Method and apparatus for emulating touch and gesture events on a capacitive touch sensor

• US 9,110,543 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steve Dabell
• Original Assignee: Steve Dabell
• Inventors: Dabell, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Acha, III, Josemarie G
• Application Number:
  US13/344,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for emulating touch and gesture events on a capacitive touch sensor array comprising: an electric field detection means for measuring the electric field intensity emitted as a function of time from a first plurality of scan electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array; a predictive scan pattern means to infer the scan times and scan stimulus waveforms of a second plurality of scan electrodes at a plurality of emulated touch locations spanning an emulated gesture movement on said capacitive touch sensor array from said measured electric field intensity; and an electric field synthesizing means to create a time sequence of time variant electric fields coincident to said inferred scan time, and coherent and proportional to said inferred scan stimulus waveform for each said second plurality of scan electrodes; and a capacitive coupling means to couple said synthesized electric fields to said second plurality of electrodes inducing voltages which emulate time sequential touch events at said plurality of emulated touch locations animating said emulated gesture movement.

Claims

1. An apparatus for emulating a gesture on a capacitive touch sensor array, comprising:

one or more electric field detection means for measuring an electric field emitted as a function of time from one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

wherein said apparatus further comprises a location determining means to estimate a two dimensional location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

said location determining means determining a plurality of distance estimates between said apparatus and each of said first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field and computes a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimates to produce a two dimensional estimate of said location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

an emulation processor to determine a sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations relative to said location of apparatus, which comprise said gesture on said capacitive touch sensor array;

a predictive scan pattern means to infer electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said pattern means to infer electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations on said capacitive touch sensor array from said measured electric field, said one or more second transmitting electrodes including some, none or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes;

an electric field synthesizing means to create a time variant electric field in accordance with said electrode scan waveforms for each said one or more second transmitting electrodes; and

a coupling means to couple said time variant electric to one or more receiving electrodes animating a sequence of emulated touch events consecutively as a function of time along said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations thereby rendering said gesture.

2. Apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a height and pressure determining means to determine a height or pressure and any combinations thereof of said apparatus opposed said capacitive touch sensor array.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a height and pressure determining means to determine a pressure or height and any combinations thereof of said apparatus opposed said capacitive touch sensor array;

said pressure determining means further comprising a compute means to correlate said measured electric field emitted from said one or more first transmitting electrodes to height or pressure and any combinations thereof, of said apparatus opposed said capacitive touch sensor array.

4. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprising a modulator means to emulate pressure effect of said apparatus opposed said capacitive touch sensor array.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a modulator means to amplitude shift key modulate, frequency modulate, phase modulate, or any combinations thereof, said emulated touch events to communicate position, height, orientation, movement, pressure, button presses, and slider actions or any combinations thereof, of said apparatus to said capacitive touch sensor array.

6. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a modulator means to communicate information to said one or more receiving electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

said modulator means further comprises an amplitude shift key means, frequency shift key means, or phase shift key means, or any combinations thereof, to modulate said synthesized time variant electric fields to communicate said information.

7. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gesture emulates a single finger swipe gesture;

wherein said sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a start location and a stop location thereby rendering said single finger swipe gesture.

8. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gesture emulates a two finger gesture;

wherein said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations are comprised of a first sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations and a second sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations;

wherein said sequence of emulated touch events is comprised of a first sequence of emulated touch events and a second sequence of emulated touch events;

said first sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said first sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a first start location and a first stop location; and

said second sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said second sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a second start location and a second stop location thereby rendering said two finger gesture.

9. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gesture emulates a three finger gesture;

wherein said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations are comprised of a first sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations, a second sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations, and a third sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations;

wherein said sequence of emulated touch events is comprised of a first sequence of emulated touch events, a second sequence of emulated touch events, and a third sequence of emulated touch events;

said first plurality said first sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said first sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a first start location and a first stop location; and

said second sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said second sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a second start location and a second stop location; and

said third sequence of emulated touch events is animated consecutively as a function of time along said third sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations between a third start location and a third stop location thereby rendering said three finger gesture.

10. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control means to enable said apparatus to emulate said gesture.

11. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control means to enable said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations animating said gesture.

12. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is a stylus.

13. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a game controller.

14. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an induction coil means for magnetically coupling said apparatus to said capacitive touch sensor array.

15. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an orientation determining means to determine the relative orientation of said apparatus to said capacitive touch sensor array;

said orientation determining means comprising an angle calculating means to calculate the angle made by two or more said electric field intensity detection means to said one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array from said measured electric field.

20. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one or more first transmitting electrodes and said one or more second transmitting electrodes and said one or more receiving electrodes collectively operate in mutual capacitance mode, or said one or more first transmitting electrodes, one or more second transmitting electrodes and one or more receiving electrodes operate in self capacitance mode, or any combinations thereof.

21. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electric field synthesizing means further comprises an intensity control means to control the amplitude of said time variant electric field.

22. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electric field synthesizing means further comprises an intensity control means to control the amplitude of said time variant electric field during an electrode scan duration of each said one or more second electrodes;

rendering said sequence of touch emulation events at said one or more receiving electrodes with a controllable strength;

wherein each said touch event of said sequence of touch events at said one or more receiving electrodes approximates a centroid.

23. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one or more receive electrodes including some, none or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes and some, none or all of said one or more second transmitting electrodes if said apparatus is operating in self capacitance mode.

16. An apparatus for emulating touch events on a capacitive touch sensor array comprising:

an electric field detection means to measure an electric field as a function of time generated from one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

wherein said apparatus further comprises a location determining means to estimate a two dimensional location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

said location determining means determining a plurality of distance estimates between said apparatus and each of said first transmitting electrodes from associated measured electric field and computes a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimates to produce a two dimensional estimate of said location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

an emulation processor to determine one or more emulated touch event locations relative to said location of apparatus;

a predicting means to predict electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said one or more emulated touch event locations, from said measured electric field, said one or more second transmitting electrodes including some, none or all of said one or more firs transmitting electrodes;

a synthesizing means to synthesize electric fields which are in accordance with said predicted electrode scan waveforms of said one or more second transmitting electrodes; and

a coupling means to couple said synthesized electric fields to one or more receiving electrodes of said capacitive sensor array, thereby rendering said touch events at said one or more emulated touch event locations.

17. A method to modulate emulated touch events at one or more emulated touch events on a capacitive touch sensor array comprising the steps of:

measuring an electric field emitted from one or more first transmitting electrodes on said capacitive touch sensor array;

estimating a two dimensional location on said capacitive touch sensor array relative to said first transmitting electrodes comprising the steps of;

determining a plurality of distance estimates between said location and each of said first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field and computing a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimates to produce a two dimensional estimate of said location relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

inferring said one or more emulated touch locations relative to said one or more first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field;

predicting electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said one or more emulated touch locations on said capacitive touch sensor array, from said measured electric field, said one or more second electrodes including some, none, or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes;

synthesizing an electric field that is in accordance with said predicted electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes;

amplitude shift key modulating, frequency shift key modulating, or phase shift key modulating or any combinations thereof said synthesized electric field to produce a modulated electric field; and

coupling said modulated electric field to said capacitive touch sensor array receiving electrodes thereby rendering a modulated emulated touch event at said one or more emulated touch locations.

18. A method for emulating touch event at one or more corresponding emulated touch event locations on a capacitive touch sensor array, comprising the steps of:

measuring an electric field as a function of time generated from one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

estimating a two dimensional location on said capacitive touch sensor array relative to said first transmitting electrodes comprising the steps of;

determining a plurality of distance estimates between said location and each of said first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field and computing a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimated to produce a two dimensional estimate of said location relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

inferring said one or more emulated touch event locations relative to said one or more first transmitting electrode from said measured electric field;

predicting electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said one or more emulated touch event locations on said capacitive touch sensor array, from said measured electric field, said one or more second transmitting electrode including some, none, or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes;

synthesizing one or more electric fields which are in accordance with said electrode scan waveforms of said transmitting electrodes; and

coupling said synthesized electric fields to one or more receiving electrode of said capacitive touch sensor array thereby rendering said touch events at said one or more emulated touch event locations.

19. A method for emulating a multi-touch gesture on a capacitive touch sensor array which consists of the steps of:

measuring an electric field generated from one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

estimating a two dimensional location on said capacitive touch sensor array relative to said first transmitting electrodes comprising the steps of;

determining a plurality of distance estimates between said location and each of said first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field and computing a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimates to produce a two dimensional estimate of said location relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

inferring a sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations which comprise said gesture on said capacitive touch sensor array, relative to said one or more first transmitting electrodes from said measured electric field;

predicting electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said sequence of contiguous emulated touch locations which span said gesture, said one or more second transmitting electrodes including some, none or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes;

synthesizing a time sequence of time variant electric fields which are in accordance to said electrode scan waveforms of each said one or more second transmitting electrodes; and

coupling said synthesized electric fields to one or more receiving electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array animating a sequence of emulated touch events consecutively as a function of time along said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event location thereby rendering said gesture.

24. An apparatus for emulating gesture events on a capacitive touch sensor array, comprising:

one or more electric field detectors to measure an electric field emitted as a function of time from one or more first transmitting electrodes of said capacitive touch sensor array;

a two-dimensional coordinate interpolator to estimate a two dimensional location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

said two-dimensional coordinate interpolator determining a plurality of distance estimates between said apparatus and each of said first transmitting electrodes from associated measured electric fields;

computing a two dimensional average of said plurality of distance estimates to produce a two dimensional estimate of location of said apparatus relative to said first transmitting electrodes;

an emulation processor to determine a sequence of contiguous emulated touch event location relative to said location of apparatus, which comprise said gesture on said capacitive touch sensor array;

a predictive scan pattern processor to infer electrode scan waveforms of one or more second transmitting electrodes at said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations on said capacitive touch sensor array from said measured electric field, said one or more second transmitting electrodes including some, none or all of said one or more first transmitting electrodes;

an electric field synthesizer to create a time variant electric field in accordance to said electrode scan waveforms for each said one or more second transmitting electrodes;

wherein said electric field synthesizer further controls an amplitude of said time variant electric field during each said one or more second electrode scan durations; and

a transmit probe to couple said time variant electric field to one or more receiving electrodes animating a sequence of emulated touch events consecutively as a function of time along said sequence of contiguous emulated touch event locations thereby rendering said gesture.