Touch sensor

• US 9,035,903 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald Peter Binstead
• Original Assignee: Ronald Peter Binstead
• Inventors: Binstead, Ronald Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/388,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178 18- 1808, 178/19.01, 178/19.035, 341/20, 341/33
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A touch sensor for sensing user input comprising one or more elements. At least a portion of one or more of the elements is configured to be desensitized, in order to determine the location of one or more user inputs.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more sensing elements; and

controllable elements, wherein regions of the controllable elements are proximal to regions of the one or more sensing elements in order to provide sensing regions of the one or more sensing elements, wherein the controllable elements are configured to be controlled such that the sensing regions are either sensitized or desensitized, and

wherein the touch sensor is configured to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs by connecting one or more of the controllable elements to ground or an anti-active backplane in order to desensitize one or more corresponding sensing regions of the one or more sensing elements.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to ground to be desensitized.

3. The touch sensor of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an active backplane signal to be sensitized.

4. The touch sensor of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an element that is electrically floating to be sensitized.

5. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensing elements are aligned in a different direction to the controllable elements such that the sensing elements and controllable elements intersect in order to provide the sensing region.

6. The touch sensor of claim 5, wherein the direction of the one or more sensing elements is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the one or more controllable elements.

7. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein at least part of the one or more sensing elements is aligned in substantially the same direction as, and proximal to, at least part of one or more of the controllable elements in order to provide the sensing region.

8. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is configured to leave a controllable element electrically floating in order to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

9. The touch sensor of claim 8, further comprising a switch configured to couple a controllable element to ground in order to desensitize the corresponding sensing regions, or leave the controllable element electrically floating to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

10. The touch sensor of claim 9, comprising a switch for each controllable element.

11. The touch sensor of claim 9, wherein the switch, or switches, is/are electronic switches.

12. The touch sensor of claim 11, further comprising a controller, configured to operate the switch, or switches, in accordance with information received from one or more of the sensing elements.

13. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine which of the controllable elements should be controlled in order to distinguish between multiple user inputs represented by the signals returned from one or more of the sensing elements.

14. The touch sensor of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to control a controllable element in order to desensitize a previously sensitized corresponding sensing region that corresponds to a location of one of multiple user inputs.

15. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the controllable elements in order to sensitize all of the sensing elements, and the controller is then configured to repeatedly:

receive information from the sensing elements; and

in response to the information received from the sensing elements, control the controllable elements in order to desensitize corresponding sensing regions until multiple user input is distinguishable.

16. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the controllable elements such that all of the sensing elements are sensitized when no user input, or a single user input, is received.

17. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to implement a mode of operation in accordance with the information received from the one or more sensing elements.

18. The touch sensor of claim 8, further comprising a switch configured to couple one of the controllable elements to an anti-active backplane signal in order to desensitize the corresponding sensing region, or leave the controllable element electrically floating to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

19. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is configured to couple a controllable element to an active backplane signal in order to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

20. The touch sensor of claim 19, further comprising a switch configured to couple a controllable element to ground in order to desensitize the corresponding sensing regions, or couple the controllable element to the active backplane signal to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

21. The touch sensor of claim 19, further comprising a switch configured to couple a controllable element to an anti-active backplane signal in order to desensitize the corresponding sensing regions, or couple the controllable element to the active backplane signal to sensitize the corresponding sensing regions.

22. The touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to periodically control the controllable elements such that each controllable element in turn is configured to desensitize corresponding sensing regions.

23. The touch sensor of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to connect the one or more controllable elements to an anti-active backplane signal in turn.

24. The touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to periodically control the controllable elements such that each controllable element in turn is configured to sensitize corresponding sensing regions.

25. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein one or more of the sensing elements are configured as controllable elements and/or one or more of the controllable elements are configured as sensing elements.

26. The touch sensor of claim 25, wherein all of the sensing elements are also configured as controllable elements, and the touch sensor including a controller is configured to control the controllable elements such that a single sensing region between two controllable elements is configured to be touch sensitive.

27. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing elements and controllable elements are wire elements.

28. The touch sensor of claim 27, wherein the wire elements are zig-zagged in that the wires double back on themselves.

29. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the elements are configured to determine user input using projected capacitance.

30. The touch sensor of claim 1, comprising a wire connected to one or more of the elements, and a shield provided in proximity to the wire such that the wire is not sensitive to touch.

31. The touch sensor of claim 30, wherein the shield is a grounded wire.

32. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an anti-active backplane signal in order to be desensitized.

33. The touch sensor of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an active backplane signal to be sensitized.

34. The touch sensor of claim 33, further comprising a switch configured to couple the sensing element to either the active backplane signal or the anti-active backplane signal.

35. The touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to couple one or more of the sensing elements to the anti-active backplane signal or to an element that is electrically floating.

36. The touch sensor of claim 1, configured to connect a controllable element to an anti-active backplane signal in order to desensitize a corresponding sensing region.

37. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein a portion of a sensing element follows a path that is substantially parallel to, and substantially adjacent to, a portion of a controllable element in a region of the touch sensor such that the portions of the sensing element and controllable element that correspond with each other provide sensing regions.

38. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensing elements are made of fine insulation coated wire and the controllable elements are made of plate-type material.

39. The touch sensor of claim 38, wherein the plate-type material comprises one of ITO, ATO, copper foil, conductive printed ink, or a perforated conductor or mesh.

40. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensing elements and controlling elements each comprise plate-type material.

41. The touch sensor of claim 40, wherein the plate-type material comprises one of ITO, ATO, copper foil, conductive printed ink, or a perforated conductor or mesh.

42. The touch sensor of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensing elements and/or controllable elements each comprises a wire.

47. An electronic device comprising the touch sensor according to claim 1.

48. A method of operating the touch sensor of claim 1, the method comprising:

controlling the controllable elements such that the sensing regions are either sensitized or desensitized, and

desensitizing the sensing regions of the one or more sensing elements in order to determine the location of one or more user inputs.

43. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs, wherein the elements comprise one or more sensing elements, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to ground to be desensitized, and

wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an active backplane signal to be sensitized, further comprising a switch configured to couple the sensing element to either ground or the active backplane.

44. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements;

wherein at least a portion of the one of more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs, wherein the elements comprise one or more sensing elements, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to ground to be desensitized, and wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an element that is electrically floating to be sensitized, further comprising a switch configured to couple the sensing element to ground or to an element that is electrically floating.

45. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs, wherein the elements comprise one or more sensing elements, and wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to ground to be desensitized, further comprising one or more controllable elements, wherein a region of a controllable element is proximal to a region of a sensing element in order to provide a sensing region of the sensing element, wherein the one or more controllable elements are configured to be controlled such that the sensing regions are either sensitized or desensitized.

46. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements comprising a first set of one or more elements and a second set of one or more elements, wherein both the first set and second set of elements are configured to be operable as both sensing and controlling elements, wherein at least a portion of the one or more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs; and

a controller configured to;

determine preliminary locations of the multiple user inputs using the first set of elements as sensing elements and the second set of elements as controllable elements,

determine secondary locations of the multiple user inputs using the first set of elements as controllable elements and the second set of elements as sensing elements, and

determine composite location locations of the the multiple user inputs in accordance with the preliminary locations and the secondary locations.

49. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs, wherein the elements comprise one or more sensing elements, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an anti-active backplane signal to be desensitized, a n d wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an active backplane signal to be sensitized, further comprising a switch configured to couple the sensing element to either the anti-active backplane signal or the active backplane signal.

50. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more elements;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more elements is configured to be desensitized in order to distinguish between the locations of multiple user inputs, wherein the elements comprise one or more sensing elements, and wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an anti- active backplane signal to be desensitized, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the sensing elements is configured to be coupled to an element that is electrically floating to be sensitized, further comprising a switch configured to couple the sensing element to the anti- active backplane signal or to the element that is electrically floating.

51. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

one or more sensing elements; and

controllable elements, wherein regions of the controllable elements are proximal to regions of the one or more sensing elements in order to provide sensing regions of the one or more sensing elements, wherein the controllable elements are configured to be controlled such that the sensing regions are either sensitized or desensitized,

wherein the one or more sensing elements and/or controllable elements each comprises a wire.