APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING AVERAGE SCAN RATE TO DETECT A CONDUCTIVE OBJECT ON A SENSING DEVICE

• US 20160103521A1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Peng, Tao, Qin, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US14/830,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A switch circuit and method is described. In one embodiment, the switch circuit is configured to couple each of a plurality of plurality of capacitive sense elements and a plurality of capacitance sensors in different modes. In a first mode, the switch circuit is configured to couple each of the plurality of capacitance sensors to a group of two or more of the plurality of capacitive sense elements. In a second mode, the switch circuit is configured to couple the plurality of capacitance sensors to individual ones of the two or more of the plurality of capacitive sense elements in one of the groups.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitance measurement circuit; and

a plurality of sensor elements coupled to the capacitance measurement circuit, the plurality of sensor elements corresponding to a first and second area on a surface, wherein the capacitance measurement circuit is configured to measure capacitance of the first area in a first mode and to measure capacitance of the second area in a second mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements are coupled to pins of the capacitance measurement circuit.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the capacitance measurement circuit is disposed on an integrated circuit.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sensor elements is arranged in an array of rows and an array of columns.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of sensor elements substantially covers an area defined by a user interface.