Multi-State Capacitive Button
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a sensor comprising first and second electrode tracks;
a button comprising an electrically isolating material, the button configured to capacitively couple with an object;
a conductor between the button and the sensor, the conductor configured to;
capacitively couple with the sensor; and
form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor; and
a controller connected to the sensor and configured to;
measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor; and
detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor has not come into contact with the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor has come into contact with the sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor, a button, a conductor between the button and the sensor, and a controller connected to the sensor. The sensor includes first and second electrode tracks. The button includes an electrically isolating material and is configured to capacitively couple with an object. The conductor is configured to capacitively couple with the sensor and form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor. The controller is configured to measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor and to detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor is not contacting the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor is not contacting the sensor.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a sensor comprising first and second electrode tracks; a button comprising an electrically isolating material, the button configured to capacitively couple with an object; a conductor between the button and the sensor, the conductor configured to; capacitively couple with the sensor; and form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor; and a controller connected to the sensor and configured to; measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor; and detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor has not come into contact with the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor has come into contact with the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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applying, by a controller, voltage to a sensor, the sensor proximate to a conductor that is capable of being depressed relative to the sensor, the conductor located between a button and the sensor; measuring, by the controller, a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor, the amount of capacitive coupling between the button and the sensor based at least on the following; an amount of capacitive coupling between the electrically isolating material and the object; an amount of capacitive coupling between the electrically isolating material and the conductor; and a distance between the conductor and the sensor; and detecting, by the controller based on the value, first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor has not come into contact with the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor has come into contact with the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A controller comprising:
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a memory; and circuitry configured to; apply voltage to a sensor, the sensor proximate to a conductor that is capable of being depressed relative to the sensor, the conductor located between a button and the sensor; measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor, the amount of capacitive coupling between the button and the sensor based at least on the following; an amount of capacitive coupling between the electrically isolating material and the object; an amount of capacitive coupling between the electrically isolating material and the conductor; and a distance between the conductor and the sensor; and detect first, second, and third states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor has not come into contact with the sensor, the second state indicating that the conductor has come into contact with the sensor, and the third state indicating that the object is near the button but is not in contact with the button.
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Specification