing a light effect to a sensing device having a proximity sensor and a sensing region for detecting an object, the apparatus comprising a light conductor configured to be at least partially located between the proximity sensor and the object, and wherein the light conductor is further configured to transmit the light from a light source to produce the light effect and to thereby alter an appearance of the sensing device.

48. A digital storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for operating a position sensor having a light source, a sensor configured to detect a position of an object, and a light conductor at least partially located between the sensor and the object, wherein the instructions comprise a code module configured to control the light source to thereby modify a light effect that alters an appearance of the position sensor.