Capacitive touchpad and toy incorporating the same

• US 8,098,240 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Zielinski, James, De Voe, Charles H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US12/464,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1806, 178 1901- 1906, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2408 Touch-sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/245 visual
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2486 the computer being an accessory to a board game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

Capacitive touchpad assemblies, toys including capacitive touchpad assemblies and integral card readers, and methods for detecting contact with a capacitive touch surface are provided. A capacitive touch surface may have a capacity that varies depending on whether it is being contacted by an object such as a human finger. A voltage of the capacitive touch surface may be altered during each of a predetermined number of recurring time intervals. The capacitance of the capacitive touch surface will determine the amount of time required to alter its voltage to a threshold voltage within each time interval. The sum amount of time required for the voltage of the capacitive touch surface to reach the threshold voltage in a predetermined number of time intervals may be used to determine whether the capacitive touch surface is being touched.

Claims

1. A computer peripheral toy comprising:

a capacitive touchpad assembly comprising;

a capacitive touch surface;

a pulse generator configured to provide pulses defining recurring intervals;

a logic-controlled switch for altering a voltage of the capacitive touch surface during each interval until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface reaches a threshold voltage;

a timer configured to measure the time required for the voltage of the capacitive touch surface to reach the threshold voltage in each interval;

an accumulator configured to accumulate the times measured by the timer during a predetermined number of intervals; and

control circuitry configured to produce a signal indicative of the capacitive touch surface being touched where the accumulated time is greater than a predetermined value;

a housing having a surface adapted to receive a playing card;

a reader configured to read from a playing card placed on the surface identification information about the playing card;

an interface between the toy and a computing device; and

a controller configured to;

receive from the reader the identification information about the playing card placed on the surface; and

communicate instructions through the interface to the computing device to cause the computing device to provide an output related to the received identification information;

wherein the capacitive touch surface is formed on the surface adapted to receive a playing card, and the capacitive touch surface is configured to detect touching through the playing card.

2. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface includes charging the capacitive touch surface at least until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface rises to the threshold voltage.

3. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 2, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface further includes discharging the capacitive touch surface at the beginning of each interval immediately prior to charging the capacitive touch surface.

4. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface includes discharging the capacitive touch surface at least until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface drops to the threshold voltage.

5. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 4, wherein the threshold voltage is zero.

6. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 4, further comprising a resistor through which the voltage of the capacitive touch surface is gradually discharged.

7. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 4, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface further includes charging the capacitive touch surface at the beginning of each interval immediately prior to discharging the capacitive touch surface.

8. A method of detecting contact with a capacitive touch surface comprising:

providing a computer peripheral toy, including a housing with having a surface adapted to receive a playing card, a reader configured to read from a playing card placed on the surface identification information about the playing card, an interface between the toy and a computing device, and a controller configured to receive from the reader the identification information about the playing card placed on the surface and communicate instructions through the interface to the computing device to cause the computing device to provide an output related to the received identification information, wherein the capacitive touch surface is formed on the surface adapted to receive a playing card, and the capacitive touch surface is configured to detect touching through the playing card;

providing pulses to define recurring intervals;

altering a voltage of the capacitive touch surface during each interval until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface reaches a threshold voltage;

measuring the time required for the voltage of the capacitive touch surface to reach the threshold voltage in each interval;

accumulating the times measured during a predetermined number of intervals; and

indicating that the capacitive touch surface is being touched where the accumulated time is greater than a predetermined value.

9. The method claim 8, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface includes charging the capacitive touch surface at least until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface rises to the threshold voltage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface further includes discharging the capacitive touch surface at the beginning of each interval immediately prior to charging the capacitive touch surface.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface includes discharging the capacitive touch surface at least until the voltage of the capacitive touch surface drops to the threshold voltage.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold voltage is zero.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein discharging the capacitive touch surface includes discharging the capacitive touch surface gradually through a resistor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touch surface further includes charging the capacitive touch surface at the beginning of each interval immediately prior to discharging the capacitive touch surface.

15. A capacitive touchpad assembly comprising:

a capacitive touchpad;

a housing having a surface adapted to receive a playing card;

a reader configured to read from a playing card placed on the surface identification information about the playing card;

an interface between the toy and a computing device;

a controller configured to;

receive from the reader the identification information about the playing card placed on the surface; and

communicate instructions through the interface to the computing device to cause the computing device to provide an output related to the received identification information;

wherein the capacitive touch surface is formed on the surface adapted to receive a playing card, and the capacitive touch surface is configured to detect touching through the playing card;

a clock configured to provide recurring time intervals;

control circuitry configured to perform the following steps for a predetermined number of time intervals;

alter a voltage of the capacitive touchpad until the voltage of the capacitive touchpad reaches a threshold voltage;

measure the time required for the voltage of the capacitive touchpad to reach the threshold voltage;

accumulate the measured time;

wherein upon completion of the predetermined number of time intervals, the control circuitry is further configured to indicate contact with the capacitive touchpad where the accumulated time is greater than a threshold value.

16. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 15, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touchpad includes charging the capacitive touchpad until the voltage of the capacitive touchpad rises to the threshold voltage.

17. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 16, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touchpad further includes discharging the capacitive touchpad at the beginning of each time interval immediately prior to charging the capacitive touchpad.

18. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 15, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touchpad includes discharging the capacitive touchpad until the voltage of the capacitive touchpad drops to the threshold voltage.

19. The capacitive touchpad assembly of claim 18, wherein altering the voltage of the capacitive touchpad further includes charging the capacitive touchpad at the beginning of each time interval immediately prior to discharging the capacitive touchpad.