Touch sensing

• US 9,760,192 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Peterson, Jonathan R., Birch, Robert Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, AFROZA Y
• Application Number:
  US13/671,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

A method and apparatus varying, by interval, a frequency of a drive signal applied to one electrode of each of a plurality of electrode pairs, select a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the drive signal, monitor changes in capacitance of each of the electrode pairs through receive signals at the selected frequency, from the other electrode of each of the plurality of electrode pairs; and determine a position of at least two objects, which are simultaneously on a touch device, according to the monitored capacitance changes.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a pseudo random signal generator to provide a first signal to a first electrode, to vary a frequency of the first signal, wherein the first electrode is configured to form a first capacitance with a second electrode;

a demodulator to receive the first signal from the second electrode, and to receive, from the pseudo random signal generator, a reference signal indicative of the frequency of the first signal, wherein the reference signal is used to select a passing frequency used by the demodulator to pass a portion of the first signal from the second electrode; and

detection circuitry to detect, using a demodulated first signal, a change in the first capacitance of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the change in the first capacitance is responsive to a presence of a first input object proximate the first electrode and second electrode, the detection circuitry further to detect, using another demodulated first signal, a change in a second capacitance of a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the change in the second capacitance is responsive to a presence of a second input object proximate the third electrode and the fourth electrode, wherein the presence of the first input object is concurrent with the presence of the second input object, and wherein the other demodulated first signal corresponds to the first signal provided to the third electrode by the pseudo random signal generator, the third electrode configured to form the second capacitance with the fourth electrode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising multiplexing circuitry to alternate which of the first electrode or a third electrode receives the first signal according to a time division scheme.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises an alternating current signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the demodulator is to vary the passing frequency to correspond with the frequency of the first signal, wherein the demodulated first signal includes the portion of the first signal at the passing frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the change in the first capacitance comprises a change in capacitance at an intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode form an electrode grid array, the first electrode being non-parallel with the second electrode.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a pseudo random signal generator to provide a first set of electrodes with drive signals that vary in frequency, the first set of electrodes to form capacitance with a second set of electrodes; and

detection circuitry comprising a demodulator, the demodulator to receive, from the pseudo random signal generator, reference signals indicative of the frequency of the drive signals, wherein the reference signals are used to select passing frequencies used by the demodulator to pass portions of receive signals of the second set of electrodes, wherein the receive signals of the second set of electrodes correspond to the drive signals provided to the first set of electrodes by the pseudo random signal generator, the detection circuitry to use demodulated receive signals to detect changes in the capacitance, wherein the detection circuitry is configured to detect a change in a first capacitance between a first electrode, of the first set of electrodes, and a second electrode, of the second set of electrodes, using a first demodulated receive signal and detect a change in a second capacitance between a third electrode, of the first set of electrodes, and a fourth electrode, of the second set of electrodes, using a second demodulated receive signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an interpolating component to interpolate a position of an object relative to the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, based on the detected changes in capacitance.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes are included in at least one of a touchpad or a touchscreen.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising multiplexing circuitry to alternate, according to a time division scheme, which electrode of the first set of electrodes is to receive the drive signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detection circuitry is to vary the passing frequencies for the receive signals responsive the reference signals from the pseudo random signal generator that indicates the frequency of the drive signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a center frequency of the pseudo random signal generator is adjustable through a graphical user interface.

13. A method comprising:

providing, by a pseudo random signal generator, a drive signal to one electrode of each of a plurality of electrode pairs, wherein a frequency of the drive signal is varied;

receiving, at a demodulator and from the pseudo random signal generator, a reference signal indicative of the frequency of the drive signal to the one electrode of each of the plurality of electrode pairs, the reference signal used to select a passing frequency used by the demodulator to pass a portion of a receive signal;

monitoring changes in capacitance of each of the electrode pairs in view of the receive signal, the receive signal corresponding to the drive signal provided to the one electrode of each of the plurality of electrode pairs and received from the other electrode of each of the plurality of electrode pairs; and

determining, in view of the monitored changes, a position of at least two objects concurrently proximate a touch device, wherein a first change of capacitance of a first electrode pair of the plurality of electrode pairs is responsive to a presence of a first object of the at least two object, and a second change of capacitance of a second electrode pair of the plurality of electrode pairs is responsive to a present of a second object of the at least two objects.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the drive signal to the one electrode of each of a plurality of electrode pairs is provided in view of a time division multiplexing scheme, the method further comprising:

determining a plurality of contact positions on a touch device, the plurality of contact positions determined within a same cycle of the time division multiplexing scheme.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising

adjusting a center frequency of the drive signal using a graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising

adjusting a sample rate of an analog to digital converter that digitizes the monitored changes in the capacitance to correspond with an adjusted center frequency.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising

changing a cutoff frequency of a low pass filter in view of an adjusted center frequency.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of changing a cutoff frequency of a low pass filter in view of a responsiveness of a position determination or adjusting a resistance of a pull down resistor in view of an accuracy of the position determination.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the frequency of the drive signal is varied after an interval comprises varying the frequency of an alternating current signal.