Capacitive sensing arrangement

• US 7,764,274 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne Carl, Elias, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amadiz; Rodney
• Application Number:
  US11/428,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-175, 345/178, 178 1801- 1807, 200/5.A, 200/5.R, 200/511, 200/512, 200/17.R, 200/18, 200/600
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24137 Distances to cluster centroïds
• 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 2203/04106 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/04186 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G06V 30/19173 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1983 Syntactic or structural pattern recognition, e.g. symbolic string recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 : Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 : using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 : Charge-transfer

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.

Claims

1. A sensing device comprising:

two series connected switches having a common node, an input node, and an output node;

a dielectric-covered sensing electrode connected to the common node;

a power supply connected to the input node; and

a capacitor coupled to the output node to accumulate charge transferred from the sensing electrode during multiple cycles of the switches, wherein the charge transferred from the sensing electrode relates to a sensed object.

2. The sensing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a reset switch coupled across the capacitor.

3. The sensing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a translation device connected to the output node and the capacitor that produces an output representative of a proximity of the sensed object to the sensing device.

4. The sensing device of claim 3 wherein the translation device is an integrator producing an output voltage representative of a charge accumulated on the sensing electrode.

5. A sensing device comprising:

a power supply coupled to a first terminal of a first switch having a second terminal;

a second switch having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first switch at a dielectric covered electrode, the second switch further having second terminal; and

a capacitor coupled to the second terminal of the second switch to accumulate charge transferred from the power supply by operation of the first and second switches, wherein the charge transferred from the power supply is representative of a sensed object.

6. The sensing device of claim 5 further comprising:

a reset switch coupled across the capacitor.

7. The sensing device of claim 5 further comprising:

a translation device connected the capacitor, the translation device producing an output representative of a proximity of the sensed object to the sensing device.

8. The sensing device of claim 7 wherein the translation device is an integrator producing an output voltage representative of a charge accumulated on the sensing electrode.