HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY SENSING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A CAPACITIVE TOUCH DEVICE

• US 20130257797A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: WU, Chia-Mu, HSU, Yi-Chia, HUANG, Jung-Shou
• Granted Patent: US 9,069,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• 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 sensing method and a sensing apparatus for a capacitive touch device sense variations of self capacitances of first traces in a first direction and second traces in a second direction and variations of mutual capacitances of intersections between the first traces and the second traces, and then generates fourth sensed values from the first, second and third sensed values to serve as sensed values of the changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the first traces and the second traces for identifying one or more touch points. Therefore, noise interference is suppressed and real touch points can be easily to be identified.

Claims

1. A high noise immunity sensing method for a capacitive touch device having a plurality of first traces in a first direction and a plurality of second traces in a second direction, the sensing method comprising:

A.) sensing self capacitances of the plurality of first traces to further generate first sensed values representative of changes of the self capacitances of the plurality of first traces;

B.) sensing self capacitances of the plurality of second traces to further generate second sensed values representative of changes of the self capacitances of the plurality of second traces;

C.) sensing mutual capacitances of intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces to further generate third sensed values representative of changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces; and

D.) generating fourth sensed values from the first, second and third sensed values to serve as sensed values of the changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces for identifying one or more touch points.

2. The high noise immunity sensing method of claim 1, wherein the step D comprises performing a multiplication of the first, second and third sensed values to generate the fourth sensed values.

3. A high noise immunity sensing apparatus for a capacitive touch device having a plurality of first traces in a first direction and a plurality of second traces in a second direction, the sensing apparatus comprising:

an excitation unit connected to the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces;

a sampling unit connected to the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces;

a processing unit connected to the sampling unit; and

a control unit connected to the excitation unit, the sampling unit and the processing unit, controlling the excitation unit and the sampling unit to sense self capacitances of the plurality of first traces and generate first sensed values representative of changes of the self capacitances of the plurality of first traces, to sense self capacitances of the plurality of second traces and generate second sensed values representative of changes of the self capacitances of the plurality of second traces, to sense mutual capacitances of intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces and generate third sensed values representative of changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces, and controlling the processing unit to generate fourth sensed values from the first, second and third sensed values to serve as sensed values of the changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the plurality of first traces and the plurality of second traces for identifying one or more touch points.

4. The high noise immunity sensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the processing unit to perform a multiplication of the first, second and third sensed values to generate the fourth sensed values.