CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING THE PROXIMITY OF LARGE OBJECTS, INCLUDING LARGE OBJECTS ON TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20130222332A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Kyrynyuk, Valeriy
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method of sensing at least one object in proximity to an array of sensors can include making a determination that an object greater than a predetermined size has been detected; defining an ignore zone that includes sensor locations of the object and sensor locations surrounding those of the object; and removing the ignore zone after a predetermined duration; wherein the proximity of objects outside of the ignore zone are processed differently than the proximity of objects inside of the ignore zones.

Claims

1. A method of sensing at least one object in proximity to an array of sensors, comprising:

making a determination that an object greater than a predetermined size has been detected;

defining an ignore zone that includes sensor locations of the object and sensor locations surrounding those of the object; and

removing the ignore zone after a predetermined duration;

wherein

the determination of the proximity of other objects outside of the ignore zone are processed differently than the proximity of objects inside of the ignore zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

making a determination that an object greater than a predetermined size has been detected includes

if a sense value at any location of the array exceeds a first threshold, defining the location as a primary location,

if sense values for locations surrounding the primary sense location exceed a second threshold, defining such locations as secondary sense locations, and

if the primary and secondary sense locations exceed a predetermined size, defining the primary and second sense locations as the locations of the object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

making a determination that an object greater than a predetermined size has been detected includes generating capacitance sense values for each location of the array.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

making a determination that an object greater than a predetermined size has been detected includes detecting an object on a touch surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

defining the ignore zone includes defining at least a first rectangle the includes and extends beyond locations of the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the array of sensors includes contiguous groups of sensors; and

the ignore zone includes each group of sensors having at least one sensor corresponding to the object.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

resetting the duration of the ignore zone if the proximity of an object is detected within the ignore zone.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

generating position data corresponding to sensor locations that detect the proximity of an object outside of the ignore zone; and

ignoring sensor readings corresponding to sensor locations that detect the proximity of an object inside of the ignore zone.

9. A method, comprising:

defining an ignore zone in a sensor array that includes sensor locations corresponding to a detected object, the ignore zone having a finite duration;

determining if a sensor reading in the sensor array exceeds a sense threshold; and

if a sensor reading exceeds the sense threshold, and the corresponding sensor is within the ignore zone, changing the duration of the ignore zone.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

assigning a starting count to the ignore zone when the ignore zone is defined;

changing the count over time; and

if a sensor reading exceeds the sense threshold, and the corresponding sensor is within the ignore zone, resetting the count of the ignore zone.

11. The method of claim 9, further including:

if the sensor reading exceeds the sense threshold and is outside of the ignore zone, generating a position value corresponding to the sensor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

determining if a sensor reading in the sensor array exceeds a sense threshold includes measuring a capacitance of the sensor.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

defining the ignore zone includes defining at least a rectangle that includes a border of sensor locations extending beyond those corresponding to the object.

14. The method of claim 9, further including:

the sensor array is divided into groups of sensors contiguous with one another; and

defining the ignore zone includes if at least one sensor corresponding to the object is within a group, defining the group as an ignore group, and assigning a duration value to the ignore group;

wherein the ignore zone includes the ignore groups.

15. A system, comprising:

a sense circuit configured to generate sense values corresponding to properties of each sensor in a sensor array, the properties of each sensor varying in response to the proximity of objects;

a controller circuit coupled to at least the sense circuit and configured to

generate object position values in response to the sense values and a object threshold, and

define an ignore zone that includes at least the object position values and a duration value for the ignore zone; and

a memory configured to store positions and durations of ignore zones.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the sense circuit comprises a capacitance sense circuit that senses a capacitance of each sensor in the sensor array.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the controller circuit comprises a processor and an instruction memory.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the sensor array comprises a touch screen having a transparent sensor array formed over a display screen.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the controller is further configured to define the ignore zone to include the object position values and a border regions surrounding the object position values.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the controller is further configured to reset a duration of an ignore zone in response to sensing at least one object in proximity to the ignore zone.