System and method for determining object information using an estimated rigid motion response

• US 8,618,428 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bulea, Mihai M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US12/968,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 178/18.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners

Abstract

The embodiments described herein provide devices and methods that facilitate improved performance. Specifically, the devices and methods provide the ability to determine object information for objects causing rigid motion on a capacitive sensor device. In one embodiment, the device and method is configured to determine an estimated rigid motion response associated with a substantially rigid motion of the at least one sensing electrode using a set of sensor values, where the substantially rigid motion was caused by one or more objects in contact with the input surface. The estimated rigid motion response at least partially accounts for effects of capacitive coupling with the object(s) in contact with the input surface. The device and method may determine object information using the estimated rigid motion response. Where the input device is used to direct an electronic system, the object information may be used to facilitate a variety of interface actions.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor device comprising:

an input surface contactable by objects in a sensing region;

at least one sensing electrode configured to capacitively couple with objects in the sensing region; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the at least one sensing electrode, the processing system configured to;

obtain a set of sensor values using the at least one sensing electrode;

determine an estimated rigid motion response associated with a substantially rigid motion of the at least one sensing electrode using the set of sensor values, the substantially rigid motion caused by at least one object in contact with the input surface, wherein the processing system, when determining the estimated rigid motion response, at least partially accounts for effects of capacitive coupling between the at least one sensor electrode and the at least one object in contact with the input surface; and

determine object information using the estimated rigid motion response, the object information being related to the at least one object in contact with the input surface.

2. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 herein the processing system is configured to determine object information using the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a position estimate for the at least one object in contact with the input surface using the estimated rigid motion response.

3. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to determine object information using the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a force estimate for force applied by the at least one object in contact with the input surface using the estimated rigid motion response.

4. The capacitive sensor device of claim 3 wherein the at least one object comprises a plurality of objects, and wherein the processing system is configured to determine the force estimate for each of the plurality of objects by:

using the estimated rigid motion response and a position estimate for each of the plurality of objects.

5. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to determine the estimated rigid motion response by:

fitting a parameterized function to at least part of the set of sensor values.

6. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to determine the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a position estimate for the at least one object in contact with the input surface; and

using the position estimate to at least partially account for effects of capacitive coupling between the at least one sensor electrode and the at least one object in contact with the input surface.

7. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to determine the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a position estimate for the at least one object in contact with the input surface;

determining a subset of the set of sensor values corresponding to locations away from the position estimate, wherein the subset is a non-empty, proper subset of the set of sensor values; and

using the subset to determine the estimated rigid motion response.

8. The capacitive sensor device of claim 1 further comprising:

a conductor proximate to the at least one sensing electrode, wherein the estimated rigid motion of the at least one sensing electrode changes a spatial arrangement between the at least one sensing electrode and the conductor, such that the estimated rigid motion changes a capacitive coupling between the at least one sensing electrode and the conductor.

9. The capacitive sensor device of claim 8 further comprising:

a display screen underlying the at least one sensing electrode, wherein the display screen comprises the conductor, and wherein the conductor is configured for use in displaying images on the display screen.

10. A touch-screen user interface device comprising:

an input surface contactable by objects in a sensing region;

a display screen underlying the input surface, wherein the display screen comprises a conductor configured for use in displaying images on the display screen,

at least one sensing electrode proximate to the conductor and located between the input surface and the display screen, the at least one sensing electrode configured to capacitively couple with the conductor and objects in the sensing region; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the at least one sensing electrode,

the processing system configured to;

obtain a set of sensor values using the at least one sensing electrode;

determine an estimated rigid motion response associated with a substantially rigid motion of the at least one sensing electrode relative to the conductor using the set of sensor values, the substantially rigid motion caused by force applied by at least one object to the input surface, wherein the estimated rigid motion response at least partially accounts for effects of capacitive coupling between the at least one sensor electrode and the at least one object; and

determine a force estimate for the force applied by the at least one object in contact with the input surface using the estimated rigid motion response.

11. A method for responding to user input provided to a sensor device having at least one sensing electrode, wherein conductive material in the at least one sensing electrode is configured to capacitively couple to objects in a sensing region, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of sensor values using the conductive material;

determining an estimated rigid motion response associated with a substantially rigid motion of the at least one sensing electrode using the set of sensor values, the substantially rigid motion caused by a force applied by an input object to the sensor device, wherein the estimated rigid motion response at least partially accounts for effects of capacitive coupling between the at least one sensor electrode and the input object;

determining object information about the input object using the estimated rigid motion response; and

generating an output indicative of the object information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the object information about the input object using the estimated rigid motion response comprises:

determining a position estimate for the input object using the estimated rigid motion response.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the object information about the input object using the estimated rigid motion response comprises:

determining a force estimate for the force applied by the input object using the estimated rigid motion response.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the estimated rigid motion response comprises:

fitting a parameterized function to at least part of the set of sensor values.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the estimated rigid motion response comprises:

determining a position estimate for the object; and

using the position estimate to at least partially identify capacitive coupling effects associated with the object.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the estimated rigid motion response comprises:

determining a position estimate for the input object;

determining a subset of the set of sensor values corresponding to locations away from the position estimate, wherein the subset is a non-empty, proper subset of the set of sensor values; and

using the subset to determine the estimated rigid motion response.

17. A processing system for a capacitive input device, the processing system comprising:

a data acquisition module configured to acquire a set of sensor values using at least one sensing element of the input device, the at least one sensing element configured to capacitively sense input near the sensing element; and

a determiner module configured to;

determine an estimated rigid motion response associated with a substantially rigid motion of the at least one sensing element using the set of sensor values, the substantially rigid motion caused by a force applied by an object to the input device near the sensing element, wherein the estimated rigid motion response at least partially accounts for effects of capacitive coupling with the object; and

determine object information about the object using the estimated rigid motion response.

18. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the determiner module is configured to determine object information about the object using the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a position estimate for the object using the estimated rigid motion response.

19. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the determiner module is configured to determine object information about the object using the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a force estimate for the force applied by the object using the estimated rigid motion response.

20. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the determiner module is configured to determine the estimated rigid motion response by:

fitting a parameterized function to the set of sensor values.

21. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the determiner module is configured to determine the estimated rigid motion response by:

determining a position estimate for the object; and

using the position estimate to at least partially account for effects of capacitive coupling between the at least one sensing element and the object.