Geometrically based button discrimination in capacitive sensing applications

• US 8,600,688 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bills, Peter J., Milholland, Lenard L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US13/049,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 702/41, 702/47, 702/65, 702/150, 345/173, 345/174, 324/660, 324/686
• US Class Current: 702/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Geometrically based system and method for receiving capacitive sensory input. User input may be received by a capacitive sensing pad. A signal may be generated by the capacitive sensing pad. The signal may indicate a size of an area in which the user input is received. The signal may be received by an input composed in processing circuitry and coupled to the capacitive sensing pad. A location of the user input may be determined by the processing circuitry based on the signal.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first capacitive sensing pad configured to receive first user input;

wherein the first capacitive sensing pad is configured to generate a first signal based on the first user input,

wherein the first signal indicates a size of an area of the first capacitive sensing pad in which the first user input is received;

a second capacitive sensing pad configured to receive second user input,

wherein the second capacitive sensing pad is differently sized than the first capacitive sensing pad;

wherein the second capacitive sensing pad is configured to generate a second signal based on the second user input,

wherein the second signal indicates a size of an area of the second capacitive sensing pad in which the second user input is received;

processing circuitry,

wherein the processing circuitry comprises a first input coupled to the first capacitive sensing pad and the second capacitive pad;

wherein the first input is configured to additively receive the first signal from the first capacitive sensing pad and the second signal from the second capacitive sensing pad;

wherein, based on the first input, the processing circuitry is configured to determine the locations of the user inputs on the first and second capacitive pads.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first input is configured to receive a second signal, wherein the second signal indicates a size of an area in which second user input is received;

wherein the size of the area in which second user input is received is different than the size of the area in which the first user input is received;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a location of the second user input based on the second signal.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first capacitive sensing pad is configured to receive the second user input and generate the second signal;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a direction of movement along the first capacitive sensing pad based on the first signal and the second signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the direction of movement along the first capacitive sensing pad based on a difference between the sizes of the areas in which the first and second user inputs are received as indicated by the first and second signals.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first capacitive sensing pad is in the shape of an acute triangle.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first input receives the first signal and the second signal additively.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first user input is received at the first capacitive sensing pad and the second user input is received at the second capacitive sensing pad simultaneously;

wherein the first signal and the second signal are simultaneously received by the first input;

wherein processing circuitry is configured to determine that the first user input is received at the first capacitive sensing pad and the second user input is received at the second capacitive sensing pad simultaneously based on receiving the first signal and the second signal simultaneously.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to discriminate between the first and second signals received on the first input.

9. A method for receiving user input at an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first capacitive sensing pad, first user input;

receiving, by a second capacitive sensing pad, second user input, wherein the second capacitive sensing pad is differently sized than the first capacitive sensing pad;

generating by the first capacitive sensing pad, a first signal, wherein the first signal indicates a size of an area in which the first user input is received;

generating by the second capacitive sensing pad, a second signal, wherein the second signal indicates a size of an area in which the second user input is received;

receiving, by a first input coupled to the first capacitive sensing pad and second capacitive sensing pad, the first signal and the second signal, additively;

wherein the first input is comprised in processing circuitry;

determining, by the processing circuitry, the locations of the user inputs on the first and second capacitive pads.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the first input, a second signal, wherein the second signal indicates a size of an area in which second user input is received;

wherein the size of the area in which second user input is received is different than the size of the area in which the first user input is received;

determining, by the processing circuitry, a location of the second user input based on the second signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the first capacitive sensing pad, the second user input;

generating, by the first capacitive sensing pad, the second signal;

determining, by the processing circuitry, a direction of movement along the first capacitive sensing pad based on the first signal and the second signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining the direction of movement along the first capacitive sensing pad is based on a difference between the sizes of the areas in which the first and second user inputs are received as indicated by the first and second signals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first capacitive sensing pad is in the shape of an acute triangle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input receives the first signal and the second signal additively.

15. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving the first user input at the first capacitive sensing pad simultaneously with receiving the second user input at the second capacitive sensing pad;

receiving the first signal at the first input simultaneously with the second signal;

determining, by the processing circuitry, that the first user input is received at the first capacitive sensing pad and the second user input is received at the second capacitive sensing pad simultaneously based on receiving the first signal and the second signal simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the locations of the user inputs on the first and second capacitive pads by the processing circuitry is accomplished by discriminating between the first and second signals received on the first input.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of capacitive sensing pads each configured to receive user input,

wherein each of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads is differently sized;

wherein each capacitive sensing pad is configured to generate a signal based on received user input,

wherein each signal indicates a size of a respective capacitive sensing pad in which a user input is received;

processing circuitry,

wherein the processing circuitry comprises a first input coupled to the plurality of capacitive sensing pads;

wherein the first input is configured to additively receive each signal from the plurality of capacitive sensing pads;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine, based on the first input, a location of the received user input on each of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine locations of a plurality of simultaneously received user inputs based on signals received from at least a subset of the plurality of capacitive sensing pads.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensing pads are connected to the first input in parallel, wherein the first input receives signals from the plurality of capacitive sensing pads in an additive manner.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to discriminate between each signal received on the first input.