Closed-loop sensor on a solid-state object position detector

• US 7,466,307 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Shaw, Scott J., Trent, Raymond A. Jr., Huie, Mark A., Heiny, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio; Ricardo L
• Application Number:
  US10/338,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-177, 178 1801- 1807
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an object position detector. The object position detector comprises a touch sensor formed as a closed loop and having a physical constraint formed on an upper surface of the touch sensor and coextensive with the closed loop. The touch sensor is configured to sense motion of an object proximate to the closed loop. The object position detector also comprises a processor coupled to the touch sensor and is programmed to generate an action in response to the motion on the touch sensor.

Claims

1. An object position detector, comprising:

a touch sensor, said touch sensor configured to sense motion of an object in a substantially closed loop sensing area for scrolling, wherein said scrolling comprises a first action, said substantially closed loop sensing area at least substantially surrounding an inactive interior region, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area includes a first region and a second region, and wherein said touch sensor is not configured to sense motion of said object in said inactive interior region for scrolling; and

a processor coupled to said touch sensor, said processor configured in a first mode to generate a signal for causing said scrolling responsive to sensed object motion staffing in said first region of said substantially closed loop sensing area, and wherein said processor is further configured in said first mode to generate a signal for causing a second action responsive to sensed object motion starting in said second region of said substantially closed loop sensing area.

2. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said second action is selected from the group consisting of controlling a cursor, a second scrolling action, indicating a selection, navigating a menu, adjusting a value and selecting data.

3. The object position detector of claim 2, wherein said adjusting a value comprises adjusting a display speed.

4. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said sensed object motion staffing in said second region comprises a tap.

5. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area includes a third region, and wherein said processor is configured to generate a signal for causing a third action responsive to sensed object motion starting in said third region of said substantially closed loop sensing area.

6. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor is a capacitive touch sensor.

7. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor comprises a resistive touch sensor.

8. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor further comprises a physical constraint configured to guide said object moving around said substantially closed loop.

9. The object position detector of claim 1, further comprising at least one activation zone disposed proximate to said touch sensor and coupled to said processor.

10. The object position detector of claim 9, wherein said at least one activation zone emulates a button.

11. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area comprises an annulus shape.

12. The object position detector of claim 1, further comprising an input device disposed in said inactive interior region and coupled to said processor.

13. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area is configured substantially into a shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an oval, a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a figure-eight, a polygon, a convex polygon, a concave polygon, an ellipse, and a path that crosses itself.

14. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said processor generates said signal for causing scrolling to cause scrolling in a first direction responsive to said object moving in a clockwise direction proximate to said closed loop and wherein said processor generates said signal for causing scrolling to cause scrolling in a second direction responsive to said object moving in a counter-clockwise direction proximate to said closed loop.

15. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the object position detector is disposed on a device selected from the group consisting of a computing device, a media device, a communication device, a peripheral input device, a detachable input device, and a rotary control.

16. The object position detector of claim 1, further comprising a mode switching control coupled to said object position detector that can be activated to select a second mode, and wherein said processor is configured in said second mode to generate a signal for causing a third action in response to said sensed object motion on said touch sensor.

17. The object position detector of claim 16, wherein said mode switching control is activated to select said second mode by activating an input device, inputting in a zone, activating a key or moving said object in said sensing area.

18. The object position detector of claim 17, wherein said third action is selected from the group consisting of controlling a cursor, scrolling through data, navigating a menu, adjusting a value setting control and selecting data.

19. The object position detector of claim 1, further comprising a second touch sensor, said second touch sensor configured to sense motion of said object in a second substantially closed loop sensing area for scrolling, said second substantially closed loop sensing area at least substantially surrounding a second inactive interior region, wherein said second touch sensor is not configured to sense motion of said object in said second inactive interior region for generating scrolling.

20. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein an arrangement of electrodes of said touch sensor is selected from the group consisting of an interleaving shape, a self-interpolating shape, a lighting-bolt shape, a wedge shape, a triangle shape, a flower petal shape, and an outward spiral shape.

21. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor further comprises at least two electrodes electrically coupled to a single sensor input.

22. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a programmable processor unit, and wherein the programmable processing unit comprises:

instructions for directing said programmable processing unit to;

receive information from said touch sensor, and

generate an output responsive to receiving said information; and

a media readable by said processing unit that stores said instructions.

23. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor includes a plurality of electrodes, and wherein said plurality of electrodes are configured such that at least two adjacent electrodes are interdigitated.

24. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein said touch sensor includes a plurality of electrodes, and wherein said plurality of electrodes are configured to be self-interpolating.

25. An object position detector for a hand-held computing device including a display, the object position detector comprising:

a touch sensor, said touch sensor configured to sense motion of an object in a substantially closed loop sensing area for scrolling, wherein said scrolling comprises a first action, said substantially closed loop sensing area at least substantially surrounding an inactive interior region, wherein said touch sensor is not configured to sense motion of said object in said inactive interior region for scrolling, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area includes a first region and second region, said touch sensor further including a physical constraint formed around a perimeter of said substantially closed loop sensing area to guide said object around said substantially closed loop sensing area; and

a processor coupled to said touch sensor, said processor programmed to generate scrolling on said display on said hand-held computing device in a first direction responsive to sensed clockwise object motion in said substantially closed loop sensing area starting in said first region and to generate scrolling on said display in a second direction responsive to sensed counter-clockwise object motion in substantially closed loop sensing area starting in said first region, and wherein said processor is further configured to generate a signal for causing a second action responsive to sensed object motion staffing in said second region of said substantially closed loop sensing area.

26. An object position detector, comprising:

a touch sensor, said touch sensor configured to sense motion of an object in a substantially closed loop sensing area for scrolling, wherein said scrolling comprises a first action, said substantially closed loop sensing area at least substantially surrounding an inactive interior region, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area includes a first region and a second region, and wherein said touch sensor is not configured to sense motion of said object in said inactive interior region for scrolling; and

a processor coupled to said touch sensor, said processor configured in a first mode to generate a signal for causing said scrolling responsive to sensed object motion staffing in said first region of said substantially closed loop sensing area, said processor configured to continue to generate the signal for causing scrolling responsive to said sensed object motion continuing into said second region from said first region when said sensed object motion staffed in said first region, and wherein said processor is further configured in said first mode to generate a signal for causing a second action responsive to sensed object motion starting in said second region of said substantially closed loop sensing area.

27. An object position detector for a hand-held computing device including a display, the object position detector comprising:

a touch sensor, said touch sensor configured to sense motion of an object in a substantially closed loop sensing area for scrolling, wherein said scrolling comprises a first action, said sensing area at least substantially surrounding an inactive interior region, wherein said touch sensor is not configured to sense motion of said object in said inactive interior region for scrolling, wherein said substantially closed loop sensing area includes a first region and second region, said touch sensor further including a physical constraint formed around a perimeter of said substantially closed loop sensing area to guide said object around said substantially closed loop sensing area; and

a processor coupled to said touch sensor, said processor configured to generate scrolling on said display on said hand-held computing device in a first direction responsive to sensed clockwise object motion in said substantially closed loop sensing area starting in said first region, said processor configured to continue scrolling on said display on said hand-held computing device in said first direction responsive to said sensed clockwise object motion continuing into said second region from said first region when said sensed clockwise object motion started in said first region, said processor configured to generate scrolling on said display in a second direction responsive to sensed counter-clockwise object motion in said substantially closed loop sensing area staffing in said first region, said processor configured to continue scrolling on said display on said hand-held computing device in said second direction responsive to said sensed counter-clockwise object motion continuing into said second region from said first region when said sensed counter-clockwise object motion started in said first region, and wherein said processor is further configured to generate a signal for causing a second action responsive to sensed object motion staffing in said second region of said substantially closed loop sensing area.