Capacitive position sensor

• US 8,432,173 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Philipp, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US13/118,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 324/667, 324676-690
• US Class Current: 324/686
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more first signals indicating one or more first capacitive couplings of an object with a sensing element that comprises a sensing path that comprises a length. The first capacitive couplings correspond to the object coming into proximity with the sensing element at a first position along the sensing path of the sensing element. The method includes determining based on one or more of the first signals the first position of the object along the sensing path and setting a parameter to an initial value based on the first position of the object along the sensing path. The initial value includes a particular parameter value and is associated with a range of parameter values. The range of parameter values is associated with the length of the sensing path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more first signals indicating one or more first capacitive couplings of an object with a sensing element that comprises a sensing path that comprises a length, the first capacitive couplings corresponding to the object coming into proximity with the sensing element at a first position along the sensing path of the sensing element

determining based on one or more of the first signals the first position of the object along the sensing path;

setting a parameter to an initial value based on the first position of the object along the sensing path, the initial value comprising a particular parameter value and being associated with a range of parameter values, the range of parameter values being associated with the length of the sensing path;

receiving one or more second signals indicating one or more second capacitive couplings of the object with the sensing element, the second capacitive couplings corresponding to a displacement of the object along the sensing path from the first position; and

determining based on one or more of the second signals the displacement of the object along the sensing path; and

adjusting the parameter within the range of parameter values based on the displacement of the object along the sensing path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing path comprises a closed loop.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation in response to one or more of the second signals if the displacement corresponding to the second capacitive couplings indicated by the second signals exceeds a pre-determined threshold, the second mode of operation being for adjusting the parameter within the range of parameter values based on the displacement of the object along the sensing path, the first mode of operation being for setting the parameter to the initial value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-determined threshold value is determined at least in part by the initial value and a sensitivity setting, the pre-determined threshold value being different for different initial values or different sensitivity settings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter comprises effecting an incremental change in the parameter from the initial value based on an amount of the displacement exceeding a pre-determined displacement threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter comprises changing the parameter from the initial value by a number of units based on a number of times an amount of the displacement exceeds a pre-determined displacement threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping all or a portion of the range of parameter values onto the sensing path around the initial value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of temperature, volume, contrast, brightness, and frequency.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing element is part of an electronic appliance selected from the group consisting of a cooking oven, microwave oven, television, washing machine, MP3 player, mobile phone, and multimedia device.

10. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive one or more first signals indicating one or more first capacitive couplings of an object with a sensing element that comprises a sensing path that comprises a length, the first capacitive couplings corresponding to the object coming into proximity with the sensing element at a first position along the sensing path of the sensing element

determine based on one or more of the first signals the first position of the object along the sensing path;

set a parameter to an initial value based on the first position of the object along the sensing path, the initial value comprising a particular parameter value and being associated with a range of parameter values, the range of parameter values being associated with the length of the sensing path;

receive one or more second signals indicating one or more second capacitive couplings of the object with the sensing element, the second capacitive couplings corresponding to a displacement of the object along the sensing path from the first position; and

determine based on one or more of the second signals the displacement of the object along the sensing path; and

adjust the parameter within range of parameter values based on the displacement of the object along the sensing path.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the sensing path comprises a closed loop.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the logic is further operable to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation in response to one or more of the second signals if the displacement corresponding to the second capacitive couplings indicated by the second signals exceeds a pre-determined threshold, the second mode of operation being for adjusting the parameter within the range of parameter values based on the displacement of the object along the sensing path, the first mode of operation being for setting the parameter to the initial value.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the pre-determined threshold value is determined at least in part by the initial value and a sensitivity setting, the pre-determined threshold value being different for different initial values or different sensitivity settings.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein adjusting the parameter comprises effecting an incremental change in the parameter from the initial value based on an amount of the displacement exceeding a pre-determined displacement threshold.

15. The media of claim 10, wherein adjusting the parameter comprises changing the parameter from the initial value by a number of units based on a number of times an amount of the displacement exceeds a pre-determined displacement threshold.

16. The media of claim 10, wherein the logic is further operable to map all or a portion of the range of parameter values onto the sensing path around the initial value.

17. The media of claim 10, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of temperature, volume, contrast, brightness, and frequency.

18. The media of claim 10, wherein the media and the sensing element are part of an electronic appliance selected from the group consisting of a cooking oven, microwave oven, television, washing machine, MP3 player, mobile phone, and multimedia device.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a sensing element that comprises a sensing path that comprises a length; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to;

receive one or more first signals indicating one or more first capacitive couplings of an object with the sensing element, the first capacitive couplings corresponding to the object coming into proximity with the sensing element at a first position along the sensing path of the sensing element

determine based on one or more of the first signals the first position of the object along the sensing path;

set a parameter to an initial value based on the first position of the object along the sensing path, the initial value comprising a particular parameter value and being associated with a range of parameter values, the range of parameter values being associated with the length of the sensing path;

receive one or more second signals indicating one or more second capacitive couplings of the object with the sensing element, the second capacitive couplings corresponding to a displacement of the object along the sensing path from the first position; and

determine based on one or more of the second signals the displacement of the object along the sensing path; and

adjust the parameter within range of parameter values based on the displacement of the object along the sensing path.