Capacitive touch sensors

• US 8,610,009 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sleeman, Peter, Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, K.
• Application Number:
  US12/501,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20100096193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 178/18.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/20 Dynamic coding, i.e. by key scanning H03M11/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A touch data set is acquired via signals from each sensing node in a capacitive sensor array having a plurality of sensing nodes. Touch presence and location on the capacitive sensor array is determined from the touch data set. In subsequent sampling periods while presence of a touch continues to be detected, touch data sets may be acquired from respective subsets of the sensing nodes, each subset being located at and adjacent to the touch location determined in the preceding sampling period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring, in a first sampling period, a touch data set with signals from all of a plurality of sensing nodes in a capacitive sensor array;

determining presence and location of a touch on the capacitive sensor array from the touch data set; and

acquiring, in sampling periods after the first sampling period and while continuing to detect presence of the touch, subsequent touch data sets from less than all of the plurality of sensing nodes, the subsequent touch data sets received from sensing nodes that are located at the location of the touch and from sensing nodes that are located adjacent to the location of the touch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of sensing nodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array, the two-dimensional array comprising a plurality of first lines arranged along a first axis and a plurality of second lines arranged along a second axis different than the first axis; and

the subsequent touch data sets are received from the first lines.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subsequent touch data sets are received from the second lines.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensing nodes are formed by coupling capacitances between respective ones of the first and second lines, the first lines being driven and the second lines being connected to at least one charge measurement capacitor for measuring the coupling capacitances.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor array is a one-dimensional array of the plurality of sensing nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent touch data sets are received from only a first sensing node at the location of the touch and immediately adjacent sensing nodes to the first sensing node.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring a second touch data set with signals from all of the plurality of sensing nodes in a second sampling period in response to determining an absence of the touch, the second sampling period occurring after the first sampling period.

8. A capacitive sensor device, comprising:

a capacitive sensor array having a plurality of sensing nodes;

a controller operable to;

acquire touch data from each of the plurality of sensing nodes in a first sampling period;

detect presence and location of a touch from the touch data;

acquire, after the first sampling period and after determining an absence of the touch, a first set of touch data in a second sampling period, the first set of touch data including signals from each of the plurality of sensing nodes; and

acquire, in a third sampling period occurring after the first sampling period and while continuing to detect the touch, a second set of touch data from less than all of the plurality of sensing nodes, the second set of touch data received from sensing nodes located at the location of the touch and from sensing nodes adjacent to the location of the touch.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensing nodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array, the two-dimensional array comprising a plurality of first lines arranged along a first axis and a plurality of second lines arranged along a second axis different than the first axis, and

the second set of touch data is received from the first lines.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the second set of touch data is received from the second lines.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensing nodes are formed by coupling capacitances between respective ones of the first and second lines, the controller being connected to drive the first lines and to measure capacitance of at least one charge measurement capacitor connected to the second lines in order to measuring the coupling capacitances.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the capacitive sensor array is a one-dimensional array of the plurality of sensing nodes.

13. A controller operable to perform operations comprising:

acquire sets of touch data in a succession of sampling periods from a capacitive sensor array comprising a plurality of sensing nodes such that;

a first portion of the sets of touch data include signals from each of the plurality of sensing nodes when the presence of a touch is absent in a preceding sample period;

a second portion of the sets of touch data include signals from less than all of the plurality of sensing nodes when the presence of a touch is determined in a preceding sampling period, the signals of the second portion of the sets of touch data received from sensing nodes located at the touch location determined in the preceding sampling period and received from sensing nodes located adjacent to the touch location determined in the preceding sampling period; and

detect presence and location of a touch from one or more of the sets of touch data.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of sensing nodes are arranged in a two-dimensional array, the two-dimensional array comprising a plurality of first lines arranged along a first axis and a plurality of second lines arranged along a second axis different than the first axis, and

the signals of the second portion of the sets of touch data are received from the first lines.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the signals of the second portion of the sets of touch data are received from the second lines.

16. The controller of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensing nodes are formed by coupling capacitances between respective ones of the first and second lines, the controller being connected to drive the first lines and to measure capacitance of at least one charge measurement capacitor connected to the second lines in order to measuring the coupling capacitances.

17. The controller of claim 13, wherein the capacitive sensor array is a one-dimensional array of the plurality of sensing nodes.