Elastive sensing

• US 9,891,757 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Modafe, Alireza
• Primary Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US12/643,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,976 Days
• Field of Search: 702 64, 702 66, 702150, 702189, 345173, 345204, 178 1806, 73862625
• 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

An elastive sensor device comprises a set of sensor electrodes and a processing system. The processing system is configured to acquire an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of the set of sensor electrodes and receiving the electrical signal with a second subset of the set of sensor electrodes. The processing system is further configured to determine positional information using the elastive measurement.

Claims

1. An elastive sensor device comprising:

a set of sensor electrodes; and

a processing system configured to acquire an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of said set of sensor electrodes and receiving said electrical signal with a second subset of said set of sensor electrodes, said processing system further configured to determine positional information using said elastive measurement.

2. The elastive sensor device of claim 1, wherein said processing system is further configured to acquire said elastive measurement by emitting a second electrical signal with a third subset of said set of sensor electrodes and receiving said second electrical signal with said first subset of said set of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and third subset differ by at least one sensor electrode and said first subset and said second subset comprise a single sensor electrode.

3. The elastive sensor device of claim 2, wherein said electrical signal results from a sourced charge pulse and wherein said elastive measurement comprises a measurement of a voltage induced at said second subset of said set of sensor electrodes.

4. The elastive sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first subset comprises a single electrode and said second subset comprises said single electrode.

5. The elastive sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first subset comprises at least one sensor electrode and said second subset comprises a plurality of sensor electrodes.

6. The elastive sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first subset comprises a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode, and wherein said processing system is further configured to acquire said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal during a first time period with said first sensor electrode while electrically floating said second sensor electrode.

7. An elastive sensor device comprising:

a first set of sensor electrodes;

a second set of sensor electrodes; and

a processing system configured to acquire an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with at least one sensor electrode of said first set of sensor electrodes and receiving said electrical signal with at least one sensor electrode of said second set of sensor electrodes, said processing system further configured to determine positional information using said measurement.

8. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further configured to acquire a second elastive measurement by emitting a second electrical signal with said at least one sensor electrode of said second set and receiving said second electrical signal with said at least one sensor electrode of said second set, and wherein said processing system is further configured to determine said positional information using said second elastive measurement.

9. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further configured to acquire said elastive measurement by emitting a second electrical signal with a second at least one sensor electrode of said first set and receiving said electrical signal with said at least one sensor electrode of said second set, wherein said electrical signal and said second electrical signal differ in phase.

10. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further configured to acquire said elastive measurement by electrically floating at least one sensor electrode of said first set of sensor electrodes, and wherein said electrically floating and said emitting an electrical signal overlap for a period of time.

11. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said electrical signal results from a sourced charge pulse and wherein said elastive measurement comprises a measurement of a voltage induced at said at least one sensor electrode of said second set of sensor electrodes.

12. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said receiving comprises receiving said electrical signal with a plurality of sensor electrodes of said second set of sensor electrodes.

13. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said emitting comprises emitting said electrical signal with a plurality of sensor electrodes of said first set of sensor electrodes.

14. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said emitting is performed by a plurality of sensor electrodes of said first set of sensor electrodes and said receiving is performed by a plurality of sensor electrodes of said second set of sensor electrodes, and wherein said first set of sensor electrodes and said second set of sensor electrodes comprise different sensor electrodes.

15. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said emitting is performed by sequentially driving, in a scanned fashion, different single electrodes of said first set of sensor electrodes while continually performing said receiving with at least one sensor electrode of said second set of sensor electrodes.

16. The elastive sensor device of claim 7, wherein said receiving is performed by sequentially receiving in a scanned fashion with different at least one sensor electrodes of said second set of sensor electrodes while continually driving at least one sensor electrode of said first set of sensor electrodes.

17. A method of ascertaining positional information of an input object, said method comprising:

acquiring an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of a set of sensor electrodes of an elastive sensor device and receiving said electrical signal with a second subset of said set of sensor electrodes; and

determining said positional information of said input object using said elastive measurement.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein acquiring an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of a set of sensor electrodes of an elastive sensor device and receiving said electrical signal with a second subset of said set of sensor electrodes comprises:

acquiring said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal in the form of a sourced charge pulse and measuring a voltage induced at said second subset of said set of sensor electrodes.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said acquiring an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of a set of sensor electrodes of an elastive sensor device and receiving said electrical signal with a second subset of said set of sensor electrodes comprises:

acquiring said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal with said first subset of said set of sensor electrodes and receiving said electrical signal with said second subset of said set of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset are the same.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said acquiring an elastive measurement by emitting an electrical signal with a first subset of a set of sensor electrodes of an elastive sensor device and receiving said electrical signal with a second subset of said set of sensor electrodes comprises:

acquiring said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal with said first subset of said set of sensor electrodes and receiving said electrical signal with said second subset of said set of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset differ by at least one sensor electrode.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said first subset comprises a first and second sensor electrode, and wherein said acquiring said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal with said first subset of said set of sensor electrodes and receiving said electrical signal with said second subset of said set of sensor electrodes, wherein said first subset and said second subset are different comprises:

acquiring said elastive measurement by emitting said electrical signal during a first time period with said first sensor electrode of said first subset of said sensor electrodes; and

electrically floating said second sensor electrode of said first subset of said sensor electrodes during said first time period.