Closed-loop sensor on a solid-state object position detector

• US 7,502,016 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Shaw, Scott J., Trent, Raymond A. Jr., Huie, Mark A., Heiny, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/925,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-177, 178/18.01, 178/18.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an object position detector. The object position detector comprises a touch sensor formed as a closed loop and having a physical constraint formed on an upper surface of the touch sensor and coextensive with the closed loop. The touch sensor is configured to sense motion of an object proximate to the closed loop. The object position detector also comprises a processor coupled to the touch sensor and is programmed to generate an action in response to the motion on the touch sensor.

Claims

1. An object position detector, comprising:

a processor comprising a plurality of sensor inputs;

a first touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to a substantially closed loop, the touch sensor comprising a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed along the substantially closed loop, wherein a first sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes is coupled to a first sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs; and

a second touch sensor comprising a second plurality of sensor electrodes, the second touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein a first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes is coupled to both the first sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the first sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs,

wherein the processor is configured to provide first data responsive to the first touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the substantially closed loop and to provide second data responsive to the second touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

2. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor further comprises an indicator electrode disposed proximate to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and coupled to a second sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs, the indicator electrode configured to sense the object proximate to the substantially closed loop.

3. The object position detector of claim 2, wherein the second touch sensor further comprises a second indicator electrode disposed proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes and coupled to a third sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs, the second indicator electrode configured to sense the object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

4. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a first subset of sensor electrodes for sensing motion of the object proximate to the second plurality of electrodes along a first axis, the first subset of sensor electrodes coupled to a first subset of the plurality of sensor inputs, and wherein the second plurality of sensor electrodes further comprises a second subset of sensor electrodes for sensing motion of the object proximate to the second plurality of electrodes along a second axis, the second subset of sensor electrodes coupled to a second subset of the plurality of sensor inputs, and wherein the first plurality of sensor electrodes are electrically coupled to both the first subset of sensor electrodes and the first subset of the plurality of sensor inputs.

5. The object position detector of claim 4, further comprising:

a third touch sensor comprising a third plurality of sensor electrodes, the third touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to the third plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein the third plurality of sensor electrodes are electrically coupled to portions of the first subset of sensor electrodes and portions of the first subset of the plurality of sensor inputs that are not coupled to the first plurality of sensor electrodes.

6. The object position detector of claim 4, further comprising:

a third touch sensor comprising a third plurality of sensor electrodes, the third touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to the third plurality of sensor electrodes, wherein the third plurality of sensor electrodes are electrically coupled to both the second subset of sensor electrodes and the second subset of the plurality of sensor inputs.

7. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor are both capacitance touch sensors.

8. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of electrodes is disposed along a second substantially closed loop.

9. The object position detector of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of electrodes is disposed along a second substantially closed loop nested with the substantially closed loop.

10. An object position detector, comprising:

a first touch sensor comprising a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed along a first substantially closed loop, the first plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense an object proximate to the first substantially closed loop;

a second touch sensor comprising a second first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed along a second substantially closed loop, the second plurality of sensors configured to sense an object proximate to the second substantially closed loop; and

a processor configured to process signals from the first touch sensor to determine motion of the object proximate the first substantially closed loop and to effect a first function responsive to motion of the object proximate the first substantially closed loop being substantially along the first substantially closed loop, and to process signals from the second touch sensor to determine motion of the object proximate the second substantially closed loop and to effect a second function responsive to motion of the object proximate the second substantially closed loop being substantially along the second substantially closed loop.

11. The object position detector of claim 10, wherein the first substantially closed loop and the second substantially closed loop are nested.

12. The object position detector of claim 11, wherein the first substantially closed loop and the second substantially closed loop are both circular, and the processor is further configured to interpolate signals from the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to determine radial positional information.

13. The object position detector of claim 10, wherein the first function and the second function are both audio functions.

14. An object position detector, comprising:

a processor comprising a plurality of sensor inputs;

a first touch sensor comprising a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a substantially closed loop, the first touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to the substantially closed loop; and

a second touch sensor comprising a second plurality of sensor electrodes, the second touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes,

wherein the processor is configured to provide first data responsive to the first touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the substantially closed loop and to provide second data responsive to the second touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes, and wherein each sensor electrode in the first plurality of sensor electrodes is coupled to a sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs, and wherein each sensor electrode in the second plurality of sensor electrodes is coupled to a sensor input of the plurality sensor inputs such that each sensor electrode in the first plurality of sensor electrode shares a sensor input with a sensor electrode in the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

15. The object position detector of claim 14, wherein the first touch sensor further comprises an indicator electrode disposed proximate to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and coupled to the processor, the indicator electrode configured to sense an object proximate to the first plurality of sensor electrodes such that the processor can distinguish between an object proximate the first plurality of sensor electrodes and an object proximate the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

16. The object position detector of claim 14, wherein the second touch sensor further comprises an indicator electrode disposed proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes and coupled to the processor, the indicator electrode configured to sense an object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes such that the processor can distinguish between an object proximate the first plurality of sensor electrodes and an object proximate the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

17. A method for providing an object position detector, comprising:

providing a processor having a plurality of sensor inputs;

providing a first capacitive touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to a substantially closed loop, the providing a first touch sensor comprising disposing a first plurality of sensor electrodes along the substantially closed loop and coupling a first sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes to a first sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs; and

providing a second capacitive touch sensor configured to sense an object proximate to a second plurality of sensor electrodes, the providing a second touch sensor comprising disposing a second plurality of sensor electrodes and coupling a first sensor electrode of the second plurality of sensor electrodes to both the first sensor electrode of the first plurality of sensor electrodes and the first sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs, wherein the processor is configured to provide first data responsive to the first touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the substantially closed loop and to provide second data responsive to the second touch sensor sensing the object proximate to the second plurality of sensor electrodes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing a first touch sensor further comprises disposing an indicator electrode disposed proximate to the first plurality of sensor electrodes and coupling the indicator electrode to a second sensor input of the plurality of sensor inputs, wherein the indicator electrode configured to sense the object proximate to the substantially closed loop.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing a second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises disposing the second plurality of electrodes along a second substantially closed loop.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing a second plurality of sensor electrodes comprises disposing the second plurality of electrodes in a second substantially closed loop nested with the substantially closed loop.