Sensor configurations of an input device that are switchable based on mode

• US 9,454,256 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fisher, Joseph, Kocalar, Erturk, Bhargava, Rishabh, Rathnam, Lakshman
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/205,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20090229892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,944 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An input device with switchable sensor configurations. In one embodiment, the input device can switch between a sensor configuration in which each of its sensor elements is enabled to sense input and a sensor configuration in which only a subset of its sensor elements are enabled to sense input. In another embodiment, the input device can switch between a sensor configuration in which each of its sensor elements is enabled to sense input and a sensor configuration in which one or more groupings of its sensor elements are enabled to collectively sense input. In a further embodiment, the input device can operate in a detection mode that switches between sensor configurations to determine a position of an input.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable electronic device including a plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged relative to a surface of the portable electronic device, the method comprising:

determining whether to switch from a first position detection mode having a first sensor configuration to a second position detection mode having a second sensor configuration;

in the first position detection mode, enabling each of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the first sensor configuration to sense a position of a touch input; and

in the second position detection mode, enabling a first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the second sensor configuration to sense the position of the touch input, and disabling a second subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the second sensor configuration thereby reducing power consumption.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first portion of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements is arranged in a first circumference relative to a first point; and

a second portion of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements is arranged in a second circumference relative to the first point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first one or more groupings of capacitive touch sensor elements are arranged radially around a first point, and

a second one or more groupings of capacitive touch sensor elements are arranged in one or more angular sectors around the first point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the first position detection mode, determining an absolute position based on the touch input sensed by one or more of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements; and

in the second position detection mode, determining a radial or angular position based on the touch input sensed by one or more capacitive touch sensor elements in the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the enabled first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements according to a linear input pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the enabled first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements according to a rotational input pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in one or more angular sectors around a first point of the surface of the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to switch from the first position detection mode to the second position detection mode based on an orientation of the portable electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to switch from the first position detection mode to the second position detection mode based on a context of an application being executed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining radial and angular positions in the second position detection mode by sensing a radial position of a first grouping of the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements during a first period and sensing an angular position of a second grouping of the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements during a second period.

11. A capacitive touch input device, comprising:

a plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged relative to a surface of the portable electronic device; and

a controller configured for

determining whether to switch from a first position detection mode having a first sensor configuration to a second position detection mode having a second sensor configuration,

in the first position detection mode, enabling each of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the first sensor configuration to sense a position of a touch input, and

in the second position detection mode, enabling a first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the second sensor configuration to sense the position of the touch input, and disabling a second subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements in the second sensor configuration thereby reducing power consumption.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first portion of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged in a first circumference relative to a first point; and

a second portion of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged in a second circumference relative to the first point.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first one or more groupings of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged radially around a first point, and

a second one or more groupings of capacitive touch sensor elements arranged in one or more angular sectors around the first point.

14. The device of claim 11, the controller further configured for:

in the first position detection mode, determining an absolute position based on the touch input sensed by one or more of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements; and

in the second position detection mode, determining a radial or angular position based on the touch input sensed by one or more capacitive touch sensor elements in the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the enabled first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements are arranged according to a linear input pattern.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the enabled first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements are arranged according to a rotational input pattern.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements are arranged in one or more angular sectors around a first point of the surface of the portable electronic device.

18. The device of claim 11, the controller further configured for determining whether to switch from the first position detection mode to the second position detection mode based on an orientation of the portable electronic device.

19. The device of claim 11, the controller further configured for determining whether to switch from the first position detection mode to the second position detection mode based on a context of an application being executed.

20. The device of claim 11, the controller further configured for determining radial and angular positions in the second position detection mode by sensing a radial position of a first grouping of the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements during a first period and sensing an angular position of a second grouping of the first subset of the plurality of capacitive touch sensor elements during a second period.