Touch Sensitive Controls With Weakly Conductive Touch Surfaces
First Claim
1. A touch-activated apparatus, comprising:
- an electrode;
a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a body to the electrode; and
,a weakly conductive covering disposed over the electrode and arranged to be contacted by the body.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A touch activated control useful for incorporation into, e.g., a DON/DOFF sensor of a communications headset or a touch pad for a cell phone, includes a weakly conductive electrode and a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a body to the electrode. The electrode may include a covering made of a weakly conductive material. The weakly conductive property of the electrode enables the prevention of undesirable electrostatic discharge (ESD), user skin irritation and electrode corrosion caused by direct contact between the electrode and the user'"'"'s skin and also exhibit'"'"'s a substantially higher sensitivity than electrodes covered with an insulative material.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A touch-activated apparatus, comprising:
-
an electrode; a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a body to the electrode; and
,a weakly conductive covering disposed over the electrode and arranged to be contacted by the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A touch activated apparatus, comprising:
-
an electrode; a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in proximity of a body to the electrode; and wherein a weakly conductive material interposed between the electrode and the body. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for improving the sensitivity of a touch activated control of a type that includes an electrode and a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a body to the electrode, the method comprising disposing a layer of a weakly conductive material between the electrode and the body, the layer being arranged so as to be contacted by the body.
-
11. A communications headset having a DON/DOFF sensor, comprising:
-
an earpiece comprising an electrode; a sensor coupled to the earpiece and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a wearer'"'"'s ear to the earpiece; and
,a weakly conductive covering disposed over the surface of the earpiece and arranged so as to be contacted by the wearer'"'"'s ear when the headset is donned. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A touch activated control, comprising:
-
a pad made of a weakly conductive material an electrode disposed on a lower surface of the pad; a sensor coupled to the electrode and operative to detect a change in parasitic capacitance caused by a change in the proximity of a body to the electrode; and
,means for activating a circuit in response to an upper surface of the pad being contacted by the body. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification