Virtual buttons for a touch interface

• US 9,176,635 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Jun, Kab Jin, Kim, Kyoung Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US14/495,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A circuit, method, and system is disclosed for measuring capacitance of a plurality of electrodes, detecting a presence of a conductive object proximate to at least one of the plurality of electrodes near an edge of a touchscreen display based on the measured capacitance, assigning a value to at least one virtual sensor derived from the measured capacitance of the at least one of the plurality of electrodes near the edge of the touchscreen display and activating at least one control element associated with a location outside the display area based on the value of the at least one virtual sensor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring capacitance of a plurality of sensors of an array, each of the sensors within a sensing area defined by a touchscreen display;

detecting a presence of a conductive object proximate to at least one of the plurality of sensors near an edge of the touchscreen display based on the measured capacitance;

assigning a capacitance value to at least one virtual sensor derived from the measured capacitance of the at least one of the plurality of electrodes near the edge of the touchscreen display, wherein the at least one virtual sensor is outside the sensing area defined by the touchscreen display; and

activating at least one control element associated with a location outside the sensing area defined by the touchscreen display area based on the assigned capacitance value of the at least one virtual sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitance on the plurality of sensors is a mutual capacitance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitance on the plurality of sensors is a self capacitance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual sensor corresponds to at least one of a plurality of control elements on an edge of a touchscreen device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in an orientation of the touchscreen display; and

if the at least one activated control element outside the touchscreen display area corresponds to an expected control element, causing a device comprising the touchscreen display to enter a second mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second mode is an image capture mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one control element comprises a shutter button.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control element comprises a slider comprising a plurality of virtual sensors.

9. A user interface device comprising:

a first plurality capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a first axis of an array;

a second plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a second axis of an array;

a controller configured to;

measure a mutual capacitance between the first and second pluralities of capacitance sensing electrodes;

detect a presence of a conductive object proximate to an edge of the array; and

assign a capacitance value to at least one virtual sensor derived from the measured capacitance between the first and second pluralities of capacitance sensing electrodes, the at least one virtual sensor located outside an area defined by the first and second pluralities of sensing electrodes and;

a processor configured to determine activation of at least one control element along an edge of the user interface device based on the assigned capacitance value of the at least one virtual sensor.

10. The user interface device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to detect a change in an orientation of the user interface device and enter a mode of operation usable with the virtual sensors and the changed orientation.

11. The user interface of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect biometric information of a user; and

change a characteristic of information on a display based on the biometric information of the user.

12. The user interface device of claim 9, wherein the control element is a shutter button of a camera.

13. The user interface device of claim 9, wherein the control element is a volume control interface.

14. The user interface device of claim 9, the presence of a conductive object on the edge of the display is based on capacitance from a plurality of columns of unit cells at intersections between the first and second pluralities of electrodes.

15. A handheld display device comprising:

a display;

a plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed substantially over the display, the plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes forming capacitance sensing nodes; and

a touch controller configured to measure capacitance on the plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes and determine activation states for at least one virtual sensor, wherein;

the at least one virtual sensor is assigned a capacitance value derived from the measured capacitance of the at least one of a plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes near an edge of the touchscreen display,

the at least one virtual sensor is positioned outside an area defined by the plurality of capacitance sensing nodes, and the touch controller is configured to detect a conductive object on an edge of the display.

16. The handheld display device of claim 15, wherein the at least one virtual sensor is positioned on a surface of the handheld display device substantially perpendicular to a substrate on which the plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes are disposed.

17. The handheld display of claim 15, wherein the at least one virtual sensor is aligned with at least one user interface element.

18. The handheld display of claim 17, wherein the at least one user interface element is a slider configured to output a value at a resolution greater than the resolution of the at least one virtual sensor.

19. The handheld display of claim 17, wherein the at least one user element is a button displayed on the edge of the display and configured to be activated by a presence of a conductive object outside the area defined by the plurality of capacitance sensing nodes.