Apparatus for object information detection and methods of using same

• US 9,618,316 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zachut, Rafi, Perski, Haim, Rimon, Ori, Kaplan, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/919,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20160040974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 273237
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/3611 with a playing surface playable on both sides
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/265 by skin resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/06 Games simulating outdoor ball games, e.g. hockey or football if physically beneficial for the human body A63B67/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/068 using magnetic power magnetic toys A63H33/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0692 Kicking
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A system for determining information regarding at least one object, comprising: a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling; at least one object adapted to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor; a detector adapted to measure at least one output signal of said sensor associated with the at least one object, wherein the output signal associated with the at least one object is an object information code.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a sensor including an array of active electrodes and an array of passive electrodes, the active and passive array forming a grid; and

circuit configured to;

simultaneously transmit a first signal on a first active electrode and a second signal on a second active electrode, wherein the first signal and the second signal are orthogonal in frequency;

sample an output signal on a passive electrode, wherein the passive electrode crosses both the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the output signal is based on a first capacitive coupling between the first active electrode and the passive electrode and based on a second capacitive coupling between the second active electrode and the passive electrode; and

detecting in the output signal, first information associated with the first active electrode and second information associated with the second active electrode.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to simultaneously sample output signals from the array of passive electrodes.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the array of active electrodes is divided into a plurality of groups, and wherein the circuit is configured to transmit signals to active electrodes in each group serially.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the signals transmitted serially are of a same frequency.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit signals to a plurality of active electrodes from different groups simultaneously, wherein the signals transmitted simultaneously are signals that are orthogonal to each other.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are pulsed signals.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are AC signals.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the active electrodes are conductive lines.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the passive electrodes are conductive lines.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is substantially transparent.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to detect a body part or a conductive object on the sensor based on the output signal.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the first information is detected from at least one of magnitude, phase and digital Fourier transformation of the output signal.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of junctions between the array of active electrodes and the array of passive electrodes.

14. A method comprising:

simultaneously transmitting a first signal on a first active electrode and a second signal on a second active electrode of a sensor, wherein the sensor includes an array of active electrodes and an array of passive electrodes, the active and passive array forming a grid electrodes of a grid based capacitive sensor, wherein the first signal and the second signal are orthogonal in frequency;

sampling an output signal on a passive electrode, wherein the passive electrode crosses both the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the output signal is based on a first capacitive coupling between the first active electrode and the passive electrode and based on a second capacitive coupling between the second active electrode and the passive electrode;

detecting in the output signal first information associated with the first active electrode and second information associated with the second active electrode.

15. The method according to claim 14 comprising simultaneously sampling the array of passive electrodes.

16. The method according to claim 14 comprising:

dividing the array of active electrodes into a plurality of groups, and

transmitting signals to active electrodes in each group serially.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the signals transmitted serially are of a same frequency.

18. The method according to claim 16 comprising transmitting signals to active electrodes from different groups simultaneously, wherein the signals transmitted simultaneously are orthogonal.

19. The method according to claim 14 wherein the first information is detected from at least one of magnitude, phase and digital Fourier transformation of the output signal.

20. The method according to claim 14 detecting position of more than one object on the sensor from the output signal.