Proximity Activated Gesture

• US 20170212599A1
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Sharma, Attma
• Granted Patent: US 10,437,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

A proximity-activated gesture circuit includes an activation receiver electrode, a transmitter electrode, additional receiver electrodes, a control circuit, and a signal processor circuit. The control circuit is configured to activate the transmitter electrode and additional receiver electrodes when a capacitance measurement by the activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold. The signal processor circuit is configured to interpret measurements from the additional receiver electrodes as a gesture.

Claims

1. A proximity-activated gesture circuit, comprising:

a first activation receiver electrode;

a first transmitter electrode;

a plurality of second receiver electrodes;

a control circuit configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when a capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold; and

a signal processor circuit configured to interpret measurements from the second receiver electrodes as a gesture.

2. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitance measurement includes a capacitance between the first activation receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode when the first transmitter electrode is inactive.

3. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second activation receiver electrode, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when the capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold or when a capacitance measurement by the second activation receiver electrode reaches another threshold.

4. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second activation receiver electrode, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when both:

the capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold; and

a capacitance measurement by the second activation receiver electrode reaches another threshold.

5. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 4, wherein the first activation receiver electrode is placed at one edge of a space for detection, and the second activation receiver electrode is placed at an opposite edge of the space for detection.

6. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 5, wherein the first activation receiver electrode and the second activation receiver electrode are placed at edges of a space representing a space bar of a virtual keyboard.

7. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 3, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged to detect gestures in a virtual keyboard.

8. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged in a linear manner to capture a multi-dimensional movement.

9. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged in a linear manner to capture a multi-dimensional movement adjacent to the circuit.

10. The proximity-activated gesture circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal processor circuit is configured to interpret the gesture from amplitude or phase data from the plurality of second receiver electrodes and from frequency data from the first activation receiver electrode, wherein:

the first activation receiver electrode is adjacent to the first transmitter electrode; and

the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged to define a space to be monitored.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a first activation receiver electrode;

a first transmitter electrode;

a plurality of second receiver electrodes;

a control circuit configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when a capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold; and

a signal processor circuit configured to interpret measurements from the second receiver electrodes as a gesture.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the capacitance measurement includes a capacitance between the first activation receiver electrode and the first transmitter electrode when the first transmitter electrode is inactive.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a second activation receiver electrode, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when the capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold or when a capacitance measurement by the second activation receiver electrode reaches another threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a second activation receiver electrode, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the first transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes when both:

the capacitance measurement by the first activation receiver electrode reaches a threshold; and

a capacitance measurement by the second activation receiver electrode reaches another threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first activation receiver electrode is placed at one edge of a space for detection, and the second activation receiver electrode is placed at an opposite edge of the space for detection.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first activation receiver electrode and the second activation receiver electrode are placed at edges of a space representing a space bar of a virtual keyboard.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged to detect gestures in a virtual keyboard adjacent to the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged in a linear manner to capture a multi-dimensional movement.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged in a linear manner to capture a multi-dimensional movement adjacent to the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal processor circuit is configured to interpret the gesture from amplitude or phase data from the plurality of second receiver electrodes and from frequency data from the first activation receiver electrode, wherein:

the first activation receiver electrode is adjacent to the first transmitter electrode; and

the plurality of second receiver electrodes are arranged to define a space to be monitored.