Detecting presence of an object in the vicinity of a touch interface of a device

• US 8,717,325 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hermes, Bernard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US13/849,253
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179, 178 1801- 1806, 341/22, 341/33
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A system includes a controller situated on a circuit board and a touch sensor coupled to the controller. The touch sensor includes a plurality of electrodes configured to capacitively coupled to a surface. The system also includes a drive element that is coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to send a drive signal to the drive element and, after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from the touch sensor. The controller is further configured to determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface the set of sense signals.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a touch sensor in a first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board, the touch sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface;

a drive element in a second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board, the drive element coupled to a first ground, the circuit board situated between the touch sensor and the drive element; and

a controller disposed on the circuit board and coupled to the touch sensor and the drive element, the controller coupled to a second ground that is different than the first ground, the controller being configured to;

send a drive signal to the drive element;

after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from the touch sensor; and

using the set of sense signals, determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface using the set of sense signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the first ground plane is a free space ground plane.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the surface is a touch screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.

9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is configured when executed to:

send a drive signal to a drive element that is in a first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board that the media is disposed on;

after sending the drive signal to the drive element, receive a set of sense signals from a touch sensor that is in a second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the touch sensor arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board, the drive element coupled to a first ground, the circuit board coupled to a second ground that is different than the first ground, the circuit board situated between the touch sensor and the drive element; and

using the set of sense signals, determine whether an object that is not contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface the set of sense signals.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein

the first ground plane being a free space ground plane.

13. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.

14. The media of claim 9, wherein the surface is a touch screen.

15. The media of claim 9, wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.

16. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.

17. A system comprising:

a touch sensor in a first region, the first region adjacent to a first side of a circuit board, the touch sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes substantially arranged along two axes, the plurality of electrodes arranged adjacent to a first side of a surface; and

a drive element in a second region, the second region adjacent to a second side of the circuit board, the first side of the circuit board being different from the second side of the circuit board;

wherein;

the drive element is configured to receive a drive signal from a controller disposed on the circuit board, the controller comprising a first ground plane, the drive element coupled to a free space ground plane and not coupled to the first ground plane;

the touch sensor is configured to generate a set of sense signals; and

the controller is configured to;

receive the set of sense signals after sending the drive signal to the drive element; and

determine whether an object that is not in contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the object and the surface using the set of sense signals.

19. A The system of claim 17, wherein the drive element is situated adjacent to a battery.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the set of sense signals are a first set of sense signals;

the touch sensor is configured to generate a second set of sense signals; and

the controller is configured to determine whether the object performed a gesture while not in contact with the surface using the first set of sense signals and the second set of sense signals.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a second object that is not in contact with the surface is in a vicinity of the surface using the set of sense signals.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a direction of movement of the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the surface is a touch screen.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the drive element comprises metallic foil.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position associated with the object while the object is in the vicinity of the surface.