Power Efficient Capacitive Detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A capacitive detection method, comprising:
- determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since detection of presence of an object near a capacitive sensing area including at least one capacitive sensor; and
if said predetermined amount of time is determined to have elapsed, causing a subsequent attempt for detecting whether an object is near said capacitive sensor area to consume less power, than if said predetermined amount of time had been determined to not have elapsed.
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Abstract
Capacitive detection systems, modules, and methods. In one embodiment, a power saving mode is implemented when deemed appropriate, based on an analysis of previous detection or non-detection of the presence and/or position of an object near a capacitive sensing area.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A capacitive detection method, comprising:
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determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since detection of presence of an object near a capacitive sensing area including at least one capacitive sensor; and if said predetermined amount of time is determined to have elapsed, causing a subsequent attempt for detecting whether an object is near said capacitive sensor area to consume less power, than if said predetermined amount of time had been determined to not have elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A capacitive detection method, comprising:
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receiving data corresponding to a plurality of capacitive sensors in a capacitive sensing area; using said received data or a function thereof to detect a position of an object whose presence has been detected as touching said input device; determining whether a difference in said detected position or a function thereof from a preceding detected position or a function thereof is below a predetermined amount; and if said difference is determined to be below said predetermined amount, causing a subsequent attempt for detecting whether an object is present to consume less power, than if said difference had been determined to not be below said predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A capacitive detection method, comprising:
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charging and discharging at least one time a first plurality of capacitive sensors in a capacitive sensing area whose charging and discharging are enabled; generating data relating to capacitances of said first plurality of charged and discharged sensors; and subsequently, charging and discharging at least one more time a second plurality of capacitive sensors in said capacitive sensing area whose charging and discharging remain enabled after an analysis of said generated data or a function thereof, said first and second pluralities including different numbers of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A capacitive detection method, comprising:
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charging and discharging at least one time at least one capacitive sensor in a capacitive sensing area; generating data relating to capacitances of said charged and discharged at least one sensor; and subsequently, due to an analysis of said generated data or a function thereof, generating data for each at least one capacitive sensor in said capacitive sensing area, at a value whose change from said previous generating is at least partly unrelated to any variance in sensor capacitance, or at a different frequency than during said previous generating.
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29. A controller module comprising:
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an interaction module configured to receive data corresponding to at least one capacitive sensor in a capacitive sensing area; and a presence detection module configured to determine whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since presence of an object near said capacitive sensing area was detected based on said received data or a function thereof; said interaction module being configured, depending on whether or not said predetermined time has elapsed, to configure, if not already configured, a power saving mode or a normal mode. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A controller module comprising:
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an interaction module configured to receive data corresponding to a plurality of capacitive sensors in a capacitive sensing area; a position detection module configured to detect position of an object near said capacitive sensing area based on said received data or a function thereof; and means for determining whether a difference in said detected position or a function thereof from a preceding detected position or a function thereof is below a predetermined amount; said interaction module being configured, depending on whether or not said difference is below a predetermined amount, to configure, if not already configured, a power saving mode or a normal mode. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A capacitive detection module comprising:
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at least one configuration register for configuring power saving mode or normal mode; a charge/discharge module configured to charge and discharge at least one capacitive sensor in a capacitive sensing area whose charging and discharging are enabled; and a counter module configured to measure, for each capacitive sensor whose charging and discharging are enabled, a time interval measurement relating to a capacitance of a corresponding capacitive sensor; wherein power save mode differs from normal mode in at least one variable selected from a group comprising;
number of capacitive sensors with enabled charging and discharging, frequency of counter clock provided to said counter module, and frequency of charging and discharging. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A capacitive detection computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since detection of presence of an object near a capacitive sensing area including at least one capacitive sensor; and computer readable program code for causing the computer, if said predetermined amount of time is determined to have elapsed, to cause a subsequent attempt for detecting whether an object is near said capacitive sensor area to consume less power, than if said predetermined amount of time had been determined to not have elapsed.
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42. A capacitive detection computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code for causing the computer to receive data corresponding to a plurality of capacitive sensors in a capacitive sensing area; computer readable program code for causing the computer to use said received data or a function thereof to detect a position of an object whose presence has been detected as touching said input device; computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine whether a difference in said detected position or a function thereof from a preceding detected position or a function thereof is below a predetermined amount; and computer readable program code for causing the computer, if said difference is determined to be below said predetermined amount, to cause a subsequent attempt for detecting whether an object is present to consume less power, than if said difference had been determined to not be below said predetermined amount.
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Specification