Proximity and multi-touch sensor detection and demodulation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting multi-touch events and hover events with a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
- a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;
one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and
one or more event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits configurable for generating distinct values representative of multiple detected touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or representative of a detected hover event.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The use of one or more proximity sensors in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to one or more multi-touch sensor “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation. In some embodiments, both physical interfaces (touch and proximity sensors) can be connected to analog channels in the same electrical core.
601 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting multi-touch events and hover events with a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
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a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface; one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and one or more event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits configurable for generating distinct values representative of multiple detected touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or representative of a detected hover event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for generating an image of touch and hover on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
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a touch panel, the touch panel including a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface; a proximity sensor panel, the proximity sensor panel including a plurality of proximity sensors configured for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and a plurality of event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the touch panel and the proximity sensor panel for generating values representative of detected touch events or detected hover events. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A multi-touch subsystem for detecting touch and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface and generating an image of touch and hover, comprising:
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driver logic configured for generating an input stimulus; channel scan logic configured for controlling the driver logic to sequentially scan each row of touch sensors in a touch panel, and to sequentially scan each row of proximity sensors in a proximity sensor panel, by sequentially driving each row with the input stimulus; and one or more event detection and demodulation circuits, each event detection and demodulation circuit couplable to a column of touch sensors in the touch panel or a column of proximity sensors in the proximity sensor panel, each event detection and demodulation circuit configured for receiving a signal representative of a touch event occurring at one of the touch sensors in the column of touch sensors or a hover event occurring at one of the proximity sensors in the column of proximity sensors, and generating a value representative of the touch or hover event; wherein scanning all rows in the touch panel and the proximity sensor panel enables a detection of multiple touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or multiple hover events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time.
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17. An apparatus for detecting multi-touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
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means for scanning a touch panel of touch sensors organized in rows and columns by sequentially applying a first stimulus to each row; during each touch panel row scan, means for coupling the columns of the touch panel to one or more event detection and demodulation circuits and generating one or more values representative of one or more touch events occurring at distinct locations along the row at about the same time; means for applying a second stimulus to one or more proximity sensors; and while applying the second stimulus to the one or more proximity sensors, means for coupling the one or more proximity sensors to an event detection and demodulation circuit and generating one or more values representative of one or more hover events occurring at the one or more proximity sensors.
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18. An apparatus for generating an image of touch and hover on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
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means for detecting one or more touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface; means for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and means couplable to the touch panel and the proximity sensor panel for generating values representative of detected touch events or detected hover events.
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19. A method for detecting multi-touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:
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scanning a touch panel of touch sensors organized in rows and columns by sequentially applying a first stimulus to each row; during each touch panel row scan, coupling the columns of the touch panel to one or more event detection and demodulation circuits and generating one or more values representative of one or more touch events occurring at distinct locations along the row at about the same time; applying a second stimulus to one or more proximity sensors; and while applying the second stimulus to the one or more proximity sensors, coupling the one or more proximity sensors to an event detection and demodulation circuit and generating one or more values representative of one or more hover events occurring at the one or more proximity sensors. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for detecting touch and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface and generating an image of touch and hover, comprising:
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generating an input stimulus; sequentially scanning each row of touch sensors in a touch panel and sequentially scanning each row of proximity sensors in a proximity sensor panel by sequentially driving each row with the input stimulus; coupling an event detection and demodulation circuit to each column of touch sensors in the touch panel and each column of proximity sensors in the proximity sensor panel; receiving a signal representative of a touch event occurring at one of the touch sensors in the column of touch sensors or a hover event occurring at one of the proximity sensors in the column of proximity sensors; and generating a value representative of each detected touch or hover event, the generated values enabling a detection of multiple touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or multiple hover events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. A mobile telephone including an apparatus for detecting multi-touch events and hover events with a touch-sensitive surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface; one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and one or more event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits configurable for generating distinct values representative of multiple detected touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or representative of a detected hover event.
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37. A digital audio player including an apparatus for detecting multi-touch events and hover events with a touch-sensitive surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface; one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor; and one or more event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits configurable for generating distinct values representative of multiple detected touch events occurring at distinct locations at about the same time, or representative of a detected hover event.
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Specification