Electrode arrangement for a keyboard proximity and tracking sensor

• US 9,285,889 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bateman, Steven S., Okuley, James M., Egger, Ron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US13/709,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

A keyboard assembly includes a transmitter electrode and one or more receiver electrodes that are used to generate an electric field above one or more keys of the assembly. The first electrode is located on a first level of a keyboard assembly and the second electrode is located on a second level of the keyboard assembly. The first level may correspond to a support plate of the assembly and the second level may correspond to a surface of a printed circuit board to which the second electrode is coupled. Alternatively, the first and second levels may correspond to different sides of a frame of the keyboard assembly. Disturbances in the electric field may be detected to perform a control operation of a host device that includes or is coupled to the keyboard assembly.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first electrode to transmit a signal; and

at least one second electrode to receive the signal, wherein;

the first electrode to transmit the signal is located on a first level of a keyboard assembly,

a second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is located on a second level of the keyboard assembly, the second level being different than the first level,

transmission of the signal from the first electrode to the second electrode is to generate an electric field within a first detecting zone above at least one key of the keyboard assembly between the first and second electrodes, the electric field to be generated within the first detecting zone above the keyboard assembly based on a distance between the first electrode on the first level and the second electrode on the second level, wherein;

the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is located adjacent at least one key of the keyboard assembly, and

the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal is located at least partially under the at least one key and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal is at a metal support plate of the keyboard assembly and the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is at a printed circuit board of the keyboard assembly above the support plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electric field between the first and second electrodes is to correspond to the first detecting range to detect proximity or movement of an object above the keyboard assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first level is to correspond to the support plate of the keyboard assembly and a second level is to correspond to a surface of the keyboard assembly above the support plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal is at a surface of the support plate and the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is located above the support plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode corresponds to a thickness of a printed circuit board to which the second electrode is coupled.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third electrode to transmit a transmitter signal; and

at least one fourth electrode to receive the transmitter signal, wherein;

transmission of the signal from the third electrode to the fourth electrode is to generate an electric field between the third and fourth electrodes,

the electric field between the first and second electrodes is to correspond to the first detecting range to detect proximity or movement of an object above the keyboard assembly, and

the electric field between the third and fourth electrodes is to correspond to a second detecting range to detect proximity or movement of the same or another object above the keyboard assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first detecting range is different from the second detecting range.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first detecting range is based on a size of the first electrode.

9. A keyboard assembly comprising:

at least one key;

a first electrode to transmit a transmitter signal; and

at least one second electrode to receive the transmitter signal, wherein;

the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal is located at least partially under the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal and at least partially under the at least one key,

a second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is at the at least one key, the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal corresponds to a metal support plate of the keyboard assembly and the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is coupled to a surface of the keyboard assembly above the support plate, and the surface to which the second electrode is coupled is a surface of a printed circuit board above the metal support plate, and

transmission of the signal from the first electrode to the second electrode is to generate an electric field at a first detecting zone between the first and second electrodes and above the at least one key, the electric field to be generated at the first detecting zone above the keyboard assembly based on a distance between the first electrode at least partially under the second electrode and the second electrode.

10. The keyboard assembly of claim 9, wherein the electric field between the first and second electrodes is to correspond to the first detecting range to detect proximity or movement of an object above the keyboard assembly.

11. The keyboard assembly of claim 9, wherein the distance between the first and second electrodes corresponds to a thickness of a printed circuit board to which the second electrode is coupled.

12. The keyboard assembly of claim 9, wherein the electric field between the first and second electrodes is to extend above the at least one key of the keyboard assembly.

13. The keyboard assembly of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one key extends through a hole in a printed circuit board,

the first electrode is located under the hole, and

the second electrode is coupled to a location of the printed circuit board adjacent the hole.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a first electrode to transmit a transmitter signal; and

at least one second electrode to receive the transmitter signal, wherein;

the first electrode to transmit the signal is located on a first level of a keyboard assembly,

a second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is located on a second level of the keyboard assembly, the second level being different than the first level,

transmission of the signal from the first electrode to the second electrode is to generate an electric field within a first detecting zone above at least one key of the keyboard assembly between the first and second electrodes, the electric field to be generated within the first detecting zone above the keyboard assembly based on a distance between the first electrode on the first level and the second electrode on the second level, wherein;

the second electrode to receive the transmitter signal is located adjacent at least one key of the keyboard assembly, and

the first electrode to transmit the transmitter signal is located at least partially under the at least one key and the second electrode,

the first electrode is a conductive layer at a first surface of a frame of the keyboard assembly, and the second electrode is a conductive layer at a second surface of the frame of the keyboard assembly, the frame formed of a non-conductive material, wherein the first conductive layer is a conductive paint layer at a first surface of the frame of the keyboard assembly, and the second conductive layer is a conductive paint layer at a second surface of the frame of the keyboard assembly.