DUAL-SENSING-MODE TOUCH-SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20090066669A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Olson, Dana Jon
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch-sensor device is described. The touch sensor-device includes a panel having an array of capacitive sensors arranged to function, in a first direction, as a projected capacitance slider. The array of capacitive sensors is further arranged to function, in a second direction, as a set of independent surface capacitance sensors. A controller is coupled with the panel by an electrical component.

Claims

1. A touch-sensor device, comprising:

a panel having an array of capacitive sensors arranged to function, in a first direction, as a projected capacitance slider and, in a second direction, as a set of independent surface capacitance sensors; and

a controller coupled with the panel by an electrical component.

2. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors comprises a pattern of interlaced strips of a resistive material.

3. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises an arrangement of continuous wavy strips in a horizontal direction between a pair of vertical edges of the panel, each continuous strip spaced equidistant in a vertical direction between a pair of horizontal edges of the panel.

4. The touch-sensor device of claim 3, wherein the electrical component is coupled to each continuous wavy strip along the pair of vertical edges of the panel.

5. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises an arrangement of continuous wavy strips in a vertical direction between a pair of horizontal edges of the panel, each continuous strip spaced equidistant in a horizontal direction between a pair of vertical edges of the panel.

6. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, wherein the electrical component is coupled to each continuous wavy strip along the pair of horizontal edges of the panel.

7. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the resistive material is a material selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), a conductive ink, and a graphite trace.

8. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors comprises a pattern selected from the group consisting of a pattern of rectangular strips of a resistive material and a pattern of concentric circular strips of a resistive material.

9. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors is disposed in a single plane.

10. A method for determining a multi-touch result on a touch-sensor device, comprising:

receiving, on a panel, two or more approximately simultaneous touches in a first direction;

scanning, in the first direction, an array of capacitive sensors as a pair of linear sliders;

adding the results of the scanning of each of the pair of linear sliders into a single array to determine the first direction component of the multi-touch result; and

determining, in a second direction, a second direction component of the multi-touch result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adding the results of each of the pair of linear sliders into the single array to determine the first direction component of the multi-touch result comprises calculating a centroid.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the second direction component of the multi-touch result comprises subtracting the results of each of the pair of linear sliders.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the second direction component of the multi-touch result comprises sequentially grounding portions of the array of capacitive sensors along an axis parallel with the second direction.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of interlaced strips of a resistive material.

15. The method claim 14, wherein scanning the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous wavy horizontal strips along a pair of vertical edges of the arrangement.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein scanning the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous wavy vertical strips along a pair of horizontal edges of the arrangement.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of rectangular strips of a resistive material.

18. The method claim 17, wherein scanning the pattern of rectangular strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous horizontal strips along a pair of vertical edges of the arrangement.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein scanning the pattern of rectangular strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous vertical strips along a pair of horizontal edges of the arrangement.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of concentric circular strips of a resistive material.