Systems and methods for voltage gradient sensor devices

• US 9,052,782 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bulea, Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US13/194,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 702/64, 702/65, 702/94, 702/150, 700/302, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

A processing system for an input device includes a transmitter module, a receiver module, and a determination module. The transmitter module including transmitter circuitry, and is configured to drive a first end of a transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a first voltage gradient extending from the first end of the transmitter electrode toward a second end of the transmitter electrode, wherein the first voltage gradient comprises a set of substantially discrete voltage values. The receiver module includes receiver circuitry, the receiver module configured to receive a first resulting signal with a first receiver electrode while the transmitter module is driving the first end of the transmitter electrode. The determination module is configured to compute a first measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrode and the receiver electrode based on the first resulting signal, and determine positional information for an input object based on the first measurement.

Claims

1. A processing system for an input device, the processing system comprising:

a transmitter module including transmitter circuitry, the transmitter module configured to drive a first end of a transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a first voltage gradient extending from the first end of the transmitter electrode toward a second end of the transmitter electrode;

a receiver module including receiver circuitry, the receiver module configured to receive a first resulting signal with a first receiver electrode and a second resulting signal with a second receiver electrode, wherein the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode are proximate to corresponding discrete regions of the transmitter electrode; and

a determination module configured to compute a first measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrode and the first receiver electrode based on the first resulting signal, compute a second measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrode and the second receiver electrode based on the second resulting signal, and determine a button response for an input object based on at least one of the first measurement and the second measurement.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage gradient comprises a set of substantially discrete voltage values, each associated with a respective discrete region of the discrete regions of the transmitter electrode.

3. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the substantially discrete voltage values monotonically increase from the first end of the transmitter electrode to the second end of the transmitter electrode.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the transmitter electrode increases between each of the discrete regions of the transmitter electrode.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter electrode comprises a contiguous resistive material.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter module is configured to drive the first end of the transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a second voltage gradient extending from the first end of the transmitter electrode toward the second end of the transmitter electrode, wherein the first voltage gradient and the second voltage gradient are non-proportional.

7. The processing system of claim 6, wherein the receiver module is further configured to receive a third resulting signal with the first receiver electrode and a fourth resulting signal with the second receiver electrode when the transmitter electrode exhibits the second voltage gradient.

8. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter module is configured to drive a second transmitter electrode, and wherein the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode are disposed proximate to respective discrete regions of the second transmitter electrode.

9. A processing system for an input device, the processing system comprising:

a transmitter module including transmitter circuitry, the transmitter module configured to drive a first end of a transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a first voltage gradient extending from the first end of the transmitter electrode toward a second end of the transmitter electrode, wherein the first voltage gradient comprises a set of substantially discrete voltage values;

a receiver module including receiver circuitry, the receiver module configured to receive a first resulting signal with a first receiver electrode while the transmitter module is driving the first end of the transmitter electrode;

a determination module including determination circuitry, the determination circuitry configured to compute a first measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrode and the first receiver electrode based on the first resulting signal, and determine positional information for an input object based on the first measurement.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the receiver module is configured to receive a second resulting signal with a second receiver electrode, and wherein the first receiver electrode and the second receiver electrode are proximate to regions of the transmitter electrode that correspond to the substantially discrete voltage values.

11. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the substantially discrete voltage values monotonically increase from the first end of the transmitter electrode to the second end of the transmitter electrode.

12. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the resistance of the transmitter electrode increases between regions of the transmitter electrode that correspond to the substantially discrete voltage values.

13. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter electrode comprises a contiguous resistive material.

14. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the positional information determined by the determination circuitry corresponds to at least one of zero-dimensional information and one-dimensional information for the input object.

15. The processing system of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitter module is further configured to drive the second end of the transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a second voltage gradient extending from the second end of the transmitter electrode toward the first end of the transmitter electrode, wherein the second voltage gradient comprises a second set of substantially discrete voltage values, and wherein the first voltage gradient and the second voltage gradient are non-proportional; and

the receiver module is further configured to receive a second resulting signal with the first receiver electrode when the transmitter electrode exhibits the second voltage gradient.

16. A capacitive sensor device comprising:

a transmitter electrode;

a plurality of receiver electrodes, wherein each receiver electrode of the plurality of receiver electrodes is adjacent to a corresponding discrete region of the transmitter electrode, and further wherein each discrete region comprises a substantially discrete voltage value; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the transmitter electrode and the plurality of receiver electrodes, the processing system configured to;

drive a first end of the transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a first voltage gradient extending from the first end of the transmitter electrode toward a second end of the transmitter electrode;

receive a first resulting signal with a first receiver electrode of the plurality of receiver electrodes;

compute a first measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrode and the first receiver electrode based on the first resulting signal; and

determine a button response for an input object based on the first measurement.

17. The capacitive sensor device of claim 16, wherein the first voltage gradient comprises a set of substantially discrete voltage values, each corresponding to a region of the discrete regions of the transmitter electrode and associated with a respective button response of the input object, and wherein the substantially discrete voltage values monotonically increase from the first end of the transmitter electrode to the second end of the transmitter electrode.

18. The capacitive sensor device of claim 16, wherein the processing system is further configured to drive the second end of the transmitter electrode such that the transmitter electrode exhibits a second voltage gradient extending from the second end of the transmitter electrode toward the first end of the transmitter electrode, wherein the first voltage gradient and the second voltage gradient are non-proportional.

19. The capacitive sensor device of claim 18, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a second resulting signal with the first receiver electrode when the transmitter electrode exhibits the second voltage gradient.

20. The capacitive sensor device of claim 16, wherein the transmitter electrode is disposed on a first layer of a substrate, and the first receiver electrode is disposed on a second layer of the substrate.