Feedback mechanism for user detection of reference location on a sensing device

• US 20080150905A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Grivna, Edward L., Sartore, Ronald H., Wright, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing an active feedback of a position of a conductive object, manipulated by a user on a sensing device, to allow detection of a reference location on the sensing device by the user. The apparatus may include a sensing device to detect a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user on the sensing device, a processing device coupled to the sensing device, the processing device to determine a position of the conductive object on the sensing device, and a feedback mechanism coupled to the processing device to provide an active feedback to the user to allow detection of a reference location on the sensing device by the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user, on a sensing device; and

providing an active feedback of a position of the conductive object to the user to allow detection of a reference location on the sensing device by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the position of the conductive object by a processing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the active feedback comprises determining the position of the conductive object without generating a signal indicating a button activation on the sensing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the active feedback is a vibrational feedback.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the active feedback comprises modifying at least one of a frequency, a duration, or an amplitude of one or more vibrations of the vibrational feedback.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the active feedback is an audio feedback.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the active feedback comprises modifying at least one of a frequency, a duration, a verbal message, or an amplitude of one or more sounds of the audio feedback.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the active feedback is an illuminating feedback.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the active feedback comprises modifying at least one of a frequency, a duration, or an amplitude of one or more lights of the illuminating feedback.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the active feedback comprises continuously reporting a position of the conductive object to the user using a combination of a vibrational, an audio, and an illuminating feedback.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of button locations on the sensing device, and wherein providing the active feedback comprises providing a different active feedback for each of the plurality of button locations when the position of the conductive object is determined within the different button locations to allow detection of the reference location on the sensing device by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference location is a home key.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of button locations on the sensing device, wherein the reference location is a defined physical area on the sensing device that provides a user with spatial orientation of the plurality of button locations on the sensing device.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensing device to detect a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user on the sensing device;

a processing device coupled to the sensing device, the processing device to determine a position of the conductive object on the sensing device; and

a feedback mechanism coupled to the processing device to provide an active feedback to the user to allow detection of a reference location on the sensing device by the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensing device comprises a plurality of button locations on the sensing device, and wherein the processing device is configured to determine the position of the conductive object without generating a signal indicating activation of the plurality of button locations.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the active feedback is a vibrational feedback, and wherein the feedback mechanism comprises a vibrating mechanism to produce one or more vibrations for the vibrational feedback.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the active feedback is an audio feedback, and wherein the feedback mechanism comprises an audio mechanism to produce one or more sounds or verbal messages for the audio feedback.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the active feedback is an illuminating feedback, and wherein the feedback mechanism comprises an illuminating mechanism to produce one or more lights for the illuminating feedback.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing device comprises one or more capacitance sensors coupled to the sensing device, and wherein the one or more capacitance sensors are configured to measure a capacitance on the sensing device to detect the presence of the conductive object on the sensing device, and to determine the position of the conductive object on the sensing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensing device comprises one or more sensor elements, and wherein the one or more capacitance sensors each comprise a relaxation oscillator.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensing device comprises one or more sensor elements, and wherein the one or more capacitance sensors each comprise a sigma-delta modulator.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensing device is at least one of a touch-sensor pad, a touch-sensor slider, a touch-screen display, or a touch-sensor button.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a presence of a conductive object, manipulated by a user on the means for detecting the presence of the conductive object; and

means for providing an active feedback of a position of the conductive object to the user to allow detection of a reference location on the sensing device by the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for determining the position of the conductive object on the sensing device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the active feedback is at least one of a vibrational feedback, an audio feedback, or an illuminating feedback.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for detecting the reference location on the sensing device without determining a button activation on the sensing device.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for detecting the reference location on the sensing device without surface features on the sensing device.