Touch location sensing system and method employing sensor data fitting to a predefined curve

• US 9,201,556 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Free, M. Benton, Geaghan, Bernard O., Hauck, Karl P., Weaver, Billy Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Application Number:
  US11/557,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,310 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/177, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.06, 178/19.01, 178/19.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

Methods and devices for determining the location of a touch implement relative to a touch locating sensing device involve developing touch signals at a touch sensor in response to a touch implement on or near the touch surface. Data associated with the touch signals is fitted to a predefined curve. The predefined curve is preferably defined by a charged sphere near a conducting plane, the charged sphere representative of an end of the touch implement and the conducting plane representative of the touch surface. A location of the touch implement is determined relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which the data is fitted.

Claims

1. A detection method for use in a touch location sensing device comprising a capacitive touch sensor having a touch surface, the method comprising:

developing touch signals at the touch sensor in response to a touch implement on or near the touch surface;

fitting data associated with the touch signals to a predefined curve, the predefined curve defined by a charged sphere near a conducting plane; and

determining a location of the touch implement relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which the data is fitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined curve is further defined by a capacitance that varies as a function of distance between the charged sphere and the conducting plane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined curve is further defined by sets of point charges representative of the charged sphere and conducting plane, respectively, that maintain the charged sphere and conducting plane as equipotentials.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location comprises interpolating the location using the predefined curve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location comprises determining both an X-Y position and a height of the touch implement relative to the touch surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the touch sensor comprises a plurality of grid conductors; and

fitting data associated with the touch signals comprises fitting data associated with a touch signal developed at each of the plurality of grid conductors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch implement comprises a finger, and the end of the touch implement comprises a tip of the finger.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch implement comprises a stylus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch implement comprises an untethered battery-less stylus, the method further comprising:

generating a drive signal at the touch location sensing device;

energizing the stylus using the drive signal;

transmitting a stylus signal from the energized stylus to the touch sensor;

developing stylus touch signals at the touch sensor in response to the stylus signal; and

determining a location of the stylus relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which data associated with the stylus touch signals is fitted.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the stylus comprises determining both an X-Y position and a height of the stylus relative to the touch surface.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

performing envelope detection on the stylus touch signals;

digitizing the envelope signals; and

determining one or both of the location and a height of the stylus relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which data associated with the digitized envelope signals is fitted.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising indicating the location of the stylus in a first manner when the stylus is in contact with the touch surface, and indicating the location of the stylus in a second manner differing from the first manner when the stylus is hovering relative to the touch surface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first manner comprises presenting a point or other indicia on a display at a location indicative of stylus contact on the touch surface, and the second manner comprises presenting a cursor on the display at a location approximating that of the hovering stylus relative to the touch surface.

14. The method of claim 9, comprising determining an angle of the stylus relative to the touch sensor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the angle is determined based on skew of the residual data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the location of the stylus relative to the touch surface comprises correcting for the angle of the stylus when determining stylus location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the angle is corrected based on skew of the residual data.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the stylus signal comprises transmitting information indicative of one or more stylus states from the energized stylus to the touch sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the stylus states comprise one or more states equivalent to one or more mouse states.

20. A touch location sensing device, comprising:

a touch sensor comprising a touch surface and one or more transducers configured to generate touch signals responsive to a touch implement on or near the touch surface; and

a processor coupled to the touch sensor, the processor configured to fit data associated with the touch signals with a predefined curve, the predefined curve defined by a charged sphere near a conducting plane, the processor further configured to determine a location of the touch implement relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which the data is fitted.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

drive circuitry provided at the touch sensor and configured to generate a drive signal; and

an untethered battery-less stylus comprising circuitry energized by the drive signal, the stylus configured to transmit a stylus signal in response to the drive signal;

wherein stylus touch signals are developed at the touch sensor in response to the stylus signal, and the processor is configured to determine a location of the stylus relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which data associated with the stylus touch signals is fitted.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

conditioning circuitry comprising an envelope detector coupled to the touch sensor and configured to perform envelope detection on the touch signals to produce envelope signals, and an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the envelope signals;

wherein the processor is coupled to the conditioning circuitry and configured to determine one or both of the location and a height of the stylus relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which data associated with the digitized envelope signals is fitted.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine an angle of the touch implement relative to the touch sensor.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to determine the angle based on skew of the residual data.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to correct for the angle of the stylus when determining stylus location.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to correct for the angle based on skew of the residual data.

27. The device of claim 20, comprising a display coupled to the processor.

28. The device of claim 20, wherein the touch sensor comprises a matrix capacitive touch sensor.

29. The device of claim 20, wherein the predefined curve is further defined by a capacitance that varies as a function of distance between the charged sphere and the conducting plane.

30. The device of claim 20, wherein the predefined curve is further defined by sets of point charges representative of the charged sphere and conducting plane that maintains the charged sphere and conducting plane as equipotentials.

31. The device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to interpolate the location using the predefined curve.

32. A touch location sensing device, comprising:

means for developing touch signals at the touch sensor in response to a touch implement on or near the touch surface;

means for fitting data associated with the touch signals to a predefined curve, the predefined curve defined by a charged sphere near a conducting plane; and

means for determining a location of the touch implement relative to the touch surface using the predefined curve to which the data is fitted.

33. The device of claim 32, further comprising means for determining an angle of the touch implement relative to the touch sensor.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising means for correcting for the angle when determining the location of the touch implement relative to the touch surface.