Portable computing device including a three-dimensional touch screen

• US 9,569,003 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Rofougaran, Maryam, Ibrahim, Brima B., Darabi, Hooman
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, AFROZA Y
• Application Number:
  US13/336,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/017 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

A portable computing device includes a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen and a core module. The 3D touch screen includes a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) radar modules. The core module is operable to determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode. When the 3D touch screen is in the 3D mode, the core module is further operable to receive one or more radar signals via one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules and interpret the one or more radar signals to produce a 3D input signal.

Claims

1. A portable computing device comprises:

a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen that includes;

a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section; and

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) radar modules that recognize 3D user input via 3D tracking; and

a core module operable to;

determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode, wherein the 3D tracking of the 3D touch screen in initiated responsive to 2D user input;

when the 3D touch screen in the 3D mode;

receive one or more radar signals via one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules;

contemporaneously receive a 2D touch command from the 2D touch screen section; and

interpret the one or more radar signals as a 3D gesture to produce a 3D input signal that augments the 2D touch command;

a wired RF link; and

a plurality of multi-mode RF units operably coupled to the wired RF link;

wherein the core module communicates;

control information with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the wired RF link;

data of a wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the wired RF link; and

clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units via the wired RF link in a third frequency band, distinct from the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1 further comprises:

a wired RF link, wherein;

the one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals;

the one or more RF radar signals is converted into one or more inbound RF link radar signals;

the one or more inbound RF link radar signals is conveyed, via the wired RF link, to the core module; and

the core module converts the one or more inbound RF link radar signals into the one or more radar signals.

3. The portable computing device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of multi-mode RF units includes the plurality of RF radar modules.

4. The portable computing device of claim 3 further comprises:

the one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals; and

one or more of the multi-mode RF units converts the one or more RF radar signals into one or more inbound RF link radar signals, wherein the one or more inbound RF link radar signals are communicated to the core module via the wired RF link in the second frequency band or in a fourth frequency band.

5. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:

generating x, y, z coordinates of an object with respect to an x-y coordinate system of the 2D touch screen section based on the one or more radar signals;

determining motion of the object based on variations of the x, y, z, coordinates of the object over a period of time; and

generating the 3D input signal based on the motion.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of RF radar modules comprises:

an RF radar transmitter module operable to transmit an outbound RF radar signal; and

a plurality of RF radar receiver modules that are position in a grid manner within the 3D touch screen, wherein an RF radar receive module of the plurality of RF radar receiver modules receive a reflection of the outbound RF radar signal off the object to produce an inbound RF radar signal.

7. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of RF radar modules comprises:

a plurality of RF radar receiver antennas and a plurality of RF radar transmitter antennas that are position in a grid manner within the 3D touch screen, wherein one or more of RF radar transmitter antennas of the plurality of RF radar transmitter antennas transmits one or more outbound RF radar signals and wherein one or more RF radar receive antennas of the plurality of RF radar receiver antennas receive one or more reflections of the one or more outbound RF radar signals off the object to produce one or more inbound RF radar signals.

8. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the core module is further operable to:

when the 3D touch screen is in the 2D mode;

receive a 2D signal from the 2D touch screen section; and

interpret the 2D signal to produce a 2D input signal.

9. A portable computing device comprises:

a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section;

a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen that includes a plurality of horizon-to-horizon radio frequency (RF) radar modules that recognize 3D user input via 3D tracking; and

a core module operable to;

determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode, wherein the 3D tracking of the 3D touch screen in initiated responsive to 2D user input;

when the 3D touch screen in the 3D mode;

receive one or more RF radar signals from one or more of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules;

contemporaneously receive a 2D touch command from the 2D touch screen section; and

interpret the one or more RF radar signals as a 3D gesture to produce a 3D input signal that augments the 2D touch command;

an RF link; and

a plurality of multi-mode RF units operably coupled to the RF link;

wherein the core module communicates;

control information with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the RF link;

data of a wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link; and

clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units via the RF link in a third frequency band, distinct from the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

10. The portable computing device of claim 9, wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:

generating x, y, z coordinates of an object with respect to an origin on a surface of the 3D touch screen based on the one or more radar signals;

when the z coordinate of the x, y, z coordinates is near zero, determining that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 2D input signal; and

when the z coordinate is not near zero, determining that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 3D input signal.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, wherein the core module interpreting the one or more radar signals further comprises:

determining motion of the object based on variations of the x, y, z, coordinates of the object over a period of time; and

generating the 3D input signal based on the motion.

12. The portable computing device of claim 9, wherein a horizon-to-horizon RF radar module of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules comprises:

a transceiver module operable to;

generate a radar transmit signal;

receive a shaped radar receive signal;

a shaping module operable to;

shape the radar transmit signal in accordance with a control signal to produce an outbound radar signal;

shape an inbound radar signal in accordance with the control signal to produce the shaped radar receive signal; and

an antenna structure that includes a plurality of spiral coils and an antenna, wherein, with respect to the antenna, the plurality of spiral coils provides an effective dish and wherein the effective dish transmits the outbound radar signal and receives the inbound radar signal.

13. The portable computing device of claim 12 further comprises:

the core module further operable to generate an antenna structure tuning control signal; and

the antenna structure is operable to adjust the effective dish of the plurality of spiral coils in accordance with the antenna structure tuning control signal to tune a scan area of the horizon-to-horizon RF radar module.

14. The portable computing device of claim 9 further comprises:

one or more of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules operable to detect an object;

the core module operable to determine whether the object is a gesturing object; and

when the object is the gesturing object;

the core module operable to determine x, y, z coordinates of the object with respect to an origin on a surface of the 3D touch screen; and

the core module operable to interpret the x, y, z coordinates of the object to determine when gesturing of the object corresponds to the 2D input signal or the 3D input signal.

15. The portable computing device of claim 9 further comprises:

a wired RF link, wherein;

the one or more of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals;

the one or more RF radar signals is converted into one or more inbound RF link radar signals;

the one or more inbound RF link radar signals is conveyed, via the wired RF link, to the core module; and

the core module converts the one or more inbound RF link radar signals into the one or more radar signals.

16. The portable computing device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of multi-mode RF units includes the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules.

17. The portable computing device of claim 16 further comprises:

the one or more of the plurality of horizon-to-horizon RF radar modules generates one or more RF radar signals; and

one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units converts the one or more RF radar signals into one or more inbound RF link radar signals, wherein the one or more inbound RF link radar signals are communicated to the core module via the RF link in the second frequency band or in a fourth frequency band.

18. A core module for a portable computing device, the core module comprises:

a processing module configured to determine whether a 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode, wherein the 3D tracking of the 3D touch screen in initiated responsive to 2D user input;

wherein the processing module is operable, when the 3D touch screen in the 3D mode, to;

contemporaneously receive a 2D touch command and 3D user input; and

interpret the 3D user input as a 3D gesture to produce a 3D input signal that augments the 2D touch command;

an RF link; and

a plurality of multi-mode RF units operably coupled to the RF link that facilitate wireless RF communication with the portable computing device and further that facilitate 3D operation of the 3D touch screen;

wherein the core module communicates;

control information with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the RF link;

data of a wireless communication with one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link; and

clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units via the RF link in a third frequency band, distinct from the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

19. The core module of claim 18 is further operable to:

generate x, y, z coordinates of an object with respect to an origin on a surface of the portable computing device based on one or more RF radar signals;

when the z coordinate of the x, y, z coordinates is near zero, determine that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 2D input signal; and

when the z coordinate is not near zero, determine that the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to the 3D input signal.

20. The core module of claim 19 is further operable to:

determine motion of the object based on variations of the x, y, z, coordinates of the object over a period of time; and

generate the 3D input signal based on the motion.

21. The core module of claim 19 is further operable to:

determine whether an object is a gesturing object, wherein the one or more RF radar signals corresponds to detection of the object; and

when the object is the gesturing object;

determine x, y, z coordinates of the object with respect to an origin on a surface of the portable computing device; and

interpret the x, y, z coordinates of the object to determine when gesturing of the object corresponds to the 2D input signal or the 3D input signal.