Method and sensor device for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device

• US 9,322,861 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neodrón Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burger, Stefan, Erkens, Holger, Kaltner, Claus, Steffens, Holger, Dorfner, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Baldridge, Benjamin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maini, Rahul
• Application Number:
  US13/883,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 324/676
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a capacitive sensor device, uses at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode. An electrical signal is tapped at the receiving electrode and the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, a first alternating electrical signal is applied to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode. In the second operating mode, the second alternating signal is only applied to the compensating electrode. Furthermore, a sensor device can be provided which is configured to perform the method as described above.

Claims

1. A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a sensor device, comprising:

at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode, wherein

the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode, the method comprising the steps of;

selecting the first or second operating mode, wherein

when operating in the first operating mode;

applying a first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and

receiving an electrical signal from the receiving electrode, wherein the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the electrical signal exceeds a first threshold value, and

when operating in the second operating mode;

applying no signal to the transmitting electrode and applying the second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and

receiving an electrical signal from the receiving electrode, wherein the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the electrical signal meets a predetermined detection criterion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein in the second operating mode the transmitting electrode is operated as a receiving electrode and the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once an electrical signal tapped at the transmitting electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising multiplexing signals received from the transmitting and receiving electrodes for forwarding to an analysis device.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program code which

when executed on a date processing device or a microprocessor of a hand-held device performs the method according to claim 2.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program code according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined detection criterion comprises at least one of the following:

the amount of the electrical signal received at the receiving electrode and the electrical signal received at the transmitting electrode fall below a second threshold value, respectively, and

the amount of the sum signal resulting from the electrical signal received at the receiving electrode and the electrical signal received at the transmitting electrode falls below a second threshold value.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined detection criterion comprises falling below a second threshold value.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first alternating electrical signal has a different phase with regard to the second alternating electrical signal and/or the amplitude of the first alternating electrical signal differs from the amplitude of the second alternating electrical signal in the first operating mode.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein a third alternating electrical signal is applied to the first compensating electrode and a fourth alternating electrical signal is applied to the second compensating electrode and wherein a different phase and/or different amplitudes with regard to the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal are set.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal are applied to the respective compensating electrode in a multiplexing method.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device changes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in case no gripping of the hand-held device has been detected in the first operating mode.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device cyclically changes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device further comprises at least one field measuring electrode, wherein the at least one field measuring electrode can be arranged relatively to the compensating electrode in such a way that an alternating electrical field emitted at the compensating electrode can couple into the field measuring electrode in the second operating mode.

14. A sensor device for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, comprising

at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode, at least one receiving electrode, wherein

the sensor device is configured to apply in a first operating mode a first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and

a second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and to

detect the gripping of the hand-held device when an electrical signal received from the receiving electrode exceeds a first threshold value, and

apply in a second operating mode no signal to the transmitting electrode and apply the second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and to

detect the gripping of the hand-held device when an electrical signal received from the receiving electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion.

15. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein in the second operating mode the transmitting electrode is operated as a receiving electrode, and the gripping of the hand-held device is detected when an electrical signal tapped at the transmitting electrode meets a predetermined detection criterion.

16. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined detection criterion comprises falling below a second threshold value.

17. A sensor device according to claim 14, further comprising at least one signal generator, which can be coupled with the at least one transmitting electrode and with the at least one compensating electrode to apply the first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and the second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode, wherein a different phase of the second alternating electric signal can be set with respect to the first alternating signal and/or different amplitudes of the first alternating electrical signal and the second alternating electrical signal can be set.

18. A sensor device according to claim 17, wherein a phase shifter or an inverter is arranged between the signal generator and the compensating electrode in order to change a phase of the second alternating electrical signal with regard to the first alternating electrical signal in the first operating mode.

19. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

20. A sensor device according to claim 19, wherein a third alternating electrical signal is applied to the first compensating electrode and a fourth alternating electrical signal is applied to the second compensating electrode, and wherein a different phase and/or different amplitudes with regard to the third alternating electrical signal and the fourth alternating electrical signal can be set.

21. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein the sensor device is configured to change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in case no gripping of the hand-held device has been detected in the first operating mode.

22. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein the sensor device is configured to cyclically change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

23. A sensor device according to claim 15, wherein

the predetermined detection criterion comprises at least one of the following

the amount of the electrical signal received at the receiving electrode and the electrical signal received at the transmitting electrode fall below a second threshold value, respectively, and

the amount of the sum signal resulting from the electrical signal received at the receiving electrode and the electrical signal received at the transmitting electrode falls below a second threshold value.

24. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein the second threshold value can be set

as a function of the first threshold value, and/or

as a function of a preset second threshold value.

25. A sensor device according to claim 14, wherein

the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode are arranged at a distance from one another, and wherein

the compensating electrode is arranged in such a way that it can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

26. A hand-held device according to claim 25, wherein the transmitting electrode is substantially arranged at a first side wall of the hand-held device and the receiving electrode is substantially arranged at a second side wall or on the opposite side from the first side wall.

27. A hand-held device according to claim 25, wherein the compensating electrode is configured in several parts and comprises at least one first compensating electrode and one second compensating electrode, wherein the transmitting electrode, the receiving electrode and the at least one first and second compensating electrodes are arranged relatively to one another in such a way that at least one of said two compensating electrodes can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and the first compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the second compensating electrode can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.

28. An electrical hand-held device comprising

a sensor device for the detection of a gripping of the hand-held device,

the sensor device comprising at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode, and at least one receiving electrode, wherein

the sensor device is configured to select a first or a second operating mode, wherein

when operating in the first operating mode, the sensor device is operable:

to apply a first alternating electrical signal to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal to the compensating electrode and

to receive an electrical signal from the receiving electrode, wherein

the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the electrical signal exceeds a first threshold value, and

when operating in the second operating mode, the sensor device is operable;

to apply no signal to the transmitting electrode and apply the second alternating signal to the compensating electrode and

to receive an electrical signal from the receiving electrode, wherein

the gripping of the hand-held device is detected once the electrical signal meets a predetermined detection criterion.

29. An electrical hand-held device according to claim 28, wherein the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode are arranged at the hand-held device at a distance from one another, and wherein the compensating electrode is arranged at the hand-held device in such a way that it can be brought into a capacitive coupling with the receiving electrode in the first operating mode and into a capacitive coupling with the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode in the second operating mode.