Touch sensor system and method

• US 7,518,381 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stoneridge Control Devices, Inc. (Stoneridge Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Stoneridge Control Devices, Inc. (Stoneridge Incorporated)
• Inventors: Babington, Thomas E., Lamborghini, Louis R., Yuen, Benjamin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US11/311,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 324/713, 324/691, 324/649, 324/600, 324/658, 324/679, 323/904, 327/517, 345/173, 348/14.03, 379/93.19, 399/185, 463/37
• US Class Current: 324/679
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/34 Backlit symbols
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/34 Backlit symbols
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9606 using one electrode only per touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94052 with evaluation of actuation pattern or sequence, e.g. tapping
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96015 Constructional details for touch switches for capacitive touch switches see H03K2217/9607
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96042 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer

Abstract

A touch sensor assembly. The touch sensor assembly may include a housing, at least one touch sensor and a sensor cover. The sensor cover may identify a touch area associated with each touch sensor. The housing may form a water tight cavity for the sensor cover and the touch sensor when coupled to an housing cover. A raised dome may be provided, e.g. on the sensor cover or another element, to provided tactile feed back. LEDs may be provided for illuminating the touch areas and/or sensing ambient light. A controller may control the illumination level of the LEDs in response to sensed ambient light. Adjacent key suppression algorithms are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a plurality of touch areas of a touch sensor assembly, said method comprising:

identifying a first signal of a plurality of signals that exceeds a threshold level for a first time interval, each one of said plurality of signals corresponding to a different one of said plurality of touch areas, said first signal corresponding to a first touch area of said plurality of touch areas;

providing a first output signal associated with said first signal;

identifying a second signal of said plurality of signals that also exceeds said threshold level for said first time interval, said second signal corresponding to a second touch area of said plurality of touch areas; and

changing said first output signal to a second output signal associated with a simultaneous touching of said first touch area and said second touch area if no other of said plurality of signals exceeds said threshold level for said first time interval.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said threshold level is a negative level relative to a reference voltage.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first output signal is a binary coded decimal value corresponding to said first touch area.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second output signal corresponds to a command for locking all doors of a vehicle to which said touch sensor assembly is coupled.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second output signal corresponds to a command for enabling or disabling an auto lock of all doors of a vehicle to which said touch sensor assembly is coupled.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said time interval is about 250 milliseconds.

7. A method of monitoring a plurality of touch areas of a touch sensor assembly, said method comprising:

identifying a first signal of a plurality of signals that exceeds a threshold level for a first time interval, each one of said plurality of signals corresponding to a different one of said plurality of touch areas, said first signal corresponding to a first touch area of said plurality of touch areas;

providing a first output signal associated with said first signal;

identifying a second signal of said plurality of signals that also exceeds said threshold level for said first time interval, said second signal corresponding to a second touch area of said plurality of touch areas; and

changing said first output signal to a second output signal associated with a simultaneous touching of said first touch area and said second touch area if a reference signal corresponding to a reference electrode does not exceed said threshold level for said first time interval.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said threshold level is a negative level relative to a reference voltage.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said first output signal is a binary coded decimal value corresponding to said first touch area.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said second output signal corresponds to a command for locking all doors of a vehicle to which said touch sensor assembly is coupled.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein said second output signal corresponds to a command for enabling or disabling an auto lock of all doors of a vehicle to which said touch sensor assembly is coupled.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein said time interval is about 250 milliseconds.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein said reference electrode is disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of touch areas.