Determining actuation of multi-sensor-electrode capacitive buttons

• US 8,487,788 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Reynolds, Joseph Kurth, Dattalo, Tracy Scott, Trent, Raymond A Jr., Feland, John M III
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, ANGELA D
• Application Number:
  US13/714,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• Field of Search: 341/44
• US Class Current: 341/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

In a method for determining actuation of a first capacitive button having a first set of at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes, and wherein a sensor electrode element of the first set of sensor electrode elements and a sensor electrode element of a second set of at least three sensor electrode elements of a second capacitive button share at least one sensor electrode in common, indicia is received from the at least three distinct sensor electrodes comprising the first capacitive button. At least three electrode values are generated from the indicia. The at least three electrode values are utilized to determine actuation of the capacitive button.

Claims

1. A method for determining actuation of a first capacitive button having a first set of at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes, and wherein a sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements and a sensor electrode element of a second set of at least three sensor electrode elements of a second capacitive button share at least one sensor electrode in common, said method comprising:

receiving indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes comprising said first capacitive button;

generating at least three electrode values from said indicia; and

utilizing said at least three electrode values to determine actuation of said first capacitive button.

2. The method for determining actuation of a first capacitive button as recited in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said at least three electrode values to determine actuation of said capacitive button comprises:

comparing at least one of said at least three electrode values to an activation threshold value.

3. The method for determining actuation of a first capacitive button as recited in claim 1, wherein said utilizing said at least three electrode values to determine actuation of said first capacitive button comprises:

determining a position of an input object with respect to said first capacitive button.

4. The method for determining actuation of a first capacitive button as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

emitting electrical signals using at least one of said at least three distinct sensor electrodes, said electrical signals for effecting said indicia from said at least three distinct sensor electrodes.

5. A capacitive button arrangement comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes;

a first capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes;

a second capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a second subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset includes at least one sensor electrode in common; and

a substrate, wherein said first capacitive button and said second capacitive button are coupled with said substrate.

6. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 5, wherein said plurality of sensor electrodes are not disposed as part of a sensor electrode array.

7. A capacitive button arrangement comprising:

a first capacitive button comprising;

a first set of sensor electrode elements, said first set of sensor electrode elements having at least three sensor electrode elements associated with distinct sensor electrodes, wherein said first set of sensor electrode elements is configured to enable generation of at least three electrode values for determining actuation of said first capacitive button; and

a second capacitive button disposed noncontiguously with respect to said first capacitive button, said second capacitive button comprising;

a second set of sensor electrode elements, said second set of sensor electrode elements having at least three sensor electrode elements associated with distinct sensor electrodes, wherein said second set of sensor electrode elements is configured to enable the generation of at least three electrode values for determining actuation of said second capacitive button, and wherein a sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements and a sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements share at least one sensor electrode in common.

8. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7 wherein at least one of said distinct sensor electrodes associated with said at least three sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements is capable of emitting electrical signals.

9. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7 wherein at least one of said distinct sensor electrodes associated with said at least three sensor electrode elements of said first set is capable of both emitting and receiving electrical signals.

10. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7 wherein said second capacitive button is disposed noncontiguously with respect to said first capacitive button by spacing said first set of sensor electrode elements from said second set of sensor electrode elements by no less than one-half of a finger width.

11. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said first set of sensor electrode elements has no more than four sensor electrode elements.

12. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein at least two sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements are physically interdigitated with each other.

13. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements is physically closer to said sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements than to any other sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements.

14. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements is physically farther away from said sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements than to any other sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements.

15. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements and said sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements are disposed on a same side of said capacitive button arrangement.

16. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein at least two sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements have centers that are substantially equidistant from a center of said first capacitive button.

17. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said first capacitive button has a circular shape, and wherein said sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements occupy substantially equal sectors of said circular shape.

18. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said first capacitive button has rectilinear portions, and wherein said sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements have angular sections.

19. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, wherein said sensor electrode elements of said first set of sensor electrode elements have substantially equal areas.

20. The capacitive button arrangement of claim 7, further comprising:

a third capacitive button comprising;

a third set of sensor electrode elements disposed between said first set of sensor electrode elements and said second set of sensor electrode elements, said third set of sensor electrode elements having at least three sensor electrode elements associated with distinct sensor electrodes, wherein no sensor electrode element of said third set of sensor electrode elements is associated with any sensor electrodes associated with any sensor electrode element of said first set of sensor electrode elements, and wherein no sensor electrode element of said third set of sensor electrode elements is associated with any sensor electrodes associated with any sensor electrode element of said second set of sensor electrode elements.

21. A capacitive sensing device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes;

a first capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes;

a second capacitive button comprising at least three sensor electrode elements associated with a second subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset includes at least one sensor electrode in common;

a substrate, wherein said first capacitive button and said second capacitive button are coupled with said substrate; and

a controller coupled to said first capacitive button and said second capacitive button, said controller configured to receive indicia from said plurality of sensor electrodes, to generate at least three electrode values using indicia received from said first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes associated with said at least three sensor electrode elements of said first capacitive button, and to utilize said at least three electrode values to determine actuation of said first capacitive button.

22. The capacitive sensing device of claim 21, wherein at least one of said first subset of said plurality of sensor electrodes is capable of emitting electrical signals.

23. The capacitive sensing device of claim 21, wherein a sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements of said first capacitive button and a sensor electrode element of said at least three sensor electrode elements of said second capacitive button are associated with a same sensor electrode.