Capacitive touch pad configured for proximity detection
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- controlling a touch pad having a plurality of row electrodes transverse to a plurality of column electrodes, the controlling including;
executing an object locate mode, the executing of the object locate mode including;
determining a plurality of first capacitances between a plurality of pairs of electrodes, each pair of electrodes including one of the row electrodes that overlaps one of the column electrodes;
determining a presence of an object within a first distance of the touch pad by comparing each of the first capacitances with a first detection threshold; and
determining a position of the object with respect to the touch pad by analyzing the first capacitances;
executing a proximity detection mode, the executing of the proximity detection mode including;
determining a second capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode of the touch pad, the first electrode being one of the row electrodes positioned at an edge of the touch pad and the second electrode being one of the column electrodes positioned at the edge of the touch pad;
determining a third capacitance between the second electrode and a third electrode that is one of the row electrodes at opposite edge of the touch pad from the first electrode and a fourth capacitance between the third electrode and a fourth electrode that is one of the column electrodes at an opposite edge of the touch pad from the second electrode, and a fifth capacitance between the first electrode and the fourth electrode; and
determining the presence of the object within a second distance of the touch pad by comparing the second capacitance with a second detection threshold, the second threshold being different from the first detection threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a touch pad, comprising an object locate mode for locating an object on the touch pad comprising steps of: determining a measurement of capacitance of each of the pairs of electrodes of the touch pad, each pair comprising a row electrode and a column electrode transverse to the row electrode, comparing each measurement with a first detection threshold, and if the comparison of at least one measurement with the first threshold reveals the presence of an object on the touch pad, locating the object on the touch pad according to the capacitance measurements, the method comprising a proximity detection mode comprising steps of: determining a measurement representative of the capacitance between one or two electrodes and one or two other electrodes of the touch pad, and comparing a measurement obtained with a second detection threshold different from the first threshold.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
controlling a touch pad having a plurality of row electrodes transverse to a plurality of column electrodes, the controlling including; executing an object locate mode, the executing of the object locate mode including; determining a plurality of first capacitances between a plurality of pairs of electrodes, each pair of electrodes including one of the row electrodes that overlaps one of the column electrodes; determining a presence of an object within a first distance of the touch pad by comparing each of the first capacitances with a first detection threshold; and determining a position of the object with respect to the touch pad by analyzing the first capacitances; executing a proximity detection mode, the executing of the proximity detection mode including; determining a second capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode of the touch pad, the first electrode being one of the row electrodes positioned at an edge of the touch pad and the second electrode being one of the column electrodes positioned at the edge of the touch pad; determining a third capacitance between the second electrode and a third electrode that is one of the row electrodes at opposite edge of the touch pad from the first electrode and a fourth capacitance between the third electrode and a fourth electrode that is one of the column electrodes at an opposite edge of the touch pad from the second electrode, and a fifth capacitance between the first electrode and the fourth electrode; and determining the presence of the object within a second distance of the touch pad by comparing the second capacitance with a second detection threshold, the second threshold being different from the first detection threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device, comprising:
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a touch pad, having a plurality of electrodes disposed in rows and in columns that are transverse to the rows; an object detection circuit configured to manage the touch pad, the detection circuit being configured to operate in an object locate mode and a proximity detection mode, wherein; the object detection circuit is configured in the object locate mode to; determine a plurality of first capacitances on each of a plurality of pairs of electrodes of the touch pad, each pair of electrodes having a row electrode and a column electrode; compare the first capacitances with a first detection threshold, the first detection threshold configured to detect a presence of an object within a first distance of the touch pad; and determine a position of the object with respect to the touch pad based on the first capacitances that detected the presence of the object; the object detection circuit is configured in the proximity detection mode to; determine a second capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode of the touch pad, the first electrode being one of the row electrodes positioned at an edge of the touch pad and the second electrode being one of the column electrodes positioned at the edge of the touch pad; determine a third capacitance between the second electrode and a third electrode that is one of the row electrodes at opposite edge of the touch pad from the first electrode and a fourth capacitance between the third electrode and a fourth electrode that is one of the column electrodes at an opposite edge of the touch pad from the second electrode, and a fifth capacitance between the first electrode and the fourth electrode; and compare the second capacitance with a second detection threshold, the second detection threshold configured to detect the presence of the object within a second distance of the touch pad the second detection threshold being different from the first detection threshold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A processor, comprising:
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a device configured to manage a touch pad that has a plurality of electrodes disposed in rows and in columns transverse to the rows, the device being configured to operate in an object locate mode and a proximity detection mode, wherein; the device is configured in the object locate mode to; determine a plurality of first capacitances of each of a plurality of pairs of electrodes of the touch pad, each pair of electrodes having a row electrode and a column electrode; compare each first capacitance with a first detection threshold configured to detect a presence of an object within a first distance of the touch pad; and determine position of the object with respect to the touch pad from the first capacitances; the device is configured in the proximity detection mode to; determine a second capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode of the touch pad; and compare the second capacitance with a second detection threshold that is different from the first detection threshold to determine a presence of the object within a second distance of the touch pad; and wherein the device is further configured in the object locate mode to; apply a first voltage to a first terminal of a sampling capacitor and a second intermediate voltage to a second terminal of the sampling capacitor, the second voltage being in between the first voltage and a third voltage greater than or equal to a ground voltage; apply the third voltage to a first electrode of the pairs of electrodes, and the second voltage to the second electrode of the pairs of electrodes; couple the first electrode to the first terminal of the sampling capacitor and couple the second voltage to the second electrode and to the second terminal of the sampling capacitor, to transfer charges between the first and second electrodes and the sampling capacitor; and execute a first number of cycles to apply and coupler and after the first number of cycles, determine the first capacitance between the first and the second electrode as a function of a voltage at the first terminal of the sampling capacitor and the second terminal of which receives the third voltage. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method, comprising:
controlling a touch pad having a plurality of row electrodes transverse to a plurality of column electrodes, the controlling including; executing an object locate mode, the executing of the object locate mode including; determining a plurality of first capacitances between a plurality of pairs of electrodes, each pair of electrodes including one of the row electrodes that overlaps one of the column electrodes; determining a presence of an object within a first distance of the touch pad by comparing each of the first capacitances with a first detection threshold; and determining a position of the object with respect to the touch pad by analyzing the first capacitances; executing a proximity detection mode, the executing of the proximity detection mode including; determining a second capacitance using only a first one of the row electrodes and a second one of the row electrodes of the touch pad, the first one of the row electrodes being at an edge of the touch pad, the second one of the row electrodes being at a center of the touch pad wherein the first one of the row electrodes is not adjacent to the second one of the row electrodes; and determining the presence of the object within a second distance of the touch pad by comparing the second capacitance with a second detection threshold, the second threshold being different from the first detection threshold. - View Dependent Claims (32)
Specification