Method for determining active input elements of an input arrangement and input arrangement
First Claim
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1. A method for determining active input elements (S1a, S2a) of input elements (S1a to S2b) of an input arrangement (10), comprising:
- providing the input elements (S1a to S2b) such that they are connected according to a matrix arrangement (Ma),providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two drive lines (L1, L2) that are each connected to a respective driving circuit (2, 4),providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) that are used to detect the active input elements (S1a, S2a),providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) serial connections (SC1 to SC4) each comprising a respective input element (S1a to S2b) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) and a resistor (R1a to R2b) and each of the serial connections (SC1 to SC4) being connected to a respective one of the drive lines (L1, L2) and to a respective one of the sense lines (Ca, Cb),providing pull resistors (Ra, Rb) that connect the sense lines (Ca, Cb) to a first potential, andusing a control device and the driving circuits (2, 4) to selectively activate by driving a first drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to a second potential that is different from the first potential and to selectively activate by driving a second drive line (L2) or other respective drive lines of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to the first potential or to a potential having an absolute offset value from the first potential that is at most 50 percent of the absolute value of the difference of the first potential and of the second potential,the method further comprising;
activating the first drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2), wherein only one drive line (L1, L2) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) is active at one time,detecting a first value of an electrical signal on a first sense line (Ca) of the at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) during activating the first drive line (L1), anddetermining the respective activated input element (S1a, S2a) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) in the respective serial connection (SC1, SC2) of the serial connections (SC1 to SC4) between the first drive line (L1) and the first sense line (Ca) due to an undershoot or due to exceeding of a threshold value (SW) by the first value,whereby the threshold value (SW) is independent of a number of the active input elements (S1a, S2a) or independent of at least two, three or four different numbers of the active input elements (S1a, S2a) on the first sense line (Ca) and/or on the other sense lines (Ca, Cb) of the at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb),wherein the matrix arrangement (Ma) comprises a calibration line (Ccc),whereby reference resistors (R1cc, R2cc) are connected to the calibration line (Ccc) and to each of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) respectively, andwherein the method comprises;
detecting a calibration value using the calibration line (Ccc),using the calibration value to determine the threshold value (SW), andwhereby the calibration line (Ccc) is connected to the first potential by a further pull resistor (Rcc).
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Abstract
The invention relates in an aspect A to a method for determining active input elements (S1a, S2a) of an input arrangement (10), comprising
- providing input elements (S1a to S2b) that are connected according to a matrix arrangement,
- providing within the matrix arrangement at least two drive lines (L1, L2) that are each connected to a respective driving circuit (2, 4),
- providing within the matrix arrangement at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) that may be used to detect active input elements (S1a, S2a),
- providing within the matrix arrangement serial connections (SC1 to SC4) each comprising one of the input elements (S1a) and a resistor (R1a) and each serial connection (SC1 to SC4) being connected to a respective one of the drive lines (L1, L2) and to a respective one of the sense lines (Ca, Cb),
- providing pull resistors (Ra, Rb) that connect the sense lines (Ca, Cb) to a first potential, and
- using a control device for the driving circuits that drives an active drive line (L1) to a second potential that is different from the first potential and that drives a non active drive line (L2) or non active drive lines to the first potential or to a potential having an absolute offset value from the first potential that is at most 50 percent or at most 10 percent of the absolute value of the difference of the first potential and of the second potential.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for determining active input elements (S1a, S2a) of input elements (S1a to S2b) of an input arrangement (10), comprising:
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providing the input elements (S1a to S2b) such that they are connected according to a matrix arrangement (Ma), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two drive lines (L1, L2) that are each connected to a respective driving circuit (2, 4), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) that are used to detect the active input elements (S1a, S2a), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) serial connections (SC1 to SC4) each comprising a respective input element (S1a to S2b) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) and a resistor (R1a to R2b) and each of the serial connections (SC1 to SC4) being connected to a respective one of the drive lines (L1, L2) and to a respective one of the sense lines (Ca, Cb), providing pull resistors (Ra, Rb) that connect the sense lines (Ca, Cb) to a first potential, and using a control device and the driving circuits (2, 4) to selectively activate by driving a first drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to a second potential that is different from the first potential and to selectively activate by driving a second drive line (L2) or other respective drive lines of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to the first potential or to a potential having an absolute offset value from the first potential that is at most 50 percent of the absolute value of the difference of the first potential and of the second potential, the method further comprising; activating the first drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2), wherein only one drive line (L1, L2) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) is active at one time, detecting a first value of an electrical signal on a first sense line (Ca) of the at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) during activating the first drive line (L1), and determining the respective activated input element (S1a, S2a) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) in the respective serial connection (SC1, SC2) of the serial connections (SC1 to SC4) between the first drive line (L1) and the first sense line (Ca) due to an undershoot or due to exceeding of a threshold value (SW) by the first value, whereby the threshold value (SW) is independent of a number of the active input elements (S1a, S2a) or independent of at least two, three or four different numbers of the active input elements (S1a, S2a) on the first sense line (Ca) and/or on the other sense lines (Ca, Cb) of the at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb), wherein the matrix arrangement (Ma) comprises a calibration line (Ccc), whereby reference resistors (R1cc, R2cc) are connected to the calibration line (Ccc) and to each of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) respectively, and wherein the method comprises; detecting a calibration value using the calibration line (Ccc), using the calibration value to determine the threshold value (SW), and whereby the calibration line (Ccc) is connected to the first potential by a further pull resistor (Rcc). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for determining active input elements (S1a, S2a) of input elements (S1a to S2b) of an input arrangement (10), comprising:
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providing the input elements (S1a to S2b) such that they are connected according to a matrix arrangement (Ma), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two drive lines (L1, L2) that are each connected to a respective driving circuit (2, 4), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) that are used to detect the active input elements (S1a, S2a), providing within the matrix arrangement (Ma) serial connections (SC1 to SC4) each comprising a respective input element (S1a to S2b) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) and a resistor (R1a to R2b) and each of the serial connections (SC1 to SC4) being connected to a respective one of the drive lines (L1, L2) and to a respective one of the sense lines (Ca, Cb), providing pull resistors (Ra, Rb) that connect the sense lines (Ca, Cb) to a first potential, and using a control device and the driving circuits (2, 4) to selectively activate by driving a first drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to a second potential that is different from the first potential and to selectively activate by driving a second drive line (L2) or other respective drive lines of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2) to the first potential or to a potential having an absolute offset value from the first potential that is at most 50 percent of the absolute value of the difference of the first potential and of the second potential, said method, further comprising; activating one drive line (L1) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2), sensing a first value of an electrical signal on one sense line (Ca) of the at least two sense lines (Ca, Cb) during activating the one drive line (L1), wherein it is tested whether the first sensed value is different from a value which indicates that no respective input element (S1a to S2b) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) is pressed on the one sense line (Ca), and wherein a respective input element (S1a) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) between the one drive line (L1) and the one sense line (Ca) is classified as being a respective active input element (S1a) of the active input elements (S1a, S2a) if the testing is positive, without further testing for ghost keying, including without further testing for at least one respective input element (S1a to S2b) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) configured to be detected as a respective active input element (S1a, S2a) of the active input elements (S1a to S2b) although it is not activated, wherein a key code of the respective input element (S1a) of the input elements (S1a to S2b) that is classified as being the respective active input element (S1a) is transferred to a computer, wherein the first potential is a positive operation potential, wherein the matrix arrangement (Ma) comprises a calibration line (Ccc), wherein respective reference resistors (R1cc, R2cc) are connected to the calibration line (Ccc) and to each respective drive line (L1, L2) of the at least two drive lines (L1, L2), and wherein the calibration line (Ccc) is connected to or connectable to a detection unit for detecting a calibration value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification