Circular slider with center button

• US 20080143681A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: XiaoPing, Jiang
• Application Number:
  US11/641,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143681A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of a conductive object on a sensing device. The sensing device may include a plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements disposed in an outer sensing area of the sensing device and a center button disposed in an inner sensing area of the sensing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a sensing device having an outer sensing area and an inner sensing area, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements disposed in the outer sensing area and an additional sensor element disposed in the inner sensing area, and wherein portions of the sensing areas of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements are located within the inner sensing area; and

detecting a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user, on the sensing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a button operation when the presence of the conductive object is detected on the inner sensing area of the sensing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a slider operation when the presence of the conductive object is detected on the outer sensing area of the sensing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a circular slider having a center button, and wherein the additional sensor element corresponds to the center button in the inner sensing area of the sensing device, and the plurality of sensor elements correspond to the circular slider in the outer sensing area of the sensing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing device further comprises a grounded conductor disposed to surround the additional sensor element of a center button, and wherein detecting the presence of the conductive object on the inner sensing area comprises measuring a capacitance on the additional sensor element disposed in the inner sensing area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sequentially sensing each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element to measure the capacitance on each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising substantially simultaneously sensing each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element to measure the capacitance on each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the conductive object on the inner sensing area comprises measuring a capacitance on the additional sensor element disposed in the inner sensing area while grounding each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements of the outer sensing area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sequentially sensing each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element to measure the capacitance on each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element.

10. An apparatus, comprising

a sensing device having an outer sensing area and an inner sensing area, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements disposed in the outer sensing area and an additional sensor element disposed in the inner sensing area,

wherein portions of the sensing areas of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements are located within the inner sensing area, and

wherein the inner sensing area is located within the outer sensing area of the plurality of sensor elements.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements are disposed in a first layer of a circuit board, wherein portions of the sensing areas of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements are located within the inner sensing area, and wherein the additional sensor element is disposed in a second layer of the circuit board.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a grounded conductor disposed to surround the additional sensor element, wherein the grounded conductor is configured to shield the portions of the sensing areas of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements that are located within the inner sensing area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the grounded conductor is disposed on the second layer of the circuit board.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the grounded conductor is disposed on a third layer of the circuit board.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a processing device coupled to the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element, wherein the processing device is configured to connect the plurality of sensor elements to a system ground while sensing the additional sensor element to measure a capacitance on the additional sensor element.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensing device includes a circular slider having a center button, and wherein the additional sensor element corresponds to the center button in the inner sensing area of the sensing device, and the plurality of sensor elements correspond to the circular slider in the outer sensing area of the sensing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a processing device coupled to the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element, wherein the processing device is configured to detect a presence of the conductive object, manipulated by a user, on the sensing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a button operation when the presence of the conductive object is detected on the inner sensing area of the sensing device, and a slider operation when the presence of the conductive object is detected on the outer sensing area of the sensing device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a position of the presence of the conductive object on the outer sensing area of the sensing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing device is configured to either sequentially or substantially simultaneously sense each of the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element to measure a capacitance on each of the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing device is configured to sequentially sense each of the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element to measure a capacitance on each of the plurality of sensor elements and the additional sensor element, and to connect each of the plurality of sensor elements to a system ground while the additional sensor element is sensed.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensing device having an outer sensing area and an inner sensing area, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements disposed in the outer sensing area and an additional sensor element disposed in the inner sensing area, and wherein portions of the sensing areas of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements are located within the inner sensing area; and

means for detecting a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user on the sensing device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for sensing the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element of the sensing device; and

means for shielding the portions of sensing area of the plurality of sensor elements while sensing each of the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element of the sensing device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for sensing the plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements and the additional sensor element of the sensing device; and

means for grounding each of plurality of non-linearly disposed sensor elements while sensing the additional sensor element of the sensing device.