Driving sensor electrodes for proximity sensing

• US 9,703,430 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoch, David
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/319,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• 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 3/041661 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

In an example, a processing system includes: a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry, the sensor module configured to: drive, during a first time period, a first sensor electrode of a first plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, a second sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and at least one sensor electrode of a second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, to acquire first changes of capacitance between the first sensor electrode and at least one input object in proximity with the first sensor electrode; and a determination module configured to determine positional information for the at least one input object based at least in part on changes of capacitance acquired by the sensor module.

Claims

1. A processing system, comprising:

a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry, the sensor module configured to;

drive, during a first time period, a first sensor electrode of a first plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, a second sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and at least one sensor electrode of a second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, to acquire first changes of capacitance between the first sensor electrode and at least one input object in proximity with the first sensor electrode; and

a determination module configured to determine positional information for the at least one input object based at least in part on changes of capacitance acquired by the sensor module.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during a second time period, the second sensor electrode for absolute capacitive sensing, the first sensor electrode with a reference signal, and the at least one sensor electrode with a guard signal to acquire second changes in capacitance between the second sensor electrode and the at least one input object.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during the first time period, all of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during the first time period, at least one additional sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during the first time period, a third sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode being disposed proximate the first sensor electrode.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during a second time period, a first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, a second sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and at least one sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal to acquire second changes in capacitance between the first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes and the at least one input object.

7. The processing system of claim 6, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during the second time period, a third sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode being disposed proximate the first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

8. The processing system of claim 6, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive, during a third time period, the second sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, the first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and the at least one sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal to acquire third changes in capacitance between the second sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes and the at least one input object.

9. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to:

drive the second plurality of sensor electrodes with transmitter signals and receive resulting signals from the first plurality of sensor electrodes, the resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals to detect whether an input object is in a first region of a sensing region, the first region being between an input surface and a second region;

where the at least one input object generating the first changes of capacitance is in the second region.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the sensor module is configured to drive the first sensor electrode for absolute capacitive sensing, the second sensor electrode with a reference signal, and the at least one sensor electrode with a guard signal during the first time period in response to failure to detect an input object in the first region.

11. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module is configured to drive, during the first time period, the first sensor electrode and at least one additional sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing.

12. A method of driving sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing, comprising:

driving, during a first time period, a first sensor electrode of a first plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, a second sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and at least one sensor electrode of a second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, to acquire first changes of capacitance between the first sensor electrode and at least one input object in proximity with the first sensor electrode; and

detecting the at least one input object based at least in part on changes of capacitance acquired by the sensor module.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

driving, during the first time period, at least one additional sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

drive, during the first time period, a third sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode being disposed proximate the first sensor electrode.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

driving the second plurality of sensor electrodes with transmitter signals and receiving resulting signals from the first plurality of sensor electrodes, the resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals to detect whether an input object is in a first region of a sensing region, the first region being between an input surface and a second region;

where the at least one input object generating the first changes of capacitance is in the second region.

16. An input device, comprising:

first plurality of sensor electrodes and a second plurality of sensor electrodes;

a processing system coupled to the first and second pluralities of sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to;

drive, during a first time period, a first sensor electrode of a first plurality of sensor electrodes for absolute capacitive sensing, a second sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal, and at least one sensor electrode of a second plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, to acquire first changes of capacitance between the first sensor electrode and at least one input object in proximity with the first sensor electrode; and

detect the at least one input object based at least in part on changes of capacitance acquired by the sensor module.

17. The input device of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed orthogonal to the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

18. The input device of claim 16, wherein the processing system is configured to:

drive, during the first time period, at least one additional sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes with a reference signal.

19. The input device of claim 16, wherein the processing system is configured to:

drive, during the first time period, a third sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes with a guard signal, the third sensor electrode being disposed proximate the first sensor electrode.

20. The input device of claim 16, wherein the processing system is configured to:

drive the second plurality of sensor electrodes with transmitter signals and receive resulting signals from the first plurality of sensor electrodes, the resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals to detect whether an input object is in a first region of a sensing region, the first region being between an input surface and a second region;

where the at least one input object generating the first changes of capacitance is in the second region.