Suppression of Grip-Related Signals Using 3D Touch

• US 20180059853A1
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tucker, Jeffrey, Bentson, Tom, Lobrow, Marcin, Sterling, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 11,249,638 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 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• 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 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 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

This application is directed to detecting touch events on a touch sensing surface coupled to a capacitive sense array and one or more force sensors. The capacitive sense array includes a plurality of sense electrodes configured to provide a plurality of capacitive sense signals. The force electrodes are configured to provide one or more force signals. In accordance with the capacitive sense signals, one or more candidate touches are detected on the touch sensing surface, and the detected candidate touches include a first candidate touch. When it is determined that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface, the first candidate touch is associated with the grip on the edge area of the touch sensing surface, and is designated as an invalid touch.

Claims

1. A method of detecting touch events on a touch sensing surface coupled to a capacitive sense array, comprising:

at a processing device coupled to a capacitive sense array and one or more force electrodes, wherein the capacitive sense array includes a plurality of sense electrodes;

obtaining a plurality of capacitive sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes of the capacitive sense array;

in accordance with the plurality of capacitive sense signals, detecting one or more candidate touches on the touch sensing surface, the one or more candidate touches including a first candidate touch;

obtaining one or more force signals from the one or more force electrodes; and

determining that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

in accordance with the determination that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

associating the first candidate touch with the grip on the edge area of the touch sensing surface; and

designating the first candidate touch as an invalid touch.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a force shape corresponding to the force associated with the grip on the edge area based on the one or more force signals, wherein the force shape indicates a physical press on the edge area of the touch sensing surface on the edge area, thereby showing that the force is associated with the grip on the edge area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the force shape is represented by a force shape matrix having a plurality of elements corresponding to the one or more force electrodes, and each element of the force shape matrix is associated with a displacement of the touch sensing surface at a corresponding force electrode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the force is associated with a grip of the edge area further comprises at least one of:

determining that the force applied on the edge area lasts for a duration of time that exceeds a predetermined grip time threshold;

determining that the first touch associated with the grip of the edge area has a touch area that exceeds a predetermined grip area threshold; and

determining that force associated with the one or more force signals exceeds a grip force threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the one or more touches include a plurality of substantially synchronous touches.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more force signals are associated with one or more capacitances formed between the one or more force electrodes and a ground, and obtaining one or more force signals from the one or more force electrodes further comprises at least one of:

measuring the one or more force signals based on self-capacitances of the one or more force electrodes with respect to the ground; and

measuring the one or more force signals based on mutual capacitances of the one or more force electrodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more force electrodes and a ground are separated by a compressible gap having a gap thickness that varies in response to a force on the touch sensing surface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the compressible gap includes an air gap.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more force electrodes and the capacitive sense array are disposed on one side of the compressible gap.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more force electrodes and the capacitive sense array are separated by the compressible gap.

11. A processing device, wherein:

a processing core;

a capacitance sense circuit; and

memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the processing core, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

obtaining a plurality of capacitive sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes of the capacitive sense array;

in accordance with the plurality of capacitive sense signals, detecting one or more candidate touches on the touch sensing surface, the one or more candidate touches including a first candidate touch;

obtaining one or more force signals from the one or more force electrodes; and

determining that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

in accordance with the determination that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

associating the first candidate touch with the grip on the edge area of the touch sensing surface; and

designating the first candidate touch as an invalid touch.

12. The processing device of claim 11, wherein the processing device includes a plurality of capacitive sense channels, and the processing device is further configured to:

electrically couple a first subset of the plurality of capacitive sense channels to the plurality of sense electrodes of the capacitive sense array, wherein the plurality of capacitive sense signals are measured from the first subset of the plurality of capacitive sense channels.

13. The processing device of claim 12, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

electrically couple a second subset of the plurality of capacitive sense channels to the one or more force electrodes, wherein the one or more force signals are measured from the second subset of the plurality of capacitive sense channels.

14. The processing device of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

determine a force shape corresponding to the force associated with the grip on the edge area based on the one or more force signals, wherein the force shape indicates a physical press on the edge area of the touch sensing surface on the edge area, thereby showing that the force is associated with the grip on the edge area.

15. The processing device of claim 11, wherein the processing device is configured to determine that the force is associated with a grip of the edge area by at least one of:

determining that the force applied on the edge area lasts for a duration of time that exceeds a predetermined grip time threshold;

determining that the first touch associated with the grip of the edge area has a touch area that exceeds a predetermined grip area threshold; and

determining that force associated with the one or more force signals exceeds a grip force threshold.

16. An electronic system, comprising:

a capacitive sense array coupled to a touch sensing surface;

one or more force electrodes; and

a processing device coupled to the capacitive sense array and the one or more force electrodes, wherein the processing device is configured to;

obtain a plurality of capacitive sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes of the capacitive sense array;

in accordance with the plurality of capacitive sense signals, detect one or more candidate touches on the touch sensing surface, the one or more candidate touches including a first candidate touch;

obtain one or more force signals from the one or more force electrodes; and

determine that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

in accordance with the determination that force associated with the one or more force signals is associated with a grip on an edge area of the touch sensing surface;

associate the first candidate touch with the grip on the edge area of the touch sensing surface; and

designate the first candidate touch as an invalid touch.

17. The electronic system of claim 16, wherein the processing device is configured to obtain the plurality of capacitive sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes of the capacitive sense array by at least one of:

measuring the plurality of capacitive sense signals based on self-capacitances of the plurality of sense electrodes with respect to a ground; and

measuring the plurality of capacitive sense signals based on mutual capacitances of the plurality of sense electrodes.

18. The electronic system of claim 16, wherein the processing device further comprises:

a touch sense circuit configured to obtain the plurality of capacitive sense signals from the plurality of sense electrodes;

a force sense circuit configured to obtain the one or more force signals from the one or more force electrodes; and

a controller, coupled to the force sense circuit and the capacitive sense circuit, the controller being configured to synchronize the plurality of capacitive sense signals and obtain the one or more force signals for further processing.

19. The electronic system of claim 16, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine that the one or more touches include a plurality of substantially synchronous touches.

20. The electronic system of claim 16, wherein the one or more force electrodes include a single force electrode.