Dual-sensing-mode touch-sensor device

• US 8,674,950 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Olson, Dana Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/201,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch-sensor device is described. The touch sensor-device includes a panel having an array of capacitive sensors arranged to function, in a first direction, as a projected capacitance slider. The array of capacitive sensors is further arranged to function, in a second direction, as a set of independent surface capacitance sensors. A controller is coupled with the panel by an electrical component.

Claims

1. A touch-sensor device, comprising:

a panel having an array of capacitive sensors arranged to operate, in a first direction corresponding to a first axis of the panel, as a projected capacitance slider and, in a second direction corresponding to a second axis of the panel, as a set of independent surface capacitance sensors to detect a position of a touch in the second direction, wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular; and

a controller coupled with the panel by an electrical component, wherein the controller is coupled to a first end and a second end of each of the capacitive sensors along the second axis of the panel, the controller to determine a multi-touch result on the panel using additive scanning of the capacitive sensors in the first direction and subtractive scanning of the capacitive sensors in the second direction.

2. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors comprises a pattern of interlaced strips of a resistive material.

3. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises an arrangement of continuous wavy strips in a horizontal direction between a pair of vertical edges of the panel, each continuous strip spaced equidistant in a vertical direction between a pair of horizontal edges of the panel.

4. The touch-sensor device of claim 3, wherein the electrical component is coupled to each continuous wavy strip along the pair of vertical edges of the panel.

5. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises an arrangement of continuous wavy strips in a vertical direction between a pair of horizontal edges of the panel, each continuous strip spaced equidistant in a horizontal direction between a pair of vertical edges of the panel.

6. The touch-sensor device of claim 5, wherein the electrical component is coupled to each continuous wavy strip along the pair of horizontal edges of the panel.

7. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the resistive material is a material selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), a conductive ink, and a graphite trace.

8. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors comprises a pattern selected from the group consisting of a pattern of rectangular strips of a resistive material and a pattern of concentric circular strips of a resistive material.

9. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the array of capacitive sensors is disposed in a single plane.

10. A method of determining a multi-touch result on a touch-sensor device, comprising:

receiving, on a panel, two or more approximately simultaneous touches in a first direction corresponding to a first axis of the panel;

scanning, in the first direction, an array of capacitive sensors in the panel as a pair of linear sliders;

adding results of the scanning of each of the pair of linear sliders into a single array to determine a first direction component of the multi-touch result; and

determining, by a controller coupled to a first and a second ends of each of the capacitive sensors in a second direction corresponding to a second axis of the panel, a second direction component of the multi-touch result by subtracting the results of scanning each of the pair of linear sliders, wherein the second direction component comprises a position of the touches in the second direction, wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adding the results of each of the pair of linear sliders into the single array to determine the first direction component of the multi-touch result comprises calculating a centroid.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the second direction component of the multi-touch result comprises sequentially grounding portions of the array of capacitive sensors along an axis parallel with the second direction.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of interlaced strips of a resistive material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein scanning the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous wavy horizontal strips along a pair of vertical edges of the arrangement.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein scanning the pattern of interlaced strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous wavy vertical strips along a pair of horizontal edges of the arrangement.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of rectangular strips of a resistive material.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein scanning the pattern of rectangular strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous horizontal strips along a pair of vertical edges of the arrangement.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein scanning the pattern of rectangular strips of the resistive material comprises scanning an arrangement of continuous vertical strips along a pair of horizontal edges of the arrangement.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the array of capacitive sensors comprises scanning a pattern of concentric circular strips of a resistive material.