Object position detector
First Claim
1. A method for providing an electrical signal representative of the position of an object in a two dimensional plane, including the steps of:
- providing a capacitive sensing plane including a matrix of conductive lines arranged as a plurality of spaced apart row conductive lines and column conductive lines, said capacitive sensing plane having a touch surface, said capacitive sensing plane characterized by an inherent mutual capacitance between the various ones of said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines, said row conductive lines and column conductive lines electrically insulated from said touch surface, said mutual capacitance measurably varying with the proximity of an object to said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines;
selecting individual ones of said row conductive lines one at a time and simultaneously sensing a measurable variance in said mutual capacitance between the selected one of said row conductive lines and each of said plurality of column conductive lines in response to the proximity of an object; and
producing a set of object-sensed electrical signals related to the measurable variance in said mutual capacitance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A proximity sensor system includes a sensor matrix array having a characteristic capacitance between horizontal and vertical conductors connected to sensor pads. The capacitance changes as a function of the proximity of an object or objects to the sensor matrix. The change in capacitance of each node in both the X and Y directions of the matrix due to the approach of an object is converted to a set of voltages in the X and Y directions. These voltages are processed by analog circuitry to develop electrical signals representative of the centroid of the profile of the object, i.e, its position in the X and Y dimensions. The profile of position may also be integrated to provide Z-axis (pressure) information.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method for providing an electrical signal representative of the position of an object in a two dimensional plane, including the steps of:
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providing a capacitive sensing plane including a matrix of conductive lines arranged as a plurality of spaced apart row conductive lines and column conductive lines, said capacitive sensing plane having a touch surface, said capacitive sensing plane characterized by an inherent mutual capacitance between the various ones of said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines, said row conductive lines and column conductive lines electrically insulated from said touch surface, said mutual capacitance measurably varying with the proximity of an object to said row conductive lines and said column conductive lines; selecting individual ones of said row conductive lines one at a time and simultaneously sensing a measurable variance in said mutual capacitance between the selected one of said row conductive lines and each of said plurality of column conductive lines in response to the proximity of an object; and producing a set of object-sensed electrical signals related to the measurable variance in said mutual capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An object proximity sensor, including:
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a plurality of row conductive lines disposed on a substrate; a plurality of column conductive lines disposed on said substrate and insulated from said row conductive lines; said plurality of row and column conductive lines forming a capacitive sensing plane, said capacitive sensing plane having a touch surface electrically insulated from said plurality of row and column conductive lines, said capacitive sensing plane characterized by an inherent mutual capacitance between the various ones of said row and column conductive lines, said mutual capacitance measurably varying with the proximity of an object to said row and column conductive lines; and
means for selecting individual ones of said row conductive lines one at a time and for simultaneously sensing a measurable variance in said mutual capacitance between the selected one of said row conductive lines and each of said plurality of column conductive lines in response to the proximity of an object and for producing a set of object-sensed electrical signals related thereto. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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Specification