Method and system for dual node sensing

• US 9,791,970 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoch, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Astacio-Oquendo, Giovanni
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORTICH, ALVARO E
• Application Number:
  US14/580,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-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 and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system for a capacitive sensing device includes transmitter electrodes configured to transmit transmitter signals, receiver electrodes configured to receive resulting signals including effects corresponding to the transmitter signals. The system further includes dual nodes corresponding to a first capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrodes and the receiver electrodes, and primary nodes corresponding to a second capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrodes and the receiver electrodes. The first capacitive coupling is less than the second capacitive coupling.

Claims

1. A system for a capacitive sensing device comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrodes configured to transmit transmitter signals;

a plurality of receiver electrodes configured to receive resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals;

a plurality of dual nodes corresponding to a first capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes, wherein the plurality of dual nodes are configured to determine a low ground mass measurement that describes a ground mass state of the capacitive sensing device; and

a plurality of primary nodes corresponding to a second capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes,

wherein the plurality of primary nodes are configured to determine a plurality of capacitive measurements that describe a location of an input object in a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device,

wherein the first capacitive coupling is less than the second capacitive coupling.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes comprises a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode, wherein the plurality of receiver electrodes comprises a first receiver electrode, and wherein the first receiver electrode forms a first dual node of the plurality of dual nodes with the first transmitter electrode and forms a first primary node of the plurality of primary nodes with the second transmitter electrode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiver electrodes further comprises a second receiver electrode, and wherein the second receiver electrode forms a second dual node of the plurality of dual nodes with the second transmitter electrode and forms a second primary node of the plurality of primary nodes with the first transmitter electrode.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiver electrodes further comprises a second receiver electrode, and wherein the second receiver electrode forms a second dual node of the plurality of dual nodes with the first transmitter electrode and forms a second primary node of the plurality of primary nodes with the second transmitter electrode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dual nodes and the plurality of primary nodes comprises a first spacing between adjacent nodes that is less than a second spacing between adjacent nodes in the plurality of dual nodes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dual nodes and plurality of primary nodes comprises a first spacing between adjacent nodes that is equivalent to a second spacing between adjacent nodes in the plurality of dual nodes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes are located on a same side of at least one substrate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes are located on different sides of at least one substrate.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing system configured to;

transmit a plurality of transmitter signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes,

receive, with the plurality of receiver electrodes, a first plurality of resulting signals and a second plurality of resulting signals, wherein the first plurality of resulting signals correspond to the plurality of dual nodes and the second plurality of resulting signals correspond to the plurality of primary nodes,

determine a low ground mass measurement of the plurality of dual nodes using the first plurality of resulting signals,

determine a low ground mass measurement of the plurality of primary nodes using the low ground mass measurement of the plurality of dual nodes, and

determine positional information of an input object using the low ground mass measurement of the plurality of primary nodes and the second plurality of resulting signals.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing system configured to;

transmit a plurality of transmitter signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes and receive a plurality of resulting signals with the plurality of receiver electrodes,

obtain, from the plurality of resulting signals;

a first plurality of mutual capacitance measurements corresponding to the plurality of dual nodes,

a second plurality of mutual capacitance measurements corresponding to the plurality of primary nodes, and

a plurality of absolute capacitance measurements,

determine a ratio for the plurality of absolute capacitance measurements,

determine a low ground mass measurement of the plurality of dual nodes using the first plurality of mutual capacitance measurements,

determine a low ground mass measurement of the plurality of primary nodes using the low ground mass measurement of the plurality of dual nodes and the ratio, and

determine positional information of an input object using the low ground mass measurement of the plurality of primary nodes and the second plurality of mutual capacitance measurements.

11. A processing system for a capacitive sensing device, comprising:

a sensor module coupled to a plurality of transmitter electrodes, a plurality of receiver electrodes, a plurality of dual nodes corresponding to a first capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and plurality of receiver electrodes, and a plurality of primary nodes corresponding to a second capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes, wherein the sensor module configured to transmit a plurality of transmitter signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes and receive, with the plurality of receiver electrodes, a first plurality of resulting signals and a second plurality of resulting signals; and

a determination module configured to;

acquire, using the plurality of dual nodes, a first capacitive measurement using the first plurality of resulting signals, wherein the plurality of dual nodes are configured to determine a low ground mass measurement that describes a ground mass state of the capacitive sensing device,

acquire, using the plurality of primary nodes, a second capacitive measurement using the second plurality of resulting signals, wherein the plurality of primary nodes are configured to determine capacitive measurements that describe a location of an input object in a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device,

determine a first low ground mass measurement based on the first capacitive measurement,

adjust, using the first low ground mass measurement, the second capacitive measurement to generate an adjusted capacitive measurement,

determine positional information based on the adjusted capacitive measurement, and

report the positional information.

12. The processing system of claim 11, wherein adjusting the second capacitive measurement comprises:

determine a second low ground mass measurement using the first low ground mass measurement, and

correct the second capacitive measurement using the second low ground mass measurement.

13. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the first capacitive measurement and second capacitive measurement are mutual capacitive measurements,

wherein the sensor module is further configured to receive, with the plurality of receiver electrodes, a third plurality of resulting signals, and

wherein the determination module is further configured to:

acquire a plurality of absolute capacitance measurements based on the third plurality of resulting signals,

determine a ratio for the plurality of absolute capacitance measurements, and

adjusting the second capacitive measurement using the first low ground mass measurement and the ratio.

14. A capacitive input device comprising:

a plurality of transmitter electrodes configured to transmit a plurality of transmitter signals;

a plurality of receiver electrodes configured to receive resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the plurality of transmitter signals;

a plurality of dual nodes corresponding to a first capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes; and

a plurality of primary nodes corresponding to a second capacitive coupling between the plurality of transmitter electrodes and the plurality of receiver electrodes, wherein the second capacitive coupling is greater than the first capacitive coupling; and

a processing system configured to;

transmit the plurality of transmitter signals with the plurality of transmitter electrodes;

receive, with the plurality of receiver electrodes, a first plurality of resulting signals and a second plurality of resulting signals;

acquire a first capacitive measurement using the plurality of dual nodes and the first plurality of resulting signals, the first capacitive measurement,

acquire a second capacitive measurement using the plurality of primary nodes and the second plurality of resulting signals, the second capacitive measurement, wherein the plurality of primary nodes are configured to determine capacitive measurements that describe a location of an input object in a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device

determine, by the dual nodes, a first low ground mass measurement based on the first capacitive measurement, wherein the first low ground mass measurement describes a ground mass state of the capacitive sensing device,

adjust, using the first low ground mass measurement, the second capacitive measurement to generate an adjusted capacitive measurement,

determine positional information based on the adjusted capacitive measurement, and

report the positional information.

15. The input device of claim 14, wherein adjusting the second capacitive measurement comprises:

determine a second low ground mass measurement using the first low ground mass measurement, and

correct the second capacitive measurement using the second low ground mass measurement.

16. The input device of claim 14, wherein the first capacitive measurement and second capacitive measurement are mutual capacitive measurements, and wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive, with the plurality of receiver electrodes, a third plurality of resulting signals,

acquire a plurality of absolute capacitance measurements based on the third plurality of resulting signals,

determine a ratio for the first plurality of absolute capacitance measurements, and

adjusting the second capacitive measurement using the first low ground mass measurement and the ratio.

17. The input device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of transmitter electrodes comprises a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode, wherein the plurality of receiver electrodes comprises a first receiver electrode, and wherein the first receiver electrode forms a first dual node of the plurality of dual nodes with the first transmitter electrode and forms a first primary node of the plurality of primary nodes with the second transmitter electrode.

18. The input device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of receiver electrodes further comprises a second receiver electrode, and wherein the second receiver electrode forms a second dual node of the plurality of dual nodes with the second transmitter electrode and forms a second primary node of the plurality of primary nodes with the first transmitter electrode.