SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRE-TOUCH GESTURES IN SENSOR DEVICES

• US 20140267061A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Vandermeijden, Tom
• Application Number:
  US13/797,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267061A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184

Abstract

A processing system for an input device is configured to communicate with a host system and comprises a sensor module and a determination module. The sensor module comprises sensor circuitry and is configured to transmit transmitter signals with a plurality of transmitter electrodes and receive resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals. The determination module is configured to determine, based on the resulting signals and a touch threshold, first positional information associated with a pre-touch state of an input object and second positional information associated with a touch event by the input object. The determination module is further configured to communicate data associated with the first positional information to the host system only upon occurrence of the touch event.

Claims

1. A processing system for an input device, the processing system configured to communicate with a host system and comprising:

a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry, the sensor module configured to transmit transmitter signals with a plurality of transmitter electrodes and receive resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals;

a determination module configured to;

determine, based on the resulting signals and a touch threshold, first positional information associated with a pre-touch state of an input object and second positional information associated with a touch event by the input object; and

communicate data associated with the first positional information to the host system only upon occurrence of the touch event.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first positional information includes a sequence of three-dimensional values associated with movement of the input object prior to the touch event.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first position information includes at least a position or a velocity of the input object prior to the touch event.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch threshold is based on a consecutive frame requirement.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch threshold is based on a touch data level.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to determine an input gesture based on the first positional information and the second information.

7. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch event is in a first portion of a sensing region of the input device, and the pre-touch state is in a second portion of the sensing region of the input device, wherein the first portion of the sensing region is between a surface of the sensing device and the second portion of the sensing device.

8. A method of providing pre-touch information to a host system, comprising:

transmitting transmitter signals with a plurality of transmitter electrodes;

receiving resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals;

determining, based on the resulting signals and a touch threshold, first positional information associated with a pre-touch state of an input object and second positional information associated with a touch event by the input object; and

communicating data associated with the first positional information to the host system only upon occurrence of the touch event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data associated with the first positional information includes a sequence of three-dimensional values associated with movement of the input object prior to the touch event.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the data associated with the first position information includes at least a position or a velocity of the input object prior to the touch event.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch threshold is based on a consecutive frame requirement.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch threshold is based on a touch data level.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination module is configured to determine an input gesture based on the first positional information and the second information.

14. A sensor device comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrodes;

a plurality of receiver electrodes;

a processing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes, the processing system configured to;

transmit transmitter signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes;

receive resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals with the plurality of receiver electrodes;

determine, based on the resulting signals and a touch threshold, first positional information associated with a pre-touch state of an input object and second positional information associated with a touch event by the input object; and

communicate data associated with the first positional information to a host system only upon occurrence of the touch event.

15. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the data associated with the first positional information includes a sequence of three-dimensional values associated with movement of the input object prior to the touch event.

16. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the data associated with the first position information includes at least a position or a velocity of the input object prior to the touch event.

17. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the touch threshold is based on a consecutive frame requirement.

18. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the touch threshold is based on a touch data level.

19. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine an input gesture based on the first positional information and the second information.

20. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the touch event is in a first portion of a sensing region of the sensor device, and the pre-touch state is in a second portion of the sensing region of the sensor device, wherein the first portion of the sensing region is between a surface of the sensing device and the second portion of the sensing device.