CONTROLLER FOR POSITION DETECTION

• US 20160170534A1
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Inventors: CHANG, CHIN-FU, LEE, CHENG-HAN, TANG, CHI-HAO, HO, SHUN-LUNG
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• 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 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A controller for position detection is disclosed. At least one first 1-D position corresponding to at least one external object is determined based on signals of a plurality of first sensors by self-capacitance detection. Then, at least one second 1-D position corresponding to the at least one first 1-D position is determined based on signals of a plurality of second sensors by mutual-capacitance detection.

Claims

1. A controller for position detection, performing at least the following operations:

determining at least one first 1-D position corresponding to at least one external object based on signals of a plurality of first sensors by self-capacitance detection; and

determining at least one second 1-D position corresponding to the at least one first 1-D position based on signals of a plurality of second sensors by mutual-capacitance detection.

2. The controller of claim 1, further performing the following operations:

providing at least a 2-D position based on the at least one second 1-D position corresponding to the at least one first 1-D position.

3. The controller of claim 1, further performing the following operations:

determining at least one third 1-D position corresponding to the at least one second 1-D position based on signals of these first sensors by mutual-capacitance detection; and

providing at least a 2-D position based on the at least one third 1-D position corresponding to the at least one second 1-D position.

4. The controller of claim 1, further performing the following operations:

determining at least one touch-related first sensor based on the at least one first 1-D position; and

determining at least one touch-related second sensor based on the at least one second 1-D position.

5. The controller of claim 4, further performing the following operations:

when the number of the at least one touch-related second sensor is greater than the number of the at least one touch-related first sensor, providing at least one 2-D position based on the at least one second 1-D position corresponding to the at least one first 1-D position.

6. The controller of claim 4, wherein when the number of the at least one touch-related second sensor is not greater than the number of the at least one touch-related first sensor, the controller further performs the following operations:

determining at least one third 1-D position corresponding to the at least one second 1-D position based on signals of these first sensors by mutual-capacitance detection; and

providing at least a 2-D position based on the at least one third 1-D position corresponding to the at least one second 1-D position.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein the self-capacitance detection includes providing a driving signal to these first sensors and detecting signals of these first sensors.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the mutual-capacitance detection includes:

when one of these first sensors is provided with a driving signal, detecting signals of these second sensors;

or

when one of these second sensors is provided with a driving signal, detecting signals of these first sensors.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the mutual-capacitance detection further includes:

selecting at least one first sensor provided with the driving signal based on the at least one first 1-D position; and

selecting at least one second sensor provided with the driving signal based on the at least one second 1-D position.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein the self-capacitance detection includes:

determining at least one fourth 1-D position and at least one fifth 1-D position corresponding to the at least one external object based on variations in signals of these sensors,

wherein the at least one fourth 1-D position and the at least one fifth 1-D position that is greater in number is used as the at least one first 1-D position, and

when the number of the at least one fourth 1-D position and the number of the at least one fifth 1-D position are the same, one of the at least one fourth 1-D position and the at least one fifth 1-D position is used as the at least one first 1-D position.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein each first 1-D position is determined based on a dual-differential sensing information whose each value is based on signals of three sensors by self-capacitance detection, wherein the three sensors are adjacent or non-adjacent.

12. The controller of claim 1, wherein a device for position detection includes the first sensors and the second sensors intersecting each other at a plurality of intersecting points.