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Sensor device and method with at surface object sensing and away from surface object sensing

  • US 8,330,474 B2
  • Filed: 02/10/2009
  • Issued: 12/11/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A sensor device comprising:

  • a first array of sensing electrodes under a surface and configured to capacitively sense objects in a sensing region;

    a processing system coupled to the first array of sensing electrodes, the processing system configured to;

    determine positional information for an object at the surface and in a first portion of the sensing region; and

    determine positional information for an object away from the surface and in a second portion of the sensing region, wherein the first portion of the sensing region is between the surface and the second portion, by;

    determining measured values, the measured values comprising a measured value for each electrode in the first array of sensing electrodes;

    determining first combined values using the measured values for a first subset of electrodes in the first array of sensing electrodes, where the first subset of electrodes includes at least two electrodes in the first array of sensing electrodes;

    determining second combined values using the measured values for a second subset of electrodes in the first array of sensing electrodes, where the second subset of electrodes includes at least two electrodes in the first array of sensing electrodes;

    determining difference values using the first combined values and the second combined values, each of the difference values based at least in part on a difference between at least one of the first combined values and at least one of the second combined values; and

    generating positional information for the object away from surface using the difference values.

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