Method and Sensor Device for the Detection of a Gripping of a Hand-Held Device

• US 20140118011A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Andreas Dorfner, Claus Kaltner, Holger Erkens, Holger Steffens, Stefan Burger
• Inventors: Burger, Stefan, Dorfner, Andreas, Steffens, Holger, Erkens, Holger, Kaltner, Claus
• Granted Patent: US 9,322,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/676
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a capacitive sensor device, uses at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode. An electrical signal is tapped at the receiving electrode and the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, a first alternating electrical signal is applied to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode. In the second operating mode, the second alternating signal is only applied to the compensating electrode. Furthermore, a sensor device can be provided which is configured to perform the method as described above.

Claims

1. A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a sensor device, comprising at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode, wherein

a first electrical signal is tapped at the receiving electrode, and

the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode, wherein

in the first operating mode, a first alternating electrical signal is applied to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode and the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the amount of the first electrical signal exceeds a first threshold value, and

in the second operating mode, the second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode and the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the first electrical signal meets a predetermined detection criterion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a transmission measuring is performed in the first operating mode, wherein an absorption measuring is performed in the second operating mode, wherein the transmitting electrode is operated as receiving electrode and the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once a second electrical signal tapped at the transmitting electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined detection criterion comprises falling below a second threshold value.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first alternating electrical signal has a different phasing with regard to the second alternating electrical signal and/or the amplitude of the first alternating electrical signal differs from the amplitude of the second alternating electrical signal in the first operating mode.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein a third alternating electrical signal is applied to the first compensating electrode and a fourth alternating electrical signal is applied to the second compensating electrode and wherein the different phasing and/or the different amplitudes with regard to the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal are set.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal are tapped at the respective electrode in a multiplexing method and are supplied to an analysis device.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal are applied to the respective compensating electrode in a multiplexing method.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device changes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in case no gripping of the hand-held device has been detected in the first operating mode.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device cyclically changes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device further comprises at least one field measuring electrode, wherein the at least one field measuring electrode can be arranged relatively to the compensating electrode in such a way that an alternating electrical field emitted at the compensating electrode can couple into the field measuring electrode in the second operating mode.

24. A hand-held device according to claim 23, wherein die sensor device is configured to perform a method according to one of the claims 1 to 11 or according to one of the claims 21 to 22.

28. A computer readable storage medium storing program code which when executed on a date processing device or a microprocessor of a hand-held device performs the method according to claim 1.

12. A sensor device for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, comprising at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode, at least one receiving electrode, wherein the sensor device is configured to

apply a first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and to apply a second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and to detect the gripping of the hand-held device once the amount of the first electrical signal exceeds a first threshold value in a first operating mode, and

apply the second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and to detect the gripping of the hand-held device once the first electrical signal tapped at the receiving electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion in a second operating mode.

13. A sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the sensor device is configured to perform at least one transmission measuring in the first operating mode, to perform at least one absorption measuring in the second operating mode, wherein the transmitting electrode can be operated as receiving electrode, and to detect the gripping of the hand-held device once a second electrical signal tapped at the transmitting electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion.

14. A sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined detection criterion comprises falling below a second threshold value.

15. A sensor device according to claim 12, further comprising at least one signal generator, which can be coupled with the at least one transmitting electrode and with the at least one compensating electrode to apply the first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and the second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode, wherein the different phasing and/or the different amplitudes of the first alternating electrical signal and the second alternating electrical signal can be set.

16. A sensor device according to claim 15, wherein a phase shifter or an inverter is arranged between the signal generator and the compensating electrode in order to change the phasing of the second alternating electrical signal with regard to the phasing of the first alternating electrical signal in the first operating mode.

17. A sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

18. A sensor device according to claim 17, wherein a third alternating electrical signal can be applied to the first compensating electrode and a fourth alternating electrical signal can be applied to the second compensating electrode, and wherein the different phasing and/or the different amplitudes with regard to the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal can be set.

19. A sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the sensor device is configured to change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in case no gripping of the hand-held device has been detected in the first operating mode.

20. A sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the sensor device is configured to cyclically change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

21. A sensor device or a method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined detection criterion comprises at least one of the following

the amount of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal fall below a second threshold value, respectively, and

the amount of the sum signal resulting from the first electrical signal and—

the second electrical signal falls below a second threshold value.

22. A sensor device or a method according to claim 12, wherein the second threshold value can be set

as a function of the first threshold value, and/or

as a function of a preset second threshold value.

23. An electrical hand-held device comprising a sensor device for the detection of a gripping of the hand-held device according to claim 12.

25. A hand-held device according to claim 23, wherein the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode are arranged at the hand-held device at a distance from one another, and wherein die compensating electrode is arranged at the hand-held device in such a way that it can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

26. A hand-held device according to claim 23, wherein the transmitting electrode is substantially arranged at a first side wall of the hand-held device and the receiving electrode is substantially arranged at a second side wall or on the opposite side from the first side wall.

27. A hand-held device according to claim 23, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

29. A computer readable storage medium storing program code which when executed on a date processing device or a microprocessor of a hand-held device performs the method according to claim 21.