Device and method for acquiring tactile information with sequential scanning

• US 8,665,232 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Stantum SAS
• Inventors: Joguet, Pascal, Largillier, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US13/013,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1901
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/055 by switches with variable impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/241 on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes

Abstract

A device configured to acquire tactile information including a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes; and a scanning control unit, wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information from the rows and the columns of the conductive stripes of the transparent tactile matrix sensor.

Claims

1. A device configured to acquire tactile information, comprising:

a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes; and

a scanning control unit,

wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information from the rows and the columns of the conductive stripes of the transparent tactile matrix sensor and to successively supply a signal to each column, and to sequentially measure a signal level for each row during the supply of the signal for each of the columns to read out the tactile information, and the scanning control unit includes;

a digitally controllable comparator configured to compare the signal level of the rows to a threshold level to detect the tactile information, and

the threshold level is changed for each measurement of the signal level of the rows by decreasing the threshold level from measurement to measurement of neighboring rows.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is further configured to put all the rows to ground level other than the row that is currently subjected to the measurement of the signal level.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is further configured to put all the columns to a high impedance level other than the column that is currently subjected to the signal supply.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning control unit is configured to sequentially read out tactile information with a frequency that is above 100 Hertz.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a filtering unit configured to detect a touch zone that includes a plurality of touch points that form tactile information measured by the scanning control unit.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the filtering unit is configured to detect a barycenter of the touch zone.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rows and the columns of conductive stripes are made of indium oxide, and the rows are arranged next to each other to form a first layer, and the columns are arranged next to each other to form a second layer.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising:

insulation spacers arranged between the first layer of rows and the second layer of columns to provide electric insulation between the first and second layers.

9. The device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a transparent resistive layer arranged between the first layer of rows and the second layer of columns, a resistivity of the transparent resistive layer being variable based on a pressure that is exerted onto the transparent resistive layer.

10. A method for acquiring tactile information from a transparent tactile matrix sensor having rows and columns of conductive stripes and a scanning control unit, comprising:

supplying successively a signal to each column; and

measuring sequentially a signal level for each row during said step of supplying of the signal for each of the columns to read out the tactile information,

wherein the step of measuring sequentially includes;

comparing, in a digitally controlled comparator, the signal level of each row to

a threshold level to detect the tactile information, and

changing the threshold level for each measurement of the signal level of a corresponding row by decreasing the threshold level from measurement to measurement of neighboring rows.