Methods and systems for changing the appearance of a position sensor with a light effect

• US 8,243,044 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Mackey, Bob Lee, Day, Shawn P., Woo, Alfred, Jennings, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPAR, ILANA L
• Application Number:
  US12/100,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 349/62, 349/63, 349/201
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting a position of an object in a sensing region are disclosed. One system includes a position sensor having an opaque capacitive proximity sensor, a light source, and a light conductor coupled to the light source and at least partially disposed over the opaque sensor, the light conductor configured to transmit at least a portion of the light from the light source to generate driven light effects in the sensing region. The system further includes a processor configured to control production of the light, and a display configured to illustrate a digital representation based on the position. A method includes the steps of sensing a position of an object in the sensing region based on a conductive property of the object, controlling light produced by a light source, and generating driven light effects in the sensing region using at least a portion of the light.

Claims

1. A position sensor for detecting a position of an object in a single sensing region, comprising:

an opaque capacitive proximity sensor configured to sense the position of the object in the single sensing region based on a conductive property of the object;

a light source for producing light;

a light conductor coupled to the light source and at least partially disposed over the opaque sensor, the light conductor comprising a plurality of scattering elements configured to transmit the light; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of light sources and configured to selectively activate the light source to generate at least two different actively driven light effects in the single sensing region.

2. The position sensor of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to vary a color of the light.

3. The position sensor of claim 2, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light producers, each light producer configured to produce a different color light.

4. The position sensor of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to vary an intensity of the light.

5. The position sensor of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the light source and configured to cause different light effects at different times.

6. The position sensor of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position of the object in a single dimension.

7. The position sensor of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position of the object in a plurality of dimensions.

8. The position sensor of claim 1, wherein the light conductor is non-uniformly textured to scatter the light.

9. A system for responding to a position of an object in a single sensing region, comprising:

a position sensor, comprising;

an opaque capacitive proximity sensor configured to sense the position of the object in the single sensing region based on a conductive property of the object,

a light source configured to produce light, and

a light conductor coupled to the light source and at least partially disposed over the opaque sensor, the light conductor configured to transmit at least a portion of the light from the light source to generate driven light effects in the single sensing region;

a processor coupled to the light source and configured to control production of the light, wherein the processor is configured to selectively activate the light source to generate at least two different actively driven light effects in the single sensing region; and

a display coupled to the position sensor and the processor, the display configured to illustrate a digital representation based on the position.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the light source is configured to produce different colors of light.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the light source is configured to produce different intensities of light.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a first driven light effect indicates a first status of the system and a second driven light effect indicates a second status of the system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a first driven light effect indicates a first mode of the system configured to respond to input in the single sensing region and a second driven light effect indicates a second mode of the system configured not to respond to input in the single sensing region.

14. A method for detecting a position of an object in a single sensing region, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing, via an opaque capacitive proximity sensor, the position of the object in the single sensing region based on a conductive property of the object;

controlling, via a control system, light produced by a light source; and

generating, via a light conductor coupled to the light source, driven light effects in the single sensing region using at least a portion of the light,

wherein the control system is configured to selectively control the light produced by the light source to generate at least two different actively driven light effects in the single sensing region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling step comprises the step of varying a color of the light to generate the driven light effects.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the varying step comprises the steps of:

varying, via the control system, light from a first light producer within the light source to generate a first light effect including a first color in the single sensing region; and

varying, via the control system, light from a second light producer within the light source to generate a second light effect including a second color in the single sensing region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the varying step comprises the steps of:

varying, via the control system, light from a light producer within the light source to generate a first light effect including a first color in the single sensing region; and

varying, via the control system, light from the light producer to generate a second light effect including a second color in the single sensing region.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling step comprises the step of varying an intensity of the light to generate the driven light effects.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the varying step comprises the steps of:

varying, via the control system, light from a first light producer to generate a first light effect including a first intensity in the single sensing region; and

varying, via the control system, light from a second light producer to generate a second light effect including a second intensity in the single sensing region.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the varying step comprises the steps of:

varying, via the control system, light from a light producer to generate a first light effect including a first intensity in the single sensing region; and

varying, via the control system, light from the light producer to generate a second light effect including a second intensity in the single sensing region.