Base capacitance compensation for a touchpad sensor

• US 8,115,750 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Wen-Kai, Yang, Tso-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US11/523,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20070070049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-162, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1907, 178/18.06, 324/663
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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

Abstract

For a compensation to the sensed capacitive values of a touchpad sensor, the variance profile of the base capacitance or the sensed capacitive values of the traces in the touchpad sensor is determined, and then a firmware operation based on the variance profile is carried out to modify the sensed capacitive values or the position value when an object touches on the touchpad sensor, such that the touchpad sensor operates as a symmetrical touchpad sensor does.

Claims

1. A compensation method for sensed capacitive values of an asymmetric touchpad sensor having X and Y traces of non-uniform geometry, comprising the steps of:

calculating base capacitances of a plurality of traces in the asymmetric touchpad sensor to generate a base capacitance profile for determining a distribution of the base capacitances across the touchpad sensor;

analyzing the distribution for determining a substantially non-uniform variance profile of the base capacitances indicative of non-uniform trace sensitivity across the touchpad sensor; and

executing a firmware operation based on the variance profile to adaptively modify the sensed capacitive values, the modification being thereby varied in accordance with relative position of the individual non-uniform traces on the touchpad sensor for substantially removing therefrom an offset due to the non-uniform trace sensitivity.

2. The compensation method of claim 1, wherein the step of proceeding a firmware operation comprises the step of carrying out addition/subtraction or multiplication/division operations to the sensed capacitive values.

3. The compensation method of claim 1, wherein the step of proceeding a firmware operation comprises the step of adjusting a charge/discharge frequency for the plurality of traces.

4. The compensation method of claim 3, wherein the step of adjusting a charge/discharge frequency for the plurality of traces comprises the step of increasing the charge/discharge frequency for one or more of the plurality of traces which have greater base capacitances.

5. The compensation method of claim 1, wherein the step of proceeding a firmware operation comprises the step of adjusting a charge/discharge current for the plurality of traces.

6. The compensation method of claim 5, wherein the step of adjusting a charge/discharge current for the plurality of traces comprises the step of increasing the charge/discharge current for one or more of the plurality of traces which have greater base capacitances.

7. The compensation method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traces are selected from a sensing layer.

8. The compensation method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traces are selected from at least two sensing layers.

9. A compensation method for sensed capacitive values of an asymmetric touchpad sensor having X and Y traces of non-uniform geometry, comprising the steps of:

calculating a position value of an object on the asymmetric touchpad sensor;

calculating a substantially non-uniform variance profile as reference for determining offsets in the sensed capacitive values of a plurality of traces in the touchpad sensor, the substantially non-uniform variance profile being indicative of non-uniform trace sensitivity across the touchpad sensor; and

executing a firmware operation based on the variance profile to adaptively modify the position value, the modification being thereby varied in accordance with relative position of the individual non-uniform traces on the touchpad sensor for eliminating an offset in the position value due to the non-uniform trace sensitivity.

10. The compensation method of claim 9, wherein the step of proceeding a firmware operation comprises the step of increasing or decreasing the position value.

11. The compensation method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of traces are selected from a sensing layer.