Interaction Sensing

• US 20150048846A1
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sadi, Sajid, Post, Ernest Rehmi, Bau, Olivier, Tsekov, Iliya, Digman, Mike, Attarian, Vatche, Consul, Sergi
• Granted Patent: US 10,108,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/663
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08

Abstract

In particular embodiments, an apparatus includes an insulator coupled to one or more electrodes that are configured to passively sense charge displacement or a change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in an environment.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an insulator coupled to one or more electrodes;

wherein the one or more electrodes are configured to passively sense charge displacement or a change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in an environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrodes are part of an array of electrodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises a resistive sheet of known resistance per unit area.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein an input to the insulator sensed by each of the one or more electrodes is sensed as a function of the location of the input with respect to the insulator and the known resistance of the insulator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises an encoded dielectric surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises one or more of the following:

a lattice of nonlinear reactive elements;

or

a sheet having a nonlinear reactance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises a surface having known height variations.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the insulator comprises a resistive sheet of known resistance per unit area and pickup electrodes are placed on the resistive sheet in one or two dimensions;

the insulator comprises an encoded dielectric surface;

the insulator comprises a lattice of nonlinear reactive elements, or a sheet having a nonlinear reactance;

or

the insulator comprises a surface having known height variations.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more electrodes include a top electrode and a bottom electrode and pickups are placed on the top electrode;

a capacitive sensor system is coupled to the one or more electrodes; and

an inductive sensor system is coupled to the one or more electrodes.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more electrodes configured to passively sense charge displacement or a change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in an environment of the apparatus;

an insulator coupled to the electrodes; and

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic that is operable when executed to analyze the passively sensed charge displacement or change in characteristics of electromagnetic signals in the environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more electrodes are part of an array of electrodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the insulator comprises a resistive sheet of known resistance per unit area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein an input to the insulator sensed by each of the one or more electrodes is sensed as a function of the location of the input with respect to the insulator and the known resistance of the insulator.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the insulator comprises an encoded dielectric surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the insulator comprises one or more of the following:

a lattice of nonlinear reactive elements;

or

a sheet having a nonlinear reactance.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the insulator comprises a surface having known height variations.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the insulator comprises a resistive sheet of known resistance per unit area and pickup electrodes are placed on the resistive sheet in one or two dimensions;

the insulator comprises an encoded dielectric surface;

the insulator comprises a lattice of nonlinear reactive elements, or a sheet having a nonlinear reactance;

or

the insulator comprises a surface having known height variations.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the one or more electrodes include a top electrode and a bottom electrode and pickups are placed on the top electrode;

a capacitive sensor system is coupled to the one or more electrodes; and

an inductive sensor system is coupled to the one or more electrodes.