Proximity and multi-touch sensor detection and demodulation

• US 8,970,501 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve Porter, Krah, Christoph Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US11/649,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,981 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1809
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• 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 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The use of one or more proximity sensors in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to one or more multi-touch sensor “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation. In some embodiments, both physical interfaces (touch and proximity sensors) can be connected to analog channels in the same electrical core.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;

one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor programmed for configuring one or more of the touch sensors based on the detection of a hover event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits configurable for generating distinct values representative of detected touch or hover events, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits forming a part of a touch subsystem for processing both touch events and hover events.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the touch subsystem comprising driver logic couplable to the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors and configurable for driving the plurality of touch sensors and the one or more proximity sensors with a stimulus for enabling a detection of touch and hover events.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, the one or more proximity sensors arranged in rows and columns in a proximity sensor panel, each column connected to a single photodiode amplifier, and each photodiode amplifier AC-couplable to a different event detection and demodulation circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, the one or more proximity sensors arranged in rows and columns in a proximity sensor panel, each column connected to a single photodiode amplifier, and one or more photodiode amplifiers AC-couplable to a single event detection and demodulation circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, each of the one or more proximity sensors located adjacent to a touch sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, one or more of the proximity sensors located in a hover-sensitive area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of touch sensors forming one or more touch sensor rows and the one or more proximity sensors forming one or more proximity sensor rows, the one or more touch sensor rows and the one or more proximity sensor rows located in distinct and non-overlapping areas.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computing system that incorporates the apparatus, the computing system comprising:

a touch subsystem couplable to the plurality of touch sensors, the one or more proximity sensors and the processor; and

a host processor coupled to the processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a mobile telephone that incorporates the computing system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a digital audio player that incorporates the computing system.

12. An apparatus for generating an image of touch and hover on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

a touch panel, the touch panel including a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;

a proximity sensor panel, the proximity sensor panel including a plurality of proximity sensors configured for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface;

a plurality of event detection and demodulation circuits couplable to the touch panel and the proximity sensor panel for generating values representative of detected touch events or detected hover events; and

a processor programmed for configuring the touch panel based on the detection of a hover event.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the one or more event detection and demodulation circuits forming part of a single touch subsystem for processing both touch events and hover events.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the touch subsystem comprising driver logic couplable to the touch panel or the proximity sensor panel and configured for driving the touch panel or the proximity sensor panel with a stimulus, the stimulus for enabling a detection of touch and hover events.

15. A touch subsystem for detecting touch and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface and generating an image of touch and hover, comprising:

driver logic configured for generating an input stimulus;

channel scan logic configured for controlling the driver logic to scan touch sensors in a touch panel, and to scan proximity sensors in a proximity sensor panel, by driving the touch and proximity sensors with the input stimulus;

one or more event detection and demodulation circuits, each event detection and demodulation circuit couplable to a column of touch sensors in the touch panel or a column of proximity sensors in the proximity sensor panel, each event detection and demodulation circuit configured for receiving a signal representative of a touch event occurring at one of the touch sensors in the column of touch sensors or a hover event occurring at one of the proximity sensors in the column of proximity sensors, and generating a value representative of the touch or hover event; and

a processor programmed for configuring the touch panel based on the detection of a hover event.

16. An apparatus for detecting touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

means for scanning a touch panel of touch sensors organized in rows and columns by applying a first stimulus to each row;

means for coupling the columns of the touch panel to one or more event detection and demodulation circuits and generating one or more values representative of one or more touch events during each touch panel row scan;

means for applying a second stimulus to one or more proximity sensors, the one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface

means for coupling the one or more proximity sensors to an event detection and demodulation circuit and generating one or more values representative of the one or more hover events occurring at the one or more proximity sensors; and

means for configuring the touch panel based on the detection of a hover event.

17. An apparatus for generating an image of touch and hover on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

means for detecting one or more touch events, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;

means for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface

means for generating values representative of detected touch events or detected hover events; and

means for configuring the touch-sensitive surface based on the detection of a hover event.

18. A method for detecting touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

scanning a touch panel of touch sensors organized in rows and columns by applying a first stimulus to each row;

during each touch panel row scan, coupling the columns of the touch panel to one or more event detection and demodulation circuits and generating one or more values representative of one or more touch events occurring at distinct locations along the row;

applying a second stimulus to one or more proximity sensors, the one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting one or more hover events spaced from the touch-sensitive surface

while applying the second stimulus to the one or more proximity sensors, coupling the one or more proximity sensors to an event detection and demodulation circuit and generating one or more values representative of the one or more hover events occurring at the one or more proximity sensors; and

configuring the touch panel based on the detection of a hover event.

19. The method of claim 18, the one or more touch events comprising multiple touch events occurring at about the same time.

20. The method of claim 18, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating the one or more values representative of the one or more touch events and generating the one or more values representative of the one or more hover events within a single touch subsystem.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

scanning a proximity sensor panel formed from the one or more proximity sensors organized in rows and columns by applying the second stimulus to each row of proximity sensors; and

during each proximity sensor panel row scan, coupling the columns of the proximity sensor panel to one or more event detection and demodulation circuits for generating the one or more values representative of the one or more hover events occurring at distinct locations along the row of proximity sensors.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising coupling each column of the proximity sensor panel to an event detection and demodulation circuit through a single photodiode amplifier.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising coupling a plurality of columns of the proximity sensor panel to a single event detection and demodulation circuit through one photodiode amplifier for each column.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising locating each of the one or more proximity sensors adjacent to a touch sensor.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising locating one or more of the proximity sensors in a hover-sensitive area.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a first group of one or more touch sensor rows and a second group of one or more proximity sensor rows, the first and second groups located in distinct and non-overlapping areas.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing the method in a computing system.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing the method in a mobile telephone.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing the method in a digital audio player.

31. A method for detecting touch and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface and generating an image of touch and hover, comprising:

generating an input stimulus;

scanning each row of touch sensors in a touch panel and scanning each row of proximity sensors in a proximity sensor panel by driving each row with the input stimulus;

coupling an event detection and demodulation circuit to each column of touch sensors in the touch panel and each column of proximity sensors in the proximity sensor panel;

receiving a signal representative of the touch event occurring at one of the touch sensors in the column of touch sensors or the hover event occurring at one of the proximity sensors in the column of proximity sensors;

generating a value representative of each detected touch or hover event; and

configuring the touch panel based on the detection of a hover event.

32. The method of claim 31, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface.

33. The method of claim 31, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface but outside a near-field detection capability of a touch sensor.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising using a single touch subsystem for processing both touch events and hover events.

35. A mobile telephone including an apparatus for detecting touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;

one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor programmed for configuring one or more of the touch sensors based on the detection of a hover event.

36. A digital audio player including an apparatus for detecting touch events and hover events on or about a touch-sensitive surface, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors configured for detecting one or more touch events at the touch-sensitive surface, each touch event comprising a touching of an object against the touch-sensitive surface;

one or more proximity sensors configured for detecting at least one hover event spaced from the touch-sensitive surface, each hover event comprising a hovering of an object near the touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor programmed for configuring one or more of the touch sensors based on the detection of a hover event.