Multitouch input to touchpad derived from positive slope detection data

• US 8,614,681 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Inventors: Hill, Jared C., Woolley, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US12/815,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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

Abstract

A method for using existing touchpad hardware to detect and track multiple objects such as fingers that are in contact with a touchpad, wherein the method extracts information from data that is already being collected, wherein analysis of the data is simplified by identifying objects by only looking for a positive slopes and negative slopes to identify multiple objects in data from the touchpad.

Claims

1. A method for determining the number of objects that are present on a touch sensitive surface, said method comprised of:

1) providing a plurality of parallel X electrodes disposed on a first layer of a substantially transparent substrate, and a plurality of parallel Y electrodes disposed on a second layer of the substrate, wherein the Y electrodes are co-planar with and orthogonal to the X electrodes;

2) measuring a signal on each of the plurality of X electrodes, proceeding from a first side of the X electrodes to an opposite second side;

3) analyzing the measurements in order to identify objects by determining if any two measurements of adjacent X electrodes show a positive slope in signal strength, and which passes from below a threshold value to above the threshold value, so as to indicate the presence of a conductive object, wherein finding the positive slope includes selecting the threshold value for the signal strength and selecting a threshold unit, and then assigning the positive slope to be a measurement of signal strength of two adjacent electrodes, wherein the signal strength must rise from below the threshold value to above the threshold value, and wherein the total change in measured signal strength must be at least two threshold units;

4) analyzing the measurements in order to identify a negative slope after the positive slope;

5) repeating steps

     3) and

     4) for each conductive object identified on the touch sensitive surface while moving towards the second side; and

6) using a threshold counter to determine the total number of objects that are on the touch sensitive surface by incrementing a threshold counter when analysis shows that a positive slope has been measured and decrementing the threshold counter when analysis shows that a negative slope has been measured, and assigning the total number of objects on the touch sensitive surface to be the number of times that the threshold counter is incremented.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of setting a threshold value is further comprised of selecting a threshold value that is generally above a noise level of the touch sensitive surface.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of finding a negative slope after the positive slope further comprises assigning the negative slope to be a measurement of signal strength of two adjacent electrodes, wherein the signal strength must fall at least one threshold unit.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises determining a signal strength for the conductive object, wherein the method comprises the step of determining the total rise in threshold units when a positive slope is detected.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of determining if any two measurements of adjacent X electrodes show a positive slope in signal strength further comprises:

1) comparing a measurement of signal strength of a first X electrode and a second X electrode and determining if the change in signal strength is a positive or a negative slope; and

2) comparing a measurement of signal strength of a next set of X electrodes and determining if the change in signal strength is a positive or a negative slope until all of the sets of X electrodes are compared.

6. A method for determining the number of objects that are present on a touch sensitive surface, said method comprised of:

1) providing a plurality of parallel X electrodes disposed on a first layer of a substantially transparent substrate, and a plurality of parallel Y electrodes disposed on a second layer of the substrate, wherein the X electrodes are co-planar with and orthogonal to the Y electrodes;

2) measuring a signal on each of the plurality of Y electrodes, proceeding from a first side of the Y electrodes to an opposite second side;

3) analyzing the measurements in order to identify objects by determining if any two measurements of adjacent Y electrodes show a positive slope in signal strength that is sufficiently large, and which passes from below a threshold value to above the threshold value, so as to indicate the presence of a conductive object, wherein finding the positive slope includes selecting the threshold value for the signal strength and selecting a threshold unit, and then assigning the positive slope to be a measurement of signal strength of two adjacent electrodes, wherein the signal strength must rise from below the threshold value to above the threshold value, and wherein the total change in measured signal strength must be at least two threshold units;

4) analyzing the measurements in order to identify a negative slope after the positive slope;

5) repeating steps

     3) and

     4) for each conductive object identified on the touch sensitive surface while moving towards the second side; and

6) using a threshold counter to determine the total number of objects that are on the touch sensitive surface by incrementing a threshold counter when analysis shows that a positive slope has been measured and decrementing the threshold counter when analysis shows that a negative slope has been measured, and assigning the total number of objects on the touch sensitive surface to be the number of times that the threshold counter is incremented.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the step of setting a threshold value is further comprised of the step of selecting a threshold value that is generally above a noise level of the touch sensitive surface.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the step of finding a negative slope after the positive slope further comprises the step of assigning the negative slope to be a measurement of signal strength of two adjacent electrodes, wherein the signal strength must fall at least one threshold unit.

9. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises the step of determining a signal strength for the conductive object, wherein the method comprises the step of determining the total rise in threshold units when a positive slope is detected.

10. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the step of determining if any two measurements of adjacent Y electrodes show a positive slope in signal strength further comprises the steps of:

1) comparing a measurement of signal strength of a first Y electrode and a second Y electrode and determining if the change in signal strength is a positive or a negative slope; and

2) comparing a measurement of signal strength of a next set of Y electrodes and determining if the change in signal strength is a positive or a negative slope until all of the sets of Y electrodes are compared.