Enhanced Touch Detection Methods

• US 20130162583A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Simmons, Martin John, Golbourn, Darren, Pickett, Daniel, Hersee, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

In one embodiment, a method includes sending a first set of signals to a first set of lines of a touch sensor. The method also includes receiving a second set of signals on a second set of lines of the touch sensor in response to sending the first set of signals. The second set of lines are capacitively coupled to the first set of lines. The method includes sending a third set of signals and receiving a fourth set of signals. The fourth set of signals is capacitively generated based on the third set of signals. The method also includes determining a fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and determining whether a touch occurred based on the fifth set of signals.

Claims

1. A method, performed by executing logic embodied by one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media, comprising:

sending a first set of signals to a first set of lines of a touch sensor, each line of the first set of lines comprising electrodes;

receiving a second set of signals on a second set of lines of the touch sensor in response to sending the first set of signals, each line of the second set of lines comprising electrodes, the second set of lines capacitively coupled to the first set of lines;

sending a third set of signals;

receiving a fourth set of signals, the fourth set of signals capacitively generated based on the third set of signals;

determining a fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals; and

determining whether a touch occurred based on the fifth set of signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sending the third set of signals comprises sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines; and

receiving the fourth set of signals comprises receiving the fourth set of signals from the first set of lines.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sending the third set of signals comprises sending the third set of signals to the second set of lines; and

receiving the fourth set of signals comprises receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines.

4. The method of claim 1:

further comprising;

sending a sixth set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the sixth set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are floating; and

receiving a seventh set of signals from the second set of lines; and

wherein;

sending the third set of signals comprises sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the third set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are grounded;

receiving the fourth set of signals comprises receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals comprises determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and the seventh set of signals.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

sending the third set of signals comprises sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines, the third set of signals different than the first set of signals;

receiving the fourth set of signals comprises receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals comprises determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and based on the differences between the first set of signals and the third set of signals.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals comprises compensating for retransmission in the first set of lines.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining coordinates of the touch based on the fifth set of signals.

8. A system comprising:

a touch sensor comprising;

a first set of lines, each line of the first set of lines comprising electrodes;

a second set of lines, each line of the second set of lines comprising electrodes, the second set of lines capacitively coupled to the first set of lines; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising logic that, when executed is operable to;

send a first set of signals to the first set of lines of the touch sensor;

receive a second set of signals on the second set of lines of the touch sensor in response to sending the first set of signals;

send a third set of signals;

receive a fourth set of signals, the fourth set of signals capacitively generated based on the third set of signals;

determine a fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals; and

determine whether a touch occurred based on the fifth set of signals.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines; and

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the first set of lines.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the second set of lines; and

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the logic is further operable to;

send a sixth set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the sixth set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are floating; and

receive a seventh set of signals from the second set of lines; and

wherein the logic is operable to;

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the third set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are grounded;

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and the seventh set of signals.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines, the third set of signals different than the first set of signals;

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and based on the differences between the first set of signals and the third set of signals.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the logic is operable to determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by compensating for retransmission in the first set of lines.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the logic is further operable to determine coordinates of the touch based on the fifth set of signals.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising logic that, when executed is operable to:

send a first set of signals to a first set of lines of a touch sensor, each line of the first set of lines comprising electrodes;

receive a second set of signals on a second set of lines of the touch sensor in response to sending the first set of signals, each line of the second set of lines comprising electrodes, the second set of lines capacitively coupled to the first set of lines;

send a third set of signals;

receive a fourth set of signals, the fourth set of signals capacitively generated based on the third set of signals;

determine a fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals; and

determine whether a touch occurred based on the fifth set of signals.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines; and

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the first set of lines.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the second set of lines; and

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines.

18. The media of claim 15:

wherein the logic is further operable to;

send a sixth set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the sixth set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are floating; and

receive a seventh set of signals from the second set of lines; and

wherein the logic is operable to;

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines such that a signal of the third set of signals is sent to a line of the first set of lines while the rest of the lines in the first set of lines are grounded;

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and the seventh set of signals.

19. The media of claim 15 wherein the logic is operable to:

send the third set of signals by sending the third set of signals to the first set of lines, the third set of signals different than the first set of signals;

receive the fourth set of signals by receiving the fourth set of signals from the second set of lines; and

determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by determining the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals and based on the differences between the first set of signals and the third set of signals.

20. The media of claim 15 wherein the logic is operable to determine the fifth set of signals by compensating the second set of signals based on the fourth set of signals by compensating for retransmission in the first set of lines.

21. The media of claim 15 wherein the logic is further operable to determine coordinates of the touch based on the fifth set of signals.