Slide pad system and method

• US 7,349,822 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schroeder, Dale, Sachs, Todd S., Harley, Jonah
• Primary Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US11/021,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20060142970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 702/94, 702/95, 702/150, 702/151, 702/154, 345/10, 345/14, 345/156, 345/157, 345/184
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04714 with orthogonal axes
• 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

Abstract

A method performed by a slide pad system is provided. The method includes generating a first direction measurement using a first capacitance measurement, generating a calibration measurement using a second capacitance measurement, and computing a first position using the first direction measurement and the calibration measurement. A system including a slide pad including a slide disk, a sense module, and a control module is also provided.

Claims

1. A method performed by a slide pad system, the method comprising:

generating a first direction measurement using a first capacitance measurement;

generating a calibration measurement using a second capacitance measurement;

computing a first position using the first direction measurement and the calibration measurement;

generating a second direction measurement using a third capacitance measurement;

computing a second position using the second direction measurement and the calibration measurement; and

providing the first position and the second position to a host.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the first capacitance measurement by driving a first capacitor to a high voltage.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the second capacitance measurement by driving a plurality of capacitors to a high voltage.

4. A system comprising:

a first electrode disposed in a first plane; and

a second electrode disposed in the first plane;

a slide pad including a slide disk that includes a third electrode disposed in a second plane that is in parallel to the first plane;

a sense module; and

a control module;

wherein the sense module is configured to provide first and second capacitance measurements associated with the position of the slide disk in the slide pad to the control module, wherein the second capacitance measurement represents a sum of the capacitances between the third electrode and the first and the second electrodes, wherein the control module is configured to generate a first direction measurement using the first capacitance measurement and the second capacitance measurement, and wherein the control module is configured to compute a first position using the first direction measurement.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the sense module is configured to provide a third capacitance measurement associated with the position of the slide disk in the slide pad to the control module, wherein the control module is configured to generate a calibration measurement using the third capacitance measurement, and wherein the control module is configured to compute the first position using the calibration measurement.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a first electrode disposed in a first plane;

wherein the slide disk includes a second electrode disposed in a second plane that is in parallel to the first plane, and wherein the first capacitance measurement represents a first capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a third electrode disposed in the first plane;

wherein the sense module is configured to provide a third capacitance measurement associated with the position of the slide disk in the slide pad to the control module, wherein the third capacitance measurement represents a second capacitance between the third electrode and the second electrode, wherein the control module is configured to generate a second direction measurement using the third capacitance measurement, and wherein the control module is configured to compute a second position using the second direction measurement and the calibration measurement.

8. A method performed by a slide pad system that includes a slide disk, the method comprising:

outputting first position information associated with the slide disk at a first time in response to an amount of pressure on the slide disk being below a first threshold;

outputting second position information associated with the slide disk at a first time in response to the amount of pressure being above the first threshold and below a second threshold;

or

outputting third position information associated with the slide disk at a first time in response to the amount of pressure being above the second threshold,

wherein the first position information indicates a first position of the slide disk at a second time that is prior to the first time, wherein the second position information indicates a second position of the slide disk at a third time that is subsequent to the second time, and wherein the third position information indicates a third position of the slide disk at a fourth time that is subsequent to the third time and prior to or the same as the first time.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a plurality of capacitance measurements between a first electrode in the slide disk and a plurality of electrodes offset from the first electrode; and

generating the first position information using the plurality of capacitance measurements.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

detecting the amount of pressure on the slide disk.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating a capacitance measurement between first and second electrodes in the slide disk; and

detecting the amount of pressure on the slide disk using the capacitance measurement.

12. A system comprising:

a slide pad including a slide disk; and

a control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to provide first position information, second position information, or third position information to a host at a first time in response to an amount pressure applied to the slide disk, wherein the control unit is configured to provide the first position information in response to the amount of pressure applied to the slide disk being below a first threshold, wherein the control unit is configured to provide the second position information in response to the amount of pressure applied to the slide disk being above the first threshold and below a second threshold, and wherein the control unit is configured to provide the third position information in response to the amount of pressure applied to the slide disk being above the second threshold, and

wherein the first position information indicates a first position of the slide disk in the slide pad at a second time that is prior to the first time, wherein the second position information indicates a second position of the slide disk in the slide pad at a third time that is subsequent to the second time, and wherein the third position information indicates a third position of the slide disk in the slide pad at a fourth time that is subsequent to the third time and prior to or the same as the first time.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the slide disk comprises first and second electrodes disposed in parallel planes, and wherein the control unit is configured to detect the amount pressure applied to the slide disk according to a gap between the first and the second electrodes.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a buffer configured to store the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information.

15. A method performed by a slide pad system that includes a slide disk, the method comprising:

detecting a first amount of pressure on the slide disk at a first time;

outputting first position information associated with a first position of the slide disk subsequent to the first time and prior to a second time;

detecting a second amount of pressure on the slide disk at the second time;

subsequent to the second time, outputting second position information wherein the second position information is associated with a second position of the slide disk at a third time that is prior to the second time; and

subsequent to outputting the second position information, outputting third position information wherein the third position information is associated with a third position of the slide disk at the second time.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

outputting the first position information prior to the first time.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the second position information comprises intermediate position information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

interpolating the intermediate position information from the first position information and the third position information.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

not outputting fourth position information associated with a fourth position of the slide disk at a fourth time that is prior to the second time.

20. A system comprising:

a slide pad including a slide disk; and

a control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to provide first position information associated with a first position of the slide disk in the slide pad to a host subsequent to a first time in which an amount pressure applied to the slide disk exceeds a first threshold, wherein the control unit is configured to provide second position information associated with a second position of the slide disk in the slide pad to the host subsequent to a second time at which either the amount of pressure applied to the slide disk falls below the first threshold or movement of the slide disk in the slide pad above a second threshold is detected, and wherein the control unit is configured to provide third position information associated with a third position of the slide disk in the slide pad at the second time subsequent to providing the second position information.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the amount pressure applied to the slide disk exceeds a third threshold between the first time and the second time.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the second position information comprises intermediate position information.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the control unit is configured to interpolate the intermediate position information from the first position information and the third position information.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a buffer configured to store the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information.