APPARATUS FOR OBJECT INFORMATION DETECTION AND METHODS OF USING SAME

• US 20090322352A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rimon, Ori, Perski, Haim, Kaplan, Amir, ZACHUT, Rafi
• Granted Patent: US 7,902,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/3611 with a playing surface playable on both sides
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/265 by skin resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/06 Games simulating outdoor ball games, e.g. hockey or football if physically beneficial for the human body A63B67/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/068 using magnetic power magnetic toys A63H33/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0692 Kicking
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• 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

A system for determining information regarding at least one object, comprising: a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling; at least one object adapted to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor; a detector adapted to measure at least one output signal of said sensor associated with the at least one object, wherein the output signal associated with the at least one object is an object information code.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an object on a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling, the method comprising:

simultaneously transmitting signals on at least two electrodes of the sensor, wherein the signals transmitted on each of the at least two electrodes have unique frequencies;

sampling a signal on at least one other electrode crossing the at least two electrodes, wherein the signal is responsive to capacitive coupling formed between the at least two electrodes and the at least one other crossing electrode;

detecting at least one object from the sampled signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique frequencies are orthogonal to each other.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a first and a second array of electrodes forming a grid.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first array includes active electrodes and the second array includes passive electrodes.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least two electrodes are active electrodes and the at least one other electrode is a passive electrode.

6. The method according to claim 5 comprising simultaneously sampling the passive electrodes in response to transmitting a signal on the at least two electrodes.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the electrodes of the first array are divided into a plurality of groups, and wherein signals are transmitted to electrodes in each group serially.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the signals transmitted serially are of common frequency.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising simultaneously transmitting signals of unique frequency to electrodes from the different groups.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are conductive lines.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one object is a body part or a capacitive object.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the body part is a finger.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor detects multi-touch.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one object is hovering over the sensor or touching the sensor.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted to the at least two electrodes is a pulsed signal.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted to the at least two electrodes is an AC signal.

17. The method according to claim I comprising determining a position of the at least one object on the sensor from the signals sampled.

18. The method according to claim I comprising detecting more than one object.

19. An apparatus including a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling comprising:

a sensor including an array of active electrodes and an array of passive electrodes, the active and passive array forming a grid;

a switching apparatus operative to simultaneously transmit signals on at least two active electrodes, wherein the signals transmitted on each of the at least two active electrodes have unique frequencies;

sensor electronics configured to sample a signal on at least one passive electrode crossing the at least two active electrodes, wherein the signal is responsive to capacitive coupling formed between the at least two active electrodes and the at least one passive electrode;

wherein the sampled signal provides information regarding at least one object located on the sensor.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the unique frequencies are orthogonal to each other.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the active electrodes are divided into a plurality of groups, and wherein the switching apparatus is configured to transmit signals to electrodes in each group serially.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the signals transmitted serially are of common frequency.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the switching apparatus is configured for simultaneously transmitting signals of unique frequency to electrodes from the different groups.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the signal transmitted to the at least two active electrodes is a pulsed signal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the signal transmitted to the at least two active electrodes is an AC signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the electrodes are conductive lines.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the sensor is substantially transparent.

28. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one object is a body part or a conductive object.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the body part is a finger.

30. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one object located on the sensor is hovering over the sensor or touching the sensor.