Adaptive touch sensing electrode

• US 9,335,859 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Small, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, KUO-KONG
• Application Number:
  US14/231,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Techniques for varying aggregate area of a sensor electrode used for capacitive sensing. Sensor electrodes are driven for capacitive sensing. Resulting signals are received from the sensor electrodes. Based on signal strengths of the resulting signals, aggregate area of the sensor electrodes may be varied. The aggregate area of the sensor electrodes may be varied by connecting or disconnecting segments of the sensor electrodes from a sensor module that drives the sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing. The ability to vary the aggregate area of the sensor electrodes expands the overall dynamic range of a receiver module coupled to the sensor electrodes.

Claims

1. A processing system for an input device, the processing system comprising:

a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry configured to;

drive a first number of a first plurality of segments comprising a first sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes of the input device to determine a first capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and an input object, and

drive a second number of the first plurality of segments of the first sensor electrode to determine a second capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and the input object, in response to determining that the first capacitive coupling is outside of an operating range of the sensor module corresponding to the first number of segments,

wherein the first number is different from the second number.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor module is configured to utilize a greater number of segments for determining the second capacitive coupling in response to the first capacitive coupling being lower than a low threshold of the operating range.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor module is configured to utilize a lower number of segments for determining the second capacitive coupling in response to the first capacitive coupling being higher than a high threshold of the operating range.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein each sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a different common electrode segment of a segmented common-voltage-layer.

5. The processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of switches operable to selectively connect segments of the electrodes.

6. The processing system of claim 5, further comprising:

a substrate, wherein the sensor electrodes and the plurality of switches are disposed on the substrate.

7. The processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a single integrated circuit configured to perform capacitive touch sensing, wherein the touch sensor module is included in the single integrated circuit.

8. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the single integrated circuit is also configured to drive display updating.

9. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second number of segments has a second centroid that is in approximately the same location as a first centroid of the first number of segments.

10. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor module is further configured to maintain a first baseline value for the first number of segments and a second baseline value for the second number of segments.

11. The processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor electrode is located near a center of a sensing region;

a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes is located near a periphery of the sensing region;

the first sensor electrode includes a first group of segments and the second sensor electrode includes a second group of segments; and

the first group of segments has a first segment pattern that is different than a second segment pattern of the second group of segments.

12. The processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the second sensor electrode including a second plurality of segments; and

wherein the touch sensor module is further configured to;

drive a third number of segments of the second sensor electrode to determine a third capacitive coupling between the second sensor electrode and the input object;

determine that the third capacitive coupling is outside of an operating range corresponding to the third number of segments; and

drive a fourth number of segments of the second sensor electrode to determine a fourth capacitive coupling between the second sensor electrode and the input object;

wherein the operating range corresponding to the first number of segments is approximately the same as the operating range corresponding to the third number of segments,

wherein the third capacitive coupling is outside of the operating range corresponding to the third number of segments to a similar degree as the first capacitive coupling is outside of the operating range corresponding to the first number of segments, and

wherein the second number of segments comprises a different segment configuration than the fourth number of segments.

13. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second number of segments includes at least two segments that are non-contiguous.

14. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes; and

a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry configured to;

drive a first number of a first plurality of segments comprising a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes to determine a first capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and an input object, and

drive a second number of the first plurality of segments of the first sensor electrode to determine a second capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and the input object in response to determining that the first capacitive coupling is outside of an operating range of the sensor module corresponding to the first number of segments,

wherein the first number is different from the second number.

15. The input device of claim 14, wherein the touch sensor module is configured to utilize a greater number of segments for determining the second capacitive coupling in response to the first capacitive coupling being lower than a low threshold of the operating range.

16. The input device of claim 14, wherein the touch sensor module is configured to utilize a lower number of segments for determining the second capacitive coupling in response to the first capacitive coupling being higher than a high threshold of the operating range.

17. The input device of claim 14, wherein the second number of segments has a second centroid that is in approximately the same location as a first centroid of the first number of segments.

18. A method for operating an input device, the method comprising:

driving a first number of a first plurality of segments comprising a first sensor electrode of a plurality of sensor electrodes of the input device to determine a first capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and an input object, and

driving a second number of the first plurality of segments of the first sensor electrode to determine a second capacitive coupling between the first sensor electrode and the input object, in response to determining that the first capacitive coupling is outside of an operating range of the sensor module corresponding to the first number of segments,

wherein the first number is different from the second number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein driving the second number of segments comprises utilizing a greater number of segments for determining the second capacitive coupling in response to the first capacitive coupling being lower than a low threshold of the operating range.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second number of segments has a second centroid that is in approximately the same location as a first centroid of the first number of segments.